Recently in British Casino News Category

When gambling advertising was allowed on British television from September 1^st 2007 one broadcaster in particular had cause to celebrate.

 

For ITV this was a highly significant ruling as it gave them a revenue stream which other channels would not benefit from in the same way and the BBC couldn't tap into because of its public service mandate.

 

As the largest privately owned television station in the UK ITV with it's recently formed extra channels sat back and watched the gambling adds and millions of pounds in extra advertising revenue roll in.

 

Of course ITV is the UK's largest commercial public service broadcaster, watched by more than 80% of the population every week. The core channel, ITV1, is a mixed-genre public service channel providing a range of programme genres. ITV invests some £1 billion in programming every year, far more than any other commercial broadcaster in the UK.

 

However in recent years the channel has stumbled from one controversy to another as it has tried to introduce more gaming and quiz TV.

British online poker sites are attempting to stamp out the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by players who have designed software which can play online on its own.

Running a team of poker bots is certainly not encouraged by poker sites and it's often in a site's terms and conditions that you can't use software, bots, or AI, but some sites do not even mention it.

Full Tilt - one of the big online poker names says in its terms: "The use of artificial intelligence including, without limitation, 'robots' is strictly forbidden in connection with Full Tilt Poker. All actions taken in relation to Full Tilt Poker's games and tournaments must be executed personally by players through the user interface accessible by use of the game software."

More Britons than ever are trying their hand at online gambling despite the worsening economic climate.

 

The results of an extensive survey by the UK Gambling Commission released this week shows that the quality of online gaming sites and the prizes on offer continue to attract players here.

 

Conducted by ICM Research the survey dealt with last year (including the final quarter of the year when recession loomed) and found an increase in the amount of people who say they'd used one remote form of gambling or another.

 

The news will come as a major boost to the online gambling sector here as it prepares for a testing year.

 

The Commission's study revealed that 9.7 percent of the 8,000 adults surveyed had gambled using a computer, mobile phone or interactive/digital television over the last month. This compares with 8.8 percent for 2007 and 7.2 percent for 2006.

When we first heard about Circus Casino from Stanley's we thought Circus Circus Hotel Casino And Theme Park Las Vegas.  Not sure if the two are associated I suspect they are not.

A quick look at their web site reveals CircusCasino.com is operated by Genting Stanley Alderney Limited and complies with the stringent licensing codes operated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission.

A quick tally of all the Trade Assocations for online gaming. 

When you regulate an industry you must also ensure that it has a watchdog which can protect the rights of the consumer.

In relation to gambling in the UK the buck stops with the Gambling Commission.

Set up in October 2005 under the Gambling Act of the same year it has taken over the role of the Gaming Board for Britain in regulating casinos, bingo, gaming machines and lotteries. The Commission also issues online gambling licences and categorizes internet gaming sites in the 'remote' gambling field.

It's mission statement says it aims to "help to protect children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited." -i.e. not getting their pockets emptied like the poor character pictured left!

It is also responsible for advising local and central government on issues related to gambling. 

So how useful is the gambling commission and what kind of questions are they asked on a regular basis? Well here are just some of those queries and the corresponding answers. (all questions on gambling comm. website)

Cantor Gaming, an affiliate of the global financial services company Cantor Fitzgerald, has launched CantorCasino.com - Cantor are the first financial services company to move into online gaming. The launch of Cantor Gamings online casino, is an exciting development that follows their white label B2B offering. Our view is they have gone down this route as perhaps the B2B offering is not really hitting the mark as regards numbers and profits.  It seems they have struggled somewhat to hit any major deals with it as a business.

Hitwise UK Gaming Ranking - using a snap shot of 20% of the UK online audience Hitwise monitors and ranks the size of a variety of industries online. In Feb 2008 these are the UK Gaming sites with the biggest market share of users clearly the results favour non download browser based sites.

Playtech revenues have risen over the $100m mark whilst total revenue rose 86%. Profits dropped as expenses of operating the business rose.  The company remains confident and puts the increased costs down to four areas:

Investing in new gaming markets

Developing new casino products

improving existing products such as Poker

Searching for aqusitions and new joint ventures

Casino income was king for Playtech with total product reveneues rising to US $74.7m up 58% and Poker jumped up by a huge 269%.

 

Getminted.com has just launched a fresh suite of browser based games on their no download casino site.  The games cover areas such as Wolf Run and Cleopatra well known offline branded formats as well as some updated classic casino games such as 3 Card Poker and Blackjack. 

At least 4,000 bookmakers' shops opened on Good Friday across Britain including almost all branches of Ladbrokes and Coral, despite there being no British horse racing.

The Church of England had called for bookmakers to donate some of the profits to anti-gambling charities.

Bookies can remain open as a result of last year's Gambling Act which allows bookies to trade every day except Christmas Day.

The Church of England joined with a number of other Christian groups who asked people not to bet.

In a statement the Church of England said: "We would encourage operators to keep their shops closed on Good Friday.

"But those who insist on opening will, we hope, undertake to donate a decent portion of their profits towards programmes of education, research and treatment aimed at checking the growth in problem gambling."

A spokesman for the Methodist Church said they would prefer people to think about the day's religious significance rather than placing bets.

 

We have put together a list of some of the more popular slots available offline for those readers seeking further information on these slots you may want to visit our friend over at BeatTheCasino - he has worked on these machines and produced some great stats as relates to payout volatility.

 

A survey, undertaken on behalf of KPMG by online polling organisation You Gov, shows just 3% of the UK population remain who have not yet tried online casino games but would be prepared to do so.

Fourteen percent of the UK population has tried online casinos at some point, compared to 16% who have been to a land based casino, claims the survey. However, a further 19% say they would be prepared to visit a land based casino, leaving much more scope for them to grow compared to the online casino businesses.

Aim-listed Inspired Gaming Group is considering a sale of its business unit which supplies quiz machines to pubs.

The company, has launched a review of the division and said it was "considering a number of strategic options", including a possible sale. Inspired also supplies bookmakers and holiday parks with fruit machines and quiz terminals like "Who wants to be a millionaire?".

IGT UK and Million 2 1 have announced an extension of their partnership in the mobile gaming market under which IGT is providing Million-21 with funding to further develop the Million21 business and specifically the partnership with Barcrest Group to bring mobile gaming content to the market. The funding is being provided through a convertible loan agreement.

The Daily Mail today paid the world's 12th richest man, "very substantial" libel damages and has been left with a huge legal bil to foot. The settlement comes after the Mail claimed that Adelson, the chairman and chief executive of Las Vegas Sands Corp a gmaing company based in the US, had engaged in despicable business practices and had held secret talks with Malcolm Glazer to take over Manchester United.

Pub owners need to distinguish between customers attracted by quiz machines and those drawn in by fruit machines in order to boost their income, according to a leading UK gaming operator.

A report commissioned by Gamestec - Developing the Future for Fruit Machines & Quiz Machines in the UK - says fruit machines and quiz machines should not be viewed as a single market.

At the Golden Horseshoe, Derek Martens, 36, a carpenter playing a lower-stake machine with a £35 jackpot, said: "Gambling is supposed to be about fun. You only bet what you can afford to lose but you want a little bit of a thrill that you might actually win big. You know a quid in the slot isn't going to get you the big one." Business was slow again in the Golden Horseshoe amusement arcade. The fruit machine lights were flashing but even on a warm winter's day, the punters were few.

I have put together a list of some of the more popular high street locations of Fruit Machine venues the likes of Quicksilver and Agora to try and make sense of the way that slot machines can be played in the UK high street.

Circus Casinos
A modern and dynamic casino destination for a good night out.

Circus casino claims to be a new experience and a new look in UK casinos offering contemporary surroundings, a lively and fun atmosphere, the latest gaming, the best in service and outstanding dining at their 110 Restaurants. All designed to ensure you have a stylish and perfect casino evening, every day of the week, in a modern and relaxed setting.

Maxims Casinos
For the most sophisticated casino experience in the UK today

Maxim Casino offers a sophisticated casino experience in the UK highstreet Stanely Casino's bigger brand although probably secondary to Crockfords. Maxims offers what they call high-class gaming, which includes service and top entertainment in sumptuous and intimate surroundings. Each with fine dining at our renowned Equations restaurants, Maxims offer good venues to game in style.

Mint Casinos
State of the art gaming in a great setting Mint is a relatively new highstreet brand and is meant to reflect the updated moderrn casino though slightly worse locations than a Maxims branded casino.

With 20 Mint casinos in the UK with a bigger emphasis on slots and fruit machines in a conducive atmosphere for gaming. Mint tries to ensure fewer distractions and the very best in service, eating and drinking, the Mint casino offers a great and easy evening out.

 

 

I have spent a lot of time this morning creating a list of all the UK Casino premises I could find for the UK surprisingly to me there are over 150 Casino locations in the UK I would have thought it would be far less.  The famous sit next to the not so famous and the new Aspers and others next to some of the older venues like Gala Tottenham Court Road.  Where we could find them we have put fax and telephone numbers in case you want to book anything special or make any arrangements.

A British casino based up North is predicted to attract up to 75,000 visitors a year.

When The Palace Casino opens on Thursday next to the existing Palace Bingo, it will take the investment of entrepreneur Patrick Duffy in the town's old Tesco site to more than £9m in five years.

Far from being daunted by competition for the new licence from Pleasure Beach boss Albert Jones for a larger casino in the area, Albert's consortium has already shown off plans for a £35m casino and leisure complex called The Edge, looking to transform a large swathe of the Golden Mile. Mr Duffy simply commented: "I have already shown I can deliver, investing nearly £1m in the town for every year I have been in business."

He said to meet the space criteria for a larger casino licence he would simply knock down two walls between the present Palacebingo and Palacecasino clubs to create a new gambling experince for the Yarmouth.