Virgin Casino News And Virgin Games News: Virgin Casino To Add 100 New Games In 2010, by Greg Tingle - 26th February 2010

Virgin Casino News And Virgin Games News; Virtual Worlds Coming Up

Media Man reports from the Battle zone

New Games: King Kong, Call of Duty 4, Play Your Cards Right, Monopoly Multiplier

New Brand: AWOMO (A World Of My Own)

Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company - Virgin Games, has announced that it has developed a road map to introduce all the latest casino games in the next twelve months, making it one of the most content rich gaming sites in the UK market.

To help enhance its already strong portfolio, Virgin Casino has taken on a new partner - Playtech company, Gaming Technology Solutions (GTS) - a leading global supplier of gaming solutions for online gaming operations. Playtech provides cutting-edge software to the top operators in the gaming industry, and through the GTS Enhanced Gaming Engine (EdGE) platform, will provide Virgin Casino with access to the best in casino games on the market. Amongst the many exciting games due to be launched this year are Call of Duty 4, Monopoly Multiplier and Play Your Cards Right.

Warren Eloff, Product Manager at Virgin Casino, commented:

"GTS EdGE platform allows us easy access to the best gaming suppliers in the business and partnering with them to help develop our product offering makes perfect sense. We plan to roll out over 100 games this year and among them will be some top brand names, providing our customers with sophisticated and exciting games that they have come to expect from us. With all these new games we will have one of the best casinos available online."

Founded in 2004, Virgin Casino has over 500,000 players and 50 casino games on its site. Via the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Casino seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. Virgin Casino offers games from a growing selection of games producers, including: WagerWorks, Cryptologic, FremantleMedia, Endemol, Dynamite Idea, VS Gaming and Ash Gaming.

To play at Virgin Casino visit www.virgingames.com


Virgin Games To Become Total Gaming Website Portal; A World Of My Own

Virgin Games is expanding into the non-gambling PC games market in a move to transform its brand as a "total gaming" website destination that will also facilitate the company to market the brand in jurisdictions where Virgin's online gambling product is not currently prohibited (eg: most of the Asia Pacific - Australia and the United States).

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A business agreement with tech company Game Domain International (GDI) will give Virgin Games access to 200 plus game titles from approx 70 developers available for easy download with names including Tomb Raider: Legend, Rome: Total War, Fifa Football Manager and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos. These will be offered in addition to Virgin Games' current portfolio of online games.

The new system entitled A World of My Own (AWOMO), aims to deliver online game content quicker than rival download services by allowing users to play the games before they are fully downloaded, in addition to offering pay-per-download or regular subscription payment options. It brings new life into the term, virtual worlds.

Virgin Games chief Simon Burridge has gone on record.

"This will open up a huge long tail of people who are gamers but are not prepared to invest heavily in gaming, and will open up PC games to a rental market that has never been done before. If this takes off it could do for the gaming industry what iTunes did for buying music: no-one buys music from shops anymore, they go online to iTunes."

"This will open up parts of the world where we have previously been excluded, including English-speaking markets such as South Africa or the United States where the Virgin brand is strong. That will also allow the brand greater strength in those markets should they regulate online gambling but that is a benefit rather than a main strategic goal".

AWOMO is currently in beta mode and the companies expect to launch the complete product in the third quarter of this year.

About Virgin Games:

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

- Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Cryptologic, FremantleMedia and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like blackjack and roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a jackpot value of over Pounds Sterling 1,500,000

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

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

Virgin was founded by Sir Richard Branson in 1970 and has grown to become one of the world's most loved, respected and recognizable brands. Virgin has won too many awards and commendations to list, but its fair to say that most parts of the world have been touched by the Branson - Virgin magic, and Virgin Games plans on delivering the fun, quality and value for money that people have grown a custom to with Virgin.

Party hard and play harder at Virgin Games.

References: Virgin Enterprises, Virgin Games, Wikipedia, Poker News Daily, eGaming Review, Google News, Wires, AP, Earth Times, Media Man, Global Gaming Directory, Casino News Media.

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PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino - online "war" between iGaming powerhouses, by Greg Tingle - 25th February 2010

PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino - iGaming and gaming sector heats up - United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Japan, Germany, South America, India, South Africa and beyond

PartyGaming - Asia Pacific - Australian focus, planning on return to United States; Hollywood themed games and tie ins with World Poker Tour owned brand, Asian Poker Tour collaboration, Maintains lead as world's leading online casino brand

Virgin Games - planning on expanding both Gambling and non gambling gaming products; Plans to add over 100 new games within 12 months

Hundreds of game titles are available to play now at both PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com and Richard Branson's VirginCasino.com

Punters take note...PartyCasino.com can be accessed in most of the Asia Pacific including Australia and New Zealand, and hotspot, Tasmania, while Virgin Casino can not currently be accessed in those regions. Both companies are looking to soon be able to offering paid games to the United States, in a race which numerous experts say PartyGaming is winning. PartyGaming also owns and operates the famous World Poker Tour (which is available to American punters).

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PartyCasino.com VS VirginGames.com

Background to the war...

The "war" between igaming rivals PartyCasino.com and Virgin Games heats up further with the news hot off the press that Richard Branson's Virgin Games will be getting more smash hit games including the King Kong slot.

In addition Richard Branson's Virgin Games is planning a non gambling service: A World Of My Own (AWOMO), which will be able to provide gamers with a cutting edgy technology service in basically all parts of the world, including in regions where traditional online gambling is not permitted. The strength of the Virgin brand, combined with Virgin's track record of success in new ventures and technology stack the odds in favour of the launch being a huge success. Virgin and competitor, PartyGaming, also have very strong news media, igaming, political and business connections.

Virgin's AWOMO is currently in beta testing, and is expected to launch the complete product in the third quarter of this year.

PartyGaming is pushing the interactive elements of its gaming with "Live Dealer", "Casino Calendar" and "Avatar" type technologies just around the corner.

The Casinos

Both online casinos are world class. PartyCasino.com has won the Casino News Media Online Casino of the Month title a number of times and Virgin has made the shortlist for the past 3 months. PartyGaming has won a number of eGaming Review awards and commendations over the years including Socially Responsible Operator Of The Year and Operator Of The Year. PartyCasino.com offers rewards program PartyPoints, while Virgin offers V*Points.

The main point of difference for many potential players is that PartyCasino.com accepts Australian players while Virgin currently does not. PartyCasino also offers a wider variety of multi language and multi currency options. Both casinos offer play for free or play for money options.

Jackpots

Party offers Gold Mega Jackpot, The Big One, Marvel Hero Jackpot and Super Hero Jackpot

Virgin offers MegaJackpots, Marvel Hero Jackpot and Super Hero Jackpot

Virgin Enterprises Limited is one of the world's most successful companies as is PartyGaming. PartyGaming is listed on the London Stock Exchange and was established in 1997. Virgin Games was established in 2005 and Virgin Enterprises was founded by Richard Branson in 1970.

If your ready for action, excitement and fun, check out Party and Virgin without delay.

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PartyGaming rise, broker ups to "buy" - 18th February 2010

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Shares in online gambling group PartyGaming add 2.1 percent after Oriel Securities raises its recommendation on the firm to "buy" from "hold", saying it looks undervalued, citing its growth potential.

The broker says based on its forecasts of $158 million of EBITDA in 2010, the shares are trading on an adjusted price earnings ratio of 13.2 times and 8.7 times EBITDA.

"This is an undemanding rating for a growth stock which is active in entering new regions," it says.

"The group is also well positioned to participate in the consolidation of the online gaming sector with clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice and around $120 million of cash resources to pursue M&A opportunities."

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Virgin Casino to Significantly Expand Games Portfolio in 2010

Virgin Casino to Significantly Expand Games Portfolio in 2010

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company - Virgin Games, has today announced that it has developed a road map to introduce all the latest casino games in the next twelve months, making it one of the most content rich gaming sites in the UK market.

To help enhance its already strong portfolio, Virgin Casino has taken on a new partner - Playtech company, Gaming Technology Solutions (GTS) - a leading global supplier of gaming solutions for online gaming operations. Playtech provides cutting-edge software to the top operators in the gaming industry, and through the GTS Enhanced Gaming Engine (EdGE) platform, will provide Virgin Casino with access to the best in breed casino games on the market. Amongst the many exciting games due to be launched this year are Call of Duty 4, Monopoly Multiplier and Play Your Cards Right.

Warren Eloff, Product Manager at Virgin Casino, commented "GTS EdGE platform allows us easy access to the best gaming suppliers in the business and partnering with them to help develop our product offering makes perfect sense. We plan to roll out over 100 games this year and among them will be some top brand names, providing our customers with sophisticated and exciting games that they have come to expect from us. With all these new games we will have one of the best casinos available online."

Founded in 2004, Virgin Casino has over 500,000 players and 50 casino games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Casino seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. Virgin Casino offers games from a growing selection of games producers, including: WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle, Endemol, Dynamite Idea, VS Gaming and Ash Gaming.

To play at Virgin Casino visit VirginGames.com

About Virgin Games

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

- Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like blackjack and roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a jackpot value of over Pounds Sterling 1,500,000

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

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

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

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Cyber attacks against Australia 'will continue' - 12th February 2010

An activist group that temporarily blocked access to key Australian government websites plans to continue its cyber attacks, the BBC has learned.

The group, known as Anonymous, was protesting against the Australian government's proposals to apply filters to the internet in the country.

A man claiming to be a representative of the group said that around 500 people were involved in the attack.

The method they are using is known as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS).

DDoS is illegal in many countries including the United Kingdom. There is no indication that the attack was carried out from within Britain. DDoS attacks typically call on machines in many different nations, making them hard to trace.

The sites were intermittently blocked on 10 and 11 February. The action has been condemned by various bodies including the Systems Administrators Guild of Australia (SAGE-AU) and Electronic Frontiers Australia.

"All it takes is a few people to basically send junk traffic to their websites which is causing them to be offline," the man, calling himself Coldblood, told BBC News.
"The people who are currently attacking (the government websites) are planning to keep doing it. It will probably keep happening until either they get bored or it gets sorted out."

The sites are currently back online but the domains of individual politicians, including that of Stephen Conroy (minister for broadband, communications and the digital economy), were among those targeted.

Web filters

Anonymous is protesting against Australia's plan to apply a country-wide filter to block certain content in 2011.

The Australian government has said that trials have shown the filtering technology to be 100% effective in preventing access to designated sites.

The banned sites would be selected by an independent classifications body guided by public complaints, Senator Conroy has said.

He said the aim of the filter is to make the internet a safer place for Australian children.

Speaking to the BBC, Coldblood said that the activists did not support the creation of illegal content but that banning it would not tackle the issue.

"If something is illegal which is done on the internet the government should try and prosecute them," he said.

"If they ban it it will just appear somewhere again. What they really need to do is go after the people who are making this content."

The group consists of "a few thousand people" based all over the world Coldblood said.

They staged cyber attacks on Iran following the election protests and have publicly protested against the Scientology movement.

This was sparked after the Church of Scientology requested the removal of a clip from YouTube featuring Hollywood actor Tom Cruise.

"One of our main missions is against censorship on the internet," said Coldblood.

The group had not had any direct contact with the Australian government, he added.

SAGE-AU said the attack was "the wrong way to express disagreement with the proposed law."

"The impact of DOS attacks is frequently felt less by government agencies than by system administrators, many of them SAGE-AU members, who are responsible for managing websites and servers," continues a statement on its website.

YouTube in Australia

Senator Conroy has also contacted Google requesting that the company begins to filter YouTube content in the country.

Google says that while it complies with the laws of the individual countries in which it has a presence, it would only investigate and consider removing content after receiving a "valid legal request" about something already posted on the site.

"We first check that the request meets both the letter and spirit of the law, and we will seek to narrow it if the request is overly broad," said a spokesperson.

"YouTube is a platform for free expression. We have clear policies about what is allowed and not allowed on the site." (Credit: BBC)

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Minister in 'secret' snow meeting with mogul - Sunday Herald Sun - 13 February 2010

Minister meets billionaire Kerry Stokes in the USA

Stokes owns Channel 7

Later announced huge benefits for networks

COMMUNICATIONS Minister Stephen Conroy held a secret meeting and went snow-skiing with Seven's billionaire owner Kerry Stokes at a ritzy American resort only weeks before handing over a $250 million gift to Australia's free-to-air TV networks.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal that Senator Conroy - a skiing and snowboarding fanatic - met Mr Stokes in Vail, Colorado, in January, while the Government was considering pleas from the free-to-air industry to cut their licence fees.

*Read the article here

McMahon: WWE Network Expected To Launch in Mid 2011 - 11th February 2010

Proposed Network To Help Promote `Raw,' `SmackDown' Properties

World Wrestling Entertainment is looking to jump into the cable network ring with a proposed network that the pro grappling outfit expects to launch in the next 18 months, according to WWE chairman Vince McMahon.

McMahon, speaking Thursday morning during the company's 2009 fourth-quarter earnings call, said it has been doing "a great deal of due diligence" toward creating a WWE cable network that would presumably offer live and library content.

"I would hope a year-and-a-half from now we would be up and running," McMahon said. "We think there is a tremendous opportunity for us out there and quite frankly if things happen as we hope they will happen it will be a really big game changer for the WWE."

The proposed network would not infringe on the WWE's current cable and broadcast shows, including USA Network's WWE Monday Night Raw and MyNetworkTV's SmackDown , but instead could be used as a marketing tool for those shows.

"We are unique in that what's good for the WWE is good for all our television partners as far as promotion and things of that nature," he said. "The new network could tie in and be adjacent to some of those shows and quite frankly our own network can enhance Raw and SmackDown. It would really be a win-win across the board for our television partners, as well as for us." (Credit: World Wrestling Entertainment, MultiChannel News, Wires)

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Australia Internet Censorship Issue at Breaking Point, by Greg Tingle - 11th February 2010

Special contributor to the Gambling911.com website, Greg Tingle, looks at the continuing uproar over censorship attempts in Australia as they apply to the Internet and ultimately online gambling websites, some of which appeared on a much publicized "black list" some months ago.

Was it Hollywood's Elvira who said "All is fair in love and war"? Whatever the case that seems to be the mindset of "Anonymous" who is blasting Australian government websites in protest to the proposed Australian Internet filter also with its bastard cousin, the ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) "blacklist".

Welcome "Operational Titstorm".

It's fair to say that some Aussies are bloody pissed off that their endless stream of "vice" such as porn, gaming and other "questionable material" may be cut off thank to the intenet filter cum post Australian election time.

As we know know too well, often when a a government tries to smother and cover up a news story the story becomes bigger. This is a classic example. It's now a red hot international news item and the more Senator Stephen Conroy and his team try to smother it, the more fuel gets added to the fire! The news story is up there with China's "Great Wall Of China" censorship matters, along with human rights, freedom of information, freedom of speech, Hillary Clinton and friends.

One needs little imagination to see that some parallels can be drawn to what will happen in Australian when certain things become illegal... they will go underground, likely get more popular and sought after, however some consumer protection will be lost.

In the igaming industry I would recommend that people stick to brands they know and trust, be it PartyGaming, BetUS, Betfair, Virgin Games and I understand that both Playtech and Microgaming powered online casinos currently have a clean bill of health.

If you're an Aussie reading this, my "spies" tell me that in approx 6 months Australians won't be able to access popular porn sites RedTube and YouPorn (unless they have some sort of whiz bang anti censorship - anti filter device)... something that could well end up on the black market (i.e: pubs and clubs, "mates rates" and items that "fell off the back of a truck"). Over a decade ago when pay TV was introduced to Australians one used to be able to purchase a device to plug into the standard pay TV equipment and get pay TV for free! This allowed consumers to get more variety of channels, unscrambled (and for free)... things could very well end up going in a similar direction for Australian internet users based on recent developments.

News just in... The Australian government is trying to pursue Google to voluntarily censor YouTube videos in Australia. Google have refused the government's request thus far.

Media Man thanks and praises American and Canadian news media and igaming media news websites for bringing the news to the people and we applaud Gambling911 in their fearless commitment to educating and informing the masses on internet censorship and other important matters pertaining to the igaming, betting and political arena.

Australian government spooks and contractors are trying to get the defaced websites back on the air as of the time of writing.

Greg Tingle, Media Man International

http://www.mediamanint.com

Google baulks at Conroy's call to censor YouTube - 11th February 2010

Google says it will not "voluntarily" comply with the government's request that it censor YouTube videos in accordance with broad "refused classification" content rules.

*Read the full article

(Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)

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Foxy Bingo Sweden Uses Virtue Fusion - 9th February 2010

Virtue Fusion, one of the world’s leading developers and licensors of online bingo products, has announced that will supply the Foxy Bingo brand, who is now owned by PartyGaming after a Cashcade take over last year, with its online bingo solution in Sweden.

PartyGaming has chosen Virtue Fusion for the launch of its Swedish facing online bingo site, due to Virtue Fusion’s leading bingo games content, European prize pool liquidity and “speed to market” as key differentiators in their decision making process.

Virtue Fusion Alderney CEO Bob McCulloch said, “This deal is the ultimate quality stamp of approval for Virtue Fusion Alderney, to be selected by one of the biggest players in our industry in PartyGaming and one of the trail blazers in the online bingo industry in Cashcade is extremely satisfying.”

PartyGaming’s Bingo Overseas Marketing and Business Development Manager Michael Brady added, “The Virtue Fusion software enables us to launch in an exciting new market. The Virtue Fusion software combined with our marketing expertise promises to herald a new and profitable chapter in our history. Virtue Fusion Alderney’s fantastic liquidity, combined with the rich quality of their online bingo provision is the big attraction for us. We look forward to working together on Foxy Bingo in Sweden.”

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China plans online gambling crackdown: Could Australia be next to follow?, by Greg Tingle - 9th February 2010

China plans to crack down on the online gaming and gambling industry, including the banks, financial institutions and websites that support it, the Ministry of Public Security advised in a statement posted on its (official) website.

The campaign will "concentrate on investigating major and important cases of online gambling, knock out domestic and foreign groups that organize online gambling, and severely punish the criminal elements".

The so called "crackdown", to be conducted in the February - August period, was agreed to by eight (lucky in many parts of Asia) government bodies including the Supreme Court, Propaganda bureau, the Central Bank and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Gambling in its traditional form was banned in mainland China after the Communist takeover in 1949, the exceptions being two state lotteries... one run by the sports ministry to fund the building of facilities. Experts point out that this could be seen as a monopoly, and even boarding on racism of sorts in the business sector, as gaming and gambling is a world wide industry, these days the internet being the preferred global medium.

Underground casinos, overseas conglomerates and illegal syndicates have sprung up to fill the gap.

The statement said it will severely punish those who run underground banks and third-party payment platforms that provide banking services needed for gambling. As in pornography crackdowns, website operators will also be targeted.

The move is the latest in a series of curbs on the country's relatively free-wheeling online world, one of the few arenas for people from across China to interact in large groups, share information and criticize the government.

A long-running anti-pornography drive has netted many sites with politically sensitive or even simply user-generated content, in what many see as an effort by the Chinese government to reassert control over new media.

Widespread protests in Iran after a contested presidential election alerted Beijing to the potential for protesters and dissidents to use social media to spread their message.

China has banned Google's YouTube since March 2009, when a Tibetan exile film documenting the injuries and death of a Tibetan protester was published on the video sharing site. The government began blocking Twitter, Flickr and Facebook last summer.

Media and gaming analyists advise that this latest news is a "non coincidence" and "strategic" relating to U.S giant Google accusing China of cyber terrorism and of course internet censorship. In addition the internet, gaming and political world ponders what effect these developments may have down under in Australia, as Senator Stephen Conroy still plans to introduce the internet filters (along with "internet blacklist") after the next Australian election. The news also comes as documentary "Casino Jack and the United States of Money" attracts substantial mainstream press. The documentary focuses on the relationship between politics, lobbying, money and strong Native American casino themes.

Macau remains the regions hotspot for legal gambling, where recently Australian casino king James Packer has seen his Melco-Crown Entertainment City Of Dreams, Macau, achieve recent profits and visitors, a development that insiders are calling the gambling "comeback of the decade". Asian gambling tsar Stanley Ho will be looking for some of Packer's recent good fortune as Ho is said to be struggling to regain his full health since suffering a stroke and undergoing brain surgery last August. Media and gaming commentators remain divided as to the current health Status of Ho. Macau's casino district has borrowed one page out of Vegas' book... they now have a Cotai Strip (but it is unclear if they are legal or illegal strip clubs in downtown Cotai). What is known however is that when things become "illegal" they go underground and usually become more popular and profitable.

Numerous high profile American, European and Australian media and internet companies have been seen to be pro actively targeting Asia in recent years and insiders suspect that this has raised the ire of the Chinese government. Macau remains the regions casino and gambling hotspot (where gambling is legal).

In a strategic move Australian founded Media Man today launched MediaMan.Asia to coincide with the Chinese crackdown on media, entertainment, internet and gaming. Media Man did not pursue .hk, .tw, .mo or .ch domain names as they prefered the more global nature of a .asia. Technically Australia is part of the Asia Pacific according to sources such as Wikipedia, Websters and The World Atlas. Internet portals and publishers, World Casino Directory and Global Gaming Directory, competitors of sorts, are monitoring the developments closely.

*The writer is the founder and director of Media Man, primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. http://www.mediamanint.com

*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited

*The writer is a special contributor for Gambling911

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Punter boosts gaming firm's profits

A punter who pumped almost half of a £3.1m jackpot win back into slot machine games has helped to boost the revenues of online betting firm PartyGaming.

The anonymous player scooped the roll-over prize on PartyCasino after it overhauled jackpot rules earlier in the year to tempt in punters with bigger payouts.

The recycled winnings helped the company push up fourth-quarter revenues 32%, while the sports betting business gained from a higher number of draws after a historic low at the start of the Premier League football season.

The PartyPoker owner said all four of its divisions - poker, casino games, bingo and sports betting - showed growth in the three months to December 31 as revenues jumped by almost a third to £87.2 million over a year earlier.

Shares rose 3% on Wednesday as the firm said underlying earnings for 2009 as a whole would be "slightly ahead" of board expectations.

The fourth quarter is traditionally better for the online gaming sites due to poorer weather but the firm added that casino and sports betting revenues had been "particularly strong".

The group's PartyPoker website - which had 438,000 active players during the three months to December - now boasts the biggest pool of players behind PokerStars and Full Tilt.

The business is also eyeing growth opportunities in Europe this year as well as potential acquisitions and mergers. The company was reported in December to be in talks over a potential merger with Austrian rival Bwin, which would create a £2 billion internet gaming giant.

Chief executive Jim Ryan said: "With some of the world's largest gaming sites in poker, casino and bingo, and opportunities to further consolidate the online gaming sector, we are confident about our future prospects."

Investec analyst Matthew Gerard said: "An increasing focus on casino and bingo will drive robust revenue growth."

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Net piracy fight takes body blow, by Asher Moses - 5th February 2010

Hollywood studios and record labels are being forced to go back to the drawing board to come up with a new way of combating online piracy after the Federal Court ruled that internet service providers are not required to police copyright infringement on their networks.

The music industry says it may have no choice but to sue individuals for illegal file sharing unless the federal government intervenes with a solution to its piracy woes.

All the major film studios sued iiNet in an effort to force the internet service provider to warn and even disconnect customers who repeatedly download movies illegally.

It was the first case of its kind in the world and the first time an Australian trial had been covered live on Twitter.

In a landmark judgment handed down yesterday morning, Justice Dennis Cowdroy rejected the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft's claim that iiNet ''authorised'' its customers' copyright infringement by failing to act on thousands of infringement notices sent to it by AFACT.

Justice Cowdroy found iiNet had done no more than provide an internet service to its users. He said iiNet did not have control over its customers' use of the BitTorrentfile-sharing software, which customers used to infringe the studios' copyright.

He said: ''iiNet is not responsible if an iiNet user uses that system to bring about copyright infringement … the law recognises no positive obligation on any person to protect the copyright of another.''

Tony Joyner, a partner in the technology and IT group at law firm Freehills, said he was particularly interested in the government's response because the online piracy issues raised by the studios at the trial remained a ''very big and real problem''.

''Everything iiNet says is rational,'' he said. ''They're saying we're just a simple conduit and if people are doing bad things it's not up to us to be the police. The studios are also being very rational and saying it's happening on your turf, so we need you to do something.''

The case, while brought by the film studios, also has a big impact on the music industry, which was hoping for a precedent it could use to force ISPs to co-operate on reducing online piracy. Sabiene Heindl, general manager of the music industry's anti-piracy arm, Music Industry Piracy Investigations, said: ''Today's Federal Court decision suggests that copyright owners broadly may have no choice but to sue individuals for illegal file-sharing. This would be a most unfortunate outcome.''

AFACT executive director Neil Gane said he had 21 days to decide whether to appeal. The studios would now increase their lobbying of the government to change the law to force ISPs to be liable for the downloading habits of customers.

''We are confident that the government will not support a policy outcome which allows for the copyright infringement to continue unabated,'' he said.

Freehills' Mr Joyner said: ''I think the only way there won't be a legislative response is if … an appeal will occur and has some chance of succeeding relatively quickly.''

In July last year, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said he was awaiting the outcome of the iiNet case before deciding whether there was a need for legislative change. Yesterday, his spokeswoman said the government would examine the decision before making any further comment.

Senator Conroy had appeared to be on the side of the studios, saying at a conference in April last year that iiNet's defence in the case ''belongs in a Yes Minister episode''. (Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)

US will not back away from Internet freedom push - 26th January 2010

WASHINGTON — The United States said Monday it will not back away from an Internet freedom push that has raised hackles in China amid a dispute between Beijing and Web giant Google over cyberattacks.

"We are aware that China has a different position with respect to restricting information," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.

"We think this is inconsistent with the information environment and prerequisites of the 21st century," Crowley told reporters.

"So we will continue to promote the free flow of information, unfettered access to information, the ability to have virtual freedom of association.

"These are all, we believe, fundamental tenets of the environment that we live in, and we will not back away from advocating that this should be something that all countries should promote," Crowley said.

The spokesman also recalled that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a major policy speech on Internet freedom last week in which she talked about "being able to surf the Internet without restrictions."

Beijing lashed out at Clinton's speech last week, saying it was "harmful" to relations, and a Chinese spokesman on Monday denied any state involvement in the cyberattacks which Google said originated in China.

The Internet giant has said that following the cyberattacks on the email accounts of Chinese human rights activists it is no longer willing to censor Web search results in China even it that means it has to leave the country.

A spokesman for China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Monday that the "accusation that the Chinese government participated in (any) cyberattack, either in an explicit or inexplicit way, is groundless and aims to denigrate China."

"China's policy on Internet safety is transparent and consistent," the spokesman told state news agency Xinhua, saying the country with the world's largest online community was itself the "biggest victim" of hacking.

The White House said last week that President Barack Obama was "troubled" by the Chinese-based cyberattacks on Google and other US companies and was seeking official answers.

The Google row, which erupted almost two weeks ago, has threatened to damage Sino-US ties, which are already dogged by trade and currency issues, US arms sales to Taiwan and climate change.

Greens join net blackout protest - 25th January 2010

The Australian Greens will join more than 500 other websites in fading their webpage to black in protest against the federal government's proposed internet filter.

The government's plan will not protect children, will do nothing to crack down on criminal activity online, and sets a dangerous precedent of centralised net censorship, Greens communications spokesman Scott Ludlum said in a statement on Monday.

"Communications Minister Stephen Conroy should start paying attention to the almost universal condemnation of this scheme and pursue alternatives rather than pushing ahead with the mandatory filter," Senator Ludlum said.

A website, www.internetblackout.com.au, has been specially set up for the week-long event, dubbed The Great Australian Internet Blackout.

Tomb Raider is record breaker

Pixel princess Lara Croft has clocked up six world records.

The all-action archaeologist and star of the Tomb Raider series beat her rivals Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog for the highest number of entries in the Guinness World Records 2010 Gamer's Edition, including most successful video game heroine.

Croft also scooped awards for the most recognisable female in a video game; most detailed game character; most real-life stand-ins; highest grossing game spin-off and most successful live-action transfer.

Actress Angelina Jolie is best-known as the face of the English heroine, but Croft has also been officially portrayed by five other models including Nell McAndrew, Rhona Mitra and currently by UK gymnast Alison Carroll - giving her the record for the most real-life stand-ins.

Gung-ho Croft - famous for her skin-tight khaki shorts, low-cut vest top and ponytail - became an unlikely sex symbol when she first appeared on the PlayStation in 1996.
With 32,816 rendered polygons forming her figure in Tomb Raider: Underworld, she is the most detailed video game character ever created.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider already ranks as the highest-grossing video-game movie but together with its sequel, The Cradle of Life, the franchise has grossed in excess of £216 million, making it the most successful live-action transfer of all time.

Guinness World Records' gaming editor Gaz Deaves said: "Lara Croft epitomises all that's great about video gaming and we're delighted to acknowledge her success by awarding her with six new official record entries including making her the most-famous and most-successful female video game character in the world."

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PartyGaming's PartyPartners To Attend London Affiliate Conference (LAC); PartyGaming and industry interest in 'Casino Jack' documentary

PartyGaming's PartyPartners To Attend London Affiliate Conference (LAC); PartyGaming and industry interest in 'Casino Jack' documentary, by Greg Tingle - 20th January 2010

The world's leading listed igaming company, PartyGaming, will have numerous staff and management attending the annual London Affiliate Conference (LAC) that kicks off on the 28th of this month, and runs to the 31st.

The famous Old Billingsgate Market is the venue for the event which expects thousands of people to attend over the 4 day igaming fest.

Industry buzz predicts that PartyGaming, PartyCasino.com, PartyPoker.com and Club World Poker Tour are all strong chances to pick up an iGB Affiliate Award or three.

PartyPartners is the LAC's Platinum sponsor, however it needs to be noted that the event has in the region of 80 sponsors, so nothing untoward is expected and it should be a clean "fight".

The event is one of the world's best opportunities to network with the leading people and companies in the gaming and igaming industry.

Some of the topics expected to be hot include "what's next", standing out from the pack, game innovation and "Avatar" type technology, potential return to the U.S. market, expansion into new frontiers, like Australia, and a bit of gossip as to what to expect in upcoming award winning documentary, "Casino Jack".

Representatives and insiders from the world's 4 continents will be attending, and Media Man looks forward to breaking news via the Asia Pacific - Australian connection.

The smart money says PartyGaming to pick up at least a couple of awards, not a virgin in the slightest to bragging rights, and don't be surprised to see a new game or two launched.

It's going to be a heck of a party at London's Old Billingsgate, and you can bet Media Man and Casino News Media will have a massive scoop. Stay tuned.

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Online Poker Sites Rally for Haiti Earthquake Victims, by Dan Cypra - 14th January 2010

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked the tiny nation of Haiti left the country in shambles and perhaps as many as 50,000 people may have perished. In response, the online poker world has come together to raise money for the natural disaster’s victims.

Full Tilt Poker has launched “Aid for Haiti” tournaments in which the site will match the rake paid and then donate it to several charities on the ground in the island nation. For Full Tilt Poker members who don’t want to hit the virtual felts in order to donate, the world’s second largest online poker site has set up “Aid for Haiti No Play” tournaments. Ten of these events are scheduled for Sunday, January 17th and Full Tilt is matching the buy-ins. No poker will actually be had in “No-Play” tournaments.

The site has also created a special user account dubbed “Aid for Haiti.” In a similar fashion as transferring funds from one player to another, those who wish to help can send money directly to the account in $5 increments or larger. Full Tilt will then match the funds raised.

PokerStars has taken a streamlined approach to fundraising. The site has selected the Red Cross as its beneficiary and, like Full Tilt Poker and others involved, is matching donations dollar for dollar. The opportunity to donate will be open through January 31st and all players need to do is open up the PokerStars client, go to “Tourney” and “Special,” and enter one of the Haiti Earthquake Relief events. None of these tournaments will actually play out. Instead, the $1 to $1,000 buy-in allows players to donate directly to the Red Cross. PokerStars members can also ship money to “Haiti Fund,” a player account set up specifically to accept donations. Go to “Requests” and “Transfer Funds” in the top menu to take advantage of this method.

Meanwhile, the Calvin Ayre Foundation, named for the founder of Bodog, has pledged £10,000 to the U.K.-based foundation Oxfam to support the cause. The internet mogul added, “I also want to challenge the rest of this industry to also contribute to Oxfam to help out in Haiti and my private foundation will match any proven payment to Oxfam by an online gaming person up to $1,000,000.” Bodog, PokerStars, and Full Tilt Poker all accept players and donations from the United States. The latter two are the largest and second largest sites in the world, respectively.

Also accepting U.S. action and promoting relief to the residents of Haiti is Cake Poker. The room has set up three special “holding tanks” totaling $5, $25, and $100. Players can register for each of them and the site, which features Lee Jones as its Card Room Manager, will match all funds raised. No cards will be dealt in these tournaments; instead, they are purely for donation purposes. The trio of “holding tanks” will be available until Midnight ET on January 31st.

Facebook poker application Zynga is donating $1 to Fonkoze, “an organization that supports families in Haiti,” for every chip package sold. Other added benefits, including a “Hearts for Haiti” gift, will be thrown into the mix.

On PocketFives.com, top-ranked online poker player David “Doc Sands” Sands announced that he was donating 10% of his Sunday profits up to $10,000 to a “disaster relief fund.” Sands called on other all-star players to do the same, with Ryan “gutshtallin” Welch, who sits at #39 in the world, agreeing to similar terms. Sunday features some of the largest online poker tournaments in the industry, including the Sunday Million on PokerStars and $750,000 Guaranteed on Full Tilt Poker.

The United States pledged $100 million in aid for Haiti. Hopefully, the online poker community can band together for this worthwhile cause.

Maria del Mar Gomez contributed to this article. (Credit: Poker News Daily)

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Google: A New Approach To China - Statement from Google - 12th January 2010

Like many other well-known organizations, we face cyber attacks of varying degrees on a regular basis. In mid-December, we detected a highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google. However, it soon became clear that what at first appeared to be solely a security incident--albeit a significant one--was something quite different.

First, this attack was not just on Google. As part of our investigation we have discovered that at least twenty other large companies from a wide range of businesses--including the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors--have been similarly targeted. We are currently in the process of notifying those companies, and we are also working with the relevant U.S. authorities.

Second, we have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Based on our investigation to date we believe their attack did not achieve that objective. Only two Gmail accounts appear to have been accessed, and that activity was limited to account information (such as the date the account was created) and subject line, rather than the content of emails themselves.

Third, as part of this investigation but independent of the attack on Google, we have discovered that the accounts of dozens of U.S.-, China- and Europe-based Gmail users who are advocates of human rights in China appear to have been routinely accessed by third parties. These accounts have not been accessed through any security breach at Google, but most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on the users' computers.

We have already used information gained from this attack to make infrastructure and architectural improvements that enhance security for Google and for our users. In terms of individual users, we would advise people to deploy reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on their computers, to install patches for their operating systems and to update their web browsers. Always be cautious when clicking on links appearing in instant messages and emails, or when asked to share personal information like passwords online. You can read more here about our cyber-security recommendations. People wanting to learn more about these kinds of attacks can read this U.S. government report (PDF), Nart Villeneuve's blog and this presentation on the GhostNet spying incident.

We have taken the unusual step of sharing information about these attacks with a broad audience not just because of the security and human rights implications of what we have unearthed, but also because this information goes to the heart of a much bigger global debate about freedom of speech. In the last two decades, China's economic reform programs and its citizens' entrepreneurial flair have lifted hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of poverty. Indeed, this great nation is at the heart of much economic progress and development in the world today.

We launched Google.cn in January 2006 in the belief that the benefits of increased access to information for people in China and a more open Internet outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to censor some results. At the time we made clear that "we will carefully monitor conditions in China, including new laws and other restrictions on our services. If we determine that we are unable to achieve the objectives outlined we will not hesitate to reconsider our approach to China."

These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.

The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences. We want to make clear that this move was driven by our executives in the United States, without the knowledge or involvement of our employees in China who have worked incredibly hard to make Google.cn the success it is today. We are committed to working responsibly to resolve the very difficult issues raised.

Posted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer (Credit: Google)

Media Man guide to getting found on the web, by Greg Tingle

Having run a media, publicity and internet portal development company for a decade, I'm told I know a thing or two about being found on the internet.

One of our company websites has been ranked in the Hitwise Australia top ten (entertainment category) for 6 years in a row.

Here's a list of elements to take into consideration when it comes to getting your website or websites, found on the internet.

Be it a media company, games portal, casino, property and investment, travel and tourism, celebrity and entertainment, adult, social and community or something else, you can't go past these tips:

Search Engines - you really need to be in Google, Yahoo! and Bing. If you are not in there, fix that. If you have problems get a SEO expert to assist, but ask questions and measure results.

Content - quality, unique and quantity.

Usability - a website layout that is logical and user friendly.

Media portfolio - search engines, the general public and news media like to see a media portfolio. News is one of the most popular topics on the internet.

Videos - use of video on your websites and / or plugging into YouTube.

Social media - Blogger, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn.com et al all can spike website traffic plus they all give you more exposure, thus more chance to be found in the top ten.

Multi language - English is only one of the world's languages! Google offer language translation tools, however if you invest the time the rewards may be there. This option is more relevant and effective for some products, services and markets than others.

Multi currency - if you sell something this is well worth considering. Credit cards, Moneybookers, games and casino, overseas visitors... there's many reasons to adopt this.

Syndication - have your news appear on other websites and ensure the visitor can find the source of the news.

Speed - have a fast loading website, not a slow one.

Celebrity - if possible the mention of a couple of famous celebrities can help boost the popularity of a website.

Links - links a proven way to help build website traffic and link popularity.

Research - look at other websites that are achieving top ten or first page result for example and take a closer look at the companies, they're websites.

This list does not contain every known tactic and "secret" known to mankind, however it's a practical and concise guide. Happy web surfing.

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Virgin Casino News: Review - 9th January 2010

Virgin Casino

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

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

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

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

Virgin Poker

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

Tournaments

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

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

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

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

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

Virgin Bingo

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

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

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

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

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

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Google Alerts Study of World's Top 10 Gambling Brands

LAMBOURN, England, January 5 - Independent Gaming Consultant, Josh Apiafi, was commissioned by a client looking to invest in the gaming industry to test the brand strength of ten of the biggest names within the sector, namely; 888, bet365, Betfair, Bodog, bwin, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, Party Poker, Pokerstars and William Hill.

Few would question the dominance of Google in search engine terms and therefore the number of Google Alerts* generated daily by each of the firms was a major indicator towards the results of the project. The data run was complied throughout the month of December 2009. The results highlighted how strongly competitive the PR arena for the major gambling companies was and also how successfully gambling companies have embraced the plethora of new media available.

Josh Apiafi, Partner of Apiafi Associates, commented: "With much talk of digital and social media as well as the investment gambling companies put into PR generally we were keen to see how well the industry was getting its message out there with impressive results."

"The method's simplicity is its trump card. Equally, the results were very consistent on a daily basis - this wasn't a case of one brand having a lot to shout about during this particular period or having one or two very strong days that skewed the data."

Full daily results are available from Apiafi Associates.

Company: Total:

1. Bodog 510
2. PokerStars 493
3. Betfair 467
4. Paddy Power 437
5. Ladbrokes 421
6. Bet365 414
7. William Hill 395
8. BWin 178
9. Party Poker 175
10. 888** 99

**mentions of telephone numbers containing '888' were discounted
*Google Alerts are a service offered by Google which notifies its users by email, or as a feed, about the latest web and news pages of their choice.

About Apiafi Associates
Apiafi Associates is an independent consultancy which concentrates mainly within the gaming and horseracing industry. It also consults to businesses outside of these areas on commercial, marketing and branding matters. It is headed up by Josh Apiafi who prior to founding the business was CEO of the Professional Jockeys Association. Josh was also Director of Horseracing and Head of Marketing for Betfair from 2002 - 2007.

Apiafi Associates client base includes REL (Racing Enterprises Ltd), The Professional Jockeys Association, The PPF (Professional Players Association), Joules Clothing, Integrity In Sport Ltd, Rewards4Golf, Weathercock Racing Ltd and Sportsmasters International.

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Google rumor of the month: Google To Host Gaming Via YouTube

Google rumor of the month: Google To Host Gaming Via YouTube

Website Of Reference:

United States Patent And Trademark Office

Link

WEB-BASED SYSTEM FOR GENERATION OF INTERACTIVE GAMES BASED ON DIGITAL VIDEOS

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PartyGaming and Sportingbet both upbeat, but market awaits deals - 18th December 2009

PartyGaming has unveiled an upbeat trading statement, but said little about what investors are really keen on - its thoughts on consolidation in the online gaming sector.

The company was recently said to be in talks with Austria's Bwin about a merger, although Bwin subsequently played this down. Today PartyGaming annouced it had set up a new £35m loan which would be used for "general corporate purposes including mergers and aquisitions." But that is not enough cash to cover the sort of deals investors had in mind, ie the Bwins of this world.

On the business front the company said current trading was solid, and earnings for the year were expected to be slightly ahead of expectations. Its shares have edged down 0.3p to 258.3p but Investec analyst Matthew Gerard issued a buy note and said:

Albeit brief, this is an encouraging update. We expect the increasing focus on casino and bingo to drive robust revenue and earnings growth in what remains a structurally attractive sector. This supports the current 15 times 2010 PE valuation, whilst consolidation and regulatory change-driven growth offers more material upside, in our view.

KBC Peel Hunt's Nick Batram was also positive:

Our buy stance is based upon the view that Party is an attractive asset in a global market with exciting growth and consolidation prospects. Poker has stabilised, casino and sportsbook are growing and new markets and B2B present further opportunities. Assuming stable currencies the group should return to earnings growth in 2010. A prospective PE of 16.1 times doesn't look expensive given the opportunity for growth and corporate activity.

Elsewhere Sportingbet shares climbed 1.25p to 66.25p after an annual meeting statement stating that trading was in line and the company was confident of a satisfactory outcome for the year. Oriel Securities analyst Jeffrey Harwood said:

Sportingbet indicates that the main trends seen in the first quarter (reported on 25 November) have continued. The group is benefiting from its focus on European sports betting where revenues were 56% ahead in the first quarter.

Following some recent weakness the shares look attractive on a prospective PE of 10 times. Shares moving up to the main market in early 2010.

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Virgin Group launches digital help company in UK - 16th December 2009

Richard Branson's Virgin Group is launching a new company to help consumers with problems like computers that crash, wireless networks that won't connect or games consoles that refuse to connect with other gear.

The group's first new company in Britain for three years will offer free online self-help guides for common problems and a range of automated fixed and video tutorials for 2.99 pounds ($4.85) per month, backed up with phone support and home visits.

"People now have real emotional connections with their gadgets," Joe Steel, founder of Virgin Digital Help, said in a statement released on Wednesday. "When they don't work or when they don't connect to each other properly, we just feel lost."

Virgin also released results of a survey of 2,000 consumers which showed that 78 percent of British people would consider spending two hours trying to fix a gadget themselves instead of spending 20 minutes on the phone with customer service.

It also found that 46 percent were afraid to try new technology, and half of those surveyed agreed that if their Internet connection went down it would be like being lost in the middle of the desert.

The Virgin venture capital organisation comprises more than 200 branded companies worldwide including Virgin Mobile, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Trains, Virgin Money and the Virgin Active health club chain. It had 2008 revenues of $17 billion. ($1=.6161 Pound)

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Leading GGN Casinos Introduce Playtech TV Games

On December 7th the Global Gaming Net casino group was the first Playtech licensee to launch the new Playtech TV Games in two of the group’s leading brands – www.swisscasino.com and www.casinolasvegas.com.

Playtech TV currently features two games – Club Roulette (standard Roulette table) and Roulette Royale (French Roulette table); a third game, Double Action Roulette, which will feature a wagering competition with a €1500 prize awarded every other hour, is scheduled to launch by mid-January 2010.

The Playtech TV Games are mass multi-player interactive games hosted by studio presenters. The new technology behind these games is a combination of pre-recorded live dealers and a real-time game simulation, which enables players to see their virtual chips stack up on the table as they place their bets, and interact with their virtual croupier in real-time. Players can view the in-play data, game activity, their own information and the information of the other players via real-time broadcast streaming. The information shared among players includes personalized nicknames that remain constant throughout all TV Game visits.

The game hosts are real presenters who, in addition to spinning the wheel, also provide commentary on the game and pieces of useful information, including previous game statistics, color odds, high vs. low number odds, and recent winners. Presenters include former Miss Australia Jodie Geddes, veteran British television presenters Lisa-Marie Long, Kay Little and Hannah Peckham, and Matt Odell, who will be familiar to many from the BBC, the National Theatre and the Travel Channel. The TV Games menu options include a daily schedule listing the time slots of each of the presenters, so players can check and see when their favorite presenter is on.

There is no limit to the number of players who may join in on a game. The more players, the busier the table; this allows the real-time experience to provide players with the thrill of a real live table game.

Playtech TV is now available at Casino Las Vegas and Swiss Casino, but will be available in all nine GGN brands in the future. GGN is owned by PartyGaming Plc, which is traded on the London Stock exchange and runs the leading online Poker Room www.partypoker.com

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New iPhone Casino by Casino Las Vegas Mobile

Casino Las Vegas Mobile, the cellular platform of www.casinolasvegas.com, has launched a new iPhone and android version of its WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) site, which was introduced earlier this year in the UK.

The new site is compatible for both iPhone and android applications and offers three popular casino games – Blackjack (card table game), Jacks or Better (video poker), and Gold Rally (progressive jackpot slots game). Additional games will be available in the mobile casino client in the near future.

Casino Las Vegas Mobile holds an EU gaming license, is Game Care protected, and offers all the security of the downloadable version of Online Casino Las Vegas. The mobile casino cashier offers several base currency options and accepts major credit cards and popular alternative payment methods.

The new WAP site will be marketed through various leading UK cellular providers, including O2 and Vodafone, who will each feature Casino Las Vegas Mobile on their portals.

Existing Casino Las Vegas subscribers may access their regular accounts through their mobile device, and new subscribers can register new accounts through their mobile phones. The mobile Welcome Bonus is identical to the casino’s computer-based offer – a multi-currency £400 deposit bonus given on the first four deposits; this Welcome Bonus follows a special £7 Signup Bonus (no deposit necessary), given to new players who register a new Casino Las Vegas account via their mobile phone. In addition, mobile players will enjoy automatic deposit bonuses every Monday and Thursday.

Casino Las Vegas is managed by the Global Gaming Net casino group and is one of nine leading online casino brands managed by GGN over the past seven years. GGN is owned by PartyGaming Plc, which is traded on the London Stock exchange and runs the leading online Poker Room www.partypoker.com.

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PartyGaming in talks with Bwin - 13th December 2009

PartyGaming is in talks with Bwin, the Austrian-based rival online gambling company, about a potential merger, a move that analysts have long been predicting as a possibility in an industry looking to consolidate.

The close-knit industry has seen a number of companies explore merger options with each other this year, as they wait for new markets to open.

Insiders at PartyGaming said current talks with Bwin went beyond the usual exploratory nature, but emphasised there was no imminent prospect of a deal. Both companies are licensed in Gibraltar.

However, the insiders said PartyGaming was keen that any deal with Bwin would be based on a merger of equals. The market capitalisation of both companies are similar – PartyGaming is worth £1.1bn, while Bwin is valued at around €1.3bn (£1.17bn). Neither PartyGaming nor Bwin would comment on the matter.

The desire for deal-making is likely to strengthen as countries that had turned their faces against regulated online gambling markets (France, Australia, India and United States) begin to step up preparations for liberalisation, albeit limited in some cases.

France is preparing for a partially-liberated market in 2010, Italy is widening its market to include bingo, casino and other games and other European states, with an eye on the potential tax revenues from the industry, are inching towards regulation.

PartyGaming has been preparing the ground for a significant deal, having sealed a non-prosecution agreement with the US department of justice in April over its trading in the US, in return for a forfeiture of $105m.

Jim Ryan, PartyGaming’s chief executive, has repeatedly said that the settlement was a necessary step prior to any merger activity on its part.

Bwin, listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange, is also keen on pushing ahead with merger activity at a time when the company is establishing itself as one of Europe's strongest online gambling companies.

Norbert Teufelberger, co-chief executive of Bwin, last month told the Financial Times that demand from big investment houses was significant and that Bwin would emerge from consolidation as “one of the bigger guys in this industry”.

Bwin, which has 20m registered users, has seen shares rise up 177 per cent in the last 12 months. It is expected to achieve gross gaming revenues of €450m, and adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of €110m.

Bwin strengthened its position in online poker this past September by purchasing Italian operator Gioco Digitale. It has established a strong sports betting product, and is the shirt sponsor of Real Madrid and AC Milan.

Other companies with an eye on events at PartyGaming and Bwin include 888 Holdings, Sportingbet and Unibet.

More details on the PartyGaming - Bwin talks as details come to hand. (Credit: Wires, Google News, Financial Times, Bloomberg, AP).

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Poker News Media: Gaming site PKR picks Unica to improve e-mail program - 8th December 2009

PKR.com, a poker Web site, is working with interactive marketing company Unica on its international e-mail program.

The site is implementing Unica's software into its technology system, a process expected to be complete by early next year. PKR.com uses e-mail for retention purposes, specifically to encourage customers to return to the site and play more.

“Our members value our unique online community, and we want to make sure that we tap into their passion to ensure that they keep coming back,” said Simon Prodger, marketing director at PKR.COM, in a statement.

On average, PKR.com sends 10 million to 12 million e-mails to its 3 million customers every month. These messages go out in five different languages to 200 different countries, and the company sends a weekly e-mail to all of its customers.

The first phase of the Unica integration will automate this process into sending triggered messages based on a customer's behavior, geographic location and the message.

“The objective is to send the e-mail at the time that the customer is likely to engage,” said Graeme McLaren, director of strategic marketing for EMEA at Unica. “They are seeking to drive relevance, higher response rates and efficiency by automating something that is currently manual.”

The company will also tailor e-mail content by language and culture, depending on the customer. “Gamblers in Hong Kong are not interested in the same thing that gamblers in the UK are interested in,” said McLaren.

The automation also includes sending dynamic messages that can change depending on the time a customer opens them. For example, if an e-mail is promoting an offer that has expired by the time the recipient opens it, a new message will be inserted into the e-mail.

PKR.com joins other Unica gaming clients. Unica's roster already includes 888.com, Boyd Gaming, Casinos Austria, Foxwoods and Full Tilt Poker.

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INM to make more than £10m profit from website sale - 7th December 2009

LONDON - Independent News and Media, the media and newspaper group, is expected to finalise the sale of its German price comparison website Verivox later today.

he group is looking to sell its 49% stake in the site in a deal valued at €17 million (£15 million) to Oakley Capital, a private equity group.

The deal will provide a financial boost for the publisher of The Independent and The Independent on Sunday which became a co-owner of the company three years ago for less than £2m.

The move follows INM selling its 18% stake in Cashcade, owner of the Foxy Bingo website, to PartyGaming, for £12.9 million in July.

Dublin-based INM, which has accumulated debt of £1.2 billion, is in the process of a financial restructuring.

The group has unveiled plans to sell its South African outdoor advertising business INM Outdoor.

In September, the board of INM dismissed calls from rebel shareholder Denis O'Brien to close or sell The Independent and Independent on Sunday.

According to an INM spokesman, the completion of the disposal of Verivox, together with that of INM Outdoor (expected later this month) will bring the total proceeds raised from disposals by INM in 2009 to approximately €150 million.

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