Tag Archives: modern day gaming

SafeCharge and TAIN collaborate to enhance eGaming Payment Funnel Conversion

Advanced payments acceptance and fraud prevention technologies boosts TAIN’s payment platform and risk management services for licensees 

SafeCharge (AIM: SCH), a leader in advanced payment technologies, and TAIN AB, a leading turnkey solution provider for the e-gaming industry, today announced that they will be collaborating to offer  payment services to White Label licensees and enhance eGaming payment funnel conversion.

TAIN, a leading technology driven company that has developed platforms and online gaming solutions since 1999, has recently opened up a number of new International markets. By utilising SafeCharge’s network of Alternative Payment Methods, TAIN will now give its White Label licensees access to a wide range of local and alternative payment methods.  By adding all these new methods, TAIN will be able to significantly expand its reach, optimise conversion rates, and will bring higher revenues.

SafeCharge was selected to provide payment services and risk solutions based on the Company’s strength in fraud prevention, payment processing and rapid integration.

SEO Tip of the Week: Offsite Trust Optimisation: Getting the right sources to reference you

90 Digital CEO Nick Garner talks about getting the right sources to reference you in this edition of CalvinAyre.com’s SEO Tip of the Week.

ie wikipedia or as a trusted websites.  Is the content written by somebody, or a auto generated?

“Look for articles, reviews, forum posts, discussions, etc. written by people about the website. For businesses, there are many sources of reputation information and reviews. Here are some examples: Yelp, Better Business Bureau (a nonprofit organization that focuses on the trustworthiness of businesses and charities),Amazon, and Google Product Search. You can try searching on specific sites to find reviews. For example,you can try [ibm site:bbb.org] or [“ibm.com” site:bbb.org].

See if there is a Wikipedia article or news article from a well-known news site. Wikipedia can be a good source of information about companies and organizations. For example, try [ibm ite:en.wikipedia.org] or [“ibm.com” site:en.wikipedia.org]. News articles and Wikipedia articles can help you learn about a company and may include information specific to reputation, such as awards and other forms of recognition. Note that some Wikipedia articles include a message warning users that there are disagreements on some of the content, or that the content may be outdated. This may be an indication that additional research is necessary

‘Most Socially Responsible Bingo Operator’ judging panel announced for 2015 WhichBingo Awards

Ron Finlay, CEO of responsible gambling watchdog The Senet Group, is among the panel of independent judges announced for this year’s WhichBingo Awards, the biggest awards event dedicated solely to online bingo.

The expert panel, which will preside over the prestigious ‘Most Socially Responsible Bingo Operator’ award, consists of:

● Ron Finlay: CEO of The Senet Group

● Stella Dalton: Head of Education & Prevention at GamCare

Lotería Makes Real Money Online Debut via Odobo

Gibraltar, 14 April 2015 – Trimark is launching the first iGaming version of the much cherished Mexican bingo game, Lotería.

While Lotería originated in Italy, its popularity was cemented in Mexico after arriving from Spain more than 200 years ago. Formerly the reserve of the colonial upper classes, the game became ubiquitous to the extent that it is still ingrained in local culture. Its richly decorated playing cards depict iconic and romanticised images that give the player insight into Mexican life via puns, riddles and beautiful artwork. Scenes include gastronomic motifs such as churros, religious symbols and those that offer a satirical or philosophical view on life. The game is still played by tens of millions of players today in much the same way as it has influenced generations beforehand.

The game itself replaces classic bingo balls with the illustrated playing cards that make this game stand out from other popular bingo varieties. Although the cards are numbered, the focus is on matching the pictures on a ticket showing a pre-defined sequence of images as the caller draws them from the pack.

In the single player real-money version, the player wins by matching patterns in the paytable before the 54-card deck runs out. The earlier in the game this happens the more the player stands to win, with multiple wins on offer for matching more than one pattern on a ticket. Trimark’s production is a modern adaptation that remains true to the authentic imagery and style seen in early versions of the game. It has been designed to be humorous and fun with added achievements and social features to reward players that play time and again.

UKGC grants UK licenses to GECO, Sportradar and iSoftBet

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has added GECO Gaming, Sportsradar and iSoftBet to the list of operators and service providers licensed to offer products in the UK online gambling market.

Sportradar’s subsidiary Betradar has been awarded remote and operating licenses to provide its UK-based clients with virtual sports services. This applies for the integration via XML-feed-integration as well as via Betradar’s Remote Game Server.

“We’re delighted to have met the high quality standards set by the UKGC which at the same time underlines the quality of Betradar’s products,” said Neale Deeley, Commercial Director at Sportradar. “This official license lets us look forward to expand and to offer great products and services to clients in the UK market. Being a key market this was of high importance for us and we can now target further growth.”

Wagermill and Gaming Lab’s GECO has also been awarded a UK license, plus a Category 2 license from the Alderney Gaming Control Commission (AGCC).

666Bet, Give Us Our Money Back!

Angry customers have created a petition for 666Bet on change.org, which provides a free petition tool for millions of users, titled Give Us Our Money Back!

It has been a month since the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has suspended Metro Play Limited’s license, which covers both the Metroplay.com and 666bet.com sites, due to a money laundering and fraud investigation. Until now, both sites remains offline and hundreds of furious punters have not been paid their winnings.

Thieving maggots, scum, joke of a company were just a few words these ranting customers described the Isle of Man-based online gambling company 666Bet as they asked the operator to pay up.

Officials at the online gambling firm tried to calm the customers by releasing a statement today saying, “We apologize for the continued delay in returning customer funds. We are currently seeking the appropriate approval from the UK Gambling Commission to re-open 666BET and Metro Play to enable customers to access their accounts. We hope to have further news shortly. Thank you once again for your continued patience but please be assured that we are doing all we can to return our customers’ funds.”

Xapo, CEVO and Leet create Bitcoin Gaming Platform

Xapo, Bitcoin debit card and secure wallet provider, partners with global eSports Cyber Evolution (CEVO) and Bitcoin-based gaming service Leet to create a new gaming platform that offers a bitcoin-enabled competitive gaming experience to players.

CEVO runs several e-sporting tournaments, offering popular games such as League of Legends, Team Fortress 2 and Counterstrike. CEVO users can now earn Bitcoin by playing games and challenging their friends.

Leet, which also offers free and pay-to-play tournaments across a variety of AAA games, allows its players to win real money, which can be withdrawn using Xapo wallet—where bitcoin balance will be stored. Leet will charge 2% fee on League of Legends earnings.

“We believe that gaming presents one of Bitcoin’s most exciting growth opportunities, as fast, inexpensive and secure bitcoin payments have the potential to open the global gaming community to players who lack access to a bank account or credit card,” XAPO said in a statement. “CEVO users will now be able to earn and challenge their friends for bitcoins across some of the world’s most popular games.”

Mayweather – Pacquiao: Betting guide to the super fight

As we count down the days to the biggest night of the year in boxing, betting action surrounding the mega fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is taking a life of its own.

Ever since sportsbooks opened the lines for the fight – well before it was officially announced, there has been a steady stream of bets being taken it. Most have been on the side of Pacquiao, which largely explains why his opening line of 3/1 has dropped to as low as 7/4.  By contrast, Floyd opened as low as 3/10, but all the action on PacMan has moved Money Mayweather’s odds to as high as 1/2. The odds for both fighters are still expected to fluctuate depending on the betting market so if you still haven’t put money down on the fight, now’s the time to start paying attention.

When’s the best time to bet on Manny Pacquiao?

Ideally, you should have bet on Pacquiao when the odds were first offered because it’s unlikely that you’re going to get higher odds than 3/1 at this point. Granted, the current 7/4 odds isn’t that bad since your $100 will still net you $175 in winnings, or $275 if you count your $100 bet. You could still wait it out and let the late money on Mayweather to arrive, which could push Pacquiao’s odds back up to as high as 2/1, maybe even 9/4.

On Deck: Jordan Spieth is the truth

Jordan Spieth may not yet be the household name that Tiger Woods is, but Spieth’s incredible performance at the 2015 Masters will go a long way in building that legend. The 21-year old completely ran roughshod over Augusta, finishing the four-round tournament with a score of 18-under par.

I’m not an avid fan of golf, but I know well enough from watching Woods during his heyday what a tornado on a golf course looks like. Spieth was that tornado at Augusta, turning the world’s most prestigious golf major into a personal showcase of skill and talent. At times, Spieth even made it look easy, flashing that unmistakable eye of dominance I used to see from Tiger. Spieth really put on a show, displaying the kind of world-class golf game average Joes like us can only dream of having. It may have come at the expense of robbing us of what could’ve been an exciting finish to the tournament, but you still have to respect and appreciate greatness when you see it.

Jordan Spieth showed us greatness at the Masters and it was special.

Not everybody is happy that Spieth dominated the Masters. Sure, they’re happy for him that he won the Green Jacket and infused life and buzz into the sport of golf, but sportsbooks knew that Spieth winning the Masters was their worst-case scenario. With Spieth’s record-breaking first round, a lot of sportsbooks were left scrambling trying to recoup whatever losses – it’s likely to be huge – they stand to get hit with after initially offering Spieth at 10/1 odds to win the Masters.

CalvinAyre.com Readers get a 10% discount for GiGse 2015

CalvinAyre.com has signed up as a media partner of GiGse 2015, which will be held from April 20-22 at Hyatt Regency, San Francisco and our readers will receive 10% discount.

Follow these simple steps.

• Click here to go to online registration form

• Enter the promo code CG6011/CA/10 and other information needed

Content Marketing Tip of the Week: Discovery Content

theMediaFlow Managing Director Nichola Stott gives an overview on Discovery Content in this edition of CalvinAyre.com’s Content Marketing Tip of the Week.

This is definitely something to consider if you’re looking to reach a new audience rather than play to the choir in particular with Bingo and Casino as opposed to sportsbook. Instead of always writing about your product, think about writing content that will interest your demographic. Who are you targeting, what are the common personas? Once you know that think laterally about the kind of content that will interest this audience and also projects something of your brand values.

The best-in-show example of this is Red Bull, who is really an extreme sports and lifestyle publisher who happens to have an energy drink. Red Bull report on extreme sports and create amazing stunts like the Felix Baumgartner Stratos event.

So think about your brand values and what content you can create that matches those values and the audience you’re targeting. This gives you a chance to add a real point of difference and an additional value proposition to your business.

Philippine journalist launches polemic against Jimei Group junket’s Jack Lam

Philippine journalist Erwin Tulfo has launched a blistering public attack against Jack Lam, chairman of the Jimei Group, one of Macau’s top-five casino junket operators.

Tulfo (pictured on the left) used his column in Sunday’s Manila Times to accuse Lam (pictured on the right) of operating online casinos that have not been licensed by national gambling regulator PAGCOR.

Paradoxically, Tulfo goes on to accuse Lam of having “issued sub-licenses” to Chinese and Korean nationals to operate online gambling from his Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino complex in the Clark Special Economic Zone north of Manila.

Tulfo points out that Lam’s Philippine operations are licensed only for land-based gambling. As such, “Lam is engaged in illegal operations” and officials at the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) “are in cahoots” with Lam. Tulfo suggested Lam’s activities have “gained the ire of certain officials” at the Philippines Bureau of Immigration and PAGCOR.

BurnTurn Poker to Launch April 17th

Bitcoin Poker upstart looking to make its mark in the Online Poker world

BurnTurn Poker (www.burnturn.eu), a poker destination for international players, announced today that it will launch its Bitcoin-Only Online Poker Room on April 17th, 2015.  While this is a beta launch for BurnTurn, a full array of poker games will be available to those who deposit Bitcoin on the site.

“We are extremely excited to jump into the online poker space, especially with the recent exit of our top Bitcoin Poker competitor,” said Brandon Casten, CEO, BurnTurn. “We are creating an online poker experience that caters to beginners and players that do not have access to a traditional online poker site.  We are excited to welcome players from jurisdictions that have banned online poker or those seeking a much higher level of anonymity.”

BurnTurn has been in development since 2013 and is seeking to differentiate itself from traditional poker sites.  “I’ve been playing online poker since its inception and was always annoyed by slow payouts and generic web design; we wanted to look and feel different.” said Casten.  “Since Black Friday in 2011, there has been an evolution of online poker and the way people play the game.  Great tools such as heads up displays have been introduced; but that has created an intimidating environment for those who want to improve their skills or players just starting out.  We are seeking to make poker accessible to the masses again.”

The Future of Credit Cards in iGaming

CAMS CEO Matthew Katz Leads Payment Processing Panel at IGNA 2015

Los Angeles, April 13, 2015 – In what has been called one of the “Top Five Must Attend Sessions” at this year’s iGaming North America Conference,  CAMS, LLC CEO Matthew Katz will moderate the Payment Processing Panel alongside three financial industry authorities.

At a time when licensed and regulated iGaming presents new opportunities for financial institutions, Katz and his panel will discuss the current state of payments processing and how the Industry can makes strides toward broader credit card acceptance.

Panelists include Jenna Goodfellow, Senior Counsel, U.S Regulatory and Public Policy with MasterCard; Ted Teruo Kitada, Senior Company Counsel with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and Laura Kane, Head of Sales Large Enterprise, North America with PayPal.

KGC appoint new chairman; PEI’s failed online gambling ambitions spark lawsuit

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) has appointed Mark Jocks as its new chairman for a one-year term.

Jocks assumed his role following the departure of former KGC chairman Dean Montour, who stepped down on March 31 after seven years on the job. The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) thanked Montour for his years of service and wished him all the best in his future endeavors.

Jock’s appointment was supported unanimously by all 12 MCK chiefs. Gaming Portfolio Chief Gina Deer said Jocks had “extensive experience in various parts of the online gaming industry, including regulatory support and information technologies.” Jock joins current commissioners Lori Jacobs and Melanie Mayo in overseeing the vast online gambling business regulated by the KGC.

PEI ONLINE GAMING AMIBITONS SPARK LAWSUIT

NHL Playoffs: No clear-cut favorite to win Stanley Cup

The start of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs begins in few days and for the first time in quite some time, no team has emerged as the clear favorite to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup in June. It’s come to the point that if you ask 10 people who they think would win the Stanley Cup, you’re probably going to get 10 different answers.

Parity reigns supreme in the NHL this season and picking a team to go all the way once the playoff seedings are set is going to be a lot more difficult than in past seasons. but somebody has to be considered a favorite, right? Loose a term as it may apply in this occasion, there has to be a team listed as the odds-on favorite.

For now, that distinction belongs to the New York Rangers, which currently has 6/1 odds to win what I think is the most prestigious trophy in all of professional sports. 6/1 odds! For a favorite! By contrast, the Golden State Warriors are the favorites to win the NBA title and they’re odds right now are at 2/1. Go down a little further and you have the Cleveland Cavaliers priced at 21/10 while the San Antonio Spurs are at 3/1. In other words, three teams in the NBA have shorter odds to win the NBA title than the favorite to win the Stanley Cup. Parity, I tell you!

The lack of a clear-cut fave is even more indicative with the odds offered to the next two teams on the list: the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild. Currently, the Hawks and the Wild are both getting 8/1 odds, just above the Anaheim Ducks and the St. Louis Blues, both of which are priced at 9/1 odds.

Gaming Industry News Weekly Recap – Stories You Might Have Missed

THE AMERICAS

Amaya Gaming sold its Chartwell and Cryptologic software operations to NYX Gaming Group and Amaya CEO David Baazov was targeted by Quebec’s insider trading probe; Major League Baseball put limits on its players’ fantasy play and the commish says bets are more evil than steroids; Zynga founder Mark Pincus announced he was resuming his CEO duties; one-fifth of one percent of mobile gamers account for two-thirds of revenue; doubt was cast on reports of California tribes coming together over online poker; Delaware’s online gambling sites haven’t earned a penny for their casino partners; the surviving Atlantic City casinos improved their profitability in 2014; Florida legislators’ gambling ambitions went off-script again; former betting tout Adam Meyer had his bail revoked; Christian ‘Chipgate’ Lusardi was sentenced to five years in prison; I. Nelson Rose explained why online gambling operators won’t screw up interstate online poker liquidity and Rebecca Liggero previewed the top-five ‘must attend’ sessions at the 2015 iGaming North America confab.

EUROPE

A key Dutch pol says it’s full speed ahead for the Netherlands’ online gambling legislation; Cherry AB launched its first branded white-label site; Bwin.party’s Foxy Bingo added casino options; Italy’s online gambling market grew very little in 2014; Romania’s lottery found itself under investigation over illegal slot machines; Betway signed on as Snooker UK’s title sponsor; the UK Gambling Commission stalled its CEO’s departure; Genfour’s Ian Dunning discussed what Robotic Process Automation can do for the gaming industry and Lee Davy paid tribute to the late Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliot.

Phil Ivey stars in new Chrysler commercial

Poker great Phil Ivey is among the celebrities featured in a new ad campaign for the 2015 Chrysler 300 sedan.

The first 60-second commercial (viewable below) of Chrysler’s new ‘Drive Proud’ campaign features Ivey and a number of other “kings and queens of America” striding regally toward, er, something or other.

While they’re walking, Game of Thrones’ star Peter Dinklage adds an appropriately ominous voiceover about how there’s no “royal blood” in the US of A, and thus all the goodies are just waiting for people of suitably bold and dynamic personality to “reach out and take it.” (We don’t actually think Dinklage is suggesting you walk down to your local Chrysler dealer and just take a 300 off the lot, but you’ll never know until you try, will you?)

In addition to Ivey – identified in the accompanying presser as a “professional gambler/entrepreneur” – the spot features San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon, Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, photographer Kwaku Alston, restaurateur Caroline Styne and a few others. None of the individuals are identified by name in the spot, leaving it up to the viewer to use their Audubon Field Guide of Minor American Celebrities to identify these uncrowned royals.

MLB commish says steroid abusers less of a threat to integrity than sports bettors

The commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB) believes players who gamble deserve harsher punishment than players who take performance-enhancing drugs.

Commissioner Rob Manfred (pictured) appeared on CNBC’s Squawkbox program on Friday, shortly after the announcement that the league would prohibit its players from participating in daily fantasy baseball contests that involved the chance to win a prize of some value.

Manfred told CNBC that there was a “line in the law” that distinguished fantasy sports from traditional sports betting, referring to the fantasy sports carveout from the 2006 UIGEA. Manfred said MLB had carefully studied the issue before getting into bed with DFS provider DraftKings. Manfred went on to say that DFS was “really, really important to us in terms of engaging young people.”

CNBC host Joe Kernen asked Manfred about former Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose’s lifetime ban from baseball for betting on games. Kernen wondered why “known juicers” were currently starring in the league while Charlie Hustle languished in Hall of Fame purgatory.

Italy’s online gambling market flat in 2014 despite World Cup, new betting options

Italy‘s online gambling market was basically flat in 2014, despite the addition of new sports betting options.

The fifth annual study of Italy’s regulated online gambling market by the Milan Polytechnic says total revenue in 2014 came to €728m, up just 0.4% from the year before. The government’s share of this bounty rose 1% to €167m. Mobile wagering accounted for 14% of total revenue, twice the figure from 2013.

Sports betting rose 11% to €214m thanks to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the introduction of exchange betting and the ongoing expansion of other sports wagering options. The relaxation of restrictions on in-play wagers in the last quarter of 2014 is credited with boosting the year’s sports betting revenue by nearly €23m.

Online slots rose 27% to €147m while casino table games fell 10% to €110m. Online poker revenue fell 20% to €178m, the third consecutive year of declines, as cash games fell 21% to €108m and tournament revenue was down 18% to just under €70m. Other verticals ranked as follows: bingo (€27.1m), virtual betting (€10m), horseracing (€9.9m), skill games (€9.3m) and online lotteries (€5.5m)