BetStopper software excellent in blocking underage online gamblers
The Chronicle Herald newspaper in the Nova Scotia province of Canada reports that new software effective in blocking underage gambling has been developed by an American company commissioned by the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation.
Marie Mullally, the president and CEO of the NSGC, says that parents can obtain the software for free and install it on home computers, and that it is effective in blocking access to gambling websites. The software is said to be the first of its kind in the world.
Mullally told the newspaper that a study commissioned by the corporation in 2006 found the underaged were gambling online three times as often as adults. Sixty percent of the youthful gamblers were boys. In the gaming corporation’s three-year-old study, 15 percent of 18-year-olds and 19 percent of youths aged 15 to 17 admitted to online gambling.
After the study, the corporation hired an American company to develop software that would block underage access to gambling websites.
“There was nothing out there, so we invented this,” she said.
The product, branded BetStopper, will be launched this weekend and handed out at the We Love Our Children Expo at Exhibition Park in Halifax. The software has already been thoroughly test driven by 250 Nova Scotia families, who have praised its effectiveness.
Mullally says the program looks for gaming URLs and gaming language within websites.
“It has a heightened or enhanced level of intelligence that allows it to have a 98 percent rate of blocking sites,” she said.
BetStopper is password-protected and parents will receive an email notification immediately if the program is turned off.
While adults could also use the software to prevent other adults from accessing gaming sites, Mullally said it’s principally intended for parental use.
She said that her company’s research suggests that underage punters are involved in all kinds of gambling online, including playing poker and betting on sports.
“Sports betting is absolutely huge, particularly around 14 to 17-year-old males,” she said.
Ken Hanna, founder of Safe Bet Society, which promotes responsible gambling, said anything parents can do to discourage the underaged from wagering online is a welcome tool.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” said Hanna. “I think it’s excellent.”
Nova Scotia Gaming plans to distribute BetStopper at various public events around the province throughout the summer.
iGaming Business Affiliate Magazine Successfully Launches
If you are involved in the online gambling industry in a professional capacity, there is a new magazine you need to know about. Heck, even if you’re not involved professionally, but have a strong passion for online gambling - perhaps publishing a gambling related blog - this is a magazine well worth reading. It’s called iGaming Business Affiliate Magazine, and is already getting rave reviews.
Formerly known as CAP Magazine, iGaming Business Affiliate is a newly envisioned publication that pledges to unite the entire online gaming affiliate sector into one cohesive voice. Furthermore, leading up to the launch of the magazine’s inaugural April/May 2009 issue, the formation of the online gambling industry’s largest affiliate body, Gambling Affiliate Programs, took place.
Both the magazine and GAP have been launched to help solidify new principles and standards in affiliate marketing and bring a unified voice to the industry as a whole. In response to growing concerns that the affiliate component of the online gambling industry was becoming dogged by partial alliances and protectionism, Editor in Chief of iGaming Business Affiliate, Michael Caselli, said in his inaugural editor’s letter that the magazine will continue to bring outstanding content from senior industry professionals “regardless of their trade organization memberships or alliances”.
In other words, iGaming Business Affiliate strives to be an open and unbiased forum for gaming affiliates and affiliate managers. Indeed, with over sixty gambling affiliate programs signed up with GAP thus far, things are heading in the right direction. By the way, in case you’re wondering, the GAP referred to here is not GamblingAffiliatePrograms.org, but rather GamblingAffiliatePrograms.com - set to launch later this year.
As for iGaming Business Affiliate, let’s just say it’s packed with some great articles covering everything from using WordPress to start an online gambling blog to supplementing online casino revenue with bingo players. There’s affiliate manager interviews, affiliate interviews, SEO tips, and just about everything else you could think of aimed at fostering monetization and success in the online gambling affiliate marketing sector. For more information and/or to subscribe, please visit iGamingBusiness.com
Martin leaves 31 May 2009
Online gambling e-cash processor Neovia plc (Neteller) has confirmed the departure date for CEO Ron Martin as May 31st 2009. On that date Martin will step down from his position on the board of directors, with executive chairman Dale Johnson assuming responsibility for the CEO portfolio until a replacement is found.
Johnson will be assisted by Dan Starr, Executive Vice President, and Doug Terry, Chief Financial Officer, in the day-to-day executive management of the group’s business. These responsibilities are in addition to their existing roles.
Johnson commented “On behalf of the Board and management team, I would like to thank Ron for his significant contribution to the Group over four challenging years. In the current challenging market conditions, the Board and management team are focused on maximising revenues in the short term, maintaining control over costs and preserving cash to deliver value for all shareholders.”
Public opinion go at a propitious time
With Congressman Frank’s new HR 2267 bid to legalise and regulate online gambling in the United States now launched and active, the Poker Players Alliance reminded players this week that their voices have been heard by the Obama administration.
The reminder refers to a project instituted by then presidential candidate Obama in which a website was made available so that Americans could flag and vote on issues they felt were important that the incoming president address (see previous InfoPowa reports).
This information was then transformed into a presidential brief titled White House Citizen’s Briefing Book.
This week the PPA, which boasts over a million members nationwide, applauded the release of the publication, noting that the compilation of voter-led policy proposals includes as one of its top items the licensing and regulation of online poker.
“Poker players around the country are speaking with one voice to protect the game they love, and the White House is hearing that message,” said PPA Executive Director John Pappas. “The popularity of online poker continues to grow, and the fact that poker is the top technology issue – and the 11th issue overall – proves that this is not a niche issue, but a national public policy that this Congress and this president should advance this year.”
The number one technology item in the White House Citizen’s Briefing Book was “Boost America’s Economy with Legal Online Poker,” which received 46 890 points.
Crafted by online poker player Aaron Huertas of Washington, D.C., the submission reads as follows:
“Boost America’s Economy with Legal Online Poker, 46890 points
“Let online poker players in the United States play legally and without fear of prosecution. Reform the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to exempt poker, a game of skill, from the law.
“Boost the economy by letting American companies and American players make money and pay taxes instead of sending online poker businesses offshore.
“Protect online poker players by regulating the industry to ensure that no one is ever cheated.”
Pappas observed: “We hope the Administration hears and acts upon the clear message sent via the Citizen’s Briefing Book – keep online poker legal through thoughtful regulation. The poker community stands ready to work with President Obama and Congress to make sure the will of the people is acted upon.
“There is a very vocal community out there…through our website last year, over 80 000 letters were sent to Congress in support of licensing and regulating internet poker,” he said, adding that in the first quarter of 2009 the organisation spent $430 000 on lobbying, up $80 000 from the same period in 2008.
Bad End for Fraudster
In a stroke of bad luck, a 29-year-old California man made a simple mistake of visiting the MGM Grand Casino this week and caught cheating by the video cameras. Last September, he had faked his own death in a Laguna Beach diving accident in an effort to escape the long arms of the law. He had been originally scheduled for sentencing for a string of offences in Orange County for burglary, theft, forgery and drug charges. He has a pending arrest warrant for illegal drugs in neighboring Los Angeles County.
If not for his simple cheating mistake, he would have convinced all those looking for him that he was already dead. The Nevada Gaming Board officers eventually found out his previous criminal records and he will soon be extradited to Orange County to face the additional charges of gambling fraud and faking a medical emergency. He may also face an unexpected new charge of insurance charge by collecting on his policy. When people say there is no such thing as a perfect crime, they will cite this as an example.
Hammond casino sees great revenue jump
The Horseshoe Casino is raking in the highest monthly revenue ever for an Indiana casino, even as business is down at most of the state’s 10 other full casinos.
State records show the Hammond casino had gambling revenue of $49.2 million in April, down slightly from March but a big jump from its $40.5 million in April 2008.
The Hammond casino opened a new $485 million gambling barge last summer and might also be getting a boost from a March fire that closed the Empress Casino in Joliet, Ill.
“Horseshoe has so many more amenities to offer people, making them one of the bigger players in the Chicago market,” said Ed Feigenbaum, editor of the Indiana Gaming Insight newsletter. “No doubt the expansion had an impact.”
Business, however, is down at most of the state’s full-scale casinos from a year ago - a time during which the recession has worsened and slot-machine casinos opened at the two central Indiana pari-mutuel race tracks.
The opening of the two new gambling sites have meant a 7 percent increase in total state casino tax collections so far this year to $706.6 million.
Besides the Horseshoe in Hammond, Casino Aztar in Evansville is the only full-scale casino to see increased business this year - and its total admissions are less than a quarter of the Hammond boat.
Despite opening in January a new 22-story, glass-walled hotel, the Blue Chip casino in Michigan City has not drawn more gamblers as it tries to reverse a big drop in business it saw after 2007 opening of an Indian casino about 10 miles away in Michigan.
Blue Chip’s admissions for the year through April were down about 7 percent from the same time in 2008.
Legislature passes casinos deal
Agreement with Seminoles would ensure that blackjack games stay at Hard Rock casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, in exchange for at least $2.2 billion over 15 years for Florida schools.
The Florida Legislature overwhelmingly approved a gambling deal with the Seminole tribe today that would ensure that blackjack games stay at Hard Rock casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, in exchange for at least $2.2 billion over 15 years for Florida schools.
The gambling deal won bipartisan approval, although a smattering of anti-gambling conservatives in both houses opposed it. The Senate approved the casino gambling deal, 31-9. Shortly after, the conservative House supported it by a strong majority, 82-35.
The deal would give the tribe blackjack, baccarat and other table games at four of its seven casinos. The Legislature also lifted poker betting limits at pari-mutuel dog and horse tracks and jai alai frontons.
“This is a mistake,” said Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico. “It is a mistake to fund our budget with gambling. What we’re doing is spreading it throughout our communities and, yeah, even encouraging it — so we can subsidize our budget.”
But supporters noted Florida already has numerous forms of gambling, from an expansive Lottery now with PowerBall to dog and horse tracks to cruises to nowhere.
“This is not about expanding gaming in Florida,” said Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Seminole.
With legislative approval, Gov. Charlie Crist and the tribe have until Aug. 31 to finalize the details. The Seminole tribal council also must ratify the deal.
The tribe said it will conduct a “thorough review” of the gambling bill, according to a statement released to the media after the vote.
“Today, we move closer to reaching an agreement that will support education, put unemployed Floridians back to work and bring economic relief to our state,” the statement read. “It is a day that has been 19 years in the making and we commend the Florida Legislature for taking this critical step.”
The Indian gambling agreement would add $300 million to Florida’s new budget, which begins July 1. That counts money the tribe already has paid in escrow from the since-voided 2007 gambling deal the Seminoles signed with the governor.
The tribe would pay the state $150 million a year over 15 years, plus a portion of gambling profits. The money would be put into the state’s Lottery trust fund, which pays for Bright Futures scholarships, school construction and other education programs.
House Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, who negotiated the deal, called it a good compromise.
“It is a way for the state of Florida to share revenues — $300 million in the first year,” he said. “It is also a way to create parity in the pari-mutuel community, without a full-on expansion of gambling.”
Indeed, South Florida pari-mutuels won a key concession: a lower tax rate on voter-approved slot machines. The tax will be lowered to 35 percent, from 50 percent.
In addition, the owners of the Palm Beach Kennel Club will be allowed to open a second greyhound track in Palm Beach County.
GameAccount Platform Comes To Asia And South America
In spite of the financial crisis which touches almost all the spheres of the everyday life, internet gambling has great success and develops rapidly. But online casinos are only the part of global gambling industry and the other sectors also make the significant progress. Online gambling can be subdivided into skill gaming, internet based video games and some other gaming content distributing through the internet. GameAccount is one of the most rapidly growing companies working in the sphere of internet gambling, it offers its gaming platform to the online casinos and various gambling companies, using this platform such companies can extend existing gambling facilities.
Today GameAccount owns the best skill gaming platform on the market. This company offers the widest choice of both traditional and innovative skill games that are extremely popular. GameAccount has recently declared about concluding a treaty with the American company Players Gaming & Leisure providing the games to some foreign companies. According to the agreement between these companies, Players Gaming & Leisure will be able to use the platform for two completely new gambling sites.
These internet sites are GrandCasinoWorld.com and Domino World.com, they have been launched just previous month, their target regions are South America and Asia. The most countries are slightly involved in online gambling activity and there is no any skill gaming platform. The gaming content for the sites will not work under the GameAccount brand according to the white label agreement, but it will demonstrate all the distinctive features of new GrandCasinoWorld.com and Domino World.com sites.
Free Online Casinos are offered by land casinos
We witness a lot of changes taking place in the USA. These changes take quite an unexpected character – they move towards legalizing of online casinos on the territory of the United States. Still there is something to discuss concerning this problem, but hopefully it will be finally settled. But as long as it doesn’t happen, there still will be online casinos that offer free games.
One of land casinos that has been vested the right to launch an online gambling is Michigan casino. It has already stepped on the way of providing of free online gambling. It serves to draw ever more online players to the world of gambling. These free games will be provided from the website as soon as this operation gets commenced. It will be something different from arcade-type games, regular slots, some table games and video-poker. You have an opportunity to train your skills on these games without risking your money.
Both for online casino and for the player it is a nice deal as the majority of players risk in order to bring their money back. In some cases the gamblers want to get familiar with the game before they decide to risk their money playing this game. Anticipating this necessity casino offers the players to try the option of free play in any game they want.
FireKeepers Casino is managed by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band, belonging to the Potawatomi Indians. FireKeepers Casino is licensed in Battle Creek and it offers any adult (all the individuals over the age of 21 are implied) to join their casino and play in full accordance with the US-based gambling regulations. When started to play in this online casino the players begin to accumulate the points and, thus, get some promotions, which offer a number of different options. Red Hot Rewards Club is another option you can deal with.
You can play all these games for free while you belong to this online casino. To avoid the cases when the underage players join the casino all the registrations are verified not once. They have concerns that their underage children are not fully isolated from these online casinos. Still, taking into account the fact that casino is a part Native Americans’ life and the stricter systems of security the majority just do not feel the new online casino as a subject of an issue. This one could be pioneer of all the online casinos in the USA.
Minnesota Regulators Want to Block Access to Gambing Sites
Using a 1961 federal law designed to stop illegal gambling, the state has directed 11 telephone and Internet service providers to block nearly 200 gambling Web sites.
The state Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division says it expects responses from AT&T Internet Services, Charter Communications, Comcast Cable and the other providers within two or three weeks.
AT&T, Charter and Comcast representatives didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
“We are putting site operators and Minnesota online gamblers on notice and in advance,” says John Willems, director of AGED. “Disruption of these sites’ cash flow will negatively impact their business models. State residents with online escrow accounts should be aware that access to their accounts may be jeopardized and their funds in peril.”
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