Casino Tropicale

The phenomenal and continuing success of Macau as a gambling mecca continued during the month of October according to figures released by Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau.

The latest numbers show that gambling revenues surged 50% for October at 18.87 billion patacas ($2.36 billion), surpassing those of the previous record month of May 2010 when revenues of 17.1 billion patacas were recorded.

For the first 10 months of the year, gambling revenue totaled 152.11 billion patacas, an increase of 59% from the 95.81 billion patacas in the year-earlier period, the bureau said.

Isle of Man based internet gambling software developer, Microgaming, is the latest international company to be added to the state of Kentucky’s litigation list, according to reports surfacing in the United States over the weekend.

Kentucky’s joust with the online gambling industry started some years ago when the state claimed jurisdiction and attempted to hijack 141 global online gambling domains triggering a series of court cases in which it has so far achieved little success.

In the latest attempt to wring revenues from online gambling companies the states lawyers have added Microgaming to a list of leading internet gambling companies embracing both operational and software development entities.

(Read the full post about ‘Kentucky claims jurisdiction over Microgaming online poker network’…)

Associated Press reports that the NJ Casino Control Commission’s latest statistics show that Atlantic City land casinos suffered another bad month in September. All 11 of the city’s gambling houses reported revenue declines, ranging from 20.9% at Resorts Atlantic City to 0.4% at Trump Taj Mahal.

Table game revenues decreased by 15.6%, while slots revenues fell 9.9%.

September was the second full month in which casinos in neighbouring Pennsylvania offered table games, competing directly with New Jerseys boardwalk casinos.

Overall, the casinos took in $296.3 million in September, down from $335.4 million in September 2009.

Online bingo fans playing on Microgaming-licensed bingo sites will have two of the software developer’s most popular slots at their disposal this week following the company’s release of three new side games for its bingo operators’ sites.

Three games have been released in mini-game format developed specially for side gaming use on bingo sites, among them the recently launched Lord of the Rings slot and one of Microgaming’s most popular offerings, Thunderstruck. The third mini-game is Bush Telegraph, a 5 reel 15 pay-line offering.

Microgaming’s head of bingo operations, Neill Whyte, says: “October’s new Bingo side games see some of Microgaming’s most popular brands come to the platform as mini games, as well as the introduction of the iconic branded game The Lord of The Rings, which has proved to be very popular with all player groups.

(Read the full post about ‘Thunderstruck and Lord of the Rings are now bingo side games’…)

The first draft of a proposed bill to regulate online gambling in Romania has fallen foul of the European Commission, which has issued a detailed opinion expressing reservations about the compatibility of the proposal with European Union law. Romania will as a consequence not be able to implement the law in its current form.

The European Gaming and Betting Association, a trade body representing the interests of most of Europe’s major internet gambling companies, commented on the opinion this week.

“EGBA welcomes the Romanian government’s willingness to reform its online gaming and betting market.

(Read the full post about ‘E.C. objects to Romanian internet gambling regulation proposal’…)

Only one year into a three year sponsorship deal with Spanish football club Malaga, William Hill plc has agreed to withdraw from the agreement after the new club owner raised objections on religious grounds.

The new owner of Malaga is Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani (43), a member of the Qatari royal family who acquired the Spanish club in June for €10.5 million.

He raised religious concerns about a gambling company being involved with the club, claiming that this went against the tenets of his Islamic religion, and by mutual consent both club and gambling company have agreed to end the sponsorship.

A Chinese player created something of a stir at the Jackpot City online casino group this week when he expressed reservations about cashing in a £4,444 jackpot win, according to a press release from the company. The player hit the WowPot jackpot, but was concerned that all those figure 4′s in the reward might be inauspicious and a harbinger of death.

A spokesman for the group, Terry Maverick, is quoted in the material as saying: “The player contacted our customer services department, quite concerned about the winning amount. He was obviously keen not to lose out on the money, but at the same time wary of bringing bad luck on himself or his family.

(Read the full post about ‘Chinese player refuses jackpot win based on cultural superstition’…)

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has installed Cheryl Cole look-a-like Cher Lloyd as their new betting favourite to win this year’s X Factor show.

The 16-year-old rap singer who wowed the judges with a feisty rendition of Soulja Boy’s ‘Turn My Swag On’ is now the 9/2 betting favourite to follow in the footsteps of Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke and win the show outright.

Sharon McHugh, spokesperson for the bookmaker said: “The standard of this year’s contestant’s just gets better and better each week. Cher shone in her audition. She’s completely unique and already online forums are raving about her. (Read the full post about ‘X Factor Betting Odds – Is Cher Lloyd Strong Enough to Win the Show ?’…)

“I feel the same way with him out there as I did when Michael Vick was out there,” coach Frank Beamer said, speaking of the dual-threat quarterback who led the Hokies to the 1999 national championship game against Florida State. “Any play has a chance of going a long ways.”

Oddsmakers on USA Online Sportsbooks, and College Football Betting lines favor the Broncos in this match up.  Boise State is installed as a 2 1/2- point favorite in this one.

Leading online poker publication Bluff Europe has announced that next month’s British Poker Awards ceremony has been moved to London’s Kensington Close Hotel due to an increased demand for tickets.

The inaugural event was set to take place at The Fox Poker Club but Bluff Europe revealed that the change of venue has seen the number of available spaces ‘increase substantially’ while it has also restructured ticket prices to ‘allow access for more of the poker-playing public’.

The British Poker Awards will now take place on September 13 from seven o’clock in the evening at the Kensington Close Hotel honouring some of the game’s top achievers. (Read the full post about ‘British Poker Awards move to Kensington – Online Casino News’…)