12.31.2009 | 9:15 am | Casino.co.uk
Introducing full tax on poker risks stifling the game in the UK, one commentator has predicted.
Writing for the Guardian, Victoria Coren criticised the government’’s decision to increase the levy charged on the card game, announced in the 2009 spring Budget.
She noted that up until now, casinos have only paid VAT on poker, helping to boost their profit margins and build a loyal army of enthusiasts across the UK.
Ms Coren commented: "The money raised will be too small to affect the nation’’s finances: it’’s just big enough to cripple [casinos].
"It has cost them an extra million so far this year. If poker is as expensive for them as roulette, while being so much less lucrative, why should they bother to keep having it?"
A major participation activity, poker clearly has the potential to thrive during the next decade.
Let’’s just hope the worst fears are not realised, and the game continues to grow and develop – inside casinos and out.
Published by Simon Carroll
12.30.2009 | 9:20 am | Casino.co.uk
So the cold Turkey has been eaten, you”re down to your last box of Roses and the mince pies have turned into bricks – what to do with the rest of the week?
Heading out to the pub or the casino might have been an option, but with temperatures plummeting again and the threat of further snowstorms looming large, this suddenly doesn”t seem such a great idea.
Luckily, InterCasino is offering a warm and friendly welcome to those at a loose end over the festive break, with bonus credit available for new members on the site.
Slots and card players are entitled to a 100 per cent joining bonus when they add between £10 and £125 to their account – becoming active when they have wagered 12 times this account.
For those signing up for a Moneybookers account, the dangling carrot of a 200 per cent bonus is available for credit of up to £200.
InterCasino says that "with over 300 fantastic games to choose from and amazing jackpots and bonus rounds, the journey really does start here".
Get started now and it”ll be the new year before you know it.
Published by Charlie ”Chips” Peterson
12.29.2009 | 11:26 am | Casino.co.uk
The poker-playing priest’’s lucky run has finally come to an end, according to reports from the other side of the Atlantic.
WMBF has reported how Father Andrew Trapp failed in his televised bid to win a $1 million (£623,000) jackpot to go towards his church’’s fund for a new building.
Mr Trapp, who preaches at St Michael’’s Catholic Church in Garden City, had negotiated the early rounds of the PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge to reach the final.
Unfortunately for him and his parishioners, retired New York police detective Mike Kosowski scooped the jackpot prize.
"If there was anyone [other than myself] who deserved to win, it was [Mike]," said Father Trapp.
He still took away $100,000 to contribute to the new church fund, making an inroad into the $6.5 million target.
It just goes to show though, that great poker players can come in all different shapes and sizes, and from various walks of life.
Published by Simon Carroll
12.24.2009 | 11:43 am | Casino.co.uk
You can do pretty much anything with a mobile phone these days, including enjoy a major casino win it seems.
Jackpot Factory Group has reported this week that a British player has scooped the progressive pot on its Fruit Fiesta game, simply using his Samsung G600.
Kevin H claimed a grand total of £11,318.45 for his efforts, meaning he and his family are in line for a bumper Christmas.
Commenting on the win, David Brickman, vice-president of player affairs at the Jackpot Factory, said it was "a great treat" to see the progressive pot claimed on a mobile phone.
"We are thrilled for Kevin and look forward to celebrating with more jackpot winners in the future," he commented.
This latest win suggests there really is no limit to the capabilities of technology, but whether gamblers take to the channel en masse remains to be seen.
Mobile betting may create another option for people on the move, but for those who occasionally need their phone for talking or texting, the laptop looks like a more sensible option.
Published by James Bourne
12.23.2009 | 11:03 am | Casino.co.uk
If you”re stuck for something to do over the long Christmas break, heading over to InterCasino to check out the site’’s latest slot games is one option.
Everybody’’s favourite world-saving hero Superman has just been given his own slot, joining the likes of Batman and Wonder Woman in going it solo on the site.
Exclusive to InterCasino, the 50-line game has an optional bonus bet plus a unique free games feature, which can help generate cash prizes.
The brilliant Save the World bonus round sees players launched into the atmosphere, where they have to manoeuvre through meteor fields and destroy missiles – just like on the silver screen.
Flying through these challenges will see the credit pour in, offering a genuine Christmas bonus during the festive period.
And with no Lex Luther lurking in the shadows, there’’s no need to fear for your winnings – perhaps just decide which bottle of bubbly to crack open next.
Written by Dave Murphy
12.22.2009 | 11:18 am | Casino.co.uk
Barely a month after the 2009 World Series of Poker came to a dramatic conclusion in Las Vegas, the schedule for 2010 has been published.
The 41st staging of the event will commence on May 27th 2010, with the last remaining competitors slugging it out on the final table in November.
More players than ever before will be accommodated at the Rio
All-Suites Hotel & Casino next year – with tables being added at the expense of the food tent – meaning the World Series champion could take home an even bigger cash prize than ever before.
Given that 2009 bracelet winner Joe Cada scooped £5,133,411 for his efforts, the prize pool hardly needs swelling any further.
Opinion is still split over whether the final table should be delayed for such a long period, with TV ratings appearing to be the main justification for the move.
However, anyone who experienced the excitement and suspense in the approach to the November Nine must surely concede that this new approach – set to be used for the third time in 2010 – has its advantages.
Published by Dave Murphy
12.21.2009 | 12:25 pm | Casino.co.uk
The hunt is on for participants in the upcoming ECPokerTour Barcelona tournament as Titan Poker launches a series of online poker tournaments to determine who it will put forward.
The tournament will be held in Spain next March and will have a guaranteed prize pot of EUR 500,000 (£446,000).
Held at the Gran Casino de Barcelona, the tournament will open on March 19th and run for three days.
People winning one of the Titan Poker satellite events will receive a main event buy-in and four nights accommodation at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona – a luxurious hangout for players trying to scoop the top prize in this high-profile tournament.
The games are open to both veterans and novices alike and will be held every Sunday, Monday and Wednesday night, so anyone who fancies there chances can get involved.
And poker players with their sights set on card table gold will be happy to hear that the 2010 World Series of Poker schedule was released by Harrah’’s Entertainment – which includes a total of 57 events spread over 51 days.
The epic event will feature eight different variations of poker – so there will be something for everyone.
12.18.2009 | 10:55 am | Casino.co.uk
If you”re feeling in a competitive mood, taking part in one of InterCasino’’s weekly tournaments may be just the ticket.
Participants are given £500 in credit and then given 30 minutes to rack up as much as possible over the next half hour.
The top six places are rewarded with a cash prize - £100 going to the winner, £50 to the runner-up and £25 each to the other placed competitors.
If it’’s six-figure winnings you”re after, this may not be entirely your cup of tea, but the competition offers just about as much entertainment as you can get for a £10 entry fee.
This week, Blackjack is the name of the game, following on from the Texas Hold”Em and Picnic Panic tournaments already staged during December.
All players have to do is log into their account, enter the ”Play for Real” casino, and wager your entrance fee.
But don”t hang around too long psyching yourself up, as when the timer starts every second counts!
Published by Charlie ”Chips” Peterson
12.17.2009 | 10:17 am | Casino.co.uk
A pair of French gamblers who went to court over a £2 million slots win have been told to split the winnings, it has been reported.
Earlier this year, Marie-Helene Jarguel placed £45 into a machine at the Palavas-les-Flots casino near Montpellier, winning the huge prize pot by lining up three 7s in a row.
However, Francis Sune, who was by her side at the time, claimed he was entitled to a share of the prize since Ms Jarguel had used him as her "lucky charm".
Judges agreed that the sidekick – who was charged with pressing the slot button - deserved 20 per cent of the jackpot win.
Ms Jarguel’’s lawyer criticised the decision, stating: "The person who took the risk of losing their bet was Miss Jarguel… It’’s a bit like a secretary who typed up the manuscript of a bestselling writer asking for royalties."
However, some would say this looks like a reasonable compromise given the somewhat peculiar details of the case.
What we would say is, the next time you”re sat at the computer chasing a big slots win, make sure nobody else gets their hands on the mouse!
Published by Simon Carroll
12.16.2009 | 10:48 am | Casino.co.uk
Consumers may benefit from a proposed merger between bwin Interactive Gaming and online gambling group PartyGaming, it has been suggested.
The two companies are rumoured to be locked in talks over a £2 billion deal, a continuation of discussions which commenced in the summer.
Should the merger go ahead, it would create the largest online gaming establishment internationally, something Warwick Bartlett, chief executive of Global Betting and Gaming Consultants, says makes sense.
Given that each group has suffered a fall in share price over the last three years, he claimed there are obvious mutual benefits.
Punters would also gain, Mr Bartlett added, as bwin’’s poker customers would be able to join a larger pool of players, and PartyGaming’’s casino members would similarly be able to join an "efficiently run and pretty innovative" sport book.
So consolidation may not be such a bad thing in the online gaming world, this expert believes.
But from a player’’s point of view, the details of corporate mergers and acquisitions won”t be of too much interest as long as the jackpots remain sky high.
Posted by David Smith
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