Issue N13, 2010
March 31, 2010
Kitty Glitter Slot Game Gets Online Debut
A hugely popular land based slot game, Kitty Glitter has debuted as an online version at Boyle Caisno. The game, created by IGT, became the company’s hottest selling slot title in 2009, especially among female players in bingo halls across the United Kingdom. The game, with its delightful feline theme, has players enjoying super features such as four cat symbols that have the potential of becoming wild, fifteen free spins to be won in the bonus round and stacked cats for extra paying power. Players can also enjoy lovely graphics, a upbeat “Putting on the Ritz” music track and the opportunity to win big in this game.
“We’re delighted to be one of the first companies to offer the hugely successful online slot Kitty Glitter,” said the Head of Online Casino at Boyle Casino, Sam Downey. “It’s not surprising to see why it’s the cat’s pajamas with its wild action, thrilling graphics soundtrack, and potential for massive wins. We look forward to sharing this fantastic feline treat to our online casino players and hope they end up as the cat that got the cream!”
More North Americans Support Online Gambling
A leading Canadian newspaper, the Toronto Sun, ran a survey in conjunction with the research company Ipsos Reid to examine online gamblers and the public’s response to online gambling in Canada and the United States. The results showed that the North Americans are warming to the idea of a legalized and regulated online casino industry, even more so than two years ago. One of the more interesting finds of the survey showed that less Canadians and US people were aware that online gambling was essentially illegal in their countries than two years ago.
Half the Americans questions (49%) said that they would be willing to see online gabling legalized in their country as long as there are sufficient government regulations in place. That number was up from 46% of Americans in 2007. More Canadians (55%) would welcome a government controlled online gambling industry, also showing a markup of 48% from two years ago. Americans put more trust in their federal government to control online gambling, with 55% believing that regulation should be done on a national level. The other 45% said that they would prefer state level control. In comparison, 67% of Canadians would be satisfied with federal regulation.
“The idea of Internet gambling appears to be gaining acceptance in North America, with more people expressing an interest to see it legalized with proper regulation,” said Paul Lauzon of Ipsos Reid’s Lottery and Gaming Group. “Governments also appear to be doing a poor job at informing citizens that Internet gambling is in fact illegal unless regulated by a State or Provincial authority.”
Ladbrokes Welcomes New Chief Warmly
Ladbrokes, the leading UK sports betting group, has welcomed its new Chief Executive with open arms – in the form of £1.75 million in shares. Richard Glynn was also told that if he managed to increase Ladbrokes’ fortunes, he could even see a further £4 million in profits. Glynn was handpicked to lead one of the UK’s top gambling groups, after serving as non executive chairman of the spreadbetter group, Sporting Index. Reports say that he will earn around £580,000 a year.
The new Chief Executive’s appointment has been met with mixed reactions by analysts. Some say that he will be “well received”, while others believe that he is not strong enough to tackle the weaknesses against the group’s peers in both the retail and online spheres. What is agreed on is that Ladbrokes requires a “bit more passion and urgency in the leadership,” despite the fact that the group continues to perform well.
American Gaming Association Changes Online Gambling Tune
After years of a totally neutral stance on internet gambling, the American Gaming Association has publicly declared that it is “open to the concept of legalized US gambling sites.” The powerful Washington based group that represents the land based gambling industry in the country, said that it welcomed legislation that would bring about a regulated online gambling industry in the US, but stopped short on actually supporting one of the many pro gambling bills that are currently in the pipeline.
“We now believe that internet gaming can be properly regulated so long as there is a tough regulatory framework that is put in place,” said the President of the American Gaming Association, Frank Fahrenkopf. “We would be open to looking at legislation that’s out there to see whether or not it provides the consumer protections that we think are so important.”
Analysts say that online gambling is worth around $26 billion a year on a global scale, with $6 billion of that wagered by US residents at offshore sites in 2008. This is despite the fact that the United States has had the controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in place since 2006.