The UK Gambling Commission has made several developments in the online casino industry, based on statistical research and various interviews. This week the Commission released stats from ICM Research that encompassed 8,000 interviews between September of 2007 and June of 2008.
According to the report, in this time period the Gaming Commission found that 8.8 percent of those interviewed had engaged in one form or another of online casino gambling, whether by computer, mobile phone or digital television in the prior month. The percentage has not varied from the previous year, which was up 7.2 percent since 2006.
Of the 8.8 percent of people who gamble in online casinos, the majority are males between the ages of 18-44. Additionally, 5.0 percent of those who said they had participated in online gaming gambled in National Lottery activities. Of the 8,000, 6.2 percent were playing the National Lottery online. Computer or laptop was the most common choice for online casino gambling in the study at 6.9 percent, followed by mobile phone at 2.3 percent and digital television at 2 percent.
The Gaming Commission releases a survey once every quarter (March, June September and December) to a nationally representative sample of a minimum of 2,000 adults. Each survey takes place mid-week and on weekends over the phone. The Gaming Commission will collect data from each quarter and average them for yearly reports, where the 8,000 respondents come into play. At a 95% confidence level, the margin of error for the survey sample stands at .06%
A plethora of management changes to Clarion Gaming were announced this week, including the resignation of long-time CEO Sue Schneider, whose two year obligation to the company ended this month. Schneider has made it known that she will continue to advise Clarion in its online casino affairs. Additionally, the network has made promotions within the company and is developing more titles for the online casino gambling industry.
Clarion CEO, Peter Rusbridge states, “We’ve got 60 years of i-gaming industry experience among those staff which is amazing for such a nascent industry. So we’re keen to leverage on both the knowledge and relationships that they have to continue to grow Clarion Gaming.” Rusbridge also mentioned that changes will develop in Clarion’s Missouri office.
Promotions within the company include Mark Balestra’s introduction to Head of Digital Publications, Chris Krafcik as Editor to IGamingNews.com, and Jeanette Kozlowski and Emily Soboda as staff writers. Each new member to the news team will provide features in the news and internet gambling reports of the website.
Dawn Kirkwood was promoted to Head of Conferences for the American operations, joined by Marketing Coordinator Karen Thompson and Operations Coordinator Dan Fitzgerald, and will therefore monitor the network’s involvement in the World Poker Congress, Next Generation in Gambling and the InDepth series.
Finally, Nancy Krause and Tony Boschert were given the role of Head of Sales. Their new responsibilities will include servicing exhibitors and sponsors in the gaming network’s events.
“This is an exciting time for Clarion Gaming as we create solid service operations in London, the Americas and Asia,” said Rusbridge, “Unlike other event or publication companies which cover a lot of industries, Clarion Gaming is of and for the gaming industry alone. We’ve been serving that industry in one form or another since 1990 and will continue to listen and respond to what the international gaming industry tells us.”
With the growth of the mobile casino industry, BrightShare Ltd, an exclusive partner to Jackpot Factory has announced an affiliation with Texomobile. The combined companies will now offer “wapmasters” their members access to Wild Jack Mobile Casino.
Wild Jack Casino, an award winning gaming software and one of the first mobile casinos introduced to the market, is hailed as one of the best applications enabling internet gambling by way of cell phone. Wild Jack supports 14 games for mobile users: Scratch ‘n’ Score, 3 Card Poker, Jacks or Better, Pub Fruity, Baccarat, Major Millions, Treasure Nile, Fruit Fiesta, Roulette, Blackjack and three progressive jackpot slots games. Almost as popular as online casino gambling, TexoMobile easily makes up 20,000 consumers in the gaming market.
“The expected and potential growth of mobile casinos is vast. Wild Jack Mobile Casino, together with BrightShare, is well positioned to offer end-users and affiliates an ultimate offering,” opined BrightShare Mobile Account Manager, Candice Evans. “Teaming with the immensely successful TexoMobile network is a significant move and we look forward to a long and beneficial partnership.”
Vianney Settini, the CEO of TexoMobile also commented on the new partnership. “Wild Jack Mobile Casino’s game play is world class and will definitely be something that our end-users will love. As Always with TexoMobile, we have listened to our wapmaster and given them something they know their communities want.”
TexoMobile users are also provided with a community forum and central network, via its MobPartner scheme. According to Wild Jack Casino’s officials, Wild Jack is the front runner of the mobile gaming market, and intends to offer consumers new games and software enhancements in the future to ensure the fullest gaming experience.
“As a world leading mobile casino, we’re delighted that our outreach will be extended further through this partnership,” said Robbie Guy, Marketing Manager for Wild Jack Casino, “We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of mobile gambling, always offering our players new, exciting games and constantly enhancing the user experience. TexoMobile’s clients can be guaranteed a superb service from Wild Jack Mobile Casino and BrightShare, we hope that this partnership flourishes and that many more people can enjoy Wild Jack Mobile Casino.”
BrightShare has been an established online gaming affiliate program since 1999, that boasts its exclusive partnership with “one of the most respectable and established gaming groups on the Internet (The JackPot Factory Group).” BrightShare’s guaranteed priority is to offer its affiliates the best level of care, supplying both general and detailed reports of user activity and the most current and innovative ideas for the mobile and online casino industry.
TexoMobile is responsible for the creation of several mobile gambling communities like iGloo.mobi. and MobPartner. Founded by Guillaume Alabert, Shaun Zelber and Vianney Settini, TexoMobile has also enlisted the of mobile video technology specialists and programming gurus.
In joining with BrightShare and Wild Jack Casino (one of the initial fully functional mobile casinos), mobile gamers can expect the highest level of gambling. Additionally, affiliates will see their current traffic turned into revenue.
Following the seizure of funds from JBL and ZipPayment, Bodog’s Canadian-based North American associates Morris Mohawk Gaming Group has released a statement. The timely statement was in response to an article in Forbes Magazine, saying that the story made “several misimpressions.”
“As most of our customers already know, all operators outsource payment processing functions to third parties and these payment processors are subject to regulatory constraints wherever they operate, and occasionally in the US, are subject to legal action because of the uncertain legal environment there,” the statement reads. “However, the seizure of funds from these US payment processors was mischaracterized in this article, which refers to two specific legal cases against US processors. Rightly or wrongly, the article does not make a clear distinction between these cases, which, as a result, paints a misleading picture.”
According to the statement, the two cases had no relation to each other, and there was a large gap in time between the seizures of funds from such. There has been punitive action against many other payment processors, many of those that are not utilized by Bodog or its consumers. The U.S. has begun to crack down on the online casino gambling market, and even Paypal has undergone scrutiny. In compliance with the IRS, many of these processors have released clientele information.
The article goes on to allude that all of the $9.9 million seized from ZipPayments.com belonged to Bodog user accounts. The online casino, sportsbook and poker room says differently.
“The second case refers to a payment processor known as ZipPayments.com and seizure of funds from this processor’s bank accounts in Nevada. The article falsely implies- but does not go so far as to state – that $9.9M seized from ZipPayment’s Nevada bank accounts were funds on account for ‘Bodog.’ This is simply false.”
Wyandotte Kansas is due for a new casino in the upcoming years. While gambling legislation has not been in favor of online casinos recently, new laws may be put into place that give state run land casinos leniency.
There have been several proposals by state officials to open a new casino in Wyandotte Kansas. There are four separate companies seeking to license and operate the casino, and the city has been awaiting the financial benefits.
However, Las Vegas Sands Corp. pulled out of the race, lowering the amount of possible developers to four. There were many reasons given by Sands Corp. as to why they will no longer consider licensing Wyandotte’s casino, but many feel that this is mostly due to the pending law change in Missouri. This coming November’s referendum ballot in the neighboring state would eradicate the $500 loss limit per person in a casino during a two hour period.
Because Sands Corp. was banking on a consumer base generated out of Missouri, the law change would put a damper on the business that Wyandotte is looking to bring in. The change would have a great impact on gamblers who would travel to Kansas to bypass the law limiting their gaming. If the law changes, Missouri gamblers would have no motivation to visit the Kansas casino.
"This change, together with the increased borrowing costs in today’s financial marketplace, significantly decreases the expected returns from our proposed development in Kansas and limit our ability to generate appropriate risk-adjusted returns on the proposed investment vis a vis our expected returns on our other global investment opportunities," said Sands Corporation’s President, William Weidner.
These are issues that many online casinos gamblers are unaware of. Internet gamers are often provided with a hassle-free platform and travel never presents a problem. Legislation like the $500 limit promotes further online casino gambling in the future.
With the scare tactics that have been used in order to keep online casino gambling illegal, Australia has taken pro-active steps to alleviate problem gambling within the country. Officials have announced their intent to make use of cards with spending limits in order to regulate the amount of time spent on poker machines.
Poker machines have been a popular form of casino gambling in South Australia, as they are legal in pubs. When pubs are open in South Australia, several people can be found playing the poker machines through all hours of the night. Because of this, problem gambling has become a concern to Australian officials. The government has come up with an experiment in order to decrease the amount of gaming that takes place each day.
Next month, Australia will be issuing cards that can be used by all offline and online casino gamblers in which the holder can preset an amount to spend on gaming. Users will be alerted when they have reached their spending limit, and service to the poker machine will be severed.
The card is completely voluntary, as this is an experimental procedure. The company that operates J-Card will be in charge of the trial period.
"I’d reinforce the point it’s a tool for all gamblers- it’s not necessarily a tool that can be used by all gamblers to pre-commitment and set limits on their expenditure and it’s certainly a trial worth undertaking here in South Australia," South Australian Gambling Minister, Paul Caica said.
The struggle to regulate internet casino gambling has expanded to Canada. June Cotte has demanded that internet gaming be legalized after intensive research on the effects of online casinos. The study that she and Kathryn A. Latour completed called “Blackjack in the Kitchen: Understanding Online Versus Casino Gambling,” is due to be published in the Journal of Consumer Research late next year. Cotte, a marketing associate professor at the Richard Ivery School of Business feels that the regulation of eGaming could reduce the potentially harmful effects of gambling.
According to CNW, Cotte and Latour (University of Nevada) interviewed 20 frequent land casino gamblers and 10 frequent online casino gamblers, using images as a trigger in order to determine how gambling is received by gamers. Because online gaming is more accessible and sometimes becomes a part of one’s daily ritual, and land casinos require travel, the study shows that online gamblers play more often and more aggressively than land gamblers.
“Our potential solution is to allow legitimate corporate sponsors, like the corporations that run the major casinos in Las Vegas or the government sponsors in Canada, to enter into a newly regulated market for online gambling,” said Cotte, “Just as legalized commercial gambling in casinos allows governments to regulate it, so, too, could the legislation of online gambling allow for better regulation and attempts to reduce the growth of problem gamblers.”
Additionally, Cotte stated that although online gambling is not permitted by U.S. or Canadian law, residents can still easily access offshore gaming sites. The study shows that over $10 billion is spent by worldwide online gamblers per year. She and her colleague feel that if online gaming were put under the same scrutiny and regulation as land casinos, the counts of problem gambling may decrease.
Cotte and Latour have made several suggestions for means of regulating online gaming. The team would like to see a more efficient system to check age requirements used by internet gaming sites. They also feel that online casinos should monitor new clientele for a history of pathological gambling, make financial limitations on online gamblers, and provide pop up gambling treatment advertisements and an available gambling counselor. The duo has also suggested mandatory “cooling-off” periods that would prohibit gamers that spend and excessive amount of time and money from accessing their account for a short time. They have recommended that records of wins and losses per user be kept. Furthermore, they feel that bold and flashing graphics that show a user has won should no longer be used, in order to reduce the “emotional experience” for gamblers.
“The unregulated online environment results in a more chaotic environment with no clear social norms and rules, “ Cotte said, “The meaning of gambling changes, moving from a shared conviviality available in the casino to a no-holds-barred battle online. It brings out the gamblers’ more competitive side.”
Because Canadian law is frequently more liberal than that of the U.S., it is possible that this study may open a door for Canadian gaming regulation in the future.
Following a deal with Cantor Gaming, the $1 billion M Resort, Spa and Casino in Las Vegas may soon see on-premises mobile gaming. The server-based gaming system that would be exclusive M Resort is still subject to the approval of the Nevada Gaming Commission and Nevada Control Board.
If approved, Cantor’s mobile gaming software, complete with full “back-office” infrastructure and a wide array of games, is scheduled to be launched in the spring of 2009. The system would have an online casino feel to players, offering games like slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and poker. Customers can open and fund a player account straight from the mobile device. Guests will still have to play within the casino’s property, but areas outside of the casino floor like the pool, lobby, bars, restaurants and convention centers, providing for an easily accessible gaming platform. Additionally, using portable apparatus within the designated areas, players can make unique bets in M Resort’s race books and sports books.
Cantor Gaming, through years spent developing and testing this technology, and lobbying with the Nevada Gaming Commission, received a manufacturer’s license in May of 2006; the first of its kind. Cantor is largely responsible for Nevada legislation that allows wireless mobile gaming in a casino resort. They are an affiliate of Cantor Fitzgerald LP, and offer cutting-edge technology for both mobile gaming as well as online gaming. By making use of the mobile gaming platform, casinos will turn their down time into revenue.
Cantor Gaming also offers a fully outsourced, online “white label” gaming to companies outside of the U.S. wishing to “leverage consumer brands.” The online gaming solution is fully compliant with gambling laws worldwide. The online casinos that Cantor supports offer a multiplayer format, a mobile casino, online poker, a safe and secure payment interface, advanced management information reporting system, banking and accounting functions and a bonus management system.
M Resort, Spa and Casino encompass 90 acres of land on the corner of the St. Rose Parkway and Las Vegas Boulevard. It provides a superb view for guests of the Las Vegas Skyline.The resort has over 92,000 square feet of gaming space and 60,000 square feet of conference space. M Resort holds 390 guest rooms, a spa and fitness center, eight restaurants, four bars, an entertainment venue, retail outlets, a 100,000 square feet pool area, and a 63,000 square foot movie entertainment theatre with 14 screens. If the mobile gaming platform is added to the mix, it would surely make an ideal vacation area.
“We want to provide our guests with the best overall gaming experience available. Cantor Gamin is an industry leader in the mobile gaming market and shares in our commitment to provide guests with an unparalleled gaming experience,” said M Resort’s Executive Vice President, Joseph A. Magliarditi.
“We are excited to have entered into a long-term partnership with the M Resort, Spa and Casino,” said Lee Amaitis, Cantor Gaming President. “Cantor has long been committed to developing and delivering state-of-the-art technology to enhance the gaming experience. We are looking forward to bringing this advanced gaming technology to the M Resort.”
There are several online casino websites in the industry that players should be wary of. With the industry gaining so much popularity over the years, there are dishonest companies that exist solely to swindle people out of their money. This is not something that exists only in management, as there are other online players guilty of cheating in these types of games. That is why it is crucial for internet casino gambling websites to make use of third party fraud prevention. Fraud is not uncommon in the industry by any means and players won’t have to look far to find several counts of such brought to light.
It can be a risky business gambling online, especially when there is so much personal and financial information being transferred through these online casinos. There are countless opportunities for identity theft online and online gambling provides a prime source for fraudsters to do so. Fortunately there are websites and companies dedicated to the prevention of such happenings. Recently 192.com Business Services and 3rd Man joined together to offer online gaming websites unprecedented protection for ecommerce transaction.
Each company specializes in a certain type of anti-fraud protection and with their partnership; users will see a new level of comfort and safety when gaming online. 192.com’s trump card is the prevention of identity fraud and 3rd Man in identity checks with proprietary fraud prevention technology. They make daily searches of financial transactions for patterns of fraud. Each company has been highly rated in the industry. Paul Simms, 3rd Man CEO states, “By combining our fraud prevention technologies we can now offer one integrated solution that will be even more effective in identifying and preventing fraud… Our mutual aim is to make life easier for fraud managers at ecommerce and online gambling sites.”
In addition to these prevention agencies for the casino management, there are also websites that exist to protect the users from ecommerce disasters. eCOGRA, a non-organization designed to protect user safety in the online casino industry, has recently teamed with casinos like 888.com, LuckyAceCasino.com and LuckyAcePoker.com, awarding them with the “Safe and Fair” online gambling seal.Sites that have this Seal are ideal for gamblers as they assure the most safety in gaming. Along with other anti-fraud based websites like CasinoMeister, eCOGRA provides free arbitration for users who suspect that they may be victims of dishonest activity.
With these recent additions to the safety of online gaming, players can rest well knowing that they are in good hands. When accessing gambling websites, it’s important to look for awards, seals or general association with such companies. Anyone may access eCOGRA’s website for an extensive list of approved websites that undergo annual safety testing, as well as blacklisted sites that have been reported on several occasions to be guilty of fraud. Additionally, if you feel you may be a victim of fraudulent activity, and advocate is available to answer any inquiries. There were 783 dispute mediation requests last year alone with a mere 6% found to be invalid. These sites urge users to report any questionable activity, not only to mediate but to prevent further issue.
Unfortunately for the U.S. internet gambling market, many American citizens are apathetic to legal standing of online gaming. Before any regulatory bills can be passed through Congress, the people need to show the much needed support that just is not there. Because many U.S. players began to access online casinos well after the UIGEA had gone into effect they are unaware of the current restrictions put on game play.
U.S. Trade Representatives recently negotiated a settlement with the European Union in recompense for the discriminatory actions against overseas gaming establishments. The settlement is not commonly known among the American public. Speculation now circulates that Antigua, also involved in trade disputes with the U.S., could begin to infringe on American movie and music copyrights. The majority of American citizens are oblivious to this. Without their corroboration and patronage, state and federal legislators will not see any results in the campaign for internet gaming in the U.S. Business and revenue will continue to go to overseas gambling sites. Considering all of the advancements in gaming technology, land casinos will most likely struggle to maintain its consumer base.
Even with organizations like the Poker Players Alliance, with over one million members advocating for the right to gamble online, there is only a fraction of gamers taking action against the UIGEA. With further arrests being made because of anti-gambling laws, not only on the players and websites but payment processors as well, more online casinos and gaming websites are refusing U.S. players. Since the implementation of the UIGEA, thousands of online casino users have simply vanished. Because judicial action has been taken against payment processors like NETeller, internet gambling websites that accept U.S. players can no longer accept deposits from American citizens. The gaming market for Americans is diminishing by the day, and the majority of the gaming public sits idly by.
The amount of problem gamblers amount to around 0.6% of the adult population, according to studies by the UK Gambling Commission in 1999 and 2007. Since the founding of online casino gambling, the overall rate in gambling dropped from 62% if the adult population to 58% which suggests that the growth of internet gaming has not contributed to the number of problem gamblers. The taxable land gambling market has not undergone the same scrutiny as internet gambling. The U.S. is being denied billions of dollars in revenue that could be generated by taxing online casinos. That the American gaming public does not then question why their rights are being taken away demonstrates apathy and ignorance toward the invasive legislation.
For those who wish to participate in the fight against gaming laws, the Poker Players Alliance, gaming representatives and sensible Congressmen urge players to write state legislators expressing their opinions on the state of gaming in the U.S.The players who do not show their support are willingly forfeiting their rights and do not deserve to gamble online. We urge gamers everywhere to keep informed, voice their opinions and vote on regulatory legislation. Without the support of the public, no positive changes can be made.
