Online Gambling News

It has been called the new frontier in online gambling, and while some gambling games are by nature more social than others, this new zeitgeist promises to make playing virtually any gambling game a social experience. It has become such an important factor to the industry that a conference has been specifically called for dealing with what seems to have become another sector of this incredibly successful industry. We’ll take a wager that when the first gambling game went live online, the developers/operators had absolutely no idea just how big this genre would become!

The first Social Gambling Conference takes place on 16th November in London – Dexter House on Tower Hill. iGaming Business is the host.

As experts in the field of gambling online claim they see huge opportunities opening up in the social space, the big question is "where is the money?" Of course this question is as relevant to operators as it is to social gamers who are keen to win prizes. It is the online gambling part of the equation where attention should be focused, but there also has to be a way to get the balance right. This gathering hopes to address the intricacies and interesting facts of a rather complex subject.

As we see social gambling transform into real money gambling online, the same is taking place from the real money online gambling point of view, where this business is becoming more social. So, like in all instances of just about everything, there are two sides to the coin… thank goodness for that…that is how we achieve balance.

Implications include legal and regulatory requirements as the social gaming market unfolds. But as the experts tell us, there are a great many opportunities presenting themselves. All we need to think about to grasp the idea; is the fact that Globally there are close to 1 billion Facebook users. Already more than 11 million regular (daily) users have made social media platforms the place play to win, and it is estimated that 50% of Facebook users play social games.

Facebooks five top casino games are Texas Hold Em, Slotomania, Double Down, Bingo Blitz, and "Best Casino", so, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that a huge new market is readily available for existing online gambling operators – but, and here is the rub, they have to make the games social. The five games we mentioned attract a fairly incredible 11,240,000 daily players; who wouldn’t want a slice of that pie?

The two sides of this global online gambling and social gaming equation has become a classic "you scratch my back, and I will scratch yours" scenario. Each business sector is being offered the opportunity to accelerate one-another’s growth. Money is made from the sale of virtual goods, such as coins to unlock more advanced features. It is in this aspect that money is made. Getting ahead appeals to the need for personal achievement and status, so, players spend the money. Social gamers are therefore not so much different from online gamblers, and in fact many play both types of games.

A Norwegian player has landed a staggering 7,3 million euro jackpot playing Net Entertainment’s Hall Of Gods™ video slot on Betsson.

The man in his forties landed the monster sum playing online on Tuesday 23rd October and the life-changing win is the second multi-million euro jackpot to be paid out on Hall of Gods™ slot this year.

Hall of Gods™ allows players to immerse themselves in an ancient Viking world where players can win free spins before smashing their way to riches with Thor’s hammer in bonus games to win one of three jackpots.

Since last year Net Entertainment games have paid out more than €29 million in jackpot wins and that figure could soon be extended as another Net Entertainment game, Mega Fortune™, has a jackpot currently exceeding €6.8 million.

Net Entertainment’s progressive jackpot games are proving more popular than ever as substantial jackpots are building up quicker and falling more frequently.

“The high liquidity offered by Net Entertainment progressive slots helps jackpots build extremely quickly and they are a fantastic acquisition tool for operators. We would like to congratulate the winner on his huge success and we look forward to hopefully making many more millionaires in the coming months” said Per Eriksson, President and CEO of Net Entertainment.

In the online gambling space, it has been said, and we know this to be true, that innovation is king. The internet by its very nature is a highly innovative space that moves along related industries at a far faster pace than most other channels of manufacturing, sales and development. During 2012 – as has been the case throughout most of the short history of Internet gambling – a many and varied number of innovations have taken place. Some of the most state-of-the-art advancements have been made in 3D and animated online slots games offerings, as well as RTP (Return to Player) systems.

Online gamblers are more savvy than ever before, they have become a sophisticated lot of connoisseurs who know what they want from an online casino as a product overall. Bearing this in mind these businesses can no longer rest on their laurels, they have to come to the party in a big way and make the grade. Software developments and technological progress is therefore made at such a fast pace, that it often seems impossible for us writers to keep up with everything; but, keep up we must.

The year 2012 has seen any software developer who is any-one entering the business of providing 3D and Animated casino slots games. While some developers are definitely more advanced and particular about design than others, there seems to be a place for most of the big names to find a good fit with their fans. Not all gamers want the frills and thrills that say for example Net Entertainment provides. But if you are seeking an excellent 3D and animated slots experience, then Net Entertainment are the games to play. They are followed in our opinion by Microgaming, Wagerworks, Playtech, and Betsoft, with various others trailing behind.

Complex animated online slots are the name of the game, and these most often feature numerous interactive bonus rounds, which play more like skill games. New releases from Net Entertainment include; Jack and the Beanstalk, which is nothing short of excellence personified, and do check out the brand new “Evolution”; from Microgaming this would be the Batman-themed Dark Knight, and Playtech’s new release Viking Mania.

Return to player features have made many advances too with every online casino worth its salt offering VIP programmes that come together with bonus and winnings tracker systems. These help the player see what time they have left to spend bonus funds, how they are progressing with wagering requirements, what true winnings are based on the amount of funds wagered, and various other financial factors.

Bonus, winning and wagering factors have become enormously critical, especially to regular players, who are in the first instance often gambling online because it is a good value for money type of entertainment. Because it is good value for money, regular players are well aware of all the benefits involved, so, keeping track of these benefits also becomes vitally important to them.

The Irish Poker Awards, presented by Bluff Europe and sponsored by BoylePoker.com, were held at the Regency Hotel, Dublin, on Sunday night, with the cream of Irish poker in attendance to honour their peers and celebrate a great year for Irish poker. Bluff Europe editor Philip Conneller and former Irish Open Champion Neil Channing were on hand to call the shots and distribute the gongs, with Eoghan O’Dea picking up the coveted "Player of the Year" award and an emotional Padraig Parkinson voted "Irish Poker Legend".

Also among the awards winners were Chris Dowling, who took "Best Cash Player"; Jason Tompkins, "Best Tournament Player"; Jude Ainsworth, "Best Online Player" and Niall Smyth, "Breakout Player". Dara O’Kearney was on hand to pick up two awards, "Best Blogger" and "Best Social Media User", while Phil Baker won "Personailty of the Year" and JP McCann took "Best Tournament Director". Lastly, "Irish Poker Boards" won "Best Forum" while The Fitzwilliam took "Best Card Room".

Host Philip Conneller said, "The Irish poker scene is unique in the sense the sense of fun and the party atmosphere that surrounds the tournaments. Everyone else takes themselves way too seriously. It’s that uniqueness were here to celebrate, as well as praising the skill of the Irish. The winners were voted for online, completely democratically, which is important because it means there are no politics involved in the event and that gives the awards credibility. The people have spoken and congratulations to all our winners."

A brand new Facebook Poker app seems to be hot in the news – driven by actor Kevin Pollak and his apparent love for this game. For those of you who don’t know who Kevin Pollak is don’t feel alone, neither did we. However, after conducting a little research we found that he certainly has a very well-known face; claims to fame roles in A Few Good Men, The Whole Nine Yards, The Wedding Planner and more. He hosted the first season of Celebrity Poker Showdown, and regularly invites friends over to his house for poker nights.

Anyway it seems he is also the host for the brand new Facebook poker app, which has been aptly named – Hollywood Poker. The app debuts on the 8th October, 2012, and basically offers players a chance to win into star-studded poker games. This is not a “play for real money” game, but apparently does offer great prizes.

So far the names being dropped include: James Woods, Dennis Quaid, Peter Facinelli of Twilight fame (he plays Dr. Carlisle Cullen), John O’Hurley from Seinfeld, Scott Baio, Tim Busfield of The West Wing, Dean Cain of Las Vegas, Rob Riggle of 21 Jump Street, and of course plenty more. While we did not see Ben Affleck or Matt Damon on the list, and they are well-known for their celebrity poker antics, there is still a whole load of shining stars who seem keen to participate in this game, and have also committed themselves to playing Hollywood Poker.

While Hollywood Poker launches on Facebook on the 8th October, the tournament won’t start right away. Members will be playing their best game of poker to win entry into the first tournament which takes place on the 20thOctober. It offers a "rare and exciting chance to play Texas Hold’Em Poker" with Kevin Pollak and his chosen celebrity friends. Three lucky winners will get to play in this single table event. What a rush?!

This is one of the first poker games to be launched by Facebook themselves, and no poker player worth their salt is going to want to miss out on the chance. It is their first ever celebrity games, and over 160 stars of movies, TV, Sports and Media have pledged to play Hollywood Poker. Films and shows such as Too Big to Fail, Saturday Night Live, Vegas, Vampire Diaries, Revolution, News Radio, Charles in Charge, 7th Heaven, Melrose Place, 30 Rock and more to be confirmed will be represented.

Hollywood Poker is easy to use – its designed this way – and fun for everyone. Fans get to interact directly with stars, rub virtual shoulders and chat with them, while playing poker. Visitors can follow the action, as well as become a member, and prizes include trips to star-studded events. This game is playable on most devices which includes mobile for iPad, with support for iPhone and Android being well on their way.