Issue N27, 2007
July 12, 2007
Queen Tila Tequila Rules Online Casino World
Voted as the “Most Popular Person on MySpace” with a whopping 1.6 million virtual friends, Tila Tequila has pulled off another one. The Queen of Cyberspace is basking in the success of her online casino and online poker rooms which is seeing a steady flow of traffic since its opening recently. Tila is not new to the gambling world since, according to her, she has been playing poker since she was 12 years old. Her new poker site, TilaPoker.com is part of the iPoker network and offers players the chance to try their luck with a multitude of poker games, ranging from Omaha, Texas Hold’em and qualifiers for some of the most popular tournaments in the industry.
Tila’s online casino site, TilaCasino.com is backed by one of the most popular software companies in the business, Playtech and thus features a fantastic portfolio of games. For players looking for traditional card or table games, as well as Asian games, the new site has all the solutions. Tila Tequila has combined her success and popularity on the internet with her budding entrepreneurial skills to bring us one of the hottest new sites on the block.
Gore Jnr. Arrest Pips Online Casino
What started off as a fun sportsbooking campaign offering odds on the next celebrity to be arrested, turned into an interesting situation when Al Gore Jnr, son of the famous American politician was arrested for possession of illegal substances. It all began when Ireland’s biggest bookmaker, Paddy Power ran its campaign to attract players to its site and offered odds ranging from 2:1 that Paris Hilton would be arrested next and up to 50:1 that it would be Bill Gates. Odds on Al Gore were 14:1.
The campaign backfired, however, with the strange coincidental arrest of Al Gore’s son, also named Al, after marijuana and other prescription medication were found in his car. Since Paddy Power had not bothered to specify WHICH Al Gore it was referring to, the site was forced to pay out to 50 people who had placed bets on Gore. The mishap set the site back nearly $14,000. In a tongue-in-cheek statement, Paddy Power said in response to the incident: “We got a good stoning thanks to the Vice-President’s son”.
Online Bingo Figures Soar
Despite the aftershocks of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that are still being felt one year on, new statistics show that online bingo is generating millions of dollars annually and that the industry is set to soar in the coming years. Global Betting and Consultants, a research company, recently reported that it expects the online bingo industry to be worth more than 165-million Pounds within five years.
This fact is attributed to several factors. Firstly, bingo is especially popular in the United Kingdom, which is experiencing a revolution in the way online gambling is being handled by authorities and the legal system. Secondly, many top companies have invested in the bingo industry, such as the Sun newspaper’s much-publicized bingo site. Also, increased media exposure and support from land-based casino companies mean online bingo has a very rosy future. The bingo industry generated 72-million Pounds in prize-money in 2006.
40% of Online Casino Players Use Message Boards, Says e-COGRA
An interesting fact was revealed recently when the industry watchdog e-Commerce Online Gambling Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) released results of a survey that it conducted. 11,000 participants were questioned about their online gambling habits and from this number it was found that 40% of online gamblers regularly used message boards to glean information about the industry.
The participants said that they found the use of message boards particularly helpful when searching for information about casino sites and offers. Chat groups on the internet provide players with a wealth of information about gambling rules and regulations, gaming guides and responsible gambling. Established gambling message boards have also become a place to settle disputes between players and online casinos, and players have reported that they have received much better results this way.
Online casino staff also regularly visit these message boards to understand what the contemporary player is searching for in a good site and what problems they might have with existing ones. Besides sharing information on these sites, players also get to join a widespread egambling community that offers social advantages such as the chance to connect with players around the world.
888.com Remains Confident about Annual Results
Despite the fact that sales at the leading online gambling company, 888.com took a blow last October in post-UIGEA days, management said they were confident that this year’s sales would meet expectations. 888.com decided not to let an erratic gambling market affect its future and created an aggressive fight-back plan that included introducing a new online casino game nearly every month and investing millions in research. First-half sales are apparently meeting the company’s expectations and it is said that they are confident that the second half of the year will also be successful.