Issue N45, 2008
November 4, 2008
Will Bermuda be the Next Antigua?
Realizing the huge potential that there is to be had in the legalization and regulation of internet gaming, the Bermuda government has commissioned a unique study through the local Innovation Group to try and determine whether online gambling, as well as other types of gambling, would be a good source of income for the island’s coffers. The government is not ruling out the introduction of internet wagering, although a state lottery or land casinos are also something that is be considered.
Speaking in an interview to BBC World, the Bermuda Premier, Dr. Brown spoke of the reasons for looking into the idea of legalizing online casino in the country. "Bermuda has a history of having had two significant economic bases. One is tourism and the other one is international business. We don't export anything; we import 90 percent of what we consume and so we haven't been able to come up with another pillar for our economy, although we are exploring new revenue streams ... like gaming. We've actually announced last week that we're going to have a feasibility study on gaming. That's going to start next week."
High Profits for Probability
The UK based mobile gaming company, Probability, has announced that its pre-tax profits for the first half of the year were above expectations, closing in at $273,053. It was exactly a year ago, that Probability was forced to announce pre tax losses of nearly $1 million. The Chief Executive Officer of Probability, Charles Cohen, said that the company was delighted with the results. “This has put us into a very strong position for further growth with continued investment in new content and plans for international expansion," he said.
Probability’s breakthrough in profits has been put down to a number of factor, including a sound long term business strategy and partnerships with some of the biggest names in the gaming business that include Blue Square and Mecca.
Cohen continued: "As a pure mobile gaming operator, with a focus on low stakes 'betertainment', aimed at the mass market, we are uniquely positioned to take advantage of consumer fatigue with online gaming, boredom with the lottery and the often uninspiring and overpriced traditional mobile games on offer today. During these difficult times, we appear to be enjoying a 'Lidl effect' as consumers look for value in their entertainment as with everything else. Being immediately available on their mobile phone, at ten pence a spin, we are in the right place at the right time to capture these customers."
Slotland Jackpot Hit
Slotland’s hugely popular progressive jackpot prize has been won again – making it the third time in as many months that someone has grabbed this frequently won jackpot. Slotland, one of the oldest and most unique casino sites on the internet, runs a single progressive game that is linked to all its slot games – online and mobile. Set at $50,000 each time, the prize increases at an incredible pace and is hit on average every six weeks. Players traditionally take home six figure prizes.
In March this year, a player hit the jackpot and then – uncharacteristically – nobody won again until August. "It's funny how it happens sometimes," said Ondrej Tuma of Slotland, "No jackpot wins over the summer and then bam, bam, bam, three in a row!"
The latest winner of the Slotland progressive jackpot was the player MINEOMINE, who walked off with $134,253 after playing the Golden 8 slot machine on the site. As such, Slotland has given away over $400,000 in prizes through its progressive jackpot alone over the past three months.
PKR Plays Cupid
While online casino and poker rooms are well known for encouraging strong social connections through chat rooms and multiplayer game options, the popular online poker room, PKR has decided to take things one step further and play cupid for its members. The site has partnered with the online dating service, Lovestruck and the joint venture will include running online and offline events for professional singles who are looking for their soul mate. The added advantage of finding love through these efforts, of course, is that members can be sure that their potential partners share their love for poker!
“Poker is a very social game and we know our players actively chat both in the game and on our forums,” said Simon Prodger, Marketing Director for PKR Poker. “We've seen romance bloom on PKR and so partnering with a site like Lovestruck that caters to young, outgoing professionals is perfect for us.”
“We're always looking at innovative ways to bring our time strapped members together,” noted Brett Harding, speaking for Lovestruck. “By forming an alliance with PKR, we'll be providing a quality poker experience that we know our discerning single professionals will appreciate.”