PKR the 14th biggest online poker room
20 March 2009
LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- PKR.com continues to grow and is now officially the 14th biggest poker room on the web according to Pokerscout.com, the respected industry source for online traffic rankings.
Eclipsing rival poker room Bodog in the rankings table, the next-gen site – which has only been operating since 2006 – picked up a second Hitwise award at the tail end of 2008 on top of scooping the prestigious eGaming Review award for Hotshot Operator of the Year.
PKR.com received the Hitwise award after gaining the largest market share of visits among all UK websites in the Gambling – Poker category.
Hitwise is the leading online competitive intelligence service, providing insight into the interactions between over 8 million internet users and more than one million websites in the UK. PKR.com saw off major competitors such as Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfair to claim the top spot.
PKR.com Marketing Director Simon Prodger said, "We are very pleased to win this award, which is representative of the outstanding growth we continue to experience. We have never taken US bets and our UK user-base represents our most local community – to achieve this ranking twice in one year is fantastic."
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Hitwise
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Friday, March 20, 2009
InterPoker and ParBet Move to International Poker Network, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 19th March 2009
Thursday marks the official move of InterPoker and ParBet from the CryptoLogic Network to Boss Media's International Poker Network (IPN). The move stems from a November agreement between the two networks whereby Boss would absorb CryptoLogic's remaining online poker sites.
The past two days have seen the final rooms on the CryptoLogic Network make their way to Boss. On Tuesday, Extreme Poker jumped to IPN. Yesterday saw the moves of Classic Poker, Opoker, DTD Poker, and BetJacks. Atul Bali, President of GTECH's New Media and Sports Betting Company, commented in a press release distributed on Thursday, “With the addition of six new poker licensees including InterPoker and ParBet, we are significantly increasing the liquidity that can be offered to both the new licensees' players as well as our existing customers' player base. We look forward to further developing our relationship with CryptoLogic and further increasing the size of the IPN over time." GTECH is the parent company of Boss Media and is based in Providence, Rhode Island.
According to a market update issued by CryptoLogic on Tuesday, the move of InterPoker and ParBet on Thursday represents the final "integration of all poker customers." The company will instead focus its efforts on creating industry-leading online casino software. In 2008, it signed on 10 new customers in total, including 888.com, Party Gaming, BSkyB, and GigaMedia. The developers at CryptoLogic rolled out 34 new casino games last year featuring such well-known brands as Street Fighter, Sub-Mariner, and King Kong.
The 2008 calendar year saw CryptoLogic post revenues of $61.5 million, which it claimed was in line with market expectations. Comparatively, revenues were $73.7 million in 2007, meaning a drop of 17% occurred. Two years ago, CryptoLogic posted a net profit of $5.5 million. Last year, the company incurred a net loss of $32.7 million, which it pinned on "write downs of impaired assets, non-recurring restructuring costs, and currency factors." Fourth quarter revenues of $11.7 million in 2008 were half of the $20.4 million that the company posted during the final quarter of 2007.
Information available on InterPoker's website reveals that the process for players involves downloading IPN's new software. Funds will automatically be transferred over. However, My Poker Points (MPPs) will become merely a vestige, as InterPoker and other CryptoLogic players transition to using Frequent Player Points (FPPs).
As a result of the influx of new customers, IPN has grown leaps and bounds. It includes CelebPoker, Fortune Poker Paradise Poker, and Poker Heaven and is currently the ninth largest site worldwide in terms of cash game traffic, according to PokerScout.com. It boasts a seven day running average of 1,900 real money ring game players with a 24 hour peak that is nearly double that amount.
Brian Hadfield, President and CEO of CryptoLogic, commented in the same release, “GTECH and Boss Media are the right partners for CryptoLogic, thanks to their independence and commitment to innovation and technology. This is all part of CryptoLogic’s commitment to a superior experience for our customers and to profitability and growth for our shareholders.” CryptoLogic is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the symbol "CRYP." At the time of writing, its shares are unchanged on the day at $4.27. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has fetched anywhere between $2.00 and $21.97.
Just behind the IPN is the 10th largest network worldwide, the Cake Poker Network. It recently saw the additions of Doyle's Room and Poker Host to its already impressive lineup of PlayersOnly, Lock Poker, and Red Star Poker. Its flagship site is, of course, Cake Poker. Unlike the IPN, the Cake Poker Network accepts customers from the United States, which has helped fuel its growth.
Recent online poker sites that left the CryptoLogic Network included Betsafe, which joined the Ongame Network last month. In December, Sun Poker became a part of the iPoker Network, the largest that does not accept U.S. customers. Playboy Gaming shut down entirely in January. In November, a for-profit online poker room operated by the World Poker Tour (WPT) referred its members to InterPoker; the WPT's site had been part of the CryptoLogic Network. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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CryptoLogic
Boss Media
Poker News
Thursday marks the official move of InterPoker and ParBet from the CryptoLogic Network to Boss Media's International Poker Network (IPN). The move stems from a November agreement between the two networks whereby Boss would absorb CryptoLogic's remaining online poker sites.
The past two days have seen the final rooms on the CryptoLogic Network make their way to Boss. On Tuesday, Extreme Poker jumped to IPN. Yesterday saw the moves of Classic Poker, Opoker, DTD Poker, and BetJacks. Atul Bali, President of GTECH's New Media and Sports Betting Company, commented in a press release distributed on Thursday, “With the addition of six new poker licensees including InterPoker and ParBet, we are significantly increasing the liquidity that can be offered to both the new licensees' players as well as our existing customers' player base. We look forward to further developing our relationship with CryptoLogic and further increasing the size of the IPN over time." GTECH is the parent company of Boss Media and is based in Providence, Rhode Island.
According to a market update issued by CryptoLogic on Tuesday, the move of InterPoker and ParBet on Thursday represents the final "integration of all poker customers." The company will instead focus its efforts on creating industry-leading online casino software. In 2008, it signed on 10 new customers in total, including 888.com, Party Gaming, BSkyB, and GigaMedia. The developers at CryptoLogic rolled out 34 new casino games last year featuring such well-known brands as Street Fighter, Sub-Mariner, and King Kong.
The 2008 calendar year saw CryptoLogic post revenues of $61.5 million, which it claimed was in line with market expectations. Comparatively, revenues were $73.7 million in 2007, meaning a drop of 17% occurred. Two years ago, CryptoLogic posted a net profit of $5.5 million. Last year, the company incurred a net loss of $32.7 million, which it pinned on "write downs of impaired assets, non-recurring restructuring costs, and currency factors." Fourth quarter revenues of $11.7 million in 2008 were half of the $20.4 million that the company posted during the final quarter of 2007.
Information available on InterPoker's website reveals that the process for players involves downloading IPN's new software. Funds will automatically be transferred over. However, My Poker Points (MPPs) will become merely a vestige, as InterPoker and other CryptoLogic players transition to using Frequent Player Points (FPPs).
As a result of the influx of new customers, IPN has grown leaps and bounds. It includes CelebPoker, Fortune Poker Paradise Poker, and Poker Heaven and is currently the ninth largest site worldwide in terms of cash game traffic, according to PokerScout.com. It boasts a seven day running average of 1,900 real money ring game players with a 24 hour peak that is nearly double that amount.
Brian Hadfield, President and CEO of CryptoLogic, commented in the same release, “GTECH and Boss Media are the right partners for CryptoLogic, thanks to their independence and commitment to innovation and technology. This is all part of CryptoLogic’s commitment to a superior experience for our customers and to profitability and growth for our shareholders.” CryptoLogic is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the symbol "CRYP." At the time of writing, its shares are unchanged on the day at $4.27. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has fetched anywhere between $2.00 and $21.97.
Just behind the IPN is the 10th largest network worldwide, the Cake Poker Network. It recently saw the additions of Doyle's Room and Poker Host to its already impressive lineup of PlayersOnly, Lock Poker, and Red Star Poker. Its flagship site is, of course, Cake Poker. Unlike the IPN, the Cake Poker Network accepts customers from the United States, which has helped fuel its growth.
Recent online poker sites that left the CryptoLogic Network included Betsafe, which joined the Ongame Network last month. In December, Sun Poker became a part of the iPoker Network, the largest that does not accept U.S. customers. Playboy Gaming shut down entirely in January. In November, a for-profit online poker room operated by the World Poker Tour (WPT) referred its members to InterPoker; the WPT's site had been part of the CryptoLogic Network. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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CryptoLogic
Boss Media
Poker News
Betfair Banned: CEO Outraged - Gambling911 - 19th March 2009
Following leakage of an Australian "Ban List", Betfair CEO Andrew Twaits expressed outraged with government officials. Twaits was unaware that his company's website had been blacklisted as part of an effort to prevent viewing of child pornography.
"We didn't know [about the ban]. We've been licensed to operate in Australia for three years and have never received a complaint or any allegation that Betfair locally or globally is not allowed usage by Australians.
"The global Betfair site is used by Australians every day."
The implications are enormous. Earlier today, Gambling911.com reported on how the list of websites blacklisted in Australia expanded to over 2300. These included YouTube links and some Christian websites along with online poker portals.
"We're will the madness end? The report stats that Betfair bas been banned in Australia! Is horse racing betting, boxing betting and eating meat pies and driving Holden Cars going to be banned also?" asked Australian Media Man Greg Tingle. "That's the direction things are heading in".
"I will repeat my thoughts on on a worldwide trend when things get "banned"... Citizens (and business) revolved and industries go underground, sometimes generating more money, however the risks increase and consumers and the industry no longer enjoy the same safeguards as it becomes unregulated".
"In addition, matters of insurance can becoming tricky, as an insurance company may be hesitant to insure a business sector which the government of the day deems "illegal". I have a strong suspicion some of the stuff the Australian government is doing is actually illegal. As they say, the law is an ass, and it appears that Australia has too many jackasses in political office at the moment."
Perhaps Tingle was referring to The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, who on Thursday condemned the reported leak and publication of a list which includes prohibited internet addresses.
"The leak and publication of prohibited URLs is grossly irresponsible. It undermines efforts to improve cyber-safety and create a safe online environment for children," Senator Conroy said.
"Under existing laws the ACMA blacklist includes URLs relating to child sexual abuse, rape, incest, bestiality, sexual violence and detailed instruction in crime."
"No-one interested in cyber-safety would condone the leaking of these addresses."
But Tingle believes Conroy is doing more harm than good with such assertions and attempts to censor.
"I predict that these jackass submissions by government are going cause more problems than they cure". (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Betfair
Sports Betting
Casino News
Poker News
Following leakage of an Australian "Ban List", Betfair CEO Andrew Twaits expressed outraged with government officials. Twaits was unaware that his company's website had been blacklisted as part of an effort to prevent viewing of child pornography.
"We didn't know [about the ban]. We've been licensed to operate in Australia for three years and have never received a complaint or any allegation that Betfair locally or globally is not allowed usage by Australians.
"The global Betfair site is used by Australians every day."
The implications are enormous. Earlier today, Gambling911.com reported on how the list of websites blacklisted in Australia expanded to over 2300. These included YouTube links and some Christian websites along with online poker portals.
"We're will the madness end? The report stats that Betfair bas been banned in Australia! Is horse racing betting, boxing betting and eating meat pies and driving Holden Cars going to be banned also?" asked Australian Media Man Greg Tingle. "That's the direction things are heading in".
"I will repeat my thoughts on on a worldwide trend when things get "banned"... Citizens (and business) revolved and industries go underground, sometimes generating more money, however the risks increase and consumers and the industry no longer enjoy the same safeguards as it becomes unregulated".
"In addition, matters of insurance can becoming tricky, as an insurance company may be hesitant to insure a business sector which the government of the day deems "illegal". I have a strong suspicion some of the stuff the Australian government is doing is actually illegal. As they say, the law is an ass, and it appears that Australia has too many jackasses in political office at the moment."
Perhaps Tingle was referring to The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, who on Thursday condemned the reported leak and publication of a list which includes prohibited internet addresses.
"The leak and publication of prohibited URLs is grossly irresponsible. It undermines efforts to improve cyber-safety and create a safe online environment for children," Senator Conroy said.
"Under existing laws the ACMA blacklist includes URLs relating to child sexual abuse, rape, incest, bestiality, sexual violence and detailed instruction in crime."
"No-one interested in cyber-safety would condone the leaking of these addresses."
But Tingle believes Conroy is doing more harm than good with such assertions and attempts to censor.
"I predict that these jackass submissions by government are going cause more problems than they cure". (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Betfair
Sports Betting
Casino News
Poker News
Australia Banning Online Poker Sites - Gambling911 - 19th March 2009
In a leaked report obtained by the website WikiLeaks.com, it was revealed that Australia's list of 2395 "banned website" stretched well beyond the realm of child pornography and "how to murder" websites that most other civilized nations also deem "inappropriate".
The Sydney Morning Herald included - among other things - sites pertaining to gay and straight porn, euthanasia, a few Christian websites and some YouTube links.
But most disturbing of all perhaps: The list included banned online poker portals.
"It does look like there will be several online poker and online gambling sites that will soon be blocked at the ISP level by the Australian Government," suggests the website AintLuck.com.
That said, the Australian government has run into quite a bit of opposition with its plan to block websites.
University of Sydney associate professor Bjorn Landfeldt said the leaked list "constitutes a condensed encyclopedia of depravity and potentially very dangerous material".
He called it "the concerned parent's worst nightmare" as curious children would inevitably seek it out.
"It seems to me as if just about anything can potentially get on the list," Landfelt said.
The blacklist is maintained by ACMA and provided to makers of internet filtering software that parents can opt to install on their PCs.
Colin Jacobs, spokesman for the online users' lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia, said the leak was not surprising and would only get worse once the list was sent to hundreds of Australian ISPs as part of the Government's mandatory internet filtering policy.
He said the Government could be considered a "promoter and disseminator of links to some pretty unsavoury material".
"The list itself should concern every Australian - although plenty of the material is unsavoury or even illegal, the presence of sites like YouTube, MySpace, gambling or even Christian sites on the list raises a lot of questions," he said.
Australian Media Man, Greg Tingle, expressed deep concern over this issue with Gambling911.com.
"Big Brother is at it again. Telling us what's right, what's wrong, what to read, what not to, what to look at on the web, what not to, what not to say et al. Given I'm a qualified journalist and speaking out against censorship, I guess I should expect to be arrested next."
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today condemned the reported leak and publication of a list which includes prohibited internet addresses.
"The leak and publication of prohibited URLs is grossly irresponsible. It undermines efforts to improve cyber-safety and create a safe online environment for children," Senator Conroy said.
"Under existing laws the ACMA blacklist includes URLs relating to child sexual abuse, rape, incest, bestiality, sexual violence and detailed instruction in crime."
"No-one interested in cyber-safety would condone the leaking of these addresses." (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker News
In a leaked report obtained by the website WikiLeaks.com, it was revealed that Australia's list of 2395 "banned website" stretched well beyond the realm of child pornography and "how to murder" websites that most other civilized nations also deem "inappropriate".
The Sydney Morning Herald included - among other things - sites pertaining to gay and straight porn, euthanasia, a few Christian websites and some YouTube links.
But most disturbing of all perhaps: The list included banned online poker portals.
"It does look like there will be several online poker and online gambling sites that will soon be blocked at the ISP level by the Australian Government," suggests the website AintLuck.com.
That said, the Australian government has run into quite a bit of opposition with its plan to block websites.
University of Sydney associate professor Bjorn Landfeldt said the leaked list "constitutes a condensed encyclopedia of depravity and potentially very dangerous material".
He called it "the concerned parent's worst nightmare" as curious children would inevitably seek it out.
"It seems to me as if just about anything can potentially get on the list," Landfelt said.
The blacklist is maintained by ACMA and provided to makers of internet filtering software that parents can opt to install on their PCs.
Colin Jacobs, spokesman for the online users' lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia, said the leak was not surprising and would only get worse once the list was sent to hundreds of Australian ISPs as part of the Government's mandatory internet filtering policy.
He said the Government could be considered a "promoter and disseminator of links to some pretty unsavoury material".
"The list itself should concern every Australian - although plenty of the material is unsavoury or even illegal, the presence of sites like YouTube, MySpace, gambling or even Christian sites on the list raises a lot of questions," he said.
Australian Media Man, Greg Tingle, expressed deep concern over this issue with Gambling911.com.
"Big Brother is at it again. Telling us what's right, what's wrong, what to read, what not to, what to look at on the web, what not to, what not to say et al. Given I'm a qualified journalist and speaking out against censorship, I guess I should expect to be arrested next."
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today condemned the reported leak and publication of a list which includes prohibited internet addresses.
"The leak and publication of prohibited URLs is grossly irresponsible. It undermines efforts to improve cyber-safety and create a safe online environment for children," Senator Conroy said.
"Under existing laws the ACMA blacklist includes URLs relating to child sexual abuse, rape, incest, bestiality, sexual violence and detailed instruction in crime."
"No-one interested in cyber-safety would condone the leaking of these addresses." (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker News
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Ultimate Bet Sponsors WWE WrestleMania, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 15th February 2009
On April 5th, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presents WrestleMania XXV, which will kick off from Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the Texans franchise of the National Football League. The annual spectacle is one of the storied events in the wrestling industry and includes an entire week’s worth of activities culminating in the Sunday night event. Online poker room Ultimate Bet recently announced that it is the official Canadian sponsor of WWE WrestleMania.
Annie Duke, who designed the tournament schedule for the Tokwiro-owned online poker site, commented in a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet this week, “We’re proud to partner with WWE on the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and to offer one lucky player the ultimate entertainment experience to be part of all the drama and action of this pop culture extravaganza.”
As part of its sponsorship, Ultimate Bet will be hosting online qualifiers for a WrestleMania prize package. It includes roundtrip airfare for two to Houston, Texas, hotel accommodations, $500 in spending cash, and two tickets to the show itself. In addition, the package will also feature meet and greets with WWE stars, two replica WWE Championship belts, and a framed WrestleMania commemorative poster. Qualifiers are only open to Canadian members of Ultimate Bet over the age of 18 years-old. Residents of Quebec are not eligible. This year’s WrestleMania festivities will also feature inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. The 2009 class is headlined by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The very first WrestleMania was held on March 31st, 1985 at historic Madison Square Garden in New York. The inaugural Main Event featured the tag team of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik defeated Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham to become the new Tag Team Champions. Andre the Giant, then in his heyday, defeated Big John Studd. Others on the card included Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, King Kong Bundy, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
The most recent running of WrestleMania occurred on March 30th, 2008. In a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, Randy Orton defeated John Cena and Triple H to retain his title. The Undertaker bested Edge to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, while a highly-publicized encounter between boxer Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show ended with Mayweather winning by donning brass knuckles. Shawn Michaels defeated “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Kane outlasted a 24 man field to become the number one contender for the ECW title.
WWE, which was forced to change its name from WWF following a challenge by the World Wildlife Foundation in 2002, purchased rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. The acquisition ended a battle between the two wrestling federations for control of Monday night programming, which pitted WWE’s "Raw" against WCW’s "Nitro." WWE also purchased the rights to ECW.
World Wrestling Entertainment is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WWE.” It closed trading on Friday down $0.05 to $9.24. It is near the bottom of its 52 week range, $8.76 to $19.86. An article released on Friday by the company noted that it outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 31% in 2008 and handed out a $1.44 dividend to shareholders. Its CEO is Linda McMahon, who has occasionally appeared as an on-screen personality during WWE programming.
Ultimate Bet recently merged player bases with sister site Absolute Poker to form the CEREUS Poker Network. According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, the CEREUS network is the sixth largest overall, with an average of 2,750 cash game players online. It sits just behind the Ongame Network (2,900) and ahead of Everest Poker (2,600). Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker accept players from the United States. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WrestleMania
World Wrestling Entertainment
Online Casino News
Poker News
On April 5th, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presents WrestleMania XXV, which will kick off from Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the Texans franchise of the National Football League. The annual spectacle is one of the storied events in the wrestling industry and includes an entire week’s worth of activities culminating in the Sunday night event. Online poker room Ultimate Bet recently announced that it is the official Canadian sponsor of WWE WrestleMania.
Annie Duke, who designed the tournament schedule for the Tokwiro-owned online poker site, commented in a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet this week, “We’re proud to partner with WWE on the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and to offer one lucky player the ultimate entertainment experience to be part of all the drama and action of this pop culture extravaganza.”
As part of its sponsorship, Ultimate Bet will be hosting online qualifiers for a WrestleMania prize package. It includes roundtrip airfare for two to Houston, Texas, hotel accommodations, $500 in spending cash, and two tickets to the show itself. In addition, the package will also feature meet and greets with WWE stars, two replica WWE Championship belts, and a framed WrestleMania commemorative poster. Qualifiers are only open to Canadian members of Ultimate Bet over the age of 18 years-old. Residents of Quebec are not eligible. This year’s WrestleMania festivities will also feature inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. The 2009 class is headlined by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The very first WrestleMania was held on March 31st, 1985 at historic Madison Square Garden in New York. The inaugural Main Event featured the tag team of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik defeated Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham to become the new Tag Team Champions. Andre the Giant, then in his heyday, defeated Big John Studd. Others on the card included Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, King Kong Bundy, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
The most recent running of WrestleMania occurred on March 30th, 2008. In a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, Randy Orton defeated John Cena and Triple H to retain his title. The Undertaker bested Edge to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, while a highly-publicized encounter between boxer Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show ended with Mayweather winning by donning brass knuckles. Shawn Michaels defeated “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Kane outlasted a 24 man field to become the number one contender for the ECW title.
WWE, which was forced to change its name from WWF following a challenge by the World Wildlife Foundation in 2002, purchased rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. The acquisition ended a battle between the two wrestling federations for control of Monday night programming, which pitted WWE’s "Raw" against WCW’s "Nitro." WWE also purchased the rights to ECW.
World Wrestling Entertainment is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WWE.” It closed trading on Friday down $0.05 to $9.24. It is near the bottom of its 52 week range, $8.76 to $19.86. An article released on Friday by the company noted that it outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 31% in 2008 and handed out a $1.44 dividend to shareholders. Its CEO is Linda McMahon, who has occasionally appeared as an on-screen personality during WWE programming.
Ultimate Bet recently merged player bases with sister site Absolute Poker to form the CEREUS Poker Network. According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, the CEREUS network is the sixth largest overall, with an average of 2,750 cash game players online. It sits just behind the Ongame Network (2,900) and ahead of Everest Poker (2,600). Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker accept players from the United States. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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WrestleMania
World Wrestling Entertainment
Online Casino News
Poker News
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Poker, d'oh - Fairfax - 17th March 2009
Making money in commercial TV is always a bit of a gamble. Especially for a network whose parent company is playing Russian roulette with its bankers. So good luck to Ten's Nick Falloon. Talk is he's replacing Big Brother not with just a cooking show but a new reality concept: live poker. And we were looking forward to repeats of The Simpsons.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
Network Ten
Reality TV
Poker News
Making money in commercial TV is always a bit of a gamble. Especially for a network whose parent company is playing Russian roulette with its bankers. So good luck to Ten's Nick Falloon. Talk is he's replacing Big Brother not with just a cooking show but a new reality concept: live poker. And we were looking forward to repeats of The Simpsons.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
Network Ten
Reality TV
Poker News
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Australia Gambling News: Reports on Playtech, Tabcorp, Bodog - Gambling911 - 15th March 2009
Our man on the scene in Australia reports that business is booming and everyone wants in on the burgeoning online gambling industry. Even with news that certain politicians are trying to block the Internet through filtering systems (now deemed as a "failed attempt"), few operators and affiliates of online gambling seem at all concerned.
Playtech
Tingle, who heads up Media Man Australia and gaming offshoot, Casino News Media, reports a rise in profits and has expanded his online portfolio to 6 website portals (4 specifically gaming), and thus far has managed to avoid the more negative side of news, in an industry known for journalists attacking their own. Tingle's background includes 5 years in journalism, with numerous leading news stories to his name. In recent years Tingle's has expanded on his early successes in the online gaming b2b and publicity side of things, notably with Virgin Games - Virgin Casino, PKR, JackpotCity and some hits and misses with PokerListings. Tingle has just signed up a major new client, William Hill, which is proving to be a most profitable and go ahead venture, and has also struck a considerable deal with the head of Online Gambling Insider.
Tingle advises that he's just putting the final finishing touches on their Marvel Slots Online, ready to capitalize on the recent Marvel Entertainment - Playtech deal (Marvel slots were previously all but exclusive to InterCasino). William Hill now runs off Playtech software, so it stands to reason that a number of Marvel themed slot games will soon be available under the William Hill banner, and quite possible via other casinos employing Playtech software.
PartyGaming and their PartyCasino.com are expected to make more announcements regarding the Playtech and Marvel happenings in the near future industry insiders are saying, and the industry awaits good news or bad news from InterCasino and PartnerLogic, which have been effected by the recent wunderkind deal involving Marvel Entertainment, William Hill and Playtech. We will spare you the actual figures and share prices of InterCasino, Marvel, William Hill and Playtech, but InterCasino is looking down, whist the outlook looks brighter for the latter.
Tabcorp Holdings
Suffering a very public major embarrassment, being stung with a 12 million dollar dud cheque from a well known "chronic gambler" (a former casino "whale" we understand), Tabcorp appear to be spending up big on PR. They are also looking for return on investment of their 475 million revamp of their Star City Casino in Sydney. Their casino chain which also includes Conrad Jupiters on the Gold Coast has been not surprisingly watching out for users of Apple ipod card counting software, some of which is said to be going under a name as "card shark"!
Bodog
Americas and Canadian favorite online casino whipping boy, Calvin Ayre of Bodog infamy is still M.I.A., but numerous residences of his are up for sale in what must be the "fire sale of the century". Bodog was once one of the world's Hitwise and industry sector "top ten" websites, but those days are clearly ancient history, as will be his mansions if the squatters are not removed soon. Tingle believes Bodog could enjoy success in Australia, even with the "ghost of Calvin" since his Playboy image would go over well there. Bodog is expected to make some moves Down Under in the coming year. (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Playtech
William Hill
PartyGaming
InterCasino.com
Bodog
Poker Listings
JackpotCity.com
Marvel Slots Online
Casino News
Online Casino News
Poker News
Our man on the scene in Australia reports that business is booming and everyone wants in on the burgeoning online gambling industry. Even with news that certain politicians are trying to block the Internet through filtering systems (now deemed as a "failed attempt"), few operators and affiliates of online gambling seem at all concerned.
Playtech
Tingle, who heads up Media Man Australia and gaming offshoot, Casino News Media, reports a rise in profits and has expanded his online portfolio to 6 website portals (4 specifically gaming), and thus far has managed to avoid the more negative side of news, in an industry known for journalists attacking their own. Tingle's background includes 5 years in journalism, with numerous leading news stories to his name. In recent years Tingle's has expanded on his early successes in the online gaming b2b and publicity side of things, notably with Virgin Games - Virgin Casino, PKR, JackpotCity and some hits and misses with PokerListings. Tingle has just signed up a major new client, William Hill, which is proving to be a most profitable and go ahead venture, and has also struck a considerable deal with the head of Online Gambling Insider.
Tingle advises that he's just putting the final finishing touches on their Marvel Slots Online, ready to capitalize on the recent Marvel Entertainment - Playtech deal (Marvel slots were previously all but exclusive to InterCasino). William Hill now runs off Playtech software, so it stands to reason that a number of Marvel themed slot games will soon be available under the William Hill banner, and quite possible via other casinos employing Playtech software.
PartyGaming and their PartyCasino.com are expected to make more announcements regarding the Playtech and Marvel happenings in the near future industry insiders are saying, and the industry awaits good news or bad news from InterCasino and PartnerLogic, which have been effected by the recent wunderkind deal involving Marvel Entertainment, William Hill and Playtech. We will spare you the actual figures and share prices of InterCasino, Marvel, William Hill and Playtech, but InterCasino is looking down, whist the outlook looks brighter for the latter.
Tabcorp Holdings
Suffering a very public major embarrassment, being stung with a 12 million dollar dud cheque from a well known "chronic gambler" (a former casino "whale" we understand), Tabcorp appear to be spending up big on PR. They are also looking for return on investment of their 475 million revamp of their Star City Casino in Sydney. Their casino chain which also includes Conrad Jupiters on the Gold Coast has been not surprisingly watching out for users of Apple ipod card counting software, some of which is said to be going under a name as "card shark"!
Bodog
Americas and Canadian favorite online casino whipping boy, Calvin Ayre of Bodog infamy is still M.I.A., but numerous residences of his are up for sale in what must be the "fire sale of the century". Bodog was once one of the world's Hitwise and industry sector "top ten" websites, but those days are clearly ancient history, as will be his mansions if the squatters are not removed soon. Tingle believes Bodog could enjoy success in Australia, even with the "ghost of Calvin" since his Playboy image would go over well there. Bodog is expected to make some moves Down Under in the coming year. (Credit: Gambling911)
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Monday, March 16, 2009
PartyGaming Returning to the U.S. Market? - Gambling911 - 14th March 2009
News that PartyGaming, the once largest online poker firm, looks to final settle with the U.S. government has been translated in some circles as the company will be returning to the United States market. They pulled out shortly after passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act in October 2006 and lost millions of dollars in doing so. Their share price was riddled.
PartyGaming PLC reported its annual earnings on Wednesday with a profit of $66.9 million, which was a $25.3 million increase from 2007. Overall revenue fell 1 percent to $472.9 million.
When one looks at PartyGaming, they see a company that is almost stagnant, though not exactly in "survival mode". After all, Party is the 4th biggest online poker room in the world despite losing a lot of footing over the past two years.
"The reality is that PartyGaming was double the size of its nearest competitor, PokerStars, at the time it pulled out of the U.S. market," stated Payton O'Brien, matriarch of the Gambling911.com website. "Saying PartyGaming has lost significant market share is like saying China has lost half of its population. China would still have a larger population than the United States. India would become the new PokerStars in such a scenario."
PartyGaming chief executive Jim Ryan said this week that his company is making "good progress" in its discussions with the U.S. Attorney's office whereby they may have to pay a sizable fine for previously taking bets from online players in America. It is speculated that the fine will be around the $150 million mark, even though co-founder Anurag Dikshit recently plead guilty and must pay a $300 million fine.
As for returning to the U.S. market, that's not likely to happen in the next 12 months as legislative efforts to overturn the UIGEA will take some time, but Party is looking forward to "the right time" when "circumstances allow for a return".
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News that PartyGaming, the once largest online poker firm, looks to final settle with the U.S. government has been translated in some circles as the company will be returning to the United States market. They pulled out shortly after passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act in October 2006 and lost millions of dollars in doing so. Their share price was riddled.
PartyGaming PLC reported its annual earnings on Wednesday with a profit of $66.9 million, which was a $25.3 million increase from 2007. Overall revenue fell 1 percent to $472.9 million.
When one looks at PartyGaming, they see a company that is almost stagnant, though not exactly in "survival mode". After all, Party is the 4th biggest online poker room in the world despite losing a lot of footing over the past two years.
"The reality is that PartyGaming was double the size of its nearest competitor, PokerStars, at the time it pulled out of the U.S. market," stated Payton O'Brien, matriarch of the Gambling911.com website. "Saying PartyGaming has lost significant market share is like saying China has lost half of its population. China would still have a larger population than the United States. India would become the new PokerStars in such a scenario."
PartyGaming chief executive Jim Ryan said this week that his company is making "good progress" in its discussions with the U.S. Attorney's office whereby they may have to pay a sizable fine for previously taking bets from online players in America. It is speculated that the fine will be around the $150 million mark, even though co-founder Anurag Dikshit recently plead guilty and must pay a $300 million fine.
As for returning to the U.S. market, that's not likely to happen in the next 12 months as legislative efforts to overturn the UIGEA will take some time, but Party is looking forward to "the right time" when "circumstances allow for a return".
Media Man Australia Profiles
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