Friday, February 26, 2010
Virgin Casino Runner Up In Casino News Media Online Casino Of The Month Awards, by Greg Tingle - February 2010
Virgin Casino was the runner up in Media Man "Online Casino Of The Month" awards.
It was a close race and it was Virgin's numerous new game releases and world class service that got them through to the finals. In addition Virgin Games are ramping up their AWOMO (A World Of My Own) product which shows great leadership and planning for the future.
Virgin is focused on being able to service more regions of the world including Australia, South African, South America, France, Spain and The United States with both gambling and non gambling products. Virgin management aims to see the portal become a "total gaming site". Virgin Games was established in 2004 and total enjoys the status of being recognised as one of the world's top online casino and gaming destination websites.
The competition for the coveted awards was intense again this month with massive bids from almost a dozen competitors!
The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.
The most popular Virgin Casino games of late include King Kong, Cleopatra, Slot Blox, Monty's Millions, Da Vinci Diamonds, Beat The Bank, Super Hoot Loot, The X-Factor, Treasures Of Troy, Elvis, Monopoly, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and Wheel Of Fortune.
Virgin Casino customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via V*Points. Be certain to check out the promotions which are being championed as some one of the greatest online casino promos ever.
Customers and potential customers are reminded that Virgin Games do not currently accept Australian or American players, however they are taking appropriate steps to see their games be available to more parts of the world. Punters, keep it fun, party hard and play harder.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with Virgin Games, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Website
Virgin Casino
Profiles
Virgin Games
Virgin Casino
Virgin Enterprises Limited
V*Points
Richard Branson
PartyCasino Wins Media Man Online Casino Award, by Greg Tingle - February 2010
PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".
PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.
The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Roxy Palace, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino, however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com
The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".
The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.
PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.
The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Rambo, The Godfather, Sinatra, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.
The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $1 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.
PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Melon Madness, Tarzan, High Noon and Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that pro wrestling themed online slot games are in the works and that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 3 months. Names been thrown around include Andre The Giant, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, but those names are only rumors, however a print feature did showcase Andre earlier in the year, indicating that there is substance to the rumor mill. In any event, PartyCasino already has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.
PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Virgin Casino News And Virgin Games News: Virgin Casino To Add 100 New Games In 2010, by Greg Tingle - 26th February 2010
Media Man reports from the Battle zone
New Games: King Kong, Call of Duty 4, Play Your Cards Right, Monopoly Multiplier
New Brand: AWOMO (A World Of My Own)
Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company - Virgin Games, has announced that it has developed a road map to introduce all the latest casino games in the next twelve months, making it one of the most content rich gaming sites in the UK market.
To help enhance its already strong portfolio, Virgin Casino has taken on a new partner - Playtech company, Gaming Technology Solutions (GTS) - a leading global supplier of gaming solutions for online gaming operations. Playtech provides cutting-edge software to the top operators in the gaming industry, and through the GTS Enhanced Gaming Engine (EdGE) platform, will provide Virgin Casino with access to the best in casino games on the market. Amongst the many exciting games due to be launched this year are Call of Duty 4, Monopoly Multiplier and Play Your Cards Right.
Warren Eloff, Product Manager at Virgin Casino, commented:
"GTS EdGE platform allows us easy access to the best gaming suppliers in the business and partnering with them to help develop our product offering makes perfect sense. We plan to roll out over 100 games this year and among them will be some top brand names, providing our customers with sophisticated and exciting games that they have come to expect from us. With all these new games we will have one of the best casinos available online."
Founded in 2004, Virgin Casino has over 500,000 players and 50 casino games on its site. Via the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Casino seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. Virgin Casino offers games from a growing selection of games producers, including: WagerWorks, Cryptologic, FremantleMedia, Endemol, Dynamite Idea, VS Gaming and Ash Gaming.
To play at Virgin Casino visit www.virgingames.com
Virgin Games To Become Total Gaming Website Portal; A World Of My Own
Virgin Games is expanding into the non-gambling PC games market in a move to transform its brand as a "total gaming" website destination that will also facilitate the company to market the brand in jurisdictions where Virgin's online gambling product is not currently prohibited (eg: most of the Asia Pacific - Australia and the United States).
See World Casino Directory
A business agreement with tech company Game Domain International (GDI) will give Virgin Games access to 200 plus game titles from approx 70 developers available for easy download with names including Tomb Raider: Legend, Rome: Total War, Fifa Football Manager and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos. These will be offered in addition to Virgin Games' current portfolio of online games.
The new system entitled A World of My Own (AWOMO), aims to deliver online game content quicker than rival download services by allowing users to play the games before they are fully downloaded, in addition to offering pay-per-download or regular subscription payment options. It brings new life into the term, virtual worlds.
Virgin Games chief Simon Burridge has gone on record.
"This will open up a huge long tail of people who are gamers but are not prepared to invest heavily in gaming, and will open up PC games to a rental market that has never been done before. If this takes off it could do for the gaming industry what iTunes did for buying music: no-one buys music from shops anymore, they go online to iTunes."
"This will open up parts of the world where we have previously been excluded, including English-speaking markets such as South Africa or the United States where the Virgin brand is strong. That will also allow the brand greater strength in those markets should they regulate online gambling but that is a benefit rather than a main strategic goal".
AWOMO is currently in beta mode and the companies expect to launch the complete product in the third quarter of this year.
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has established itself as one of the leading online gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
- Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Cryptologic, FremantleMedia and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like blackjack and roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a jackpot value of over Pounds Sterling 1,500,000
- Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
- Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
Virgin was founded by Sir Richard Branson in 1970 and has grown to become one of the world's most loved, respected and recognizable brands. Virgin has won too many awards and commendations to list, but its fair to say that most parts of the world have been touched by the Branson - Virgin magic, and Virgin Games plans on delivering the fun, quality and value for money that people have grown a custom to with Virgin.
Party hard and play harder at Virgin Games.
References: Virgin Enterprises, Virgin Games, Wikipedia, Poker News Daily, eGaming Review, Google News, Wires, AP, Earth Times, Media Man, Global Gaming Directory, Casino News Media.
Website
Virgin Games
Website Network
Media Man International
Casino News Media
Casino News Media.net
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Virtual Worlds Media
American Casino News
American Gaming News
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino - online "war" between iGaming powerhouses, by Greg Tingle - 25th February 2010
PartyGaming - Asia Pacific - Australian focus, planning on return to United States; Hollywood themed games and tie ins with World Poker Tour owned brand, Asian Poker Tour collaboration, Maintains lead as world's leading online casino brand
Virgin Games - planning on expanding both Gambling and non gambling gaming products; Plans to add over 100 new games within 12 months
Hundreds of game titles are available to play now at both PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com and Richard Branson's VirginCasino.com
Punters take note...PartyCasino.com can be accessed in most of the Asia Pacific including Australia and New Zealand, and hotspot, Tasmania, while Virgin Casino can not currently be accessed in those regions. Both companies are looking to soon be able to offering paid games to the United States, in a race which numerous experts say PartyGaming is winning. PartyGaming also owns and operates the famous World Poker Tour (which is available to American punters).
Background
PartyCasino.com VS VirginGames.com
Background to the war...
The "war" between igaming rivals PartyCasino.com and Virgin Games heats up further with the news hot off the press that Richard Branson's Virgin Games will be getting more smash hit games including the King Kong slot.
In addition Richard Branson's Virgin Games is planning a non gambling service: A World Of My Own (AWOMO), which will be able to provide gamers with a cutting edgy technology service in basically all parts of the world, including in regions where traditional online gambling is not permitted. The strength of the Virgin brand, combined with Virgin's track record of success in new ventures and technology stack the odds in favour of the launch being a huge success. Virgin and competitor, PartyGaming, also have very strong news media, igaming, political and business connections.
Virgin's AWOMO is currently in beta testing, and is expected to launch the complete product in the third quarter of this year.
PartyGaming is pushing the interactive elements of its gaming with "Live Dealer", "Casino Calendar" and "Avatar" type technologies just around the corner.
The Casinos
Both online casinos are world class. PartyCasino.com has won the Casino News Media Online Casino of the Month title a number of times and Virgin has made the shortlist for the past 3 months. PartyGaming has won a number of eGaming Review awards and commendations over the years including Socially Responsible Operator Of The Year and Operator Of The Year. PartyCasino.com offers rewards program PartyPoints, while Virgin offers V*Points.
The main point of difference for many potential players is that PartyCasino.com accepts Australian players while Virgin currently does not. PartyCasino also offers a wider variety of multi language and multi currency options. Both casinos offer play for free or play for money options.
Jackpots
Party offers Gold Mega Jackpot, The Big One, Marvel Hero Jackpot and Super Hero Jackpot
Virgin offers MegaJackpots, Marvel Hero Jackpot and Super Hero Jackpot
Virgin Enterprises Limited is one of the world's most successful companies as is PartyGaming. PartyGaming is listed on the London Stock Exchange and was established in 1997. Virgin Games was established in 2005 and Virgin Enterprises was founded by Richard Branson in 1970.
If your ready for action, excitement and fun, check out Party and Virgin without delay.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
VirginGames.com
Profiles
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
PartyCasino.com
PartyGaming
Virgin Games
Virgin Casino
Virgin Bingo
Website Network
Media Man
Global Gaming Directory
Casino News Media
Casino News Media.net
Global Gaming Directory.net
Virtual Worlds Media
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Manager
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Luck, stuck and a truck load of money - 22nd February 2010
A retired Sydney man who did just that after reading an article about feng shui became an instant millionaire thanks to a stroke of good fortune.
The ex-policeman, aged in his 50s, picked a winning ticket in the latest BoysTown charity lotto, netting him a luxury house on the Sunshine Coast worth more than $1.2 million.
And because he bought four tickets, which cost $15 each, he was given an extra prize - the choice between an Audi sportscar and $75,000 in gold bullion.
Feeling a tad old for the swish car, he took the gold and plans to cash it in for an overseas holiday.
The man, a bachelor who wished to remain anonymous, said he'd also sell the house - despite the lure of its views and nearby beaches - and use the money to pay off his debts.
He reckons his stroke of luck was all down to the gold coin.
Since gluing it in place in November, he's also won two lotto prizes worth more than $1000.
"I had lost a fair bit of money, so I thought ... why not!" he said of adopting the feng shui practice.
"I was pretty embarrassed about it at the time."
The man decided to enter BoysTown charity lottery draws after working as a policeman with troubled youth on the streets of Sydney's Kings Cross.
Money raised from BoysTown Lotteries funds its charitable services, which help people in need across Australia.
They include Kids Helpline, employment and training services, and homeless and domestic violence refuges.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Australian Gambling, Betting, Sports and Political News; Massive News Week Down Under, by Greg Tingle - 19th February 2010
iGaming powerhouses PartyGaming and Virgin Games at "war"
PartyGaming's PartyCasino continues its mega popularity in the Asia Pacific - Australian region. Richard Branson's Virgin Casino has just released Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (which Party already has). Virgin also advises Thor will be released this. With Party and Virgin offering Call of Action, Thor and soon, King Kong, this is likely to further damage InterCasino which had the games over a year ago however failed to make the most of the lucrative and exciting Asia Pacific region. Aussie punters take note... PartyGaming's brands are available for play in Australia and other Asia Pacific regions, while Virgin Games products are not... Sir Richard Branson, can you fix that up? PartyGaming stays #1 in the Australian iGaming - online casino sector for the time being.
Politics
A massive week in Australian politics... Australian casino king James Packer spotted playing golf with Sen Stephen Conroy two Sundays ago. Their spot of golf at Lord Williams private golf club coincidentally (or not) came on the same day that the government announced a $250 million licence fee reduction for free-to-air television stations. Insiders including those at The Sydney Morning Herald reckon that Mr Packer has been twisting Conroy's arm about a fairer deal for Foxtel. Mr Packer owns a 25% interest in pay television station Foxtel.
Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, has labelled the 250 million as an attempt by the government to bribe the networks in return for favourable coverage in an election year.
Mr Abbott backed off only a little yesterday after the networks expressed their displeasure. "The last thing I would ever do is accuse professional journalists of being bribable but certainly this is a government which is always looking for favours."
Mr Packer's casino business in Australia and Macau continue to power along, however Crown Melco has ceased plans to buy into a third casino in downtown Macau. Aussie insiders reckon Sen Conroy doesn't mind being mentioned in the same vein at "Casino Jack and the United States of Money".
Gamers and igamers are a dangerous lot says Australian police and politicians. South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson this week caused a furore by claiming his family was more at risk from gamers than motorcycle gangs!
Australian bookies and Joe Public on the street reckon that there's at least a reasonable chance that the Labor Party will be thrown out of office at the next election. Prime Minster Rudd has even publicly and privately advised that there's a chance they will loose the election. Media Man says never underestimate the power and repercussions of jackass policy (Australian internet censorship filter). Australian are well known for the passion of gambling and porn, both of which can be addictions of sorts, so if you attack that too much, you might kiss the election goodbye nurse.
Tony "The Bruiser" Abbot VS Kevin "Bloody" Rudd
The election polls suggest a comeback and now the punters are starting to see value in the straight-talking Tony Abbott. Bookies say the 2010 federal election is now shaping up as a contest, with 80 per cent of recent bets backing the new Liberal Leader against Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Mr Rudd is still odds-on favourite, returning just $1.20 from Centrebet if he stays in The Lodge. But the Coalition under Mr Abbot has tightened to $3.85 - the first time it has been under $4 in more than a year. The betting market rally follows several polls suggesting a modest turnaround in political fortunes. Centrebet's Neil Evans said the agency had been forced to reassess its prices after several big bets in recent days. One punter wagered $10,000 on Mr Abbott at $4.25, and another invested $5000 at $4. "Of the last 50 bets of any amount that have been laid, nearly 80 per cent is for the Coalition," Mr Evans said. "It's the first crucial sign the Coalition is getting right back into the battle after the Labor government had dominated with punters for two years." He said Centrebet was holding about $160,000 on the election contest, with about 75 per cent on Labor to win. August 28 is firming at the most likely election date, according to Centrebet punters.
Sports and Olympic Fever
Between the Vancouver Games, UFC 110 in Sydney and bits and bobs there's serious betting occurring this week.
Australia's Torah Bright snowboarding champion babe wins Gold!
UFC 110 in Sydney, Australia this Sunday 21st - betting by punters has been hot and heavy with PartyBets, Gamebookers, BetUS.com and others all taking considerable bets, which is not surprising considering UFC's Dana White advised the Sydney live event sold out in less that a day and that Australia is one of the strongest markets for DVD sales.
Real heat exists between Noguiera and Velasquez and things got testy at yesterdays press conference.
George Sotiropoulos is the leading Australian contender at present, a lightweight who is unbeaten in the UFC and facing Joe Stevenson on the UFC 110 main card. Like Sinosic and Haseman before him, he can be this generation’s trailblazer for MMA in Australia. But fight fans won’t soon forget the first two.
“Both of us put in the hard yards,” said Sinosic. “When we started, it wasn’t mixed martial arts, it was no holds barred, and we were really discovering what it was all about. It’s great to get the recognition ourselves, but more importantly to see the sport get the recognition and respect it deserves. To see the mainstream press here treating us like athletes and not like barroom brawlers, I’m just glad to be a part of it all.”
ONE will broadcast the event live in Australia this Sunday.
Casino Legal
The Australian Productivity Commission will finally release the Gambling Report this week, insiders say within days.
PartyGaming delighted with progress in Asia Pacific
PartyGaming CEO and management is very happy with the outfits continued infiltration of Australia and the Asia Pacific region in general. Ryan has given clearance to keep signing up celebs for their poker and casino brands, following up on Aussie Tony G and Pommie Phil "Tuffers" Tufnell.
Party PR man, Warren Lush, expects to be heading back to the Asian Poker Tour in August. The event is likely to be held again in gaming hotspot Macau.
The group finance director Martin Weigold told media on a conference call following the quarter results that casino revenue was boosted by a customer who won $5 million in one of the group's large jackpots and recycled $2 million of that win back into PartyGaming's casino website.
Party also announced the appointment of Per Widerstrom, previously CEO of Mangas Gaming, to the newly created role of COO, effectively freeing up CEO Jim Ryan to focus on M&A and new business opportunities.
Poker
Rennie Carnevale won the Adelaide heat of the Australia New Zealand Poker Tournament held this past weekend. The 21 year old picked up a cool $165,900. PokerStars remains the poker brand behind the well established and respected poker event.
Horse Racing
Veteran bookmaker Con Kafataris will hang up his satchel after 34 years on Sydney racetracks to concentrate on his online betting agency, Centrebet. The managing director of Centrebet said he would close CK Racing, the on-track bookmaking operation, after the Easter racing carnival because of regulatory reforms around corporate rivals and the changing composition of traditional punters. The announcement came as Centrebet recorded a first-half net profit of $6.3 million, up 19 per cent on the same time last year, and declared a 5.5c unfranked dividend which represented a 77 per cent payout ratio. "It's a combination of factors; the global financial crisis which started a year ago has impacted the high-end recreational punter that would come to the track," Mr Kafataris said. "They stopped coming to the track or they reduced their activity". Just maybe Con or his spies noticed that Media Man just joined dozens of others who are in the online racing and betting sector with the launch of http://www.racingnewsmedia.com The worst kept secret in Australian racing is that betting giant Betfair has significantly hurt the bottom line of the traditional TAB and bookie on track takings.
Aussie Female Gamblers - University Of Queensland Report
Typical Australian gamblers are no longer just men playing poker, with more women becoming addicted, isolated and even suicidal, a researcher from The University of Queensland has warned. UQ School of Tourism researcher and hospitality management lecturer, Dr Timothy Lee, says gambling in Australia is becoming more and more ``feminised''. Dr Lee says a third of problem gamblers are women at a time when Australia leads the world in the number of poker machines and $6 million a day is pushed through their slots!
Court orders gambler to pay up US$1m
An Australian gambler who lost more than US$1 million at a Bahamas casino while on his honeymoon in 2006 has been ordered to pay up by a Melbourne court. Former high-flying property developer Harry Kakavas had argued unsuccessfully that Paradise Island Casino in Nassau had taken advantage of his addiction to gambling. It was a second legal setback for Kakavas, who in December last year was ordered to pay Melbourne's Crown Casino the AU$1 million he owed.
Meet Australia's biggest punter
Meet Australia's most mysterious gambling figure: Zeljko Ranogajec, the man acknowledged by sources close to the TAB to be, by some margin, its most prolific gambler.
The size of Mr Ranogajec's betting is extraordinary. It is believed he accounts for 6-8 per cent of Tabcorp's $10 billion Australian betting turnover – or $600-800 million – and bets tens of millions more with local bookmakers.
Once the overseas betting turnover of his 24-hour, seven-day operation is taken into account, his total annual betting spend globally is believed to be well over $1 billion.
Crown Casino Gets Tough On Trouble Makers: Security Beefed Up
Crown casino staff are being trained to use plastic handcuffs under a new push to control violent patrons. The move - which has angered civil libertarians - is aimed at allowing staff to more safely eject patrons who are a threat to themselves, staff and others. The lightweight cuffs would also allow chosen security officers to more easily hold troublemakers while they wait for police to arrive with their force-issued handcuffs. Senior managers have been instructed by former Victoria Police officers working in private industry in how to use the handcuffs. Crown spokesman Gary O'Neill said any move to introduce the handcuffs was at a preliminary stage and, if adopted, would only be used by the senior security staff and managers in "exceptional circumstances". He said such patrons were a risk to many in a busy environment like Crown. "That is a very dangerous situation," he said. "The thought behind it is to provide a safer regime both for our staff who are engaged in these removals, Crown customers and the people involved themselves." Mr O'Neill said Crown management would work with Victoria Police on how best to develop procedures and policies for use of the handcuffs. He said he expected they would be used rarely, if adopted, and the number of "assisted removals" was declining. Mr O'Neill said they would be in use by the end of the year, if approved. "It's at a very, very preliminary stage at the moment. It's not something we're committed to," he said. "We are very conscious that we need to develop a regime that has the approval of Victoria Police." Handcuffs are used at the Burswood Casino in Perth. Australian Council of Civil Liberties president Terry O'Gorman said such a move would be unacceptable. "The only people using handcuffs should be trained police. You invite misuse. Crown can expect a flood of civil lawsuits," Mr O'Gorman said. "Next, they'll want capsicum spray or Tasers." Victoria Police said it was "not in a position to provide comment on whether the carriage or use of equipment by security staff is appropriate without further information".
Events
Gaming, Racing & Wagering Australia - 22nd - 23rd March, Star City Casino
iGB Down Under in Sydney, Australia - 23rd to 25th March, Star City Casino
Do politics, sports and gambling mix? You be the judge! As per usual, punters, bet with your head, not over it, and for Christ's sake, keep it fun. If it stops being fun its likely time to top. Good punting till next time.
*The writer is a special contributor for Gambling911.com
*The writer owns shares in Crown Holdings
*The writer is the director and founder of Media Man, primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company http://www.mediamanint.com
Thursday, February 18, 2010
PartyGaming rise, broker ups to "buy" - 18th February 2010
PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com World Poker Tour GetMinted.com PartyBingo.com
Shares in online gambling group PartyGaming add 2.1 percent after Oriel Securities raises its recommendation on the firm to "buy" from "hold", saying it looks undervalued, citing its growth potential.
The broker says based on its forecasts of $158 million of EBITDA in 2010, the shares are trading on an adjusted price earnings ratio of 13.2 times and 8.7 times EBITDA.
"This is an undemanding rating for a growth stock which is active in entering new regions," it says.
"The group is also well positioned to participate in the consolidation of the online gaming sector with clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice and around $120 million of cash resources to pursue M&A opportunities."
Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
Website Network
Media Man
Media Man International
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Party Casino News
Poker News Media
Casino News Media
Casino News Media.net
Virgin Casino Introduces Major New Games for February
Warren Eloff, Product Manager at Virgin Casino, commented:
"We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as we believe they will greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around. Call of Duty 4 is one of the most popular video games ever created and I've no doubt it will be a big hit with our players, as will the other new games."
Virgin Games will be launching new games throughout February with Cryptologic's Call of Duty launching on the 17th and Thor following soon.
Both King Kong and Call of Duty 4 are 25 payline slots where players can unlock multiple bonus rounds and win both free spins and mystery cash prizes. Call of Duty 4 has a particularly exciting bonus round which transports players to treacherous hotspots around the globe to take on a rogue enemy group threatening world peace. Players must shoot down as many soldiers as possible to win free games and cash prizes and get the chance to win up to 5,000 times their bet.
Also to be launched in February are Aces High and SpinWin, both by Dynamite Idea and Sportswheel by VS Gaming.
Founded in 2004, Virgin Casino has over 100,000,000 players and 103 casino games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Casino seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. These new games add to a growing selection that can be found at Virgin Casino from games producers including WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Fremantle, Endemol, Dynamite Idea, VS Gaming and Ash Gaming.
To play these exciting new games visit VirginGames.com
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
- Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like blackjack and roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a jackpot value of over GBP 1,500,000
- Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of poker games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
- Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Website
VirginGames.com
Profiles
King Kong
Thor
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Virgin Games
Virgin Casino
Virgin Bingo
Cryptologic
WagerWorks
FremantleMedia
Richard Branson
Website Network
Media Man
Global Gaming Directory
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory.net
Casino News Media.net
Hollywood Slot Games
Multi Currency Casino
American Casino News
American Gaming News
Marvel Slots Online
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Virgin Casino to Significantly Expand Games Portfolio in 2010
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company - Virgin Games, has today announced that it has developed a road map to introduce all the latest casino games in the next twelve months, making it one of the most content rich gaming sites in the UK market.
To help enhance its already strong portfolio, Virgin Casino has taken on a new partner - Playtech company, Gaming Technology Solutions (GTS) - a leading global supplier of gaming solutions for online gaming operations. Playtech provides cutting-edge software to the top operators in the gaming industry, and through the GTS Enhanced Gaming Engine (EdGE) platform, will provide Virgin Casino with access to the best in breed casino games on the market. Amongst the many exciting games due to be launched this year are Call of Duty 4, Monopoly Multiplier and Play Your Cards Right.
Warren Eloff, Product Manager at Virgin Casino, commented "GTS EdGE platform allows us easy access to the best gaming suppliers in the business and partnering with them to help develop our product offering makes perfect sense. We plan to roll out over 100 games this year and among them will be some top brand names, providing our customers with sophisticated and exciting games that they have come to expect from us. With all these new games we will have one of the best casinos available online."
Founded in 2004, Virgin Casino has over 500,000 players and 50 casino games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Casino seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. Virgin Casino offers games from a growing selection of games producers, including: WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle, Endemol, Dynamite Idea, VS Gaming and Ash Gaming.
To play at Virgin Casino visit VirginGames.com
About Virgin Games
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has established itself as one of the leading online gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings
- Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like blackjack and roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a jackpot value of over Pounds Sterling 1,500,000
- Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
- Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory.
Website
VirginGames.com
Website Network
Media Man
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Casino News Media
PartyGaming Casino Bets Boost Fourth Quarter; Satisfied players and management, by Greg Tingle - 17th February 2010
The company, which is listed on the London stock exchange but based in tax-friendly Gibraltar, said sales rose to $132.2 million in the three months to Dec. 31 from $100.4 million last year, helped by two acquisitions and a particularly strong performance in its casino division which offers online casino games like slots, blackjack and roulette, online poker games, sports betting and spread betting services.
PartyPoker.com remains the companies flagship brand however in the past 12 months PartyCasino.com has experienced considerable growth and brand presence, boosted by both branded slot games like Rambo, Mission: Impossible, Top Gun, Call Of Action 4: Modern Warfare, Resident Evil, The Terminator, Saturday Night Fever, The Godfather, a host of Marvel Entertainment themed games, and the recent news media campaign of which cricket and reality TV figure Phil 'Tuffers' Tufnell is the front man for.
PartyGaming is still on the look out for more igaming and betting sector companies to buy up following it's successful purchases of World Poker Tour and Cashcade. Earlier this month PartyGaming inked a "white label" deal with London Capital Group enhancing its spread betting offerings.
The company is the world's biggest listed online gaming group by market capitalization, derives most of its revenue from online poker and casino games and owns and operates a more modest sized sports book and bingo business, which is currently on the upswing.
Finance director Martin Weigold told reporters on a conference call following the results that casino revenue was boosted by a customer who won $5 million in one of the group's large jackpots and recycled $2 million of that win back into PartyGaming's casino website.
Weigold advised that the unusually strong sales rise is not sustainable going forward into 2010, however the company still expects to report double digit sales and profit growth in the year.
The bullish outlook for 2010 sits comfortably with the group's 2009 earnings, which it expects to be ahead of its own board forecasts.
Weigold said market consensus is for 'clean' earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda, of $132 million in 2010, and PartyGaming expects to outperform this.
'Clean' Ebitda is the company's preferred measure of profitability and excludes one-off, non-recurring and non-cash items. It is due to report is full year results March 4.
The good news buoyed PartyGaming shares, up 3.2% or 9 pence to 294p.
Alongside casino improvements, PartyGaming also reversed an 18-month trend of quarter-on-quarter revenue declines for its poker division, posting a 9% rise in sales to $49.1 million.
PartyGaming's poker operations had been under pressure due to competition from rivals, and the company has reacted by increasing the bonuses paid and expanding its loyalty programs (PartyPoints and Palladium Lounge)to encourage customers onto the site and retain them. Certainly Asia Pacific - Australian based players are sticking with it, based on feedback and buzz passed onto Asia Pacific's Media Man and Casino News Media firms.
The online gaming sector was hit by the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in October 2006 which effectively shut down the ultra lucrative market in the U.S. In Europe though, E.U. competition rules have prompted countries to start to open up their regulatory regimes to new players, and PartyGaming is looking to expand its operations when this happens.
It already has a growing presence in Italy, and with France and Denmark due to formalize regulation this year and next, the company is confident of its future growth prospects. South Africa, South America and India also appear to be countries well suited to grow the business. The Australian market is on fire says industry insiders. Australians remain some of the world's most passionate punters, in the top ten says recent figures quoted in the likes of Forbes, News Limited, Fairfax, WSJ, AP and Google News. The Aussie's are massive fans of the Hollywood blockbuster slot games and Marvel Entertainment titles Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four and The Amazing Spider-Man. Insiders advise Aussies are punting big in search of the Marvel Hero Jackpot, almost as popular as Party's 'The Big One' and 'Gold Mega Jackpot', currently sitting on approximately 3 million dollars.
PartyGaming is well aware that it's in the entertainment business and is pro active in putting the Business in Show, while maintaining happy punters, clients, partners and investors.
In addition the company is in discussions with other operators about potential deals and takeovers, although Chief Executive Jim Ryan wouldn't be drawn on whether a transformational deal would be forthcoming this year. Bwin's name keeps coming up, but its one of dozens who are keen to ink high end deals with PartyGaming.
Numis analyst Andrew Wade said he believes PartyGaming's fourth quarter performance should position it well for any merger and acquisition discussions, "as well as confirming it as an attractive partner for State and Private companies wanting to enter new markets."
The company is currently experiencing considerable growth in the Asia Pacific - Australian region, and is poised to return to the United States market, which compliments its strategic purchase of World Poker Tour, not to forget masses of U.S residents keen to play PartyGaming's Hollywood blockbuster slot games.
PartyGaming is expected to have presence at the upcoming iGaming Business event in Sydney, Australia this coming March.
*The writer has a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of brands in the igaming, gaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyBets.com
World Poker Tour
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyBets.com
World Poker Tour
Website Network
Media Man
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Party Casino News
Casino News Media
Monday, February 15, 2010
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Online Slot Hits PartyCasino and Coming Soon To Virgin Casino and Virgin Bingo, by Greg Tingle
The multi award winning Call Of Duty 4 videogame is one of the most popular game titles of all time and is right up there with Cleopatra, Space Invaders and Tomb Raider.
Action fans can also check out the likes of Rambo, The Terminator and Mission: Impossible at PartyCasino.com If you like Rambo, you'll likely love Call Of Action.
The Call Of Duty 4 slot features five reels and 25 paylines to give you the chance to win a staggering 400,000 in your account currency.
You’ll visit treacherous war zones around the globe in Call of Duty 4’s incredible bonus round, where you can win free games and cash prizes by shooting down your enemies.
Game Objective:
Call of Duty 4 is a five-reel, twenty five-paylines Non Jackpot slot game with two bonus features. The first feature is a random exploding symbol which will create other wild SOLDIER symbols on the reels. This is random and you'll either see a grenade being thrown onto the screen exploding some symbols, or you'll see a soldier run up and plant explosives on the reels.
The other bonus feature is triggered when you hit 3 or more scattered LOGO symbols anywhere on the reels. Here you must shoot down the enemies as they appear on the screen, much like in the computer game. You'll win up to 4 free games for each soldier killed and you'll even get a bonus for head shots. There are bonus prizes for destroying cars and barrels. If you manage to kill 5 soldiers in a row as a streak, you'll be awarded with an airstrike which will award 3, 4 or 5 as a multiplier for the free games. If there are no airstrikes you play the free games at 2x multiplier.
Game Information:
The minimum bet amount is $0.01 USD and the maximum bet amount is $2000 USD.
You can bet on up to twenty five lines
PartyCasino.com VS VirginGames.com
The "war" between igaming rivals PartyCasino.com and Virgin Games heats up further with the news hot off the press that Richard Branson's Virgin Games will be getting the smash hit game on Wednesday 18th February 2010.
Both online casinos are world class. PartyCasino.com has won the Casino News Media Online Casino of the Month title a number of times and Virgin has made the shortlist for the past 3 months. PartyGaming has won a number of eGaming Review awards and commendations over the years including Socially Responsible Operator Of The Year an Operator Of The Year. PartyCasino.com offers rewards program PartyPoints, while Virgin offers V*Points.
The main point of difference for many potential players is that PartyCasino.com accepts Australian players while Virgin currently does not. PartyCasino also offers a wider variety of multi language and multi currency options. Both casinos offer play for free or play for money options.
Virgin Enterprises Limited is one of the world's most successful companies as is PartyGaming. PartyGaming is listed on the London Stock Exchange and was established in 1997. Virgin Games was established in 2005 and Virgin Enterprises was founded by Richard Branson in 1970.
If your ready for action and ready for a war of world class levels, check out Call Of Action today.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
VirginGames.com
Profiles
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
PartyCasino.com
PartyGaming
Virgin Games
Virgin Casino
Virgin Bingo
Website Network
Media Man
Global Gaming Directory
Casino News Media
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Global Gaming Blog: US commercial gaming
Global Gaming Blog
Casino News: US commercial gaming revenue sees eighth straight record-breaking quarter - May 2023
U.S. commercial gaming revenue reached a quarterly record of $16.60 billion in Q1 2023, marking the industry’s eighth straight record-breaking quarter. The quarter was highlighted by the industry’s highest-grossing month ever of $5.90 billion in March, according to the American Gaming Association.
Across the country, 18 of 35 commercial gaming markets set new revenue records for the quarter, with only Mississippi trailing its quarterly revenue from Q1 2022.
Retail gaming accounted for 75.3% of total revenue while online gaming represented its largest share ever, 24.7%.
“After two full years of successive growth post-COVID, the U.S. gaming industry has never been stronger,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “With records across every gaming vertical—from brick-and-mortar casinos to mobile gaming—American adults continue to choose gaming as one of their top entertainment options.”
Avatar type technology and innovation at PartyGaming's PartyCasino, by Greg Tingle - 10th February 2010
PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com, established since 1997, is widely acknowledged as the world's biggest and best online casino... a big claim, we know.
Evidence... hundreds of games... slots, table games, skill games, poker and more.
Exclusive Hollywood blockbusters... Rambo, Saturday Night Fever, Sinatra, Tarzan, High Noon, Top Gun, Resident Evil, The Naked Gun, Mission: Impossible.
Classic slots like Cleopatra, Monopoly, Cluedo, Wheel Of Fortune...
Marvel super hero fans? Don't just watch the movies, play the games! The Incredible Hulk, Thor, The Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. Excelsior!
Rewards... PartyGaming's PartyPoints and Palladium Lounge
Trust and credibility... listed on the London Stock Exchange and winner of numerous igaming and business awards and commendations including eGaming Review "Operator Of The Year" and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month"
Easy for players... multi currency and multi language, and PartyCasino is available for most European, Canadian, South African, South American and Australian customers. Go Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!
PartyGaming also own and operate the world famous World Poker Tour, a claim only one igaming operator can make... that's PartyGaming.
Play for free or play for money. Feel the excitement at PartyCasino.com
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyBets.com
PartyGaming
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyCasino.com Marvel Slots
Website Network
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Party Casino News
Marvel Slots Online
Virtual Worlds Media
Casino News Media
Media Man
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Foxy Bingo Sweden Uses Virtue Fusion - 9th February 2010
PartyGaming has chosen Virtue Fusion for the launch of its Swedish facing online bingo site, due to Virtue Fusion’s leading bingo games content, European prize pool liquidity and “speed to market” as key differentiators in their decision making process.
Virtue Fusion Alderney CEO Bob McCulloch said, “This deal is the ultimate quality stamp of approval for Virtue Fusion Alderney, to be selected by one of the biggest players in our industry in PartyGaming and one of the trail blazers in the online bingo industry in Cashcade is extremely satisfying.”
PartyGaming’s Bingo Overseas Marketing and Business Development Manager Michael Brady added, “The Virtue Fusion software enables us to launch in an exciting new market. The Virtue Fusion software combined with our marketing expertise promises to herald a new and profitable chapter in our history. Virtue Fusion Alderney’s fantastic liquidity, combined with the rich quality of their online bingo provision is the big attraction for us. We look forward to working together on Foxy Bingo in Sweden.”
Profiles
PartyGaming
Foxy Bingo
PartyBingo.com
Cashcade
Virtue Fusion
Bingo
Online Bingo
News
Casino News
Online Casino News
Bingo News
Global Gaming News
Website Network
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Casino News Media
Party Casino News
Media Man
Bingo News Media
Virgin Games Refer-a-Friend
The offer is available to all Virgin Games players that have made a deposit. To refer a friend the existing player simply needs to add a name and email where prompted and can refer up to five friends every month, earning 1000 V*Points for every friend.
V*Points is Virgin Games’ unrivalled loyalty scheme - unlike many other online gaming loyalty schemes it is transparent and easy to calculate; each V*Point has a cash value of 1p or one Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Mile and can be redeemed for cash, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles or Virgin experiences such as rally driving days.
Simon Burridge, CEO of Virgin Games, commented “In a recent survey over 80 per cent of our customers said that they would recommend a friend to Virgin Games, so we thought it was about time we incentivised our players to put this into action. Our ‘Recommend-a-Friend’ scheme is an excellent way for us to grow the Virgin Games community whilst rewarding our players for their loyalty.”
In order for the referrer to earn their V*POINTS the new player needs to play one of the following:
- Poker: Player must rake a minimum of £30
- Casino games: Player must wager a minimum of £500 (excludes roulette, baccarat, multiplier)
- Bingo tickets: Player must spend a minimum of £20
For further information got to: www.virgingames.com
Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Profiles
Virgin Games
Virgin Casino
Virgin Bingo
Virgin Poker
V*Points
Virgin Enterprises Limited
Richard Branson
Website Network
Media Man
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Bingo News Media
Poker News Media
Classic Slots Online
Casino News Media
Monday, February 08, 2010
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Casino News Media - Media Man - News Update - 8th February 2010
PartyPoker players and management enjoying rewards of Aussie Tyron Krost winning 2010 Aussie Millions Poker Championship
Sinatra Slot is the Casino News Media slot game of the month
Cleopatra online slot game still world's most popular online slot; Sinatra, Rambo, ISIS, Hellboy, Tomb Raider not able to crack Cleo's #1 position
3D Casinos - PartyCasino Live Dealer stays popular with "Avatar" type technology rumored to be on the way; PKR upgrades front-end and back-end and introduces sports betting
PartyGaming sales up 32% from last quarter
New Games - Microgaming powered Casino Splendido and Roxy Palace get Hellboy online slot; Virgin Casino gets Monty’s Millions; PartyCasino.com gets Melon Madness jackpot slot
Playtech follows up business deal with Sega with a deal with Richard Branson's Virgin Games; Interested in expanding service to United States
Microgaming Announces Lord of the Rings Licensing Deal
Microgaming - Captain Cooks Casino loosing some ground to Casino Splendido and Roxy Palace in Asia Pacific region, as Captain Cooks doesn't have Hellboy slot
Reality TV - iGaming connection: PartyCasino signs up Phil Tufnell to front campaign
Bingo: PartyBingo, Foxy Bingo and Virgin Bingo continue to enjoy growth
Table games likely to become more popular online as new technology is released
Jackpots - PartyCasino's "The Big One" Jackpot rises in popularity however Marvel Hero Jackpot and Gold Mega Jackpot games preferred by many
PokerStars remains world's most popular online poker website but PartyGaming's PartyPoker making ground
Noble Casino gets a boost with $4000 player bonus and Incredible Hulk and Iron-Man slots
Thor movie sees Marvel themed online slot games remain some of world's most popular; Spider-Man, Captain America and The Hulk also likely to get boost from Marvel movie headlines
NextGen Gaming: Andre The Giant and pro wrestling themed slot game rumors continue
Wrestling News: Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair to feature on new American Gaming News and American Casino News website portals; Flair keen to build on NC Education Lottery deal and Hogan open to boosting igaming business following Hulkamania slot
Hitwise rankings get cred with industry, players and potential advertisers
Google organic search results more credible with players and industry than sponsored and paid listings; Google continues to react well to new, fresh and unique content
Apple keen to build upon mobile gaming and gambling success; Cleo game may be path forward
Social networking websites continue to play increased role in igaming business
UFC sports betting battle heats up between PartyBets and BetUS; as PartyGaming continues talkers with bwin
City Of Dreams Macau makes impressive comeback; Bottom link and visitor numbers up
Crown Casino, Melbourne, Australia continues to come down hard on criminals and bad behavior; Assisting police efforts in cracking criminals
Tabcorp Holdings bottom line results not impressive with 1% profit increase from last year; May revamp its Gold Coast based Conrad Jupiters casino, following Sydney's Star City Casino renovation
Casino Legal - Australian Productivity Commission due to release details of gaming report this month
Casino Legal - Harrah’s Entertainment and PartyGaming leading the way in U.S lobbying
"Casino Jack" movie documentary has industry on edge and Yankee and Aussie politicians concerned
World Casino Directory format remains popular with players, industry and portal developers
Multi currency casino format a winner with punters
Macau's casino sector enjoys boost while Las Vegas Strip still hurting
Las Vegas industry and politics continue to investigate ways to see comeback to Vegas
Events - iGaming Business to return to Sydney, Australia this March
Community News - Media Man assists Virgin Unite; Calvin Ayre shows awesome leadership in Haiti relief effort and James Packer Crown Casino king plays it forward to UNICEF
HollywoodSlotGames.com to do cross promos with American Gaming News and American Casino News websites
Media Man launches more website portals: American Gaming News; American Casino News and Media Man Asia
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Australian Casino News
American Gaming News
American Casino News
Bingo News Media
Virtual Worlds Media
Poker News Media
Cleopatra Slot News
Casino Travel Media
Multi Currency Casino
Saturday, February 06, 2010
PartyGaming jumps after sales surge, by Greg Tingle - 6th February 2010
PartyGaming is the world's leading online gaming and igaming company, is listed on the London Stock Exchange and was established in 1997.
The company has a number of awards and commendations to its name including from eGaming Review, Poker News Daily and Casino News Media.
The writer has a b2b relationship with a number of PartyGaming brands, as they do with dozens of companies in the igaming, gaming, entertainment and media sector.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
World Poker Tour
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyBets.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
News
Casino News
Online Casino News
Poker News
Bingo News
Betting News
Global Gaming News
PartyCasino.com News
PartyGaming News
Website Network
Media Man
Media Man International
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Party Casino News
Australian Casino News
American Gaming News
American Casino News
Poker News Media
Casino News Media
Friday, February 05, 2010
PartyGaming News: Online gamers set for consolidation wave in 2010
PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com PartyBingo.com PartyBets.com World Poker Tour
Consolidation among online gaming firms is set to spark into life in 2010 with a possible deal between PartyGaming and Austria's bwin seen as the potential catalyst for a wave of takeover activity.
"I think 2010 is going to be the determining year," said one senior executive of an online gaming group who asked not be named.
"I do think there's going to be a domino effect, meaning the first deal gets everybody else to run. You don't want to be the last one left without a partner."
If a merger of Party and bwin were to materialize, it could cajole the likes of 888, Sportingbet and Playtech into tie-ups.
Traditional betting firms like Ladbrokes, William Hill and Paddy Power may also look to make acquisitions to boost their online presence.
Numis analyst Wyn Ellis says M&A activity across the sector is "inevitable."
"We believe that consolidation talks are widespread across the online gaming sector and that most companies could be considered to be both potential industry consolidators and takeover targets," he said.
Party and bwin have held early stage talks about a combination which would pair Party's strength in online gaming with bwin's expertise in sports betting.
Analysts say the logic behind the deal is compelling.
"Such a deal would bring Party the critical mass in sportsbook that it lacks, while for bwin, Party's casino and poker products would provide a significant boost to its presence in these markets," said KBC Peel Hunt analyst Nick Batram.
Daniel Stewart analyst James Hollins described the combination as "pretty epic."
"The combination would be very strategically strong. It's a pretty neat fit. PartyGaming is a very good poker brand. To combine that liquidity with bwin's network would be pretty impressive," he said.
Bwin shares have risen by over 300 percent since the beginning of 2009, boosted by ongoing merger speculation, a more favorable regulatory environment and the wider rally in Austrian shares, giving it a market value of $2.2 billion.
That compares with PartyGaming's $1.8 billion valuation, suggesting bwin would be the senior partner in a merger.
"The fact that bwin has edged ahead in terms of market cap may mean that the deal could happen earlier rather than later," said Cheuvreux analyst Alfred Reisenberger.
Hopes of industry consolidation and optimism over growth prospects are reflected in the companies' valuations.
Bwin is trading at around 24.5 times forecast 2009 earnings, compared with a price-earnings ratio for the Wiener Boerse Index of 21.7. PartyGaming is trading at 19.9 times forecast 2009 earnings, compared with a price-earnings ratio of 18.5 for the FTSE All Share Index.
Bwin's previous attempt to enter the lucrative poker market was ill-fated.
It bought Swedish poker operator Ongame in 2006 for almost half a billion euros to get a foot in the door of the United States poker market but its plan was scuppered when the United States effectively outlawed online gambling later in 2006. Bwin wrote off the entire investment in the same year.
Analysts say a number of factors have combined to make sector consolidation more likely over the next twelve months.
Most significant has been PartyGaming's agreement with U.S. authorities which will protect it from being prosecuted over its past activities there.
Deutsche Bank analyst Richard Carter said the settlement had given the online gaming sector "significantly more certainty and confidence and has enabled the capital markets to better understand the potential exposure of other online gaming companies that operated in the U.S."
Other online gaming companies which previously had U.S.-facing activities such as 888 and Sportingbet are also in talks with U.S. authorities with a view to reaching settlements.
The threat of retrospective action being taken against companies created enough uncertainty to derail deals such as Ladbrokes' proposed takeover of 888 which floundered in 2007.
The easing of those fears and greater clarity over the way the industry is regulated have led to banks being more comfortable with the sector and, therefore, more willing to provide credit for deals.
($1=.7122 Euro)
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyBets.com
World Poker Tour
News
Casino News
Online Casino News
Poker News
Betting News
Global Gaming News
Sports News
PartyCasino.com News
PartyGaming News
Website Network
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Media Man
Media Man International
Party Casino News
American Gaming News
American Casino News
Australian Casino News
Poker News Media
Casino News Media