5Dimes Becomes Latest Online Sportsbook to Accept Bitcoin

Popular 5Dimes.com, a US-facing online sportsbook, has become the latest to embrace the anonymous digital currency bitcoin. 5Dimes began accepting bitcoin deposits early this month but withdrawals via this method will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. Bitcoin will be converted into US currency at the time of deposit as, as such, customers will not be exposed to fluctuations in bitcoin’s exchange rate. Over the past month, bitcoin has traded slightly above $600 on average across the various exchanges. To date, only a handful of established online sportsbooks have begun accepting bitcoin to compliment other popular deposit and...

Convicted Casino Lobbyist Questions Rick Perry Online Gambling Stance

The biggest casino lobbyist and an individual who served time for that activity, Jack Abramoff, has spoken out regarding Texas Governor Rick Perry’s stance on Internet gambling. Perry is one of a handful of Republican politicians who oppose legalizing Web gambling in the US.  The Texas Governor, who is expected to run for US President in 2016, also received a substantial campaign contribution for his previous Presidential run from Las Vegas Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson.  Mr. Adelson not only opposed the legalization of online gambling, he is also on a crusade to stop it. The gaming industry is entirely a political creation,...

Οι 5 παίκτες που έχουν κερδίσει τα περισσότερα επταψήφια έπαθλα

Gus Hansen: Πέντε επταψήφια έπαθλαΜπορεί τα τελευταία χρόνια να είναι γνωστός στην κοινότητα του πόκερ ως ο πιο χαμένος παίκτης όλων των εποχών ωστόσο λίγο πιο παλιά η πορεία του στα τραπέζια ήταν λαμπρή.Το πιο πρόσφατο επταψήφιο έπαθλο που έχει κερδίσει είναι μία θέση αξίας $1.000.000 στο One Drop του 2012. Ο Hansen έπαιξε στο τουρνουά του $1.000.000 ωστόσο δεν κατάφερε να πληρωθεί.Το 2010 κέρδισε $1.000.000 στο Poker Million που μεταδιδόταν τηλεοπτικά. Το 2005 είχε κερδίσει επίσης $1.000.000 όταν αναδείχτηκε νικητής στο Poker Superstars Invitational.Το 2007 κέρδισε το Aussie Millions για $1,192,919 ενώ το μεγαλύτερο cash που έχει σημειώσει...

Πόσα παίζουν οι Έλληνες σε νόμιμα και παράνομα παιχνίδια

Μπορεί η Ελλάδα να διανύει τα τελευταία χρόνια την χειρότερη ίσως οικονομική κρίση της ιστορίας της σε περίοδο ειρήνης ωστόσο οι Έλληνες εξακολουθούν να ποντάρουν τεράστια ποσά σε τυχερά παιχνίδια.Σύμφωνα με όσα αποκάλυψε ο επικεφαλής της Επιτροπής Εποπτείας και Ελέγχου Παιγνίων (Ε.Ε.Ε.Π.) Ευγένιος Γιαννακόπουλος στην Επιτροπή Θεσμών και Διαφάνειας της Βουλής οι Έλληνες τζογάρουν  περίπου 12 δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ το χρόνο.Τα νούμερα δείχνουν πως οι Έλληνες παίκτες ποντάρουν τα ίδια ποσά στα νόμιμα αλλά και στα παράνομα τυχερά παιχνίδια.Με βάση τα όσα δημοσιεύτηκαν τις μεγαλύτερες απώλειες στα έσοδά τους παρατηρούν τα επίγεια ελληνικά καζίνο...

Marc Pedersen – iGaming Super Show – New faces, but not many new ideas!

Marc Pedersen – bettingexpert.com With the iGaming Super Show revealing today that it has grown the B2B side of the event, SBC’s affiliate correspondent Marc Pedersen recounts his experience from an affiliate and media partner perspective. One of the interesting developments from the Igaming Super Show in Amsterdam last month was the emergence of lots of new brands showing off their services at the RAI, far more than usual in fact. It was good to see new blood being represented at the show, although it was noticeable that the stalwarts, the firms who would normally have a booth at this event, were no longer featured on the floorplan. What...

Australian Wagering Council hits out at Racing NSW over minimum bet rules

The Australian Wagering Council has hit out at Racing NSW for implementing new minimum bet rules on wagering service operators. The group, which called for a freeze on the proposal last month, said the condition means online bookmakers will stand to lose a minimum amount on any single fixed odds wager on NSW Thoroughbred races, and criticised the policy as being “delivered via press release”. Chief Executive Chris Downy said his members only learned of the proposed changes when they read about it in a press release six weeks ago. “The AWC is disappointed that many of the concerns raised during the consultation process have not been...

Philippines Discuss Internet Gambling Regulation

Philippines' Anti Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) party member Samuel D. Pagdilao has presented a bill to regulate online gambling activities in the Philippines. "People are no longer bound to physical locations and are able to face their bets from within their own homes," Pagdilao explained while presenting a bill in which approval would lead to the creation of a regulated market that would include the application of severe fines for those operating outside of its legislative framework. Explaining how the lack of precise legislative measures on online gambling has led to an increase in the number...

UK Gambling Commission reports growing concern over problem gambling affecting 18-24 age group.

Heather Wardle, Director of NatCen Social Research Research published by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), has found a growing risk of problem gambling amongst young British males aged 16-24. The UKGC research reports that men aged 16-24 are twice as likely to be “in the at risk category of problem gambling”. The report title “Further analysis of the Health Survey for England 2012 and Scottish Health Survey 2012 (April 2014)”, aims to give more insight into problem gambling in the UK, breaking down gambling behaviour by UK population segments. The report was commissioned in conjunction with the National Health Service and the Social...

Ο ΟΠΑΠ «στέλνει» τις ελληνικές ομάδες στις ξένες στοιχηματικές εταιρίες...

Βάζουν... μαχαίρι στις χορηγίες σε ποδόσφαιρο και μπάσκετ, μη αναγνωρίζοντας ότι οι ελληνικές ομάδες οδήγησαν την εταιρία στην απόλυτη κερδοφορία μέσα από τη συμμετοχή τους, δίχως ποσοστό, στο «Πάμε Στοίχημα»Εντονότατος είναι ο προβληματισμός στο χώρο του ελληνικού αθλητισμού για τη μέχρι τώρα πολιτική που ασκεί η νέα διοίκηση της ΟΠΑΠ Α.Ε. έναντι αρχών διοργάνωσης πρωταθλημάτων, αλλά και ομάδων και συλλόγων, στον τομέα των χορηγιών για τη νέα αγωνιστική περίοδο.Και ενώ θα ανέμενε κανείς η νέα τάξη πραγμάτων και η απεμπλοκή του κράτους από όλη τη διαδικασία να αλλάξει δραστικά το τοπίο στο κομμάτι της απόδοσης ποσοστού προς τις ομάδες ποδοσφαίρου...

Turkey & Hungary ban multiple igaming operators

Turkish and Hungarian gambling regulatory bodies have served multiple igaming operators with regional banning orders, which will see operator websites restricted in access by regional IP’s. High profile operators such as bwin.party, bet365 and Ladbrokes, were served restrictions orders by Hungary’s Gambling Supervision Department. The operators have been added to Hungary’s igaming blacklist. In Turkey, a joint campaign by the Turkish National Lottery Association and telecoms provider TIB against unlicensed betting and gaming operators has seen a block of access of more than 110 online gambling websites. The Turkish National Lottery Association stated that it was looking to demand action against more than 440 igaming operators,...

Betfair partners with Jumio to speed up the customer verification process

Jumio digital credentials management company, today announced that Betfair, a leading global online gambling company, has adopted Jumio’s Netverify® customer verification and on-boarding solution. Jumio’s Netverify® solution turns customers’ mobile device cameras or webcams into an ID scanning terminal that makes it fast and easy to capture and verify their ID and other credentials to meet Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements and reduce fraud. Netverify® is now integrated into the Betfair site so that Betfair’s customers can easily and quickly pass KYC checks.  As a result, customers can enjoy a quicker customer...

Ανακαλύφθηκε αρχαία μάρκα πόκερ (pics)

Πρόσφατες ανασκαφές που έγιναν στο Leiston Abbey του Suffolk αποδεικνύουν πως οι ρίζες του πόκερ είναι πολύ πιο βαθιές από ό,τι φανταζόμασταν μιας και ανάμεσα στα αντικείμενα που ανακαλύφθηκαν ήταν και μία αρχαία μάρκα πόκερ!Η υπεύθυνη της κοινότητας και ο υπεύθυνος των ανασκαφών μιλώντας στο BBC αποκάλυψαν πως το συγκεκριμένο εύρημα, που μοιάζει με μάρκα πόκερ, το χρησιμοποιούσαν ως ένα άτυπο νόμισμα. Αυτό το γεγονός, σύμφωνα με τα λεγόμενά τους, αποδεικνύει πως οι άνθρωποι έπαιζαν και τότε τυχερά παιχνίδια.Οι  ερευνητές ανακάλυψαν πολύ κοντά στην μάρκα και κάτι ακόμη που συνδέεται με την θεά τύχη.Όπως θα δείτε και στις φωτογραφίες το...

Bitstars.net launches bitcoin Live Casino from game supplier Ezugi

Bitstars.net announced today that they have signed a deal with Ezugi for the supply of a full suite of live table games ranging from Live Roulette to Blackjack, Baccarat and even Lottery. Last month Bitstars announced that they were set to drive the adoption of Bitcoins to offer a fantastic user experience where players can get hold of Bitcoins or withdraw them instantly. Today’s deal continues to show the significant growth Bitstars are aiming for as they are once again back with the addition of more fun and entertainment for their players. The live Casino games will be streamed from Costa Rica by beautiful female dealers who will...

Sky Sports signs up for racing data

Sky Sports Digital Media (SSDM) is now a distributor of official British horseracing Pre-Race Data (PRD), joining Press Association, SIS and Timeform as partners with the Racecourse Data Company (RDC). RDC – a joint venture with 57 racecourses set up to licence and control PRD – has licensed SSDM to use the data, which is generated by Weatherbys and is the key component of information required to take a bet. It includes information on a racecard, such as final fields, owners, trainers, jockeys, weights, colours, draw and ratings. The contract allows Sky Sports to distribute official racing data to its customers. These include bookmaker...

Labour’s betting levy to be used for grassroots and problem gambling

Racing is currently the only sport in the UK where there is a betting levy. Photograph: Julian Herbert/Action Images A multimillion-pound levy on all sports betting is being considered by Labour with the revenue ploughed back into grassroots sports. Some of the funds would also be used to tackle problem gambling. The proposal is set out in a new “sport for all” document issued by Harriet Harman, the shadow culture secretary, and Clive Efford, the shadow sports minister. At present only gambling on horseracing is subject to a levy with the money, some £82m in 2014, returned to the racing industry. Efford said: “We believe it is right that...

French Online Poker Continues Steady Decline

Regulated online poker in France continues to decline, according to a recently report released by the France’s online gaming regulator ARJEL. ARJEL just announced its results from the second quarter and half year, and it isn't pretty. Quarterly cash-game bets are down 17 percent when compared to one year prior, with the half-year figures declining 18 percent. Cash games on French regulated sites are at an all-year low with no end in site. Cash-game bets totaled €1.048 million for the quarter, down from €1.266 million last year. To make matters worse, the last week in June represented the all-time low for cash-game traffic since...

EU gets the urge to go to the bookies

It is easy to dismiss this as a pious and a conservative document which will achieve nothing of any value. Which shouldn't stop us dismissing it, as we are about to do in a moment. 
But we should still acknowledge that the fine minds of the European Commission, God love them, have at last noticed that something very strange and very troubling is going on here, which has moved them to make some sort of a statement, to conceive the vague outline of a plan. 
The leaders of our political parties have a plan too, which largely involves kicking off the next election campaign by having their pictures taken laughing their heads off in betting offices,...

Daniel Schwartzkopff – BetVIP.com – The Bitcoin Game

Daniel Schwartzkopff  founder of BetVIP.com Exploring new products and business innovation within the sports betting industry, SBC interviews Daniel Schwartzkopff -  founder of BetVIP.com, which claims to be the sector’s first licensed Bitcoin-only sportsbook. The digital currency operator takes wagers and pays out winnings exclusively in Bitcoin, offering odds on thousands of pre-match and in-play markets. It holds a gaming license in Curacao and only accepts bets in regulated markets Schwartzkopff discusses the operating intricacies of running a bitcoin focused sportsbook and his companys future ambitions. ______________ SBC:Hi...

Μαθήματα Οικονομικής Ανάλυσης για την Ιδιωτικοποίηση του ΟΠΑΠ

Με αφορμή την ιδιωτικοποίηση της Τουρκικής κρατικής λοταρίας, Το Βήμα σύγκρινε τη διαδικασία με εκείνη της ιδιωτικοποίησης του ΟΠΑΠ. Δυστυχώς όμως δεν έμεινε στα της διαδικασίας και προχώρησε σε μια ατυχή σύγκριση των οικονομικών μεγεθών των δύο εταιριών, διδάσκοντας μαθήματα οικονομικής ανάλυσης, παραφράζοντας τον τίτλο του κειμένου, «μαθήματα ιδιωτικοποιήσεων από τους Τούρκους». Πράγματι, η διαδικασία ήταν πρωτόγνωρη στο χώρο των ιδιωτικοποιήσεων. Οι τρεις πλειοδότες ανταγωνίστηκαν ζωντανά στην Τουρκική τηλεόραση για τη μεγαλύτερη προσφορά. Όταν μάλιστα έμειναν δύο, κατατέθηκαν συνολικά 75 επιπλέον βελτιωτικές προσφορές, ανεβάζοντας...

Gambling Commission extends online application service

The UK Gambling Commission has extended its online application service in order to allow operators to apply for a non-remote licence or make amendments to an existing non-remote licence via its website. The extension comes after the regulatory body introduced the online application service for remote operators in February this year. The Gambling Commission said that the extension would enable applicants to navigate through the application in a way that “reflects their business model and individual circumstances” by offering an option to skip questions that are not applicable to them. The application online system also allows applicants to upload various information and supporting documents, such as certified copies of identity...

Ντοκιμαντέρ για τον “Kanu7” | Σε μόλις 9 μήνες έφτασε να παίζει high stakes (vid)

Ο Alex Millar τείνει να εξελιχθεί σε έναν από τους θρύλους του online πόκερ αφού είναι από τους ελάχιστους στον κόσμο που παίζουν No Limit Hold’em σε τόσο υψηλός επίπεδο. Η ιστορία του ξεχωρίζει γιατί ο Βρετανός κατάφερε μέσα σε 9 μόλις μήνες να ανέβει από τα small stakes στο $25/$50 ενώ σήμερα παίζει μέχρι και $200/$400. Εδώ και ένα χρόνο αποτελεί μέλος της Team PokerStars Online και χθες δημοσιεύτηκε ένα ντοκιμαντέρ, όπως ακριβώς έχουμε δει παλαιότερα και με άλλα μέλη της ομάδας των επαγγελματιών της εταιρείας. Τα συνολικά του κέρδη από τα online cash games έχουν ξεπεράσει τα $7 εκατομμύρια. Ο “Kanu7” λατρεύει το ποδόσφαιρο και αυτός ήταν...

iGB Diary: OPAP Odyssey continues, Game on in California?, GiGSE, UK Commission keeps schtum

Where to in this Odyssey? Talk about a Greek tragedy at OPAP. As the company considers placing 650 of its 900 staff on a voluntary redundancy scheme, the plan isn’t part of a thought-out restructuring project but rather a knee-jerk response to its own lack of planning and foresight. More specifically, the group and its investors didn’t seem to think the European Commission would ever oppose the Greek government awarding it an igaming monopoly to go with those it holds for VLTs and retail betting. We know the EC can be slow and half-hearted but it does get there eventually (sometimes anyway). Meanwhile, it is “the dozen or so online betting companies operating with temporary authorisations that have taken the lion's share of stakes...