Will 2012 Be The Year Of Birth For Online Poker?

Las Vegas will not be the testing ground

Despite recent reports in the Las Vegas Review Journal that the battle to commence online poker in the US may be dead until 2013 it does look like there are several states ready to break rank and push forward new legislation which would see online gambling coming in to place in the course of the next few months. You would be forgiven for thinking that Nevada would be the standard bearers in respect of this kind of legislation, but since attempts to instigate online gambling back in 2002 were shelved, the state has made no real legislative progress on the issue. Instead it looks like New Jersey and Iowa will be the states to set some precedents in the not too distant future. There are many other states reviewing poker sites in the US  and poised to follow suit with similar legislature.

States are looking at standalone legislation

The pessimistic announcement from the Las Vegas Review Journal comes as a result of a federal decision in Washington to postpone any decision on legalizing online poker until 2013. Despite this fact it is possible that several states may push ahead with standalone legislation to satisfy the growing demand for this activity as it is a great source of revenue for cash strapped states. The reason for federal procrastination is due to the fact that the bill was not attached to the recent legislation on payroll tax cuts. As a result it is over to individual states to negotiate their way around federal laws prohibiting any form of online wagering.

First attempt will be in New Jersey

The first state to attempt to pursue the issue is New Jersey. Here Governor Chris Christie will be adjudicating on a bill which would enable Atlantic City casinos to operate betting websites for residents within the state. One of the key issues within the bill is how to restrict the access to the website so that it can only be accessed for members with a New Jersey address and zip code. This kind of feature is notoriously difficult to operate and enforce but if New Jersey can set the precedent on this, and other issues, within the bill, it may pave the way for many others who wish to follow.

The debate continues to rage

The debate on the issue has been a topical point of discussion in statehouses for some time and the issue which is the driving force behind the topic is that of revenue. Fiscal budgets have been continually squeezed and, in an effort to combat this continued lack of revenue, online gambling is being looked at as an ever more serious option. The largest voice in opposition comes from moral action groups opposed to the use of gambling in general. The arguments that have been put forward are built upon the difficulties faced in regulation and the potential access to the website of those below the legally required age. Another major focal point for those in opposition is the lack of governance for the gamblers which could lead to addiction. If the New Jersey legislation can overcome those obstacles, then it will surely open the flood gates for a tidal wave of similar operations in like-minded states.

New Jersey is poised

The potential for the New Jersey bill to be carried has gathered some momentum as it was ratified through the house of legislature recently. This was done with unanimous support from both of the parties. Despite this the bill still hangs in the balance and it is all riding on the decision of the Governor. This decision has been temporarily put on hold so that the Governor’s staff can redraft the bill to Governor Christie’s satisfaction. He is generally perceived to be in support of the bill and the increased revenues it will afford the state.

On the topic of online gaming Christie has openly stated, “I think New Jersey should be in that business. I think we should be an epicenter for that business.” State senator Raymond Lesniak who has worked hard to ensure that the bill is passed also stated, “Revenue is leaving the state to offshore Internet gaming and we should recapture those revenues for New Jersey and create jobs in New Jersey." If the bill is successful Florida and California have line up similar legislature which could see online gaming in those states occurring in rapid succession.

100th E-Gambling License Issued By Alderney

BBC reports that the gambling industry has reached a milestone number - 100th e-gambling license has been issued by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission recently. The celebration license was contracted to Relax Gaming Network Limited, a business developing and upholding casino, bingo and poker software.

Alderney's head of e-commerce, Robin Le Prevost, commented that the century confirmed the island's status as "the place to be" for the online gambling industry. He said the island keeps maintaining the forefront position in the e-gaming regulation. "The commissions have got very high standards ... they're not going to lower that in anyway just to attract more numbers."- he said.

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission was officially founded in 2000 to control the island's e-gaming business in the best interests of the States of Alderney. The Commission was involved in an examination in to the high-profile site Full Tilt Poker last year as well –the website suspended from operating in June after a US inquiry started and had its authorization canceled in September after a trial held by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. Mr. Le Prevost mentioned these events and added that the case had done no damage to the island's industry and reputation and stated Alderney had established support from other authorities for the way in which it had operated.

888 Introduces Innovative Online Casino Software

One of the world’s most popular online gaming entertainment and solutions providers since 1997, 888 has proudly announced the launch of the exciting and innovative new 888casino recently.

With a completely redesigned clean, simple and intuitive to use look the new casino emphasizes the Personalization, allowing players to create the lobby of their choice and to create shortcuts to favorite games. The intuitive and helpful interface features are easy to be adopted by each individual player, with recently played games automatically saved giving quick access to them for future play.

Erez Sadan, Vice President of 888 B2C Casino comments: “888casino constantly strives to place our players at the forefront of modern online gaming technology. Our new 888casino provides players with all the cutting edge features necessary to enjoy brilliantly simple and realistic online casino at every level, adding to high quality experience that players have come to expect from our 888casino software.”

With the motto of “a whole new game” 888casino is introducing an entire one month-long promotion including numerous giveaways, hundreds of surprise gifts, free spins and bonuses to celebrate the launch of the new casino software.

Subtopia™- New Video Slot By NetEnt

Stockholm- based supplier of digitally distributed gaming systems used by some of the world’s most successful and prominent online gaming operators, NetEnt, has unveiled a new game several hours ago. Subtopia release was announced at the official Facebook page of the company, saying :

“We are very pleased to announce the release of our latest video slot Subtopia™. The setting of Subtopia™ takes place in a submarine exploring the depths of uncharted waters. The crew of Subtopia takes players on a journey filled with rich graphics, animations and sounds. Play it for fun. “

Subtopia is a 5-reels, 20-bet line video slot, describing an underwater adventure. The setting of Subtopia™ takes place in a submarine exploring the depths of uncharted waters and the crew of the game takes players on a journey filled with rich graphics, animations and sounds. Subtopia is full of wild symbols, making the players be happy to see their winnings randomly multiplied by up to x5, even into the deep blue see. The game features Free Spins mode, rewarding the players with an unspecified amount of Free Spins that will be randomly multiplied with a featured Multiplier Meter.

The official press release of NetEnt spread on their website says:” Subtopia™ continues the Net Entertainment tradition of adding valuable excitement to win anticipation along with the progressive win count-up. Animations and sound make the Big Win feature in Subtopia™ both a memorable and exciting experience for any player.”

It is yet unknown, which lucky casino will be the first to grab the game and enrich the assortment with this quality game to offer.

Live Casino By NetEnt To Be Launched

Upon the release of its positive than ever 2011 earnings report, NetEnt confirmed that the Swedish-based company will launch its own live casino product later this year.

Having a clear focus on online casino gambling, NetEnt decided that during the fourth quarter, around the end of the year 2012, the company will launch its own live casino product. Björn Krantz, acting CEO and President of NetEnt confirmed the information, adding that live casino launch is 

    aimed to complement the existing product portfolio and strengthen the company's offering.

Björn Krantz, which will be replaced by Per Eriksson in March, also commented about the robust financial report of the 2011, demonstrating the strong performance in 2011. Proceeds advanced by 16 percent to 48.4 million euros last year and by 21.6% to 13.7 million in the fourth quarter alone. But the most significant fact to note is that NetEnt market share in Europe increased to 22.4% from the previous year's figure of just 19.3%.

Entering mobile gambling market in December 2011 was another big area of growth for the Swedish-based online gambling software company, ahead of the planned release of more games in 2012. This step did very well contribute to the remarkable financial figures of the last year.

Being the name behind a diverse range of top online casinos, all of which now carry NetEnt's new games for Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod smartphone and tablet devices, NetEnt promises to release a lot more exciting games all the way through 2012.

NetEnt Publishes Earnings Report 2011

NetEnt published a financial report several hours ago, starting with the following statement: "2011 was a year of new initiatives for continued sustainable growth. “

The report comprises financial data of the world’s leading online casino software provider for the Fourth Quarter of the financial year, as well as the Full 2011 financial information. The Q4 report highlights the following:

The strengthened Swedish currency has held back revenue growth in SEK. In local currency, revenues increased by 23.1 compared to the fourth quarter of 2010 to SEK 121.1 (99.6) million. Operating profit amounted to SEK 42.2 (33.8) million, while the margin of operations was 34.9 (33.9) %. Earnings per share amounted to SEK 0.93 (0.73) before and after dilution. Also, two new license agreements were signed, and two new customers’ casinos were launched.

As for the total 2011 year report, this has been a year of new markets and product initiatives to secure continued solid growth for Net Entertainment moving forward. Revenues enlarged by 21.6 percent during the fourth quarter which is a result of gradual growth. Net Entertainment has been effective in consolidation the position as a leading supplier of games and systems within online casino and the emphasis on customer intimacy and product and expertise guidance will continue to distinguish the company- the report says. During 2011 our market share in Europe increased to 22.4 percent paralleled to 19.3 percent in year 2010. 

NetEnt acting president and CEO, Björn Krantz,who will be replaced by Per Eriksson in March 2012,  comments:

“Net Entertainment has a clear focus on online casino and to complement the existing product portfolio and strengthen the Company’s offering it was decided during the fourth quarter to launch our own Live Casino product with a planned release around year-end 2012. Live Casino is a relatively new form of gaming which has proven to be successful and is also expected to show good growth in the coming years. ”

Live Dealer Diamond Edition By Microgaming Is Launched

A state of the art ‘Diamond Edition’ of existing Live Dealer games by Microgaming is announced to be launched, offering gamblers a fresh and advanced online gambling experience. Above the High Definition video streaming accessible by the Live Dealer games competence, the Diamond Edition offers redefined visuals that give the player a sharp sense of being in a casino, while providing more figures than ever before to support their odds of winning more money.

The existing Live Dealer Games of Microgaming do suggest multi-window stand-alone games, with a multi lingual feature enabling casino localization, and Live Games of course, where the cards are being shuffled and dealt in real time.

Despite the advantages above, the Diamond Edition features multi-player Roulette as well, enabling players to see the bets of their counterparts on the table in real time. This has originated in reaction to an increase in the amount of gamblers appreciating Microgaming’s multi-player games, with a huge amount of players on the Live Games platform using their chance to bet in contradiction of other players. 

Spokesperson of Microgaming Live Games commented the following on the Diamond Edition: 

“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. Already, 16 Microgaming customers are using the Live Games product after just one year in the market, meaning that our first-rate technology and comprehensive live experience is being used by thousands of gamers worldwide.”

Royal Vegas spokesperson also expressed opinion about the Microgaming Live Dealer Diamond Edition:

“We are excited to launch Microgaming’s new multi-player Roulette which gives our players a unique and social gaming experience. The bet on table functionality is innovative and we know that the Live Dealer Diamond Edition will be a huge hit with our players.”