Archive for March, 2007

Bingo! We wheelie want to add to the numbers for Comic Relief

Saturday, March 17th, 2007

Source: Lynn News

TEN staff from Lynn’s Gala Bingo put their wheels in motion for today’s Red Nose Day when they took on the challenge of a 20-mile sponsored bike ride in aid of Comic Relief.

Dressed in full Comic Relief regalia, including t-shirts, red-noses and superman-style red shorts over their cycling trousers, the determined fundraisers cycled from the club in St James Street to Sandringham and back on Monday – and raised a bumper £600.

Club general manager Mr John Keech (43) said as Gala is one of this year’s Red Nose Day sponsors, staff had wanted to do something special in keeping with the Comic Relief spirit.

“None of us are really bike riders – I haven’t ridden a bike since I was about 15 years old! – but we thought it would something fun to do.

“For people who don’t ride it was quite a challenge but it was really good,” he said.

Staff were so pleased with how much their debut sponsored cycle raised that they are planning a similar event in September in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

The bingo club will be continuing its fundraising for Comic Relief during the week with a charity auction today featuring a range of prizes donated by local business including free meals out.

To find out more about Comic Relief and Red Nose Day and how you can get involved log on to www.rednoseday.com

UK Meets Vegas in New Online Casino Partnership

Saturday, March 17th, 2007

Source: Online Casino News

United Kingdom Casino, one of London’s premier casinos operated by Aspinalls, has secured a partnership deal with online casino group VegasPartnerLounge.com and software development leaders Microgaming, in a move designed to help both companies boost their hold over the UK market.

As part of the deal Vegas Partner Lounge will operate the online element of the Aspinalls venture but the two companies will still remain separate entities. Vegas Partner Lounge management commented, ‘The venture is a lucrative one and promises to boost market share. Gambling enthusiasts, prospective players and investors alike need to buckle up and get ready for the journey.’

The partnership will also see Aspinalls online casinos migrating into the Microgaming network, allowing it to benefit from the upgraded features offered by the system. The renowned Aspinalls casino brand was established in the 1960’s by John Aspinall, and operates an extensive range of on and offline casinos in the UK.

From Casino-Bingo.co.uk –  UK Online Casinos Review /

Crown Bingo Network Becomes Better Bingo Network

Wednesday, March 14th, 2007

Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/3/prweb510001.htm

As part of its rebranding The Crown Bingo Network has renamed itself The Better Bingo Network so as to better represent its current and planned business operations.

The Crown Bingo Network has renamed itself the Better Bingo Network as part of a re-branding to better reflect its overall business.

The Better Bingo Network consists of three current sites – Simply Bingo, Bingo Loopy and Crown Bingo – with several more sites expected to join the network within the next three months.

Dan Smyth, managing director of the Better Bingo Network, said: “With our network expanding so quickly and so many more sites coming on board we felt that the Crown Bingo brand did not best explain what we are doing.

“We believe our network can offer partners a better deal than any competitor, both in terms of the online bingo experience but also in terms of what we can deliver to our partners. Our record of customer retention and maximising the returns on activity demonstrates why we genuinely feel we are a better bingo network”.

The change in network name also comes at a time when the company claims to be able to offer partners access to the world of online bingo in record time. Dan Smyth said: “From meeting with a potential partner for the first time to them having a fully functional bingo site of their own can now take as little as two weeks. It is clear talking to potential partners that speed to market is absolutely vital to them at the moment.”

New partner sites joining the Better Bingo Network also have access to a wealth of marketing support and resources. Dan Smyth said: “We’ve been doing this a long time now and have a wealth of expertise when it comes to launching and marketing websites. We work closely with our partners to ensure they reach their potential and are on-hand every step of the way.”

Related Bingo LinksCrown Bingo Review /

Minister defends casino panel

Wednesday, March 14th, 2007

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6447661.stm

Culture minister Richard Caborn has defended the independent panel which controversially picked Manchester as the site of the UK’s only super-casino.

Mr Caborn said the Casino Advisory Panel had done a “professional job” in choosing the super-casino site and 16 other sites for smaller casinos.

The casino licences will be debated by MPs and Lords in the next few weeks.

More than 100 MPs had called for an assessment of the panel’s report, particularly as Blackpool lost out.

Mr Caborn said: “Those who the decisions were in favour of, the 17, would say it was very fair, transparent and objective [process].

“Those who didn’t win think it is the worse thing that’s ever happened.

“The reality of life is that when you set up a panel you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”

He said the 117-page report showed that the panel “haven’t done a bad job at all”.

Mr Caborn, appearing before a Lords select committee, said: “We looked at the report in detail against the criteria we had laid.

“We thought a very professional job had been done.

“We believe the skill-set of the panel itself was broad enough to bring back a well-thought out, professional report.”

The five-person panel was chaired by Prof Stephen Crow.

Confidence

He said the Commons debate – twice as long as usual at three hours – would allow for those MPs with concerns to air them.

He also said he was “fairly confident” that the House would agree that the report was “robust”.

The panel also recommended that large casinos should be licensed at Great Yarmouth, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newham, Solihull and Southampton.

And it said that small casinos should be sited at Bath and North East Somerset, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lindsey, Luton, Scarborough, Swansea, Torbay and Wolverhampton.

These locations will also be debated by both Houses of Parliament.

From Casino-Bingo.co.ukOnline Casinos in Britain /

Tough code for casino ads

Wednesday, March 14th, 2007

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2032634,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=11

Watchdogs will today unveil new rules to prevent the lifting of ad restrictions for bookmakers and casinos from sparking a surge in problem gambling.

As from September, casinos, betting shops and online gaming sites will be able to advertise on television and radio for the first time under the 2005 Gambling Act, which also paved the way for the UK’s first “super casino” in Manchester.

The self-regulatory body that draws up the codes with which all advertisers must comply said yesterday the “strict new rules” would ensure the adverts remained socially responsible.

The relaxation of the ban is expected to signal a boom in television advertising by the sector, particularly among those online casinos hitherto limited mainly to billboards, sponsorship and online advertising.

Broadcasters hope it will help plug the financial gap created by new restrictions governing junk food ads aimed at children.

The new rules, to be policed by the Advertising Standards Authority, will insist adverts do not imply that gambling can be a solution to financial problems. Nor should they “portray, condone or encourage” behaviour that could lead to “financial, emotional or social harm”.

As with the code governing alcohol advertising, they must not be of particular appeal to children and young people, nor link the activity to seduction, sexual success or enhanced attractiveness.

Roger Wisbey, the secretary of the Committee of Advertising Practice and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, said the changes marked “a significant milestone” in the way betting and gaming could be advertised.

“Although advertisers will enjoy more freedom to advertise their services across media, the public can be confident they will do so within a stringent framework that requires all ads to be prepared in a socially responsible manner,” he added.

Minister for sport Richard Caborn said the new rules “set out clearly what is and isn’t acceptable advertising practice for all gambling operators”.

But he insisted the government was “not complacent” and would monitor the impact of the new rules.

“If they are insufficient to ensure proper public protection, the government will consider using its additional powers to impose further restrictions,” he said.

The new rules also set out scheduling restrictions which ban radio and TV adverts for gambling in and around programmes aimed at under-18s and state that those who appear to be under 25 years old cannot be shown gambling.

From Casino-Bingo.co.ukThe Online Gambling Guide for the British! /