Issue N9, 2009
March 5, 2009
California Nearing Legal Online Poker Industry
Several sources on the internet have noted that the state of California could be making serious headway in its quest to have a legal and regulated online poker industry. According to these sources, several California administrators are seeking to attend an upcoming iGaming conference in the hope of making contact with online gambling operators in the industry. The idea is to link with these operators and learn how to realistically implement a more liberal industry that will protect consumers, yet allow players the freedom to play poker on the internet.
Some of the names mentioned to partner with the state include Party Gaming and 888 Holdings. However, one analyst noted that Party Gaming may not be a good choice due to its former founder, Anurag Dikshit having pleaded guilty to illegal gambling operations. As such, said the source, Party Gaming came with “too much baggage”.
A more solid choice may be 888 Holdings. “888.com is one that's been mentioned,” said an anaylst. “They are looking at companies that are publicly traded and 888.com fits the bill. They are also trying to settle any issues with the US government in relation to their taking bets from US customers prior to the passage of poker prohibition in 2006, much like Party Gaming, but nobody is turning themselves in.”
Rank Extends Virtue Fusion Partnership
Rank Plc, one of the UK’s leading gambling groups, has announced that it will renew its contract with Virtue Fusion software company to provide it with top of the range products for its bingo sites. This is the third successive contract that the two companies are co-signing, and the latest is long term.
The Chief Executive Officer of Virtue Fusion, Bob McCulloch said about the deal: “We are delighted to have signed Mecca Bingo up for a third term. Mecca is one of the largest online gaming brands in the UK and we feel growth prospects for Rank Interactive both in the UK and internationally are exceptional. This deal represents a classic example of specialization at work - Mecca's proven ability to drive traffic and convert and retain customers, working alongside Virtue Fusion's ability to deliver the best in bingo and networked gaming solutions.”
“We look forward to building closer relationships with the team at Rank,” he concluded, “and continue to offer the world leading bingo and networked gaming solutions to the network.”
In response, the Managing Director of Rank Interactive, Mark Jones said: “We have a great opportunity to grow our interactive business and, as we have had a long and successful relationship with Virtue Fusion, we felt that we were best placed to continue working closely with them to exploit the opportunities within the bingo market.”
New Points Race Launched by Red Kings Poker
Red Kings Poker is giving away $150,000 in prize money during its Mega Points Race that will run until April this year. The online poker site, which is enjoying new European Union license status, thanks to its partnership with the Gibraltar based Ongame software group, said that players also had the chance to double their winnings if they managed to increase their player points from month to month.
“Unlike so many other stale Points Races out there, the 'Mega Points Race' welcomes all Red Kings players - even tournament players and those who play on our casino software,” said a spokesperson for the popular Red Kings online poker site. “The fact that players can double their payouts by increasing their monthly activity is new, exciting and the cash incentive is the type of reward the dedicated players want for their loyalty.”
“There are so many Points Races out there because they are very popular," continued the spokesperson. “In ours, we continue to give players what they want, but with a fresh spin and increased rewards for their loyalty - this will also be attractive to players who have never played in a points race before.”
New Mobile Slot Game Launched
Probability mobile gaming provider has announced the release of a new game into its arsenal of titles in the form of Grease. Based on the classic 70’s movie that starred Olivia Newton John and John Travolta, the new game was made possible, thanks to a deal signed between Probability and Paramount Pictures.
The Chief Executive Officer of Probability, Charles Cohen said about the new slot game: “Grease is a great new game for our mobile customers. It is also the first to use a completely new slots engine which we have been developing for the past six months. This new engine means we can very quickly design and deploy slot games with features that will stand up well with the best online slots. This sort of feature rich, high quality experience is what players demand - and we are happy to be able to give it to them now.”