News: Newsworth information and Casino News: News in relation to casinos and/or gambling

News: Newsworth information and Casino News: News in relation to casinos and/or gambling

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Google and Yahoo! Release Top Searches Of 2009

Search engines Google and Yahoo! have released their list of the top searches of 2009.

The "Top 5" searches were the same on both websites, with "WWE" claiming the number 3 positions.

The Top 5:

1. Michael Jackson
2. Twilight
3. WWE
4. Megan Fox
5. Britney Spears


2009 Year-End Google Zeitgeist

Fastest Rising (Global)

michael jackson
facebook
tuenti
twitter
sanalika
new moon
lady gaga
windows 7
dantri.com.vn
torpedo gratis

Fastest Rising in Entertainment (Global)

michael jackson
transformers
eminem
naruto shippuden
beyonce
peliculas id
paranormal activity
anime online
natasha richardson
poker face lyrics

Fastest Rising in Food & Drink (Global)
acai berry
picnic
クックパッド
tesco direct
senseo
peanut butter recall
nespresso commande
habibs delivery
mocktail
masterchef australia

Fastest Falling (Global)
beijing 2008
euro 2008
heath ledger
barack obama
amy winehouse
kraloyun
dailymotion
bebo
wii
emule

Fastest Rising in Sports (Global)
real madrid
us open
ufc
sahadan
livescore
pacquiao vs cotto
wbc 速報
pga tour leaderboard
confederations cup
l'equipe football


The Top Aussie Searches For The Year

The fastest rising searches of 2009
One HD
twitter.com
Masterchef
Melbourne Cup 2009
Grooveshark
New Moon Movie
Facebook search
Trading Post Auto
Smartkiddies
Currency converter calculator

Most popular searches of 2009
Facebook
YouTube
Hotmail
eBay
MySpace
Google
Yahoo
Gmail
Bebo
Seek

Most searched for news stories of 2009
Swine Flu
Stimulus package
Flu
Bushfires
Bushfire
New Moon
Fires
Robert Pattinson
Michael Jackson
Rihanna

Most searched for celebrities of 2009
Michael Jackson
Lady Gaga
Robert Pattinson
Megan Fox
Taylor Swift
Miley Cyrus
Susan Boyle
Hamish and Andy
Miranda Kerr
Kirsten Stewart

RIP - most searched deaths in 2009 (including rumoured/incorrectly reported deaths)
Michael Jackson
Jeff Goldblum
Patrick Swayze
DJ AM
Kanye West
Miley Cyrus
Farrah Fawcett
Emma Watson
Sookie Stackhouse
Rick Astley

Most searched breakups of 2009 (rumoured and confirmed)
Oasis breakup
Telstra breakup
Beatles breakup
PussyCat Dolls breakup
Wolfmother breakup
John Mayer breakup
Abba breakup
Hugh Hefner breakup
Breakup of Gondwana land
Simon and Garfunkel breakup

Most searched for diets of 2009
Lemon detox diet
Atkins diet
Detox diet
CSIRO diet
Low carb diet
Soup diet
South Beach diet
Cabbage soup diet
Tony Ferguson diet
Liver cleansing diet

Most searched for album of 2009
Eminem new album
Lady Gaga album
Muse new album
Taylor Swift album
White album
U2 new album
Michael Jackson album
The Script album
Lily Allen album
Beyonce new album

Most searched for movies of 2009
New Moon
Twilight
2012
Hannah Montana
Star Trek
Eclipe
Avatar
Halo
District 9
Bruno

Most searched for weddings of 2009
Kendra Wilkinson wedding
Khloe Kardashian wedding
Jade Goody wedding
Kristy Hinze wedding
Kyle Sandilands wedding
Fergie's wedding
Ellen Degeneres wedding
Roger Federer wedding
Rove wedding
Heidi Montag wedding

Most searched for births of 2009
Catriona Rowntree baby
Nicole Richie baby
Kim Clijsters baby
Britney Spears baby
Jennifer Garner baby
Roger Federer baby
Alyson Hannigan baby
Heidi Klum baby
Sarah Michelle Gellar baby
Ashlee Simpson baby

Most searched for Masterchef-related recipes
Croquembouche
Chocolate mousse cake
Chips
Risotto
Open Kofta
Lamb Shanks
Cupcakes
Chocolate fondant
Scone
Lemon tart

Most searched for country/city outside of Australia
New Zealand
Singapore
Vietnam
India
Italy
Antartica
Dubai
Egypt
France
Phuket

The hot tickets of 2009
AFL tickets
Pink tickets
Wicked tickets
ACDC tickets
Parklife tickets
Jersey Boys tickets
Australian Open tickets
Melbourne Cup tickets
Soundwave tickets
John Farnham tickets

Most searched for retail outlets
Harvey Norman
Big W
JB HiFi
Target
Ikea
Bunnings
Officeworks
Woolworths
KMart
Coles

Most searched for retail catalogues of the year
Target catalogue
Harvey Norman catalogue
Big W catalogue
Bunnings catalogue
Myer catalogue
Coles catalogue
IKEA catalogue
Spotlight catalogue
Aldi catalogue

Fastest rising searches in relation to love
Love quotes
Love poems
Love calculator
Love story lyrics
Love songs
Love tester
Love sayings
Love games
Love actually
What is love?

Most popular sports for 2009
AFL
NRL
Cricket
Melbourne Cup
BMX
Greyhounds
Tennis
Golf
Swimming
Soccer

Popularity contest
Rudd vs Turnbull vs Abbott
NRL vs AFL vs Rugby vs Soccer
Chanel vs Prada vs Gucci
Save vs Spend


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Rambo

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Top Gun

Cleopatra

Monopoly

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Partygaming engineer wins Red Hat award

Mr Alex Davies, a 22-year-old IT engineer at gaming firm Partygaming, has won the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) of the Year contest for Europe.

According to Red Hat, Davies, the youngest IT engineer at Partygaming, runs a global web and MySQL cluster. The RHCE training has allowed Davies to identify ways to improve uptime, scalability and performance on his systems, Red Hat advised.

Other winners:

Bernard Chew, Singapore
John Rose, North America
Balaji Sirasani, India

"This year's winners have gone above and beyond the norm to deliver value to their organisations through their proven knowledge of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and other Red Hat technologies," said Randy Russell, director of certification for Red Hat.

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Casino: a building or room used for social amusements specifically : one used for gambling 2 or less commonly cassino : a card game in which cards are won by matching or combining cards in a hand..

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Casino: a building or room used for social amusements specifically : one used for gambling 2 or less commonly cassino : a card game in which cards are won by matching or combining cards in a hand with those exposed on the table

Google Gets New Mobile Gizmos - 9th November 2009

The Internet giant picks up two young companies that develop technology for the mobile handset space.

BURLINGAME, Calif. -- Google continues to grow its mobile portfolio with the acquisition of two young companies. The first, AdMob, runs an advertising network for mobile devices. The other, Gizmo5, does VoIP telephony from Internet browsers and mobile phones.

Of the two acquisitions, AdMob is likely to receive the lion's share of attention. Google ( GOOG - news - people ) picked up the San Mateo, Calif.-based company for $750 million in stock. That's compared to an estimated $30 million price tag for San Diego-based Gizmo5, according to TechCrunch's Michael Arrington. (Credit: Google News, Techcrunch, AP, Forbes)

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Play on the Biggest Monopoly Board Ever

Monopoly City Streets will incorporate Google Maps in an online version of the famed board game.

US, September 8, 2009 - EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. - Have you ever wanted to own the entire street where you live? Starting tomorrow (September 9), aspiring MONOPOLY moguls can take over the globe with MONOPOLY CITY STREETS, a limited-time online free version of the world's most popular board game that allows players to "buy" streets based on Google Maps, competing against participants all over the world.

The MONOPOLY CITY STREETS instant-play online platform brings MONOPOLY to life by letting competitors play with the actual streets that are special to them. including their very own neighborhood, town or city. Or, players can choose to set up their property empire in a city where they would like to own property. It's easy to get started -- players create a profile on www.monopolycitystreets.com and begin to acquire properties each day through purchases and trades. Each player starts the game with $3 million MONOPOLY dollars and earns rent based on streets and properties owned at the time competitors log into the game.

Each street in the world is available for purchase by only one player, increasing the opportunity for trading and interaction among players. Players can instantly set up houses, hotels, skyscrapers and other buildings quickly after acquiring streets to increase property values.

The online game is launching in celebration of the release of MONOPOLY CITY, a new board game where players build a 3-D city in the center of the game board. For the first time since MONOPOLY was invented in 1935, game play has changed, removing the need to collect an entire property group before players can build structures on their properties, so a city can be built from the ground up from the first roll of the dice. Additionally, just like in real life, the value of property and players' incomes can rise and fall. Players can build structures to increase property values, such as schools or eco-friendly wind farms, or they can sabotage opponents by building sewage plants or prisons on the competition's property.

"The online experience for MONOPOLY CITY STREETS emphasizes the exciting dealing and negotiating elements of MONOPOLY," said Sarah Hoskin, Senior Marketing Manager for U.S. Marketing at Hasbro Games. "Both MONOPOLY CITY STREETS and MONOPOLY CITY bring new creativity to MONOPOLY that goes beyond the traditional property streets, green houses and red hotels."

MONOPOLY CITY STREETS will launch online in English, French, Spanish, Dutch and German on September 9, 2009. MONOPOLY CITY will be available at mass retail stores nationwide in Fall for the approximate retail price of $34.99. The board game includes more than 80 3-D buildings, district property cards, MONOPOLY money, "Chance" and "Dodge Rent" cards, and a Trading unit that requires two AAA batteries.

ABOUT MONOPOLY

Since 1935, more than 250 million copies of MONOPOLY have been sold in 106 countries and 40 languages. More than 200 different editions of the game have been published, but the most popular continues to be the classic "Number Nine." Affectionately known by its original product number, "Number Nine" is based on the streets of Atlantic City and is nearly identical to Charles Darrow's original submission to Parker Brothers. The MONOPOLY name and logo, the distinctive design of the game board, the four corner squares, the MR. MONOPOLY name and the character, as well as each of the distinctive elements of the board and playing pieces are trademarks of Hasbro for its property trading game and game equipment. (C) 2009 Hasbro, All Rights Reserved.

About Hasbro

Hasbro, Inc. is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. (C) 2009 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Pure Convert launches mobile marketing campaign with iGlobal for PartyGaming - 29th September 2009

Pure Convert (http://www.pureconvert.com), an online & mobile advertising agency, is launching a first phase mobile gambling marketing campaign in cooperation with the Global Gaming Net casino group (GGN), managed by iGlobal Media. The campaign uses novel online and mobile-based marketing techniques and is to target mobile gambling users via GGN’s brand, Casino Las Vegas (http://www.casinolasvegas.com).

Pure Convert, which is headed by a group of online and mobile marketing experts, acts as a full-service digital marketing agency, and operates various proprietary mobile gambling directories such as Casinos4mobile (http://www.casinos4mobile.com and Mob21 (http://www.mob21.com).

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Cryptologic igaming agreement with Virgin Games

Marvel super hero fans, stay turned...Richard Branson's Virgin Games has come to business terms with CryptoLogic! As Marvel legend Stan Lee would say, Excelsior!
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Is the i-Gaming sector really recession proof? - 28th May 2009 - Virgin.com

*The following is the first number paragraphs of an excellent article that appeared on the official Virgin Enterprises Limited website on the 28th May 2009.

Then you see the follow up article from Greg Tingle, founder and director of Media Man Australia, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory.


To date, the i-Gaming sector seems to be relatively unaffected by the credit crunch that is decimating other businesses. Consequently, there appears to be a growing feeling that all you need to have is a good idea in terms of new software, new platforms or new applications to do with e-gaming and then it’s just a question of sitting back and waiting for the money to roll in.

There is a feeling around that because the gaming sector is growing and, as of to date, appears to be relatively unaffected by the credit crunch that is decimating other businesses, all you need to have is a good idea in terms of new software, new platforms or new applications to do with e-gaming and then it’s just a question of sitting back and waiting for the money to roll in.

That is not only untrue for now, where the constraints that the banks are currently operating under, in terms of investment and loans, is absolutely mirrored by the Venture Capital companies; it has always been untrue.

As Thomas Edison once said,“Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration”. The easy bit, curiously, is having the idea in the first place. However, as someone once said, there are very few good ideas that don’t, sooner or later, degenerate into hard work.

As Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, ‘Outliers’, illustrates, every success story, given the odd lucky break and the aptitude and talent of the founders, depends on hard work and practice. Ideas are nothing without execution.

So, if one is thinking of starting a new gaming company, what are the issues that one needs to focus on most closely to give oneself an appropriate chance of success? Virgin Games was itself a start-up just over four years ago; and, as such, while we are very sympathetic to the ambition, we are also sanguine and realistic about the pain being a start-up involves. To us, theree are four key things that are necessary – primarily, because they’ve always been necessary – but which have become even more critical than ever as the economy has battened down the funding hatches.

Firstly, it is absolutely imperative to make sure you understand exactly what it is that your customer wants. This may seem like a statement from the ,inistry of the bleeding obvious, but it is amazing how many start-ups – or, at least, potential start-ups – don’t. Too many ideas are based on doing something “because we can” rather than because it’s what the customer wants. All the talk and hype about web 2.0 and social networking often seems to blind people to its relevance or sustainability as a commercial business.

Every new start-up, in my opinion, should be based on a fundamental insight. That insight can come from data, research, a dialogue with customers or from testing alterations to your offering in terms of technology, service and product to see if it offers customers a better deal or a better option for them to spend their money on. Let’s remember, after all, that in the current market place, gaming companies are fighting for market share or share of wallet. (Credit: Virgin.com)


by Greg Tingle

An excellent article. My 7 plus years in and around gaming, igaming, news media and internet has demonstrated to me clearly that i-gaming is recession resistant, but not recession proof.

I'm pleased to report that our involvement i.e promotion of Virgin Games was our first real solid success in the igaming industry. Our Media Man Australia group has very strong traffic results (Hitwise Australia awards), however we were not making the best use of the traffic for many years, but there was strong potential to "monetize" more of that traffic, eyeballs and the like into a recurring income stream. We're were still trying to figure our what the magic formula and "the secret" was. We were already doing some b2b with other Virgin brands, in addition to covering Virgin in a news media capacity, so we enjoyed a bit of a kick start, as some of the right, receptive audience was already there, and most Richard Branson
business ventures are successful, and have the strength to ride out a storm or two.

Much like Virgin Enterprises Limited, the Media Man Australia group has spread its risk in a number of industry verticals, so we are not totally reliant on what's happening in the igaming sector, and the world's financial fun and games. We're in in news media, technology, entertainment, travel and tourism social and community and gaming industry (but not aviation thank God... lucky us). Many of these business arms are lifestyle related, as customers and potential customers all make lifestyle choices. The global strategy has also served us well in the gaming sector, as the nature of gaming means various cities and countries have differing laws governing the sector.

As we are largely an internet portal development company these days (and not an actual casino for example), we have little trouble in keeping up to what potential customers and existing customers want in many of the world's regions, and more often than not, when one door closes, another opens, when you have such a strong brand in a number of happening business verticals.

I-gaming is part of the entertainment and technology sector, albeit it in a sub group known as gambling. Needless to say, being in business is a gamble, but you get the idea. I-gaming like many other web based businesses is in a battle for both the entertainment dollar and eyeballs (yes, your eyes), as billions of other websites exist "out there" for the eyeball to google. The option to "play for free" or "play for money" has certainly proved to be a winner, and this somewhat follows the Microsoft and Google model, in that you give away something for free, but if you want the best, you pay (I bet News Corp's Rupert Murdoch and his people will get to this article eventually).

Our successes with Virgin Games, and the parent company, Virgin, helped give us the confidence to further ramp of our igaming and gaming involvement and we subsequently launched both Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory. I'm proud to say that the Virgin brand and numerous games are showcased significantly in our network, and
that Virgin Games has been fantastic for us. Virgin Games dominate much of our classic slots and classic casino games coverage, as they do our UK and European sections of our network website, not to mention the multi currency casino options. Virgin Games also pay for a job well done, and you know they have the money in the kitty, and will be around tomorrow, and likely, forever in some shape or form.

Some of the revenue we derive from Virgin Games, and our Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory arms of Media Man, we put back into society, and some of this via Virgin's philanthropic and community arm, Virgin Unite.

I've noticed that a number of traditional media companies are now starting to take the lead of Virgin by opening igaming arms, however there's only one Virgin and Richard Branson, just as there's only one original Media Man Australia. You can also trust RB to keep turning up in the news for something, thus keeping the Virgin name in the world's most recognized and trusted list, which works for everyone (unless your a competitor).

Some quotes that make strike a chord with Virgin and its audience...

Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow - Rupert Murdoch

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has - Margaret Mead

First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win - Ghandi

Internet is like electricity - James Packer

In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed - Charles Darwin

and last, but not least...

In the '80's my gut feeling was that airlines were crap. I hated spending time on planes. I thought we could create the kind of airline I'd like. So we got a secondhand 747 and gave it a go - Richard Branson

Thank you Virgin Enterprises Limited for being part of our ongoing journey, and the journey of so many others who had a go. You have to be in it to win it, and Virgin Enterprises, Virgin Games, and so many of their friends and associates know a thing or two about this. Happy flying and work hard, play and party harder.

Greg Tingle
Founder and Director
Media Man Australia
Global Gaming Directory

Online firm buoyed by casino growth - 1st September 2009

Online gaming firm PartyGaming has said its casino operations had gone from "strength to strength" after a 17% surge in average daily revenues.

The owner of brands including PartyCasino and FoxyBingo said significant expansion in casino following the launch of 60 new games and a marketing drive helped deliver an "outstanding" first half performance for the division.

Underlying earnings in casino rose 34.8% to 36 million US dollars (£22.2 million) in the half year to June 30, with average daily revenues increasing 17% between the second and first quarters of the year.

The gains offset pressure on its PartyPoker division after strong competition left poker earnings 29% lower at 25.7 million US dollars (£15.8 million).

Overall group earnings from continuing operations fell to 60.7 million US dollars (£37.4 million) from 64.9 million US dollars a year earlier.

Chief executive Jim Ryan said: "Casino has been our star performer and continues to go from strength-to-strength, consolidating our position as the world's leading online casino."

Year-on-year currency movements meant total revenues fell to 201.3 million US dollars (£124.1 million), but the reverse impact on its cost base limited the fall in underlying earnings, the company said.

PartyGaming reported a bottom-line loss of 66.9 million US dollars (£41.2 million) due to payments associated with a non-prosecution agreement with US authorities.

The company offered internet gaming to players in the US, including poker, from 1997 until such services were banned in 2006. It voluntarily exited the market when the legislation came into force, but prior to October 2006 some US transactions were contrary to certain US laws.

It has agreed to pay 105 million US dollars (£70.7 million), payable in stages up until September 2012, in order to resolve the legacy issues.

Credit: PartyGaming, Wires, PA, Google News

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Take a Trip Down the Nile With "Cleopatra", Available Now on iPhone and iPod Touch

IGT brings definitive slot experience to iPhone with videogame inspired by popular "Cleopatra" slot machine.

US, August 14, 2009 - LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Million-2-1 and International Game Technology , the world's premier slot games provider, announced today Cleopatra is available now for your iPhone and iPod Touch on the Apple App Store!

Now fans everywhere can enjoy Cleopatra, one of the most popular 'real life' slot games ever, on the go. Enjoyed in casinos around the world, this 5-reel, 20-line game replicates the original slot game authentically making Cleopatra® the definitive slot experience on the iPhone and iTouch platform.

"After enjoying so many years of success with the Cleo slots in real casinos, we're thrilled to allow players to enjoy Cleo now on the iPhone and iPod Touch," said Chris Sheffield, Director and General Manager of Remote Gaming for Million-2-1, an IGT Company.

Developed by the original creators of the land-based version, Cleopatra® on iPhone and iPod Touch boasts unparalleled graphics and an unbeatable range of unique features that sets it apart from any other slot games out there.

The innovative and exciting 'Tournament' mode lets you challenge yourself and other Cleopatra® players around the world to achieve the best scores and earn a place on the global leader board! Competitive gamers can apply a winning strategy by changing the number of lines and credit stake on each spin!

Have fun by shaking your iPhone or iPod Touch to spin the reels! Remember, 3 or more Sphinx symbols appearing anywhere on the reels start the Cleopatra Bonus. Not only do you earn 15 free spins but all wins are 3 times their normal value!

This game is for amusement only and does not replicate the odds of winning or the payouts of similar IGT casino games.

You must be 21 to gamble.

For more information on responsible gambling click here www.ncpgambling.org

ABOUT IGT:
International Game Technology (www.IGT.com) is a global company specializing in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized gaming machines and systems products.

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Microsoft and Yahoo gang up on Google - 29th July 2009

Yahoo and Microsoft have reached agreement on a long-awaited web search partnership that will unite the two companies against market leader Google.

Under the no-cash deal, Yahoo will use Microsoft's new Bing search engine on its own sites, while Yahoo will act as the exclusive global sales force for the companies' premium search advertisers.

According to research firm ComScore, Google has a 65 per cent share of the lucrative search market. The combined forces of Yahoo and Microsoft will have a 30 per cent market share.

Yahoo, which last year turned down a $US47.5 billion takeover bid from Microsoft, said it stood to gain about $US500 million in annual operating income and $US200 million in capital expenditure savings through the agreement with the software giant.

Yahoo also estimated the deal would provide it with a $US275 million benefit to annual operating cash flow.

"This agreement comes with boatloads of value for Yahoo, our users, and the industry. And I believe it establishes the foundation for a new era of internet innovation and development," Yahoo chief executive Carol Bartz said in a statement.

The partnership, Microsoft said, "will improve the Web search experience for users and advertisers, and deliver sustained innovation to the industry."

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said the deal will enable Bing to better compete against Goggle, as well as attract more users and advertisers.

"Through this agreement with Yahoo, we will create more innovation in search, better value for advertisers, and real consumer choice in a market currently dominated by a single company," Ballmer said.

"This agreement gives us the scale and resources to create the future of search."

The agreement, which has a 10-year term, will be subject to review by US regulatory authorities, the companies said.

It is restricted to internet search and related advertising revenue, while the pair would retain full autonomy on other properties and products such as email, instant messaging and display advertising.

Calling the link-up a "significant opportunity," Yahoo chairman Roy Bostock said the company's board backed it with its "full and unanimous support."

"Microsoft is an industry innovator in search, and it is a great opportunity for us to focus our investments in other areas critical to our future," he said.

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Virgin boosts online presence with dynamic website

Virgin Enterprises Limited, otherwise known as the Virgin Group of Companies, has revamped their company website portal.

The company was established by Richard Branson in the 1970's has a vast portfolio including but not limited to mobile telephony, internet, aviation, holidays, finance travel and gaming.

Virgin.com, forms part of the company strategy to adapt to the ever changing face of the business world.

Brand director, Catherine Salway, has gone on record with the following, according to a number of news media reports:

"One of the biggest things that we’re doing is that we’re re-launching our online presence, which at the moment is a really flat directory portal, Virgin.com"

"In the next month we’re going to be completely reinventing how Virgin is presented online with a really dynamic, interactive portal which will serve up to the consumer what they will be most interested in from the Virgin Group".

"We felt that that’s been something that we’ve needed to continue to invest in".

"We’re being selective and I hope smart about the marketing decisions that we’re taking, so I guess we’re relying less and less on traditional media in that sense as well".

"As a mother brand it’s extremely powerful. So over the years, especially in recent years, we’ve become quite fussy about what we apply our brand to and ensuring that each company lives up to those values in order to protect the mother brand".

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*Media Man Australia a business b2b business relationship with a number of companies in The Virgin Group of Companies, the details of which are commercially sensitive in nature.

Internet Gambling Makes Push in Asia Pacific Region

The past month has seen a surge of both established and not so established Internet Gambling and other gaming companies make a push into the Asia Pacific region. Greg Tingle, Special Contributor to the Gambling911.com website and Australian correspondent, takes a look at the Internet gambling sector in that region. He also looks at the online poker component. Tingle is also the proprietor of Media Man out of Australia.

It appears apparent that some of the gaming entities have more than just a casual interest in Australia, judging by some of the game titles. Try "Goanna Gold", "Cool Bananas", "Kangaroo Zoo", and "Shaaark" on for size!

PartyGaming saw some of their PartyCasino.com titles enjoy a rise in popularity as Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible and Top Gun) fame, and his partner, Katie Holmes, have been spending time in Melbourne, using James Packer's Crown Towers as a base.

Aspinalls are making a push with their Aspinalls Online Casino and Aspinalls Online Poker. Aspinalls have quite a colourful history, with the late, great, John Aspinall said to have ties and friendships with Australia's Packer family. In recent years it has been reported that Australia's James Packer has done business deals with Damian Aspinall. No doubt Aspers would be most welcome to accommodate the needs of casino whales, in both an online and offline capacity. Aspinall Jr has been spotted out and about with Australia's Elle "The Body" MacPherson a number of times over the past year, so Aspers wins points for that alone.

Titan Casino and Titan Poker both Playtech powered casinos have also identified the Asia Pacific region as a go ahead region for growth. Titan have come up with some impressive and generous bonuses for signing up at their online casino brands.

JackpotCity and Lucky Nugget Online Casino, both part of the Belle Rock Entertainment family, rose to prominence in Australia last year with their promotion of blockbuster movie hits, Tomb Raider and Hitman. JackpotCity is powered by Microgaming, which incidentally is also the software that powers Australia's Captain Cooks Casino. Captain Cooks Casino is by all accounts a favorite with the Aussies, so it looks like a battle of sorts may be on the horizon for the patronage of players who prefer Microgaming.

Casino Club and Slots Club, both powered by Boss Media, proudly have "Kangaroo Zoo" in their casino game stable. In recent months they have added more games, revamped the websites, and enhanced multi currency options.

Euro Partners, the European gaming powerhouse is embarking on a campaign pushing forward their highly respect casino brands into the Asia Pacific. Sources advise to be watching out for Casino Tropez and Europa Casino, to name but a few.

Virgin Games maintains presence in Australia and their Transformers online slot game is impossible to miss, thanks to the blockbuster movie launch last month. Virgin looks to have taken a page out of the Marvel Entertainment book, pushing forward a traditional entertainment brand. Marvel Entertainment is working on a Thor movie, so one would expect the Thor slot game to enjoy some renewed popularity. Virgin Casino top brass has recently gone on record via the Virgin.com website portal about the ups and downs of the online casino and igaming industry. Virgin's Richard Branson has approximately 200 companies in a range of industry verticals, so Virgin are certainly spreading their risk. Virgin recently ceased their Pikum! brand, however they remain one of the world's strongest and most respected brands. Let us not forget that celebrated film producer and director, Steven Spielberg has made a financial killing in the gaming sector over the decades, however it's his movie making that most of the world knows him for.

PKR.com have ramped up their progressive games and online slot game offerings, so they can expect to see more casino fans flocking to their casino, better known for the 3D casino and online poker experience. PKR are looking to continue their red hot streak in media, building upon their recent promotions tied in with the World Series of Poker, and are said to be sponsoring a number of upcoming events including the Asian Poker Tour, which is enjoying strong presence in Macau and Philippines of late.

To help cope with the current interest from the world's igaming and gaming entities, Australia's Media Man Australia, the media and publicity company, has ramped up portal development operations and also plans to launch more website portals including more for the gaming sector. MMA's Casino News Media, Australian Casino News and Classic Slots Online have been reporting a rise in rankings in recent months, as they strive to achieve Hitwise Australia top ten status. Media Man director, Greg Tingle, reckons its online a matter of time before Australian gaming figures, John "Singo" Singleton and Gerry Harvey, make a major play into Australian online gaming space, most certainly in the horse racing sector. Pokies baron, Bruce Mathieson, continues to do very well out of his pub pokies deal with Woolworths and the like. Media Man Australia is preparing a pitch to put to their connections at TVS Channel 31 Community TV, and sees the igaming and gaming sector as a new source of revenue for the community media sector. The gaming sector is said to be a significant source of revenue to fund Media Man's philanthropic and community endeavours, so TVS would do well to consider their pitch. Australia's SBS are said to also be open to approaches on new revenue streams, and ABC online has increased their online gaming involvement, with an online "Grandstand's Ultimate Ashes" game available, adding to their "Good Game" offerings.

The Australian government would be watching the igaming developments unfold in the US and Europe, as the game of skill vs games of chance debate continues. Now many sports betting experts are arguing that sports betting is largely a game of skill, following recent court findings on poker. You can bet that the UFC is watching this space closely and a number of sports betting operations in the US are said to have broken records with UFC 100, including BetUS.com, with the Brock Lesnar fight being the prime money maker, both for betting and Pay-Per-View buy rates. One can bet that Sen Stephen Conroy's office would have now heard of the upcoming motion picture staring Kevin Spacey, 'Casino Jack'. Spacey plays lobbyist Jack Abramoff, known for his Indian casino connections and lobbying. His career sees him land him in jail. Expect to hear whispers about the movie by the Tabcorp and Crown Casino fraternity.

Australia has seen a number more incidents at bricks and mortar hotels, pubs and casinos, so having a bet on the pokies at an online casino may be even safer and more enjoyable that one might have first thought. As always, take note of the casino and brand names and reputation, and gamblers are advised to know their limits, meaning set a financial limit and stick to it. In addition, gamblers are advised to ensure their gambling stays enjoyable, and if it stops being fun, its most likely time to stop. As the old Aussie term goes, Bet with your head, not over it.

Our friends at Gambling911, CAP, GPWA and eGaming Review see the gaming and igaming industry as being one of the world's most recession resistant industries, but certainly not recession proof.

Certainly mainstream press in Australia is starting to cover the industry in more details, with regular coverage being offered to the likes of PartyGaming, Joe Hachem (PokerStars connection) and the World Series of Poker.

Whatever side of the gaming, igaming and gambling sector you look into, there's plenty of exciting developments, be it technology advancements, legal developments or just new games, as the industry does its best to be a good corporate citizen and do the right thing by authorities, gaming regulators and players.

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New Landmarks For PartyCasino.com and PartyBingo.com More Additions To World's Largest Online Casino As Number Of Games Doubles In Six Months

Gibraltar -- 16th June – www.partycasino.com and www.partybingo.com are both currently offering record jackpots that are waiting to be hit! The PartyCasino.com Gold Mega Jackpot is at a record level and stands at over $2.4 million, while the PartyBingo.com jackpot in the Lillac Lounge is industry leading at over £63,000 and is rated as highly winnable by independent comparison checks.

Gold Mega Jackpot games on PartyCasino.com include The Godfather, Super Star, Super Joker, Super Fortune Wheel, Super Mystic and Mega Fortune Wheel. PartyCasino.com now offers over 120 games and pays out well over $10 million EVERY DAY to players. The world’s largest online casino continues to expand rapidly - in fact the number of games on PartyCasino.com has DOUBLED in just six months and there are a lot more to come! The latest release has seen dozens of new games added with the highlights being the in-house developed dinosaur themed Raptor Island and online casino classic Cleopatra. They join the group of Cryptologic licensed Marvel games, Wagerworks games like the very popular Monopoly and Next Gen slots such as Dolphin Reef.

With rights acquired from Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE), a joint venture of the Sinatra Estate and Warner Music Group, PartyCasino.com has also developed the Sinatra Slot - a five-reel, 20 line slot game with a Sinatra Big Band feature. Play through the three ages of Frank in Hollywood, Las Vegas and New York, collecting and writing big band tunes on the way. The game features an accumulating bonus trigger; collect a Treble Clef for each reel to build up a Sinatra track at the top of the screen. Complete the track to see Frank sing a classic track and then get a chance to write your own number in the Big Band Bonus feature. The minimum bet is $0.01 and maximum is $1,000. To celebrate the recent introduction of this innovating slot, PartyCasino.com is offering the chance to win trips to New York, Las Vegas or Hollywood and free spins until July 7 – see http://www.partycasino.com/news/newsletter for more details. Other highlights include film themed slots such as Mission:Impossible, The Terminator, Top Gun, Saturday Night Fever, Gone with the Wind and Rambo.

The PartyBingo.com jackpot in the Lilac Lounge is now over £63,000, the largest in the industry at the current time. It is rated by independent adjudicators to be one of the most ripe to be hit and the ball count has been increased to 37 make it easier to hit!

A PartyGaming spokesman said: “PartyCasino.com is a completely different product to what it was six months ago with so many great new games added. The Gold Mega Jackpot just continues to grow and grow past previous record levels – we’re surprised it hasn’t been hit yet. At the same time jackpot hunters are going to find PartyBingo.com very attractive, £63,000 would be a seriously big bingo win!”

PartyGaming Plc is the world’s leading listed online gaming company. Founded in 1997, the Group is a constituent of the FTSE 250 share index and the FTSE4Good Index Series, which measures the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards. PartyGaming’s shares are listed on The London Stock Exchange under the ticker: PRTY. PartyGaming’s principal brands are: PartyPoker.com, PartyCasino.com, EmpirePoker.com, PartyBingo.com, PartyGammon.com, PartyBets.com, PartyMarkets.com and Gamebookers.com.

PartyGaming is regulated and licensed by the Government of Gibraltar and is certified by GamCare as a responsible gaming operator. For more information, please visit www.partygaming.com

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Virgin's Branson Supports The Prince Of Wales 'Frog' Campaign - Virgin Poker

Today (11th May 2009) Richard Branson pledged his support for the Prince of Wales “Frog” Campaign. Richard stated “As you all know, for many years I have been concerned with climate change and its impact. The plight of the world’s rainforests is a massive influence on this and perhaps the single most important factor in protecting our environment – that is why I have served on the steering group for this project.

“I will use my speeches and contacts to reinforce his message. The Prince is looking for public support across the globe by seeking millions of sign ups for his web based petition.”

Simon Burridge CEO of Virgin Games (poker, casino and bingo games) commented “This is another great initiative by Richard and The Prince of Wales. They are setting the standard when it comes to campaigning on climate change. Virgin Games is thrilled to be a part of helping bring awareness of the devastation that it’s having to rainforests all over the world.”

To find out more and get involved with the The Princes Rainforest Project please go to www.rainforestsos.org and pledge your support to saving the worlds rainforests.

About Virgin Games Virgin Games, a subsidiary of Virgin.com Ltd, launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct entertainment offerings, giving consumers the chance to play their favourite online games the Virgin way:

Virgin Casino, part of the Wagerworks network, provides a taste of Vegas online, with classic casino offerings like blackjack and roulette, as well as popular feature slots like Elvis, Cleopatra and Vegas, Baby!

Virgin Poker, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry. The successful Virgin Poker Festivals, which take place in casinos around the UK throughout the year, now allow gamers to experience the fun of Virgin Poker offline too.

Virgin Bingo offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as regular promotions and an unrivalled loyalty scheme.

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A New Chance for Online Gambling in the U.S., By Eric Pfanner - The New York Times - 26th April 2009

PARIS — Is online gambling coming in from the cold?

When the U.S. Congress cracked down on Internet betting in 2006, the big, publicly traded European companies that had dominated the business closed up shop in the United States. Growth in the booming industry shifted away from these companies, once the darlings of the stock market, to private operators in offshore locations like Antigua and the Isle of Man.

But now, executives of some of the European companies whisper excitedly that they may soon get a second chance in the United States. Meanwhile, a number of European countries that have long maintained barriers are moving, under pressure from regulators, to legalize, and tax, online gambling.

“There’s still a lot of gambling going on, where there’s no revenue coming in to the governments,” said Gavin Kelleher, an analyst at the research firm H2 Gambling Capital in Ireland. “They realize they could use the revenue.”

The biggest potential change would be in the United States, where, perhaps within days, Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, is expected to introduce legislation aimed at overturning the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

“He supports the repeal and wants to move forward on it,” said Steve Adamske, communications director for the House Financial Services Committee, of which Mr. Frank is chairman.

Mr. Frank tried and failed to do so once before, in 2007. But advocates of liberalization think they might get a friendlier hearing in Washington this time around. President Barack Obama, they note, boasted of his poker prowess during the election campaign. And the Democrats, who are seen as less hostile to Internet gambling than the Republicans, have tightened their grip on Congress.

A study by PricewaterhouseCoopers says the U.S. government could raise more than $50 billion over 10 years from taxes on legalized online gambling.

“I’d be amazed if it didn’t happen over the next two or three years,” said Clive Hawkswood, chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association, a trade group based in London. “It’s just a question of what exactly the regulations will say.”

Some analysts say that may be getting a little bit ahead of the game. Opponents of a repeal, including the Christian Coalition of America and the National Football League, have vowed to fight any new effort to end the ban.

Michele Combs, a spokeswoman for the Christian Coalition, said the group was gearing up for a “massive campaign” of letter-writing and lobbying to try to prevent any loosening of the law.

“We’re not saying people shouldn’t go to Las Vegas,” she said. “But when it’s in your home, it’s too easy. It breaks up families.”

U.S. sports leagues, meanwhile, worry that the ease of online betting increases the chances of game-fixing. Even the most bullish advocates of online gambling acknowledge that Internet sports betting — as opposed to poker or casino games — is highly unlikely to be legalized.

“There’s a better chance now for some sort of gaming legislation to be approved,” said Nick Batram, an analyst at KBC Peel Hunt, a brokerage firm in London. “But it took longer than expected to put anti-gaming legislation in place, and it will probably will take longer than expected to remove it.”

Since the 2006 law was passed, North America, once the biggest market, has been passed by Europe and Asia, according to figures from H2 Gambling Capital. The law makes it illegal for financial institutions to handle payments to online gambling sites. But enough people have found ways around it, some by using overseas payment processors, to ensure that online gambling remains a thriving business. H2 says online gambling generated revenue of $6 billion last year in North America, more than a quarter the global total of $22.6 billion, up from $17.6 billion in 2006.

Pulling out of the United States cost PartyGaming about three-quarters of its business. Its position as the biggest online poker provider has been taken over by PokerStars, a privately held operator based on the Isle of Man.

This month, PartyGaming agreed to a $105 million settlement with the U.S. attorney’s office in New York, involving the period before 2006, when it acknowledged that its activities had been “contrary to certain U.S. laws.” In turn, the U.S. authorities agreed not to prosecute the company, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, or its executives.

The agreement fueled speculation that PartyGaming might be trying to position itself for a return to the U.S. market, if online gambling were legalized.

Analysts say one possibility for European companies like PartyGaming, should the ban be lifted, would be to form partnerships with American casino operators. That would allow the European companies to share their online expertise. Operating alone, they might struggle to obtain licenses, given their history of run-ins with U.S. law enforcement, analysts said.

“It’s my feeling that even if the market were opened up, the U.S. government, in a palatable way, would probably find a way to give local companies a favorable position,” Mr. Batram said.

So far, Las Vegas executives have maintained a cautious stance about legalization of online gambling. Steve Wynn, chief executive of Wynn Resorts, said in an e-mail message that he thought it would be “impossible to regulate.”

“Even though it would be a benefit to our company, we are strongly opposed,” he said.

But speculation that Las Vegas casino operators were looking into the possibilities was fueled by recent reports that Harrah’s Entertainment, which owns Caesars Palace and other casinos, recently hired Mitch Garber, former chief executive of PartyGaming, for an unspecified role. Harrah’s did not return calls.

Mr. Ryan said that PartyGaming planned to focus on acquisition opportunities to increase its market share in Europe and elsewhere, something that was difficult as long as investors were worried about the U.S. litigation. “We think Mr. Frank’s efforts are quite meaningful to the sector,” he said.

Several other online gambling companies whose shares are traded in London, including 888 Holdings and Sportingbet, are still in talks with the U.S. Justice Department. Analysts expect them, along with companies like Bwin International, whose stock is traded in Vienna, to be involved in a round of consolidation in the industry — along with a possible eventual move back into the United States.

As they await developments in Washington, online gambling companies are looking for growth in Europe and Asia. Under pressure from regulators in Brussels, several European Union members, including France, Italy, Spain and Denmark, have been moving to legalize some kinds of online gambling, turning it into a regulated and taxed business. Britain was the first big European country to do so, in 2005.

Other countries, like Germany, Greece and the Netherlands, continue to hold out, though, in what the European Commission sees as an effort to protect government-sponsored gambling monopolies from private competition.

The commission in March published a report arguing that the United States was violating World Trade Organization rules by keeping out European online gambling companies, given that online betting on horse racing is permitted in the United States. But the commission said that it favored negotiations, rather than legal action, to end the dispute.

Also in March, however, the European Parliament adopted a separate measure supporting the right of individual E.U. member states to make their own rules on online gambling.

“It’s interesting that the European Commission is telling the U.S. it’s persecuting European companies when it can’t even get its own house sorted out,” Mr. Batram said.

(Credit: The New York Times)

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Online punters rushing to play, by Nick Galvin - The Age - 4th April 2009

In 2000 the Federal Government was interested in attitudes to the embryonic online gambling industry. Would Australians cop a ban on all local gambling sites - and if a ban was enforced would punters simply go offshore for their gambling fix?

Results of the consequent survey seem almost quaint. Ninety-six per cent of people said they had no interest in online gambling, and 1 per cent said they would consider playing on an overseas site if they "stumbled upon it".

"These points suggest that currently involvement in internet gambling is only minimal and not likely to increase rapidly in the near feature," the government report concluded. The next year the Interactive Gambling Act made it an offence to provide online gambling services in Australia; as late as 2004 a review boasted about the ban's effectiveness.

Fast forward to 2009. Exact figures are impossible to obtain, but industry sources agree that hundreds of thousands of Australians regularly play poker on overseas servers.

Causes of this growth are complex. Television exposure played a part; so too did the number of Australians with home internet connections - up from a third of households in 2001 to two-thirds by 2006. And there is no shortage, it seems, of Australians willing to trust the internet with their credit card details. (Credit: The Age)

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Internet Filtering Continues to be Hot Topic in Australia - Gambling911 - 31st March 2009

The coverage related to Internet filtering in Australia continues to be a hot topic. A report aired just the other night with some 377 plus people commenting on what was transpiring. As Gambling911.com has been reporting, the Australian government, led by Communications Director Stephen Conroy, has been working to filter some 2000 plus websites they claim were "indecent" but as it turns out, a number of those sites were related to online poker, religion and politics.

One individual wrote:

"The fact that the black list already contains politically controversial sites -of religions with which the government does not agree- should be taken as a sign of things to come. That information on euthanasia has been blocked is fairly hypocritical. It was legal in the Northern Territory under 15 years ago. The filter only covers http traffic - not peer to peer traffic. Anyone hosting illegal content over http is advertising their location. Surely distributors of illegal content would use P2P."

Another had this to say:

"Both during his appearance on Insight and Q&A last week, Conroy described it as a "Genuine conundrum" that blacklists have to be secret in order to work - therefore disenabling legitimate sites from knowing and protesting their blacklisting. I don't really see how it is a "Conundrum". If the sites are blocked, then supposedly people won't be able to access them ANYWAY. So what's wrong with transparency? And those who really want to view illegal sites will already know of them and can bypass."

Our man on the street, Greg Tingle, had this to say:

"I'm an adult and if I wish to watch adult porno that should be my business only. If I want to visit a poker or online casino website to place a bet, so be it. If I want to link to Betfair, I should have every right to. Here's a movie to watch, John Carpenter's 'They Live'. Part science fiction thriller and part black comedy, the film echoed contemporary fears of a declining economy, within a culture of greed and conspicuous consumption common among Americans in the 1980s. In They Live, the ruling class within the monied elite are in fact aliens managing human social affairs through the use of subliminal media advertising and the control of economic opportunity. Rudd, any bells ringing here. Liberal, you have found your next election winner I believe. The way this is going Australia is heading for a riot which will make Cronulla, Maroubra, Thailand, China and France look like child's play. Rudd and Conroy, it's happening on your watch. Is the Australian government happy with themselves now. I would suggest that some Australian politicians are going to do well to get bodyguards, if they don't have them already, such is the dislike of some of their jackass policy, and some of them are the clowns that signed off some of this garbage."

This is a hot topic that won't be going away any time soon.

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Hitwise Releases Online Performance Awards

24th March 2009

Online research company Hitwise has released the winners of its Online Performance Awards, revealing the most popular Australian websites of 2008.

Across numerous subdivisions within categories including automotive, business and finance, lifestyle, news and media, and sport, Hitwise names the most visited site based the internet usage of approximately 3 million Australians visiting over 140,000 websites.

Following on from the awards last year, new entrants to Australia’s most popular sites include Webjet, which was top of the “Agencies” division within travel, while Toyota was most popular site among “Manufacturers” in automotive. Another new entrant was Fox Sports which had the most viewed site of “Networks and Channels” site within the TV category.

The most popular site for bands and artists was thewiggles.com, while in the food and beverages category coles.com.au topped “Brands and Manufacturers” and taste.com.au was most viewed in “lifestyle and reference”.

The Awards were held at Dalton House in Sydney today. (Credit: B&T)

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Playtech 2008 Revenues Climb 70 Percent

27th March 2009

Playtech, a leading global designer, developer and licensor of software for the online and mobile gaming industries, has announced its audited full-year results showing a 70 percent increase in total revenues to €111.5 million.

The Isle of Man-based firm revealed that casino revenues improved 68 percent from €47.4 million for the year before to €79.4 million while those from poker grew 73 percent to €30.1 million from €17.4 million.

Capping off the good news for Playtech while many others in the industry struggle, net profits increased 55 percent to €40.7 million resulting in a net profit margin of 37 percent, which was slightly down on 2007’s 40 percent.

Playtech also reported an encouraging start to 2009 with daily average revenues for the first eleven weeks up 2.3 percent compared to the final quarter of 2008. In addition, revenues from its software licensing deal with William Hill that created William Hill Online were approximately 40 percent greater for the first eight weeks of 2009 than those generated by former customers over the final period of last year.

'Playtech continues to perform extremely well, delivering healthy growth for shareholders and meeting management's demanding expectations,” said Roger Withers, Non-Executive Chairman for Playtech.

'Our landmark agreement with William Hill Online is on course to offer significant benefits to the company's earnings in 2009 and further strengthens Playtech's position.

'Management's strategy to focus on growing its presence in regulated markets has enabled the group to enter Italy, signing-up four leading Italian licensees in the process, and we expect to announce further developments in this regard.

'Our successful share placing in June of 2008 demonstrated the faith investors have in the company and its management. Despite the difficult macroeconomic outlook for 2009, I am confident that the group will successfully navigate these challenges. As a result, the board is highly confident of its prospects for 2009 and beyond.'

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Gaming Operators to Merge?

23rd March 2009

Online gaming is now a well established industry with thousands of operators offering the service's of casino, poker, bingo and betting games. The UK market is one of the largest and as a result has become extremely competitive in recent years.

Areas such as online bingo have performed better than predicted with over 3 million players every year. In a saturated market many industry experts believe smaller operators may look to merge with each other, creating larger more stable businesses.

William Hill recently merged with software operator Playtech to create 'William Hill Online', and its predicted many others will do the same. Smaller operators are beginning to struggle in the current market place with the larger companies exploiting their brand awareness and entering new sectors.

Names such as Ladbrokes, Bet 365 and Coral all have products in casino, bingo and poker as well as sports betting, making it difficult for smaller game specific operators to attract new players.

Meanwhile some of so called 'Super' brands could look into acquiring medium to large sized brands like, 888.com or Party Gaming merging with Bwin. These business opportunities are now a real possibility as the market place becomes crowded and market share is fiercely fought over.

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Gambling News Down Under: Australia Website Blacklist Debacle - Gambling911 - 24th March 2009

Evidence is mounting that the list of websites published by Wikileaks is almost certainly ACMA's "secret" blacklist. Senator Stephen Conroy claimed the first leaked list, dated August 2008, was too long to be real. 2395 URLs instead of 1600-odd. However, more recent lists, leaked late Friday night, are another story.

"There's not much if any room for doubt that the Wikileaked lists of 11 and 18 March are anything other than the ACMA blacklist," says Irene Graham, who maintains censorship information website Libertus.net.

Even apart from the giveaway file name, "Websites_ACMA.txt", ACMA' statistics for November 2008 say they added an item "RC-Publication" that month. That means an electronic version of a print publication, like a book or magazine (remember them?), which had been "Refused Classification". It's the only "RC-Publication" item ACMA has ever blacklisted.

When books are banned, it's not a secret. The Classification Review Board's database shows, to choose a completely random example, that on 27 February, 2007, they banned The Peaceful Pill Handbook by Phillip Nitschke and Fiona Stewart.

Mainstream media reported that Nitschke then published the book online in October 2008, hosted outside Australia. The leaked blacklist dated 11 March, 2009, shows the relevant website added on 12 November, 2008 -- the same month ACMA added their solitary banned book to their list. Coincidence? Yeah right.

"This is turning into the Grim Reaper and Y2K of 2009 all in one!" says Australian Media Man, Greg Tingle. "I wouldn't be surprised if this stays one of the hottest news stories in Australia for all of this year. This effects ever man, women and child. The word on the street is that the Australian government has gone to far and will be thrown out of office at the next election." (Credit: Gambling911)

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Web watchdog changes tack after blacklist leak, by Fran Foo - The Australian - 17th March 2009

The communications regulator has been forced to change its internal processes after the address of a prohibited anti-abortion web page in its top-secret blacklist was widely distributed on the internet.

The move comes after the Australian Communications and Media Authority threatened a fine of up to $11,000 a day against a web host for displaying the banned web page link.

The host supplies services to popular internet community website Whirlpool.

The problem began on January 5 when a Melbourne internet user, known online as Foad, complained to ACMA about "offensive content" on an anti-abortion web page (not the entire website).

Two weeks later ACMA replied, confirming the web page contained prohibited or potentially prohibited content.

ACMA's response contained the link to the offending web page, which soon found its way to various blogs and forums, including Whirlpool.

ACMA has since learned from its mistake. "ACMA has modified its replies to complainants to omit the URLs of prohibited content and potential prohibited content," a spokesman said.

ACMA must advise complainants of the outcome of their complaints, the spokesman said, and it was usual to include the relevant URL in the response to ensure that complainants, particularly those who had complained about several URLs, were aware of the action ACMA had taken.

"ACMA is aware of only a handful of instances from the 6000 investigations completed since January 1, 2000, where a complainant has published ACMA's response," the spokesman said.

Other Australian websites and blogs continue to display the location of the banned web page, but ACMA says no action will be taken as "ACMA has not received any other complaints about links to the content concerned".

Whirlpool, which has 276,000 members who regularly provide comments on the internet and broadband in Australia, removed the web page after its web hosting company, Bulletproof Networks, received an "interim link deletion" notice from ACMA.

ACMA said it took action against Bulletproof in accordance with the Broadcast Services Act.

Whirlpool owner Simon Wright questioned why ACMA slapped the notice on Bulletproof instead of Whirlpool since it was the latter that had published the web page.

"ACMA should have contacted us first. We felt compelled to remove the link to avoid getting Bulletproof into trouble," Mr Wright said. "Threatening friendships is something mobs do, not governments."

Bulletproof spokesman Lorenzo Modesto said it had complied with the notice because it was the responsible thing to do when authorities came calling.

Bulletproof notified Whirlpool, which removed the link.

Greg Tingle comment...

I'm an adult and if I wish to watch adult porno that should be my business only. If I want to visit a poker or online casino website to place a bet, so be it. If I want to link to Betfair, I should have every right to. Here's a movie to watch, John Carpenter's 'They Live'. Part science fiction thriller and part black comedy, the film echoed contemporary fears of a declining economy, within a culture of greed and conspicuous consumption common among Americans in the 1980s. In They Live, the ruling class within the monied elite are in fact aliens managing human social affairs through the use of subliminal media advertising and the control of economic opportunity. Rudd, any bells ringing here. Liberal, you have found your next election winner I believe. The way this is going Australia is heading for a riot which will make Cronulla, Maroubra, Thailand, China and France look like child's play. Rudd and Conroy, it's happening on your watch. Is the Australian government happy with themselves now. I would suggest that some Australian politicians are going to do well to get bodyguards, if they don't have them already, such is the dislike of some of their jackass policy, and some of them are the clowns that signed off some of this garbage.

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InterPoker and ParBet Move to International Poker Network, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 19th March 2009

Thursday marks the official move of InterPoker and ParBet from the CryptoLogic Network to Boss Media's International Poker Network (IPN). The move stems from a November agreement between the two networks whereby Boss would absorb CryptoLogic's remaining online poker sites.

The past two days have seen the final rooms on the CryptoLogic Network make their way to Boss. On Tuesday, Extreme Poker jumped to IPN. Yesterday saw the moves of Classic Poker, Opoker, DTD Poker, and BetJacks. Atul Bali, President of GTECH's New Media and Sports Betting Company, commented in a press release distributed on Thursday, “With the addition of six new poker licensees including InterPoker and ParBet, we are significantly increasing the liquidity that can be offered to both the new licensees' players as well as our existing customers' player base. We look forward to further developing our relationship with CryptoLogic and further increasing the size of the IPN over time." GTECH is the parent company of Boss Media and is based in Providence, Rhode Island.

According to a market update issued by CryptoLogic on Tuesday, the move of InterPoker and ParBet on Thursday represents the final "integration of all poker customers." The company will instead focus its efforts on creating industry-leading online casino software. In 2008, it signed on 10 new customers in total, including 888.com, Party Gaming, BSkyB, and GigaMedia. The developers at CryptoLogic rolled out 34 new casino games last year featuring such well-known brands as Street Fighter, Sub-Mariner, and King Kong.

The 2008 calendar year saw CryptoLogic post revenues of $61.5 million, which it claimed was in line with market expectations. Comparatively, revenues were $73.7 million in 2007, meaning a drop of 17% occurred. Two years ago, CryptoLogic posted a net profit of $5.5 million. Last year, the company incurred a net loss of $32.7 million, which it pinned on "write downs of impaired assets, non-recurring restructuring costs, and currency factors." Fourth quarter revenues of $11.7 million in 2008 were half of the $20.4 million that the company posted during the final quarter of 2007.

Information available on InterPoker's website reveals that the process for players involves downloading IPN's new software. Funds will automatically be transferred over. However, My Poker Points (MPPs) will become merely a vestige, as InterPoker and other CryptoLogic players transition to using Frequent Player Points (FPPs).

As a result of the influx of new customers, IPN has grown leaps and bounds. It includes CelebPoker, Fortune Poker Paradise Poker, and Poker Heaven and is currently the ninth largest site worldwide in terms of cash game traffic, according to PokerScout.com. It boasts a seven day running average of 1,900 real money ring game players with a 24 hour peak that is nearly double that amount.

Brian Hadfield, President and CEO of CryptoLogic, commented in the same release, “GTECH and Boss Media are the right partners for CryptoLogic, thanks to their independence and commitment to innovation and technology. This is all part of CryptoLogic’s commitment to a superior experience for our customers and to profitability and growth for our shareholders.” CryptoLogic is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the symbol "CRYP." At the time of writing, its shares are unchanged on the day at $4.27. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has fetched anywhere between $2.00 and $21.97.

Just behind the IPN is the 10th largest network worldwide, the Cake Poker Network. It recently saw the additions of Doyle's Room and Poker Host to its already impressive lineup of PlayersOnly, Lock Poker, and Red Star Poker. Its flagship site is, of course, Cake Poker. Unlike the IPN, the Cake Poker Network accepts customers from the United States, which has helped fuel its growth.

Recent online poker sites that left the CryptoLogic Network included Betsafe, which joined the Ongame Network last month. In December, Sun Poker became a part of the iPoker Network, the largest that does not accept U.S. customers. Playboy Gaming shut down entirely in January. In November, a for-profit online poker room operated by the World Poker Tour (WPT) referred its members to InterPoker; the WPT's site had been part of the CryptoLogic Network. (Credit: Poker News Daily)

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Playtech Signs Up Major Spanish Land Operator

Agreement could give gambling software provider a solid entry to a Spanish regulated online gambling market

March 16, 2009 (InfoPowa News) -- London-listed online gambling software developer Playtech plc has scored another important coup, signing up Casino Gran Madrid, one of the largest and most prestigious land-based gaming operators in Europe, as a licensee for its online casino and poker products.

Under the terms of the license agreement, Playtech will provide CGM with its casino platform and poker product, through its iPoker network, as the operator launches its online operations.

Mor Weizer, Chief Executive Officer of Playtech, said: "We are delighted to have secured this agreement with one of Europe's largest and most respected land-based operators. We expect this to be a significantly value accretive relationship, exemplifying our strategy to increase the number of regulated markets in which we operate."

Both parties are committed to meeting all the Spanish regulatory requirements, a Playtech spokesman stressed. CGM has already been working closely with Playtech's development and customer support teams to devise a suite of products tailored to meet the unique demands of CGM's players, offering a wide variety of games specifically designed to appeal to the gaming patterns of CGM's customer base.

Weizer continued: "We are pleased to add further regulated markets to our sphere of operations. Playtech's gaming platform is supported by a transparent and efficient management system which an increasing number of customers view as integral to their future business plans."

Jorge Casanova, Director of Information Systems of Casino Gran Madrid, commented: "Our agreement with Playtech strengthens CGM's leading position in the Spanish casino market. With our casino brand and games available online we are delighted to be leading gaming development in Spain through Playtech's innovative, secure and transparent system."

Industry analyst Collins Stewart described the deal as strengthening Playtech's credibility in a growing regional market. "The Madrid region is one of the leaders of Spain's online gambling regulation drive, meaning the deal also reinforces Playtech's strengthening regulated position," the company said.

Playtech plc is due to release its full-year results on Thursday this week, in what is anticipated to be a positive annual report.

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