This is a guest contribution by Pete Campbell, Managing Director of the award-winning Kaizen. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.

Promoting a gambling brand through SEO and content marketing online is no mean feat. Both webmasters and algorithms alike (not to mention consumers) are very wary of content produced by digital gambling businesses, typically associating them with spam and questionable digital marketing practices.

Unfortunately, this can become a self-fulfilling prophecy: Bloggers and journalists are reluctant to publish content from a gambling brand, which makes it very difficult for such businesses to grow links, sending them underground to precisely the spammy practices they were initially turned down for (including buying poor quality backlinks as a short-sighted fix).

It’s s tricky cycle to break, but for gambling brands keen to do things the “right way” and enjoy the benefits of cracking content marketing – it’s not impossible.

This is a guest contribution by Pete Campbell, Managing Director of the award-winning Kaizen. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.

Promoting a gambling brand through SEO and content marketing online is no mean feat. Both webmasters and algorithms alike (not to mention consumers) are very wary of content produced by digital gambling businesses, typically associating them with spam and questionable digital marketing practices.

Unfortunately, this can become a self-fulfilling prophecy: Bloggers and journalists are reluctant to publish content from a gambling brand, which makes it very difficult for such businesses to grow links, sending them underground to precisely the spammy practices they were initially turned down for (including buying poor quality backlinks as a short-sighted fix).

It’s s tricky cycle to break, but for gambling brands keen to do things the “right way” and enjoy the benefits of cracking content marketing – it’s not impossible.

PokerStars announce a new online event known as the Mountain Series; celebrate RG Check accreditation via the Responsible Gambling Council, and sponsor the McGill University Faculty of Education’s International Centre for Youth Gambling and High-Risk Behaviors.

In keeping with PokerStars recent trend of following a painful announcement with a more pleasurable one, the marketing masters have announced a brand new schedule named after some of the highest mountains in the world.

The 10-event festival entitled ‘Mountain Series’ will play out April 7-10, there will be over $4m in guarantees, and buy-ins ranging from as little as $11 and as big as $2,100.

Online satellites are already running on the site.

Russia’s sports betting operators are making slow progress in adapting to the country’s new online requirements.

The Bookmakers SRO (self-regulatory organization) announced this week that it has selected the Moscow-based JSC KIWI-Bank to handle its TSUPIS centralized online betting payments hub. The bank is part of the QIWI Group, which operates over 175k electronic payment terminals across Russia.

TSUPIS is a requirement of the Russian government, which made tracking all online transactions a condition for enacting its new sports betting licensing regime. The rollout of the system has been delayed due to disagreements between rival SROs and concerns that some bookies would face higher transaction fees than others.

Bookmakers SRO chairman Nikolai Oganezov told Betting Business Russia that his group’s members had chosen KIWI-Bank in part because of its reliability and experience, but also because it lacked direct ties to any one bookmaker. Organezov claimed this latter feature was a “fundamental factor” in selecting KIWI-Bank.

The SugarHouse Casino is preparing to open their resplendent new poker room and it will be christened the Poker Night in America Poker Room.

The SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia is on the verge of cracking open a bottle of champagne on the side of their brand spanking new poker room, and when they do it will be christened the Poker Night in America Poker Room.

The room launches March 23, meaning as you read this, cards will be flying across the 6,000 square foot poker room with smiles on their faces. The new gaff contains 28 tables and all 252 seats contain built in phone chargers for people who have the attention span of a gnat.

The grand opening comes with some local pomp and circumstance. Former coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Dick Vermeil, and his former wide receiver, Vince Papale, will be on hand with their selfie sticks to meet and greet the players.

Leading sports spread betting operator Sporting Index has launched a new casino offering, including a live dealer casino product.

Following a successful trial period, the UK-based Sporting Index has made its new casino offering available to desktop customers via two new tabs added to the company’s website. Mobile and tablet versions of the casino options are reportedly in the works.

Last November, platform provider EveryMatrix announced it would supply its Casino Engine solution to Sporting Index. A variety of third-party providers are now plugging casino content into this platform, including NetEnt, IGT and Micrograming. Sporting Index’s new live casino comes courtesy of NetEnt and dedicated live dealer specialists Evolution Gaming.

Sporting Index marketing director Paul Turner said the company was “proud to be extending our range” and called the casino diversification “an exciting step forward for the business.” The company says the desire to launch a casino product came following “significant” customer demand.

Leading sports spread betting operator Sporting Index has launched a new casino offering, including a live dealer casino product.

Following a successful trial period, the UK-based Sporting Index has made its new casino offering available to desktop customers via two new tabs added to the company’s website. Mobile and tablet versions of the casino options are reportedly in the works.

Last November, platform provider EveryMatrix announced it would supply its Casino Engine solution to Sporting Index. A variety of third-party providers are now plugging casino content into this platform, including NetEnt, IGT and Micrograming. Sporting Index’s new live casino comes courtesy of NetEnt and dedicated live dealer specialists Evolution Gaming.

Sporting Index marketing director Paul Turner said the company was “proud to be extending our range” and called the casino diversification “an exciting step forward for the business.” The company says the desire to launch a casino product came following “significant” customer demand.

Like a modern day Howard Beale, the mayor of Atlantic City is issuing apocalyptic warnings of local government shutdowns and hordes of criminals and prostitutes running roughshod over the state of New Jersey.

On Monday, AC mayor Don Guardian (pictured) failed to convince the New Jersey state government to provide a bridge loan that Guardian claims is necessary for AC to continue to function.

As a result, Guardian says he’ll close City Hall, stop paying around 900 public workers and shut down all non-essential services as of April 8. Guardian said the shutdown would persist until at least May 2, when AC is scheduled to receive its latest quarterly tax payment.

Guardian insisted that he’d been forced to make these “ethical decisions” due to Gov. Chris Christie’s refusal to approve another fiscal bailout package for the troubled seaside casino hub unless the city agreed to a state takeover of its financial affairs.