Issue N28, 2009
July 22, 2009
Canada Unveils New Lottery
A new Canadian lottery title that will launch in September is seen as a welcome addition to the current arsenal of games offered to players online and through lottery agents. The new LottoMax will be launched by five Canadian lottery companies and promises to be highly lucrative, with prizes reaching up to $50 million and then some! Lottery officials explained that initial prizes will range from $10 million to $50 million, but once the maximum limit has been reached, new $1 million draws will be held, with separate numbers and separate prizes for lucky winners.
“Lotto Max will give Canadians what they've been asking for - big jackpots plus more million-dollar prizes. Lotto Max is a one-of-a-kind lottery that is unique to Canada; the MaxMillions prizes revolutionize the lottery as Canadians currently know it,” said said Jim Lightbody, Inter provincial Lottery Corporation President and British Columbia Lottery Corporation Vice President.
For each $5 card purchased, players will have three chances to win. A jackpot hit involves guessing seven correct numbers out of seven, in a keno like choice between the numbers 1 and 49. Draws for the game will take place each and every Friday, beginning September 25th. The Lotto Max will replace the Super 7 lottery game that has been a firm fixture on Fridays until now.
Cashcade Finds New Buyer
The industry leading bingo group, Cashcade, that has been on the market for several months now has reportedly found itself a buyer. The Times, a UK newspaper, said that Party Gaming has bought Cashcade for a hefty £100 million after negotiations were held with other online gaming groups as well. Another group, 888 Holdings, was also involved in the negotiations, but backed out a short while ago after the asking price became too steep.
This is Party Gaming’s first big purchase following its settlement with the United States Department of Justice. After years of trying to reach an agreement with the DOJ, Party Gaming agreed to pay over $100 million to close the file against the company, where it was accused of operating illegal gambling activities in the United States prior to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
The purchase of Cashcade is seen as a particularly strategic move for Party Gaming. Caschcade currently owns and operates some of the top bingo brands in the industry, including getminted and the ever popular Foxy Bingo.
PPA Exerts Pressure on Congress to Legalize Online Poker
In its untiring crusade to have online poker legalized and regulated in the United States, the Poker Players Alliance, led by John Pappas, had its supporters swarm on Capitol Hill in Washington as part of a lobbying blitz this week. Poker enthusiasts and professionals, including top names such as Howard Lederer and Annie Duke, are due to meet with 100 congressmen from 35 states, in a bid to convince them of the advantages of having a legal online poker industry. Politicians will hear how a regulated poker industry can help control underage gambling and also bring in millions of dollars in taxes for the floundering economy in the United States.
As can be expected, the lobbying efforts were met by opposition by Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama who said in a statement: “Illegal off-shore Internet gambling sites are a criminal enterprise, and allowing them to operate unfettered in the United States would present a clear danger to our youth, who are subject to becoming addicted to gambling at an early age. In fact, studies have shown that earlier one begins gambling, the more likely it is he or she will become a compulsive problem gambler.”
US Player Walks off with Huge Slot Win
A player from the United States, who tried his luck on the popular Red White & Win progressive slot game, was staggered to find himself the winner of nearly $1 million after he hit the jackpot. The player accessed the game on the Vegas Technology online casino network and was made an instant millionaire when the game paid out for the first time in over half a year – a fact that made the prize pool larger than normal.
The $997,740 win shows once and for all that US players are still able to hit the big numbers in slot jackpots, despite the fact that software companies have lowered their profile in the US gambling market since the introduction of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006.
“There is a general perception that the European-based online casinos are the ones that pay out the million dollar jackpots,” noted one industry observer, “but this shows that it is just a matter of luck and anyone, anywhere, can win at any given time.”
Red White & Win is a three reel, one pay line game with a fast growing progressive jackpot and a fantastic patriotic theme.