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Musings of a Midnight Gambler

Saturday, November 5th, 2011

I love this time of the night. The rest of the household is sound asleep and I have decided to unwind at my favorite online casino site before calling it a night.  I love the initial blink of the computer screen, bringing the quiet office space to life and love the way I am whisked off to the excitement of Vegas – some many thousands of miles away and yet so near.

I love the way I am welcomed to the casino like an old friend.  I’m offered news about the latest promotions, including a new casino bonus which I am definitely interested in taking advantage of after I fund my casino account again.  Within minutes, money has been transferred and I’m ready to go.  My first stop is the blackjack table and a couple of buddies are already playing there.  They greet me warmly through the casino chat features, and I’m soon playing happily with Toki from Japan and Juan from Argentina.  After hitting a good run at the blackjack tables (practicing free blackjack paid off, yeah!), I head to the slot machines to check out the new releases.  The best online casinos update their slots often and I’m pleased to see several new themed games with big payouts and lots of special features.

I do OK at the slots, and now it’s time to try out the video poker games. I stick to my favorite,  Jacks or Better and do so-so.  I know it’s ‘you-win-some-you-lose-some’ and I don’t try and chase my losses, being the responsible gambler that I am!

I decide to round off my midnight gambling session with a few rounds of keno. Nothing is as undemanding as Keno – all you need to do is select your numbers and wait for them to come up.  The more correct numbers picked, the better you do!  My gut instincts must be working well tonight because I land up winning a sizable amount on the keno games – enough to surprise my family with a weekend away, which I pay for immediately online.

After an hour of play, I’m sleepy but satisfied, and ready to  hit the sack. G’night all!

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Viva la Vegas! Gambling the Italian Way

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

A recent trip to Italy reminded me just why this European country should be used as the ultimate model for successful gambling regulation and legislative reforms.  I have the impression that the Italian government has hit the nail on the head by making a clear and concise decision to move away from the traditional “let’s hammer ‘dem online gambling operators ’til they break” policy and instead has moved towards a sound, serious and respectful decision to allow online gambling freedom within a safe and secure and – yes – regulated environment.

Gambling has always been part of the Italian psyche, with the lottery being present since the middle ages.  The first recorded lottery came out of Florence in 1530, although some say that unofficial lotteries existed even before then.  The staunchly Catholic population seemed to have a love-hate relationship with gambling – on the one hand they frowned on this pastime as it went against their religious teachings, yet, on the other hand, this fun-loving, spontaneous nation loved the challenge of a gamble.  In later years, gambling pastimes were associated with the mafia, and ‘good’ Italians shied away from this form of entertainment.  It was only in the last few decades that gambling has come into its own, becoming a multi million dollar industry, creating thousands of jobs for the country’s citizens, bringing in much needed revenues for the country’s coffers and providing top notch, regulated entertainment for the people of Italy.

With the advent of online gambling, the Italian government first made this pastime illegal as it struggled to get used to the idea and understand its implications.  When the government realized that there was no stopping Italians from gambling online, it decided to make the best of the situation and issued far-reaching reforms in a very brave and mature way.  Italy’s Decree on Liberation in 2007, made online gambling legal across the entire country, and issued licenses to thousands of operators. Many foreign operators such as Ladbrokes entered the Italian market this way, although a large number of licenses were issued to local operators who offer quality gambling to Italians in their own language and currency. Italy still has a little way to go, as it still opposes access to unlicensed operators from overseas, but with its track record, the Italians may soon make changes in this area as well.

Viva la gambling!

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Gambling Under One Virtual Roof

Saturday, May 28th, 2011

I would bet on anything that are literally thousands of online gambling sites out there. I love the fact that if I feel like a game of poker, I can simply switch on the computer, find a table and ‘sit down’ to play within minutes – at any stakes and any level I want. Five minutes later, if I feel like a couple of hands of blackjack, I access my favorite online casino and spend some time there.  In recent months, I’ve perfected my gambling sessions so that I no longer have to switch from one online casino to another, depending on the types of games I like to play.  I prefer now playing at sites that offer me the opportunity to enjoy all my favorite game sand pastimes under one virtual roof.

There are plenty of advantages to sticking to casinos that offer a full range of games, services and products.  The first is obvious – you can switch and change from poker to casino betting, from live gaming to bingo and from sports betting back to poker all at one site. There is no need to exit one site to enter another and then back to the original again.  Check out sites such as Bet365.com where you can find all these products one one useful platform.

Another reason to gamble under one roof is that you have one single account to deal from. You don’t need to log in and out of multiple sites, and you won’t be exposing your personal details more than necessary. You simply log in one time to the site of your choice, and you’ll be able to play all the games and variants you want using one simple ewallet. This, of course, makes depositing funds and withdrawing your winnings a breeze.

Finally, you’ll be able to find fantastic bonuses across all products on one platform. In addition, you’ll be kept abreast of all the current news about running promotions and upcoming special offers so that you’re never left out of the action. And, more importantly, you’ll be able to acquire loyalty points at the one site at a much faster pace, increasing your VIP level and redeeming cool prizes and cash in the process.

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Will the Netherlands Finally Allow Online Gambling?

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

Dutch gamblers may have something to rejoice about soon if reports coming out of this European country are anything to go by.  It was revealed on Saturday that the new coalition government wants to start offering gambling licenses to online operators which makes for quite a significant move, considering that the Netherlands has always staunchly defended its right to ban online gambling.

A spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Public Safety said: “It’s a big shift in policy but this is a new government with a more liberal approach.”

As it is, the government is well aware that hundreds of thousands of Dutch gamblers already seek their online gambling entertainment online, despite the country’s outright ban on doing so.  Experts in the country have suggested that the government should offer online gambling licenses so that it could oversee the industry more effectively.  More and more European governments, such as in Italy and France, have realized that they have to make substantial changes to their legislation if they want to have control over their gamblers.

Over the years, a number of top gambling companies such as Betfair and Ladbrokes have challenged the Dutch government’s stance on barring foreign competition and supporting a monopoly, however they have been unsuccesful in all instances. However, experts agree that Dutch gamblers should have an open market, where they can choose their games and products from a diverse range and enjoy protection against scams and fraud.

The new Dutch government has publicly stated that it will reverse the country’s stance on internet gambling and allow companies to apply for gambling licenses.

The government controls a state-run lottery which is enormously popular and it also controls all land-based casinos. At present, the legislation governing online gambling is reminiscent of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforecement Act (UIGEA) in the United States, where banks and credit card organizations are banned from honoring transactions to and from online casino sites.

However, as stated, the Dutch are not willing to give up their online gambling habits that quickly and changes need to be made to the current laws if the government wishes to keep a finger on the industry’s pulse.

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Tommy Renzoni: Father of American Baccarat

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

I used to think that the game of baccarat was only for the rich and famous. I might have gotten that impression because baccarat was usually played at a roped off area at the casinos I used to visit, and they were usually frequented by high-class gamblers, high-rollers and celebs. It was only after I started playing at online casinos that I realized that baccarat is actually a very easy game to learn and is really enjoyable once you get the gist of it.  I started to read up a bit more about the history of baccarat, and that’s when I came upon the name and the legend – Tommy Renzoni.

Tommy Renzoni is also know as the ‘Father of American Baccarat’.  Renzoni, a casino tycoon, first became fascinated by baccarat after watching Cubans play the game in Havana casinos.  Word has it that Renzoni spent hours upon hours learning how the Cuban version of baccarat, Punto Banco, was played, with the clear objective of bringing this enjoyable pastime back to the United States so that local players could also enjoy it.  After returning to the United States, Renzoni went on a mission to convince casinos in Las Vegas to open baccarat tables. At first his ideas were met with skepticism and scorn, but he eventually managed to persuade the owners of Sands Casino in Vegas to open a baccarat table.  Luckily, his persistence paid off, and very soon management at the Sands realized that they were on to a good thing.  Word quickly spread that a new game had been introduced at the casino, and players flocked to the casino floor to enjoy an interesting new pastime with high stakes and plenty of action. As such, Renzoni became widely recognized as the man singly responsible for bringing baccarat to the United States and for that he is known as the ‘Father of American Baccarat’.

Baccarat always remained an exclusive game and didn’t really earn itself mainstream popularity until the introdution of online casinos in the mid 1990′s. It was only then that players from all over the world could access this game from the comfort of their own homes and discover the excitement and appeal of baccarat for themselves.

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Cyprus Wants to Do Away with Online Gambling

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

If you’ve ever flow into the Mediterranean island state of Cyprus, you will probably have noticed that there is no way to legally gamble there, simply because the government has banned this form of entertainment. This has led to a huge rise in the number of Cypriots who gamble online at offshore sites and enjoy excellent casino games from the comfort of their own homes.

Citing a rise in crime as its main reason, the government is now seeking to ban online gambling outright, and is seeking the permission of the European Commission to do so. Cyprus is a member of the European Union, which means that it signed pacts to say that it would allow cross-border trade and services. If it bans online gambling, it is pushing foreign gambling operators out – thus going against the EU trade pacts.

A few years ago, Portugal was successful in appealing for its right to ban online gambling and Cyprus is hoping that this case has set a precedent and will make the European Commission see that it, too, deserves the right to make its own decisions over internet wagering. The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday and the results can go either way. Those in favor of the ban say that the EC won’t buy ‘crime’ as an excuse to implement a ban. On the other hand, Portugal has been successful in the past, and so it is not impossible that Cyprus will manage to convince the  powers-that-be.

A likely outcome is that the Commission will deny Cyprus’ request, forcing the country to make an appeal against the decision. This could lead to the beginning of a process that could take several years to bear fruit, with the chances of Cyprus being successful a second time around even smaller than the first.

 It seems that the only choice that European countries have is to open their doors to foreign online gambling operators,  and at the same time enforce their own strict rules and regulations. This  has been seen done fairly successfully in Spain, France and Italy, and may be the only way for Cyprus to go.

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Online Gambling is Top Gaining Internet Category

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

This week, the results of the ComScore marketing research survey came out and – not surprisingly – online gambling sites ranked tops in terms of growth. According to the report, online gambling sites were in the top gaining category in October, 2010 and it is expected that these numbers will continue to grow as internet wagering becomes more and more mainstream.

The report showed that online gambling sites were visited by 32 million unique visitors (ie. those originating from the United States) in October. This means that numbers were up a staggering 141% compared to September 2010 when ‘only’ 15 million people visited these sites. This means that online gambling is the highest growing site category for the second consecutive month.

Analysts with the market research company believe that the reason for such a strong growth is due to the World Series of Poker tournament and interest in this event. This is reflected in the staggering number of people who visited Full Tilt Poker with 4.7 million visitors in October – up from 12% in September.  Arch rival, Poker Stars also saw millions of visitors, with 2.5 million visiting in October.   Another poker site that managed to attract 1.8 million is Ultimate Bet, which works off the Cereus Network. This controversial online poker room ran a very successful Perfect Play promotion which definitely caught the public’s attention, as can be seen by the sheer number of visitors. It’s sister site on the Cereus Network, Absolute Poker notched up 1.6 million visitors – a growth of 19%.

It wasn’t only poker sites that showed an incredible growth. Sportingbet PLC, the English sports betting company, saw a huge growth of 39%  – to 1.4 million visitors.

Why am I telling you all this? Because the facts are so fascinating. The ComScore research looked at the entire internet here and online gambling still came out tops in terms of growth. Other subjects that featured at the top of the list (second to online gambling in descending order) were: Entertainment – humor; Retail – Computer software; Services – ecards; Retail – Flowers, gifts, greetings; Entertainment – movies; News/Information – politics; Retail – Toys; Services – Photos; Travel – Ground/Cruise.

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Barney Frank: The Fire Behind US Online Gambling Changes

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

You may have heard his name thrown about in online gambling circles but Barney Frank is definitely more than just a general supporter of changes in the current legislation governing the United States. Frank has been described as the fire behind the movements pushing for a complete revolution of the controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and his efforts are being felt everywhere – from grassroots groups to Capitol Hill.

So who is Barney Frank exactly?

If it’s dry facts you’re looking for, Frank is a member of the US Democratic Party, who has been serving as a House Representative for Massachusetts’ fourth congressional district since 1981. He is also currently Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee (a role which has helped him build a platform to have the pro-online gambling argument heard by members).  All in all, he is considered one of the most powerful members of the US Congress.

On a more personal note, Frank became the second openly gay member of the House of Representatives and has often been given the title of being the ‘funniest’, ‘brainiest’, ‘quick-witted’, and ‘most eloquent’ politician in regular surveys run by the Washingtonian.

Frank’s battle to get online casino games legalized and regulated in the United States is a strange one, considering the fact that he, himself, is not a gambler. However, it stands to reason that his fights have always been for civil rights and the freedom of Americans, especially those in the minority, and thus his connection to internet gambling freedom is explained. His most famous quote on himself was: “I’m used to being in the minority. I’m a left-handed, gay Jew. I’ve never felt, automatically, a member of any majority!”

Over the years, Barney Frank has partnered with other politicians to try and get the UIGEA overturned and to push for changes in the current law so that Americans can vote at top online casinos safely and legally. His latest proposal, HR 2267 - which has attracted 70 bi partisan co-sponsors  – was voted forward by the House Financial Services Committee (41:22). It is now waiting to be voted on by Congress in a last-ditch attempt to see changes in the law before the end of 2010, in what is known as the lame-duck session. Frank has expressed his pessimism about the bill being passed this year, but his efforts are definitely paying off as the topic of online gambling in the US comes more and more into mainstream conversation and his bills continue to garner more and more support.

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Calvin Ayre: Gambling Tycoon and Philanthropist

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

No other founder of an online gambling empire enjoys as much exposure as Calvin Ayre. The relatively young Canadian created the Bodog gambling brand, which spans poker, casino and sports betting platforms. Ayre became a household name when he appeared on the cover of the 2006 Forbes Magazine which featured the world’s top billionaires. He was also sported to be the hottest bachelor by People Magazine in the same year. His single status is a strong part of his public image.

However, there is another side to Ayre which is a far cry from the glitz and glamor of the world of online gambling and marketing. In 2005, Ayre founded the Calvin Ayre Foundation, an Antiguan based philanthropic group whose sole objective is to do charity work all around the world. The Foundation essentially focuses on five main areas: Environment, Education, Social Development, Child Welfare and Animal Welfare.

Whenever he cans, Ayre tries to combine his philanthropic activities with the igaming industry. In the recent earthquake that destroyed so many lives in Haiti, Ayre challenged the industry to dig into their pockets and to donate to charities working in the country, and pledged to match these donations up to $1 million.

In 2009, Ayre took up metaphorical arms against the practice of bear bile farming in Asia and is working with local governments and animal welfare societies to expose this cruel industry that sees almost 10,000 bears in captivity, undergoing daily torture.

Most recently, Ayre sponsored a number of young adults by sending them to top universities in Canada and the Philippines.

Calvin Ayre also has his own blog which is regularly updated with interesting articles, views, news and more. Going under the banner ‘gamblin’, drinkin’ and carryin’ on’, CalvinAyre.com makes for an interesting read and certainly encapsulates the tycoon’s spirit to the tee.

Next year, Calvin Ayre will turn 50 and he is planning to celebrate his half-century in a major way, with parties and celebrations around the world. While Ayre may be accused of being flamboyant and excessive in his self-exposure, it cannot be denied that his very name has helped thousands of people around the world with education, housing and other basic essentials.

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