Casino Bingo UK News

WASHINGTON, DC — (PRESS RELEASE) — Remote Gambling Association (RGA), which represents the largest global remote gambling companies, today endorsed the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative for its efforts to promote the freedom of individuals to gamble online with the proper safeguards to protect consumers and ensure the integrity of financial transactions.

“RGA endorses the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative in its mission to support regulated Internet gambling and protect consumers betting online,” said Clive Hawkswood, Chief Executive. “Internet gambling is capable of control in order to prevent it from being used as a source of crime. Only through a regulatory framework as championed by the Initiative, will the proper protections be in place to guard against money laundering, fraud and identity theft.” The RGA provides the industry with a single voice on all the issues of importance to regulators, legislators, and key decision makers.

“RGA’s endorsement is a significant indication of the importance of mobilizing support for regulated Internet gambling, and we are delighted they are joining our effort,” said Jeffrey Sandman, spokesman for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. “We encourage supporters to visit Safeandsecureig.org to urge Members of Congress to cosponsor legislation to regulate Internet gambling thereby protecting consumers and capturing billions in revenue that is needed for critical government programs.”

RGA recently offered further evidence to Members of Congress in testimony to the House Committee on Financial Services that a regulatory framework for Internet gambling would protect consumers and provide integrity to Internet gambling financial transactions. Existing systems and technology have proven successful in combating underage and compulsive gambling and protecting Internet gambling transactions according to the RGA.

RGA encourages social responsibility within the betting and gaming industry both for the benefit of operators and the general public through various means including support for charities and initiatives to help those who have gambling problems.

Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.

Endorsers of the Initiative include the UC Group and Baker Tilly. Additional endorsers are highlighted on the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative Web site

Casino Bingo UK News

Source: Inthenews.co.uk

A legal challenge against the government’s plans to create new casinos has been rejected by the high court.

Mr Justice Langstaff rejected arguments made by the British Casino Association (BCA) that plans to introduce a supercasino in Manchester along with 17 smaller casinos across the UK would unfairly damage existing casinos in Britain.

The BCA, which represents over 90 per cent of the UK’s casino operators, had claimed in the hearing last month the plans would give new casinos permission to install more gambling machines, making them more competitive.

In today’s ruling in London, the judge rejected the BCA’s assessment that its member associations would lose £120 million in profits every year.

Speaking before the ruling on BBC Radio Five Live, Professor Leighton Vaughan Williams of Nottingham Business School’s betting research unit said the BCA’s argument was unlikely to hold water with the judge.

“It was never meant to be a level playing field. The whole idea of having only one casino allowed an unlimited jackpot is very much a product of the all-party scrutiny committee policy of looking at problem gambling,” he explained.

He added the government was seeing the problem “from a bigger perspective”, explaining “the idea is not to have 138 or more casinos with unlimited multi-million pound jackpots on your street corner”.

The House of Lords thwarted the government’s initial attempt to pass the casino proposals into law in March, forcing a ministerial rethink about the proposals.

The Conservatives have criticised the lack of any announcement being made about their fate, saying the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DMCS) was waiting until Gordon Brown becomes prime minister before moving forward on the issue.

“It is now time for the government to indicate just what they intend to do over the casino fiasco,” shadow home secretary David Davis commented.

“We have a right to know whether this has all been a futile exercise or whether it is yet another example of government paralysis while we wait for a new prime minister.”

Sports minister Richard Caborn commented: “I welcome the judgment which dismissed the BCA’s case on all grounds and found that our policy was fairly and properly made.

“We have always put social protection and proper regulation above commercial interests and this judgement supports that approach.

“We will continue to get on with the job of implementing the Gambling Act by September 1st, and putting in place the significant new safeguards for children and other vulnerable people which it contains.”

Casino Bingo UK News

BETTING and gaming group Ladbrokes said today strong growth from its in-shop betting terminals helped offset a weaker over-the-counter performance in the UK.

The overall gross win at Ladbrokes’ retail arm grew by one per cent in the four months to April 30, despite a three per cent decline in wins from bets placed over the counter at its 2100 UK betting shops as customers reduced the amount they bet.

In Ireland, the company said that growth was “buoyant” and eGaming was growing steadily.

Ladbrokes said it planned to continue focusing on international development opportunities in both Europe and Asia – and added its activities in Italy were at its most advanced.

The company added that it expected its results for the year to be in line with forecasts and said online eGaming grew by 11 per cent due to strong growth at its sportsbook, casino and games facility.

Total online customers rose 12 per cent, with wins from sportsbook and casino helping to offset a decline in poker due to the highly competitive environment for online poker gaming.

From Casino-Bingo.co.uk – Ladbrokes Casino review / Ladbrokes Poker review /

Source: Bigmouthmedia.com

Casino and gaming listings are no longer allowed to invite users to gamble on Yahoo!. The new policy from the search engines disallows advertisements that contain invitations to play, as well as any mention of money or any offers or incentives to take part in gaming.

While it is still acceptable to advertise terms like “24 hour poker”, for example, it is no longer possible to advertise a ‘$1000 jackpot’ or invite users to ‘Win a trip for two to Las Vegas’.

Factual statements which are strictly descriptive of the game in question, like ‘Poker with your friends’ or ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’, can still be used for advertising within the Sponsored Results sections of Yahoo!’s search results pages. However, any mention of money (like ‘Win $1million’), prizes (such as ‘Win a plasma TV’) or any mention of bonuses or promotional offers (terms like ‘$150 free for all new players’) will from now on lead to suspension of the advertisement in question.

Existing advertisements are currently being reviewed for compliance. Advertisers that are found to be non-compliant will be notified by Yahoo! Search Marketing and the advertisements in question will be suspended until the necessary changes have been made.

There can be a fine line between phrases like ‘Test your poker skills’ – which is no longer allowed – and ‘Practice poker for free’, which is allowed as long as it really links to a free poker game.

Yahoo!’s gaming policy change has been made in order to ensure Yahoo! Search Marketing gambling ads comply with the law and guidance issued by the Gambling Commission last year. The UK Gambling Commission is a governmental body that regulates gambling in the public interest.

With both Yahoo! Google having tightened their content policies for online gambling in their paid search results, MSN’s Live Search is the only major engine that still allows online gambling to be advertised in the UK. It is expected that Microsoft will follow Google and Yahoo!’s lead soon.