Issue N5, 2012
February 1, 2012
Microgaming Launches Live Dealer Diamond Edition
Microgaming announced to the industry this week that it was launching a new Diamond Edition of its existing live dealer games, enhancing an already superior offering. The group said that the new edition was even more realistic than its predecessor and had a number of new features such as improved statistics to increase the player’s chances of winning. It also included a new roulette multiplayer platform which allowed players to watch in real time as others placed their bets, complementing the popular live dealer baccarat, blackjack and roulette games.
“The Diamond Edition was partly conceived because of the trend we have noticed towards playing multi-player games, and we were keen to ensure that players have even greater opportunity to take advantage of this function, this time through Roulette,” said a spokesperson for Microgaming. “Already, sixteen Microgaming customers are using the Live Games product after just one year in the market, indicating that our first-rate technology and comprehensive live experience is being used by thousands of gamers worldwide.”
Super Bowl Competition at Intertops Casino
Super Bowl action comes to one of the finest online casinos in the industry, Intertops Casino, with the start of a lucrative leader board promo that will run until March 6th. For an entire month, sports fans can combine their enjoyment of online gambling at Intertops Casino and earn points automatically when they play the top games at this site. There will be six Super Bowl themed levels in the promotion, determined by the size of the players deposits, as well as how much they win and how much they lose during over the month. Players need to earn as many points as possible and move up the leader board.
Monday is a day to look forward to during the competition as 150 chosen players will each receive casino bonuses worth up to a maximum of $250. In addition, Thursdays will see another 50 players earn up to $150 each. These players will be handpicked by the online casino based on the gameplay in the days beforehand. Out of those players, 18 of them will win fantastic cash prizes worth up to $1,000 each. “We don’t just give bonuses to our high rollers, we structure our promotions so that all types of players have a chance to win a bonus,” said the online casino in a statement. “As they deposit, wager and play, they move to higher levels and are eligible for bigger bonus prizes; up to $1,000 at the highest level. But, even players on the first level can win free money.”
888 Holdings Signs Deal with Caesars Interactive
888 Casino Holdings has shown its intention to move further into the US gambling market by entering into an agreement with Caesars Interactive Entertainment. Last year, 888 said that it would be pursuing a joint venture with the US based group. The agreement sees Dragonfish, 888’s B2B subsidiary and Caesars extending their UK license to cover the United States as well. Under the new terms, if and when online gambling is legalized in the US, Dragonfish will power any online venture launched by Caesars. To prepare for the potential changes, 888 applied for a license from the Nevada Gaming Control Board which will allow it to act as a service provider.
"888 has taken a prudent approach to regulation, which culminated in the successful review conducted by the NGCB, putting 888 and Dragonfish in pole position for the US market,” said the deputy chairman for 888 Holdings, Brian Mattingley. “This gives us a strong platform to roll out our cutting edge, turnkey solution to other potential partners as the market opens.
“We are delighted to be extending our relationship with CIE into the much-anticipated US market, and we are proud to be providing them with the technology and tools to leverage and monetize their powerful brand.”
Bwin.Party Comments on Megaupload.com Trial
Bwin.Party commented on its link to the file hosting site, Megaupload, saying that it was totally unaware when it entered a marketing deal with the group that it was engaging in illegal activities. The US Department of Justice has arrested the founder, as well as a number of executives of Megaupload, charging them with copyright infringement, money laundering and more. In their indictment, the DOJ noted that Party Casino, one of the merged parties which forms part of the Bwin.Party group, had paid Megaupload over $3 million since 2008 in order to advertise its online poker site on its 18 domains.
Bwin’s Director of Communications, John Sheperd, said that as soon as the company learned that the DOJ had closed down Megaupload’s domains, it had terminated the marketing contract. He reiterated that nobody at Party Gaming had any knowledge of the alleged activities.