Saturday, January 30, 2010

PartyPoker Starts New Hit Or Run Promotions - 29th January 2010

One thing PartyPoker has done extremely well in its history is provide some of the best promotions for its customers. With its popular Cash Machine set to end on January 31st, PartyPoker had to come up with another promotion that would continue to capture the interest of its players. That new promotion, called Hit Or Run, will start on February 1st.

The Hit Or Run promotion gives players an opportunity to earn over $10,000 per day throughout the month of February. Players on PartyPoker already earn PartyPoker points that can be used to enter tournaments, buy items in the PartyPoker Store, and turn the points into cash. The Hit Or Run promotion is offered as another way that players can use their PartyPoker points.

For every 20 PartyPoker points a player earns on their real money tables, PartyPoker will give players $1 that they can take to play Hit Or Run. Once a player enters into the Hit Or Run arena, they are dealt two hole cards to play heads-up against the PartyPoker system. If a player wins the first hand, that $1 is doubled and the player is given the option of playing again, or taking another “Hit.” The game continues until the player is beaten in the game or the player decides to “Run” with what they have won.

Players can earn up to ten entries per day to play the PartyPoker Hit Or Run game. If a player is able to win ten straight heads-up hands, they will take away $1,024. If a player does this ten times per day and wins every hand, that player would walk away with $10,240. Of course, a player can, at any time, opt to take whatever money they have earned by hitting the “Run” button.

The new Hit Or Run promotion is simply the latest offering that PartyPoker has for its players. Currently, PartyPoker is also running satellites for entries into February’s World Poker Tour (WPT) L. A. Poker Classic and Celebrity Invitational. PartyPoker also offers its popular $1 million Guaranteed the first Sunday of each month and has a $300,000 Guaranteed every other Sunday when the Million Guaranteed isn’t running.

PartyPoker continues to reign among one of the leaders in the online poker industry. Up until 2006, it was the largest poker room in the industry, but the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006 forced the parent company of PartyPoker, Party Gaming, to pull the plug on players from the United States. Since that time - and catering to players outside of the U. S. only - PartyPoker has slipped behind such sites as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, which still continue to accept American action. PartyPoker vies against the iPoker Network for third place in the online poker industry, according to PokerScout.com. (Credit: Poker News Daily)

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Aussie Casino Gossip From The Media Man, by Greg Tingle - 27th January 2010

Crown Casino is in a jovial mood this week, with celebs, big time players and whales in town for the annual Aussie Millions. Annette "Annette 15" Obrestad has already pocketed $200,000 AUD at the tables, while Dan Shak won over a million quid via the $100,000 Challenge, but that's small change compared to what Mr James Packer and co are making from all the action at Crown Limited.

The bean counters are said to be extremely pleased.

The poker may have focused considerable attention on Southbank, where US hedge fund manager Daniel Shak week earned $1.2 million by thrashing legendary player Phil "The Tiger Woods Of Poker" Ivey, but it's a filing from The Royal Bank of Scotland that has Crown chief executive David Courtney in a festive spirit. Not sure about the Queen Of England however, who would have heard the rumours with a push to change the Australia flag.

According to RBS, gambling revenues held up well in 2009 despite the global downturn, and RBS's analysts ''expect them to remain resilient in 2010''.

Such is the health of the sector, RBS expects Packer's Crown Casino to make ''accretive acquisitions'' during 2010.

''Balance sheets across the gaming sector are generally in good shape, with Crown and Tatts Group the best placed,'' states the report. ''We also believe mergers and acquisitions will become a key theme in the sector in 2010, with Tabcorp and Centrebet the most likely targets.

''Crown and Tatts are the two companies with the most significant balance sheet capacity for acquisitions in the sector.''

RBS highlighted Tabcorp (owners of Star City Casino and Conrad Jupiters on the Gold Coast) as the pick of the stocks, due to the ''potential for earnings upgrades based on operational improvements in the casino division''.

The news isn't so good for Tatts Group, the placed third of Melbourne's major gambling companies, which RBS said was its ''least preferred stock'', due to its high price-earnings ratio and the ''near-term earnings headwinds'' of lottery jackpots and the end to stimulus spending.

There is still considerable risk hanging over the industry. According to the most recent data, from 2007, poker machines make up 73 per cent of gambling turnover in Australia. Casinos contribute 11 per cent, wagering on racing and sports events 13 per cent and lotteries just 3 per cent.

Those highly lucrative poker machines are under attack from the anti-gambling lobby - take a walk through Crown and you will see responsible gambling warning signs posted on walls and machines as the industry tries to show it can self-regulate - and in October, the Productivity Commission released its draft recommendations on gambling regulation. The final findings are to be released this February.

Those recommendations include $20 cash limits on machines, moving ATMs further from gaming rooms, setting a maximum bet of $1 per spin, and limiting machines to 120 spins per hour. All would have a dramatic impact on the big players.

In a bit of a did, Collins & Spencer couldn't help but note a subtle crack at management of Crown and Tatts in the RBS report. ''The recent negative track record of both Tatts and Crown for overseas acquisitions may see both companies look to focus their respective growth ambitions on the Australian market, where they have their core competency,'' stated RBS.

The recent track record of James Packer's Crown includes the core incompetency of blowing $1.7 billion over the past two years on US and British casino adventures. (James, it's RBS that says that, not the Media Man down the road at Bondi Beach).

Sydney's Star City Casino is said to be getting things back to normal, after the unions recent high profile industrial strike action, is looking for return on investment of their $500 in the redevelopment of what was once known as "The Pyrmont Workers Club", a negative term for the once ho hum presence of Star City. The sports bar which is worth millions contains $100,000s worth of audio and visual equipment, some of which is said to have got knocked around a bit in the recent Hulk Hogan - Ric Flair staged attack at the casino. Australian casinos only wish more of the attacks were staged as apposed to being real. Australian bricks and mortar casinos, Star City, Crown Casino and Burswood have all suffered more attacks and violent incidents on premise (or in the surrounding areas outdoors) than they care to mention over recent years. Little wonder online casinos continue to give Australian land based casinos a run for their money, a trend unlikely to be curbed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's crackdown on pokies in casinos, clubs and hotels.

Not to be outdone the igaming sector sector continues to make waves in the Asia Pacific and Australian region in a week that started with commencement of The Great Australian Internet Blackout protest. A number of media, poker and gaming related websites are taking part in the week long protest and approximately 200 sites have signed up, with approximately 1000 expected to sign up this week (after the effects of a Aussie Day beer piss up die down and everyone gets back to work).

PartyGaming signed up Aussie poker icon Tony G, flying the flag for Noble Poker (and soon PartyPoker), and Tony is expected to bring the fight to fellow Aussies Shane Warne and Jeff Fenech (888 - Pacific Poker) and 2005 WSOP champ, Joe Hachem. Party's also said to be getting into spread betting, with a deal on the go involving London Capital Group that may have branding and marketing considerations for PartyMarkets, but that's a wait and see situation. Party are also rumored to be exploring pro wrestling themed online slot games starting with the late, great, Andre The Giant, with a potential tie in to Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Sounds like a sure winner for the Australian rabid wresting and gambling fans.

European companies still see Australia as a land of opportunity, despite that dam internet filter and blacklist looming over Australian soil. Maybe the igaming firms have decided to get into Australia before the filter hits. PokerStars have signed up gaming account manager and PR queen bee, Sara Waller. Sara will be most likely working the Singapore - Australia route, with a bit of action out of Surfers Paradise. Our spies tell us Sara may be in a role similar to Rebecca Liggero's from Bodog fame, but no billionaire on her arm (not yet anyway).

Microgaming and Viper powered online casinos Roxy Palace and Casino Splendido have embarked on an online campaign into the Asia Pacific. Just how well they stack up again Microgaming's Captain Cooks Casino, an Aussie favorite, remains to been seen, but the new entrant has the new HellBoy online slot game while Captain Cooks does not (due to technical reasons).

We of course launched own www.mediamanaustralia.com website in an Art Of War maneuver to mark the Great Australian Internet Blackout. The site spots a modest amount of gaming and igaming coverage, however it covers in the region of a dozen different sectors, and is certainly ramping up on political content (thanks to hot fodder from "our friend" Senator Stephen Conroy and his master of the universe, Kevin Rudd). We only own 2 com.au websites out of fleet of 20 something sites, so what's all the fuss about Sirs Rudd and Conroy.

*The writer is the founder and director of Media Man, primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company

*The writer owns shares in Crown Casino

*The writer is a special contributor for Gambling911.com

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

PartyGaming Founder Anurag Dikshit Sells Remaining Stake - 26th January 2010

PartyCasino.com, PartyPoker.com, PartyBingo.com et al founder moves on

PartyGaming Plc founder Anurag Dikshit sold his remaining stake in the company through an accelerated bookbuild to institutional investors. The shares fell as much as 7 percent in London trading.

Dikshit sold 38.8 million shares at a price of 270 pence per share through his Crystal Ventures Ltd. vehicle, according to a statement distributed today via press release service, Business Wire.

The founder sold two-thirds of his stake in October. Dikshit wanted to "move away from the whole issue and industry of PartyGaming," his spokesman Shimon Cohen said at the time.

In December 2008, Dikshit pleaded guilty to illegal Internet gambling in the U.S. and agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department in its probe of the company. He paid $300 million in fines and is scheduled to be sentenced this year.

PartyGaming fell as much as 20.5 pence to 273 pence, and traded at 275.2 pence, at 8:06 a.m., in London, giving the company a market value of 1.12 billion pounds ($1.82 billion).

PartyGaming was founded in 1997 by a group including Dikshit, who created its software platform. The company’s 2005 initial public offering made him the world’s 207th-richest person the following year, according to Forbes magazine.

The company is widely regarded as the world's leading igaming company and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

They are currently looking to return to the United States in a full capacity. PartyGaming have ramped up U.S exposure via their purchase of the World Poker Tour and have recently made a splash "down under" in Australia with their signing of poker professionals, Stewart Scott (2009 Aussie Millions champion) and Tony G (now representing Party's Noble Poker). Mike Sexton is global brand ambassador of Party's World Poker Tour.

PartyPoker is traditionally the companies most successful and popular brand, however in recent years PartyCasino.com has grabbed much of the news media and igaming media headlines with their exclusive Hollywood blockbuster themed games licensed from the likes of Marvel Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, StudioCanal, Edgar Rice Burroughs, MGM, Activision, Hasbro and International Game Technology.

PartyGaming have won a vast array of gaming and business awards and commendations including from iGaming Review, iGaming Business, Casino News Media and Media Man.

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Monday, January 25, 2010

PartyPoker Offering WPT Invitational Seats - 23rd January 2010

It’s the biggest celebrity tournament in the world and PartyPoker is giving its players a chance to grab a seat for just a handful of PartyPoints.

The World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational is set to take place Feb. 20-21 in L.A. and PartyPoker will give away a total of 15 packages worth $3,000 each in a qualifying final on Jan. 31.

“This tournament will be filled with Hollywood stars and poker gods,” said a PartyPoker spokesman.

“The event is invitation only and PartyPoker.com can get you on the exclusive guest list. To win a package for the WPT Celebrity Invitational all you need to do is use PartyPoints to enter the daily qualifiers.”

PartyPoker is running two daily qualifiers, one of which costs 10 PartyPoints and sees the top three players qualify for the final. The second will cost you 25 PartyPoints with the top 15 advancing to the final.

Now in its fourth year the WPT Celebrity Invitational has seen celebrities like Paris Hilton, Michael Vartan, Don Cheadle, Jon Hamm, Ray Romano, Mena Suvari, Jason Alexander and Brad Garrett trade the red carpet for the felt at the Commerce Casino.

The WPT is guaranteeing a prize pool of $200,000 for this year’s Invitational with an extra $25,000 seat in the WPT World Championship in April going to the winner.

This year the tournament will offer $200 rebuys in the first two levels with all proceeds from the rebuy period going towards the Chrysalis organization, a group that assists economically disadvantaged and homeless individuals.

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Sunday, January 24, 2010

PartyGaming hits the jackpot - 22nd January 2010

Gambling on a possible £2bn-plus merger in the world of online gaming proved a favourite pastime for excited punters.

Shareholders of PartyGaming hit the jackpot as the shares shot up to 297.7p and closed 16.7p higher at 2851/2p after Bwin, Europe's biggest online betting and gaming group, revealed it is in merger talks with the Gibraltar-based online gaming giant.

Bwin said the talks are 'no indication' that there will be a merger while PartyGaming grudgingly added it is in talks with a 'number of companies' about consolidation and discussions are at 'a preliminary stage'. However, as far as professional speculators are concerned, it would be a marriage made in heaven and a deal must be on the cards.

PartyGaming was once the most valuable publicly traded gambling stock in the world when it was worth £6.4bn in August 2005, after floating at 115p in June of that year. The US Department of Justice's clampdown on internet gambling in 2007 then trashed its valuation as did some controversial share sales by its founder directors.

It is now back on the recovery track and a recent statement revealed that trading since the end of September 2009 has been solid, with a return to sequential revenue growth. It has also announced an exclusive five-year agreement to provide an online gaming platform for poker and casino games in Denmark for Danske Spil.

Back in November all the industry gossip was about a possible Bwin offer for 888 Holdings, 4.9p better at 116p. 888 appears a harder nut to crack as brothers Avi and Aaron Skaked own 50pc of the equity through family trusts. Another pair of brothers, Shay and Ron Ben-Yitzhak, control a further 11pc.

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