Issue N35, 2011

September 14, 2011

New Payment Method Offered by Neteller

Neteller, the payment product that is best known as the leading ewallet in the industry and first choice among online gamblers, announced it was rolling out a brand new product recently. Neteller’s Neosurf is similar to other pre-paid cards in the industry, although it has the added advantage of being backed by a big and reputable parent company. Neosurf is essentially ‘loaded’ by the player, and can then be used to transfer funds to the player’s Neteller account. The card is an accepted form of payment at most top online casino sites.

Using Neosurf is very simple, and players are ensured of maximum security through the use of a ten digit PIN number which they use when transferring money to their Neteller accounts. All Neteller clients have been informed of the new product, and have been sent step-by-step instructions on how to use it. Deposits ranging from $30 and up to $4,000 can be made, making this a very flexible product. Neteller said that the new product is available for now in Spain, Belgium, France and Italy, although there are plans to roll Neosurf out in other countries around the world in due time.

New Game Launched at Slotland Casino

Slotland Casino, the stand alone online casino site that offers proprietary software, has announced the launch of a brand new game, Pearls of Atlantis. The game is the 22nd title released by Slotland and features an exciting lost-underwater-kingdom theme, with mermaids, seahorses and even deep sea monsters! The game also boasts a unique bonus game that allows players to win up to five times the value of the Treasure Chest Fund which they accumulate during regular game-play.

“Slot players love spinning the reels and these reels have some of the most beautiful graphics our games developers have ever come up with,” said Michael Hilary, speaking for the online casino. “But, we also like to give players an interesting and challenging bonus game to make the fun last even longer and multiply winnings.”

Hilary explained the bonus game, which makes Pearls of Atlantis so exciting and challenging. “Collecting five pieces of the outer wheel triggers the Wheel of Fortune bonus game where a lucky spin wins up to five times the money previously accumulated in the Treasure Chest Fund,” he said. The game is also connected to Slotland’s progressive jackpot, which is currently over $115,000… and climbing.

US Online Poker Group Begins New Petition

The Poker Players Alliance, a one million-member strong grassroots group which continuously lobbies for the regulation and legalization of online poker in the United States, has issued a new petition in the hope that the administration will start hearing their calls for change.

The PPA said in statement that by changing the gambling laws in the United States, the country would be able to create many new jobs in an already stagnating economy.

The petition is currently in its drafting stage and will be published in due time. The PPA hopes that hundreds of thousands of Americans – poker players and non-players alike – will sign the petition and that the authorities will have no choice but to sit up and take notice.

The Vice President of Player Relations for the Poker Players Alliance, Rich Muny said: “I wish to thank the entire poker community for the outstanding work in telling our elected officials that we demand action on the online poker issue. We as individuals have sent over 100,000 letters to lawmakers and made countless phone calls to lawmakers this year alone. We have also posted thousands of pro-pokers statements to their Facebook walls, while also sending them thousands of pro-poker Twitter messages.”

Calls to Lower French Gambling Taxes

With more and more online gambling companies avoiding the French gambling market altogether due to the unreasonably high tax regime, louder and louder calls are being heard to change the government’s approach to tax in order to make it more realistic. The unreasonable tax system has seen some online casinos close shop and leave the industry, while other groups such as William Hill, Betfair and Ladbrokes are avoiding this market altogether – saying that it is simply impossible to make a profit with such high taxes in place.

The national gambling regulator in France, ARJEL, submitted a list of recommendations to the government, asking them to improve the current situation before it becomes impossible for operators to stay in the market. Some of the recommendations include a new taxation system. It remains to be seen whether the government will heed these suggestions, or whether it will take the advice of proposals set out by politicians who are pulling in the other way, calling for an even stricter gambling regulatory system. An industry review is set to take place in November this year, and experts are hoping that the problems will ironed out.