Issue N4, 2008
January 24, 2008
The Best and the Worst of 2007
Players and affiliates in the online gambling industry sometimes need an objective look at which sites are truly good in the market and which should be avoided at all costs. CasinoMeister, the internet gambling portal, provides such a service each year with its ‘Best and Worst’ list, outlining reasons why particular sites received the honor. Last week, the site released its list for 2007 and the results were interesting, to say the least.
There are just over thirty categories on the list, all of them dealing with a particular sector in the market, such as the best and worst casino site, gambling group and casino manager. This year the Worst Casino award was given to Cirrus Casino, a site based in Costa Rica and part of the Virtual Group. Incidentally, the Real Time Gaming software company powered Virtual also won the Worst Casino Group award for its poor payouts reputation.
The Best Casino Group award was grabbed by Microgaming’s Jackpot Factory, while the Best Casino Site Award was won – for the fifth year running – by 32Red.com. The manager of this Gibraltar-based site, Pat Harrison, won the prize for Best Casino Manager. ClubWorldCasinos.com won the Best Customer Service award and 3Dice.com was given the title as Best New Casino for 2007.
Antigua and US Seek to Solve Amnesty Issues
The governments of the twin Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda and the United States are looking to move past the conflict between the two countries regarding internet wagering, by seeking a solution regarding the traveling of online gambling operators to and from the US. At present, many operators who live in Antigua are afraid to travel to the United States, even if just as a stopover, because they suspect that US authorities may arrest them for contravening the country’s 1962 Wire Act.
In recent years, several top company executives have had cases brought against them for illegal gambling operations in the United States, while the State of Louisiana has a significant number of sealed arrest warrants against industry executives. The government of Antigua is hoping to reach an agreement with US authorities that online gambling company employees would be granted amnesty and be free to travel to and through the country. The Finance Minister for Antigua, Mr. Errol Cort said, “We believe this matter can be settled in an amicable way because we enjoy an excellent relationship with the United States.”
New One Stop Shop for Omaha Fans
Poker players may sometimes get the impression that there is not enough information out there about games that are not high-profile such as Texas Hold ‘em. While many online sites do in fact carry data and tips about other variants such as Omaha Poker, these articles tend to be limited in information and usually as a side-note to Hold ‘em strategy. Omaha fans, however, will be thrilled to hear that a new site has been dedicated to this exciting game and they will be able to enjoy all the benefits of this one-stop shop, aptly named PlanetOmaha.com.
The site will look at every issue of interest to Omaha fans, ranging from the issues facing new players to the game who come from other types of poker backgrounds, to strategy adjustments and starting hands. The site also provides a full and continually updated list of the major poker sites that offer Omaha as a game, listing their game rates in the process. Mark Holland, founder of the new site said: “For the first time there is an authority site on the popular Omaha poker variations, a one-stop repository for new and experienced Omaha players alike.”
Oggs.com Adds Three More Trusted Sites to its List
Oggs.com is an online gambling review site that has become well known in the industry for its objective views regarding online casino sites. The site also provides updated news on the industry and looks at issues such as the UIGEA and online banking. This week, three more online casino sites were added to the Oggs list of trustworthy and reputable companies in the market. What makes these sites unique is the fact that they can all be played in the United States, and they all offer all the industry favorites in the line of games and software.
The first site to be added was the Malta-based Microgaming-powered Gnuf.com, a relatively new company in the market that offers casino games, bingo and poker. The second site, GrandMondial.com is also from the house of Microgaming and utilizes the Viper software to bring its players 200 of some of the hottest games from the company’s games portfolio. GrandMondial hit the casino scene in 2006 and has made quite an impression in a few short years. Finally, the adult-themed casino site, Playboy.com that was re-launched last year on the CryptoLogic platform, was also ushered onto the Oggs.com list.