02.25.2009 | 10:02 am | News
Last night saw the latest round of the UEFA Champions League, which sees a number of English teams still very much in the running, and a great start for Manchester United and Arsenal in their first leg games. While both teams performed very well, the highest praise must go to Manchester United who took on Inter Milan and 80,000 screaming fans on their home patch!
In all honesty Manchester United bossed the game from the first minute to last and if they had walked away with a three nil victory then nobody could really have had any complaints. As it happens the game ended goalless and Inter Milan will visit Old Trafford still in this tie and without giving away the vital away goal which United needed to secure.
Arsenal took on a rampant Roma team at the Emirates Stadium and, much like Manchester United, seemed to dictate the game from the very first minute. A Robin van Persie penalty was however all that Arsenal had to show for a great performance and they travel to Rome of with the slenderest of leads although they seem to have an ability to score away from home in Europe.
While Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson were more than content with the performance of their teams they will both rue the lack of goals which could have made the second legs pretty much a foregone conclusion for both teams. However as a consequence the second legs of each game are far from foregone conclusions and could see some serious about turns if either side is not on form.
Tonight sees some excellent games with Chelsea taking on Juventus and Liverpool away to the formidable Real Madrid. With four English teams looking to break into the last 16 of this year’s Champions League there is every chance that the biggest trophy in international club football could be going back to the UK yet again!
01.16.2009 | 11:24 pm | News
The last few weeks has seen substantial speculation regarding the Indian Premier League cricket setup which has managed to capture a significant number of the world’s leading cricket stars. As the England team received the green light to further their own ambitions in the IPL there are serious concerns that the future of international and domestic cricket is at risk. The amount of money available to players “auctioned” to IPL teams is enormous with some players going for in excess of $1 million as more and more teams seem willing to take ever larger gambles.
There has been a major change in the domestic and international cricketing scene over the last 20 years with a serious commercialisation of the sport under way. The old days of a gentleman’s game now seems to be something of the past as we move into a new era of new technology, new training methods and the potential for players to earn millions of dollars in a very short period of time. While it is difficult to blame the likes of the England cricket team for looking to secure their family’s future by playing in the IPL there are concerns that international and domestic cricket could be severely hampered.
Indeed, we have already seen a decline in performances from the England cricket team over the last few months and a number of internal disputes have exploded into the public arena. While none of these are directly associated with the IPL, or the lucrative sponsorship and contract deals on offer for players, there is certainly a sea change affecting the sport. This once quiet, dignified sport is now open to substantial influence from wealthy backers and marketing people looking to make the most of the biggest stars in the sport.
One of the main concerns seems to be the lack of money being ploughed back into the sport at grassroots levels, with the suggestion that this could impact upon the long-term conveyor belt of new and exciting talent in the cricket world.
01.15.2009 | 11:23 pm | News
While David Beckham joined the American soccer revolution in a blaze of glory it would appear that the dream is slowly dying as he looks to extend his loan period at AC Milan. There are rumours that AC Milan have already made a multi-million pound bid to take David Beckham to Italy full-time, as he has played an integral part in the team’s recent uplifting performances. So is David Beckham about to kill the American dream?
Underneath the headlines of Beckham’s US adventure there is no doubt that his fitness problems and the dire performance of his team LA Galaxy has taken away much of the gloss which the marketing people had attempted to highlight. While he has been taken to the heart of US society it would appear that is loan period at AC Milan has allowed the former England captain to find his ambition and fall back in love with the game. However, Beckham signed up to a multi-million pound deal with the LA Galaxy and they are very keen to end the circus which is surrounding David Beckham and his future, and bring him back “home”.
Many people saw David Beckham as the perfect way to open US soccer to the worldwide stage but it now appears as though the sport still has much to do to gain international recognition. While a number of US soccer players have made it on the international stage, with many plying their trade in the UK, the US soccer leagues do not tend to take much media space outside of the country. If Beckham does turn his back on LA Galaxy in favour of AC Milan this could put the US soccer sector back to square one although it will have been a very expensive gamble on “Becks”.
01.1.2009 | 3:45 am | News
As we enter 2009 there are conflicting opinions as to the direction of the online and off-line poker industry and casino sector in general. Even though the worldwide economy has been under severe pressure throughout 2008 the online industry has performed admirably and there are now more online poker players than ever before. However, the situation for the off-line industry has been very different with funding issues and cash flow causing severe problems for some of the worlds leading casino companies.
As we enter 2009 there are concerns that the situation regarding money markets and funding for businesses may come under further pressure which could cause a significant swing in the balance between online and off-line poker players in particular. So what exactly is going on?
During 2008 we saw such names as Las Vegas Sands hit the headlines and come close to financial collapse before finally securing additional funding in the latter part of the year. This more than anything is a reflection of the difficulties in this area of the industry and while companies such as Las Vegas Sands have secured a stay of execution there are concerns for 2009 - although the company has been working on reducing cash outflow by cancelling or delaying a number of significant overseas projects. So how does this benefit the online sector?
There has been a significant downturn in attendance numbers in all of the major gambling areas of the world with Macau in particular showing a significant reduction in numbers. This appears to have prompted greater awareness of online promotions as the reduced overheads of the online industry come more to the fore. Online companies have been able to assign larger marketing and promotional budgets to catch the eye of poker players who may not have sampled the delights of online participation, at the expense of many off-line casinos.
However, one downside in the future may be the introduction of a stricter online gambling regulatory regime with the UK and the US government’s known to be keen to play a central part in this area.
10.10.2008 | 12:12 pm | News
A legal team representing the European Union has recently visited Washington, D.C., to question legal and trade representatives about US Justice Department policies regarding Internet gambling. This announcement comes after repeated complaints by the Remote Gaming Association, the organization representing European online casinos, as to the practice of US prosecutions of legitimate foreign casino operators - despite the withdrawal of operations from the US market. This has been seen by many as unneccessary American interference.
However, in addition to this, the US is currently seeking to withdraw from free trade commitments that state that the country must allow online casinos the opportunity to compete with domestic, “real-life“ gambling. If the US gets its way, this may mean a decrease in the size and influence of the US online gambling market, which will have a knock-on effect on a worldwide scale. Even if this negotiation results in the U.S. being freed from the responsibility to obey the treaty, such a ruling would not prevent or help to cover the damages done by the closing of the US market.
A leading law scholar, Professor Joseph Weiler, views the situation as one with no real beneficial outcome, saying that, “It is a shame that the EU has to go this far to seek a solution to such an unnecessary and avoidable dispute that, if not solved, will have wide-reaching consequences for the U.S. and the systems it benefits from and needs to maintain.”
Trade experts are similarly wary of the outcomes of this potential negotiation, predicting rocky times for the U.S. trade relationship with the world if this case continued to fester. Many Republicans have even broken with party lines supporting the banning of gambling, to admit the regulation of gambling may well be a better solution, solving the international difficulties caused by the UIGEA, as well as taking a huge burden off the financial industry and making the Internet safer for children.
10.1.2008 | 5:16 am | News
The ongoing petition to regulate online gaming in the US achieved its first legislative victory since the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) when “The House Financial Services Committee” passed the Payment Systems Protection Act (PSPA) yesterday. The victory was especially remarkable due to the fact that a similar measure failed to make it out of committee two months ago after a 32-32 vote.
This new bill, sponsored by Committee Chairman Barney Frank, calls on the Treasury Department to begin formulating and implementing regulations that prevent sports betting transactions from being processed – thus ensuring the government can regulate the system. However, the bill is limited to only sports betting transactions at present.
“Under this bill, at least the banks will know what is and isn’t illegal… We’re asking the Treasury Department to give them a list,” clarified Frank at the press conference discussing the new bill yesterday.
Rep. Spencer Bachus led the opposition to the bill, and said yesterday that “I’m disappointed that we’re marking up another bill designed to impede the enforcement of the UIGEA… This legislation (UIGEA) is necessary because Internet gambling regulations can not work like casino regulations.” Bachus also stated that “professional sports leagues continue to oppose the delay in implementing UIGEA regulations”, but this angered some others present at the vote – for example, one representative said that he was “puzzled by pro sports opposition” to the bill.
The passage of the bill by the House Financial Services Committee was applauded from the Poker Players Alliance (PPA). “The PPA is pleased that the House Financial Services Committee today recognized the need to provide necessary clarification to what constitutes ‘unlawful Internet gambling’ under the UIGEA” said PPA chairman and former Senator Alfonse D’Amato. “Even those who oppose internet gambling should applaud the passage of this legislation as it provides the most realistic opportunity to block truly unlawful internet gambling transactions.”
09.10.2008 | 9:22 pm | News, gambling
It was announced yesterday that the leading American online gambling marketing company, Cognitive Powers Inc., is about to release a new mobile application which will enable Blackberry users to view betting odds ‘on –the-go’.
The software, entitled BBSportsLines, will allow Blackberries to display the latest, most up to date betting odds on a variety of sporting events, making gambling and betting easier and more accessible for those constantly on the move. It is thought this will boost gambling figures as a whole due to the ease by which these potential customers will be able to weigh up the odds.
Even better, the North-Carolina based company is offering this service for free alongside other mobile applications, and the company is optimistic about the future of the new scheme – “Now blackberry users can see the odds on the game while sitting in the stands, waiting at the airport or talking around the water cooler at work,†said Matt Lochansky, owner of Creedmoor-based Cognitive Powers, adding that “it is designed as an entertaining tool for sports enthusiastsâ€.
The system will be based on a leading offshore provider of betting odds, and can then be uploaded to a mobile device on request. Although the data will only be sent on demand, the firm recommend that users have an unlimited data plan. It is said that the company will provide odds on sports ranging from traditional American sports like baseball, American football and soccer to less popular games such as rugby.
It is thought that the new tool will help to boost revenue for the gambling industry after its sharp decline as a result of the recent recession.
09.9.2008 | 9:20 pm | Poker, News
It was announced yesterday that the leading online poker provider, PokerStars.com, is about to release a licensed version of its Mac poker software which can be downloaded from the end of September onwards. The company, which is based in the Isle of Man, has developed this software just in time for the start of the seventh edition of its World Championship of Online Poker. It is hoped that this move will increase the number of players in this tournament – the highest earner for PokerStars in its annual calendar. This is because the provision of a Mac version of the software will open the tournament to those with Apple computers.
It has been said by industry analysts that Macintosh has been constantly improving as a gaming platform for four years now, and PokerStars has been developing the new compatible software for the past year in order to make its services more accessible. A member of Team PokerStars, Australian champion Joe Hachem, said yesterday that “This is a great addition for both PokerStars.com and the poker playing audience…This will allow Mac users to experience the world’s largest online poker site without third-party applications. I know a lot of the actors and musicians I coach via PokerStars.com will appreciate its release as the creative community use Macs before any other computerâ€. It is clear that many users will therefore benefit from this move.
However PokerStars is not the first online gambling site to use Mac-based software – the Ongame-powered PokerRoom.com was the first to embrace this technology, while PartyGaming.com is currently running a beta test. In addition, ParadisePoker.com, AbsolutePoker.com and SunPoker.com offer Mac-compatible web-based versions of their software. This means that PokerStars is set to join some illustrious online gaming sites, hopefully increasing its popularity and revenue.
09.8.2008 | 3:16 am | News, casinos
As news flows through that US mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac have been affectively taken over by the government it seems that there is another way to make ends meet in the current recession. Casino frauds have been on the increase for some time with more sophisticated equipment now available which has seen a number of gangs bag some very large wins. So are the casinos winning the fight?
A look at the most recent of casino frauds will show you that the likes of the FBI are now involved in a number of investigations as the crooks become slicker and organised crime gangs target the sector. Even the prospect of spending years in jail for being involved in an attempted or actual casino fraud project has not deterred the hardest and most determined of crooks. Thankfully, online protection systems have kept online casino frauds down to a minimum although there have been the odd one or two internal rackets which have been discovered – thankfully not at any of the recognised and more mainstream sites.
Online casino have also been knocked by those who do not quite understand the safety systems in place but after recent events they have been shown to be more secure than many offline casinos. That is not to say that any system, casino or site is impregnable but the chances of being caught up in an online casino fraud are near zero.
It will be interesting to see what new and inventive security systems the offline casinos bring in after the discovery of a number of high profile frauds. They have literally spent millions in the past but money is a little tighter at the moment due in the main to the shaky worldwide economy.
09.5.2008 | 4:34 am | Poker, News, Poker Stars, casinos
As we near the final table of WSOP 2008 the tension is starting to mount and the money is starting to flow on who will pick up the prize this year. A quick look at the betting exchanges will show you that there is a very small band of the final 9 whom gamblers think are in with a chance but could it all change when the event begins?
As a taster here is a list of the betting exchange odds for each of the players left at the final table of the main even WSOP 2008 :-
Dennis Phillips 9/2
Craig Marquis 12/1
Ylon Schwartz 9/1
Scott Montgomery 11/2
Darus Suharto 12/1
David Rheem 11/1
Ivan Demidov 9/2
Kelly Kim 39/1
Peter Eastgate 11/2
The odds would suggest that the likes of Dennis Phillips, Ivan Demidov, Peter Eastgate and Scott Montgomery are in the driving seat but is it really that clear? Or will we see one of the so called outsiders sneak in and grab the pot?
The beauty of poker is that fact that it can change from hand to hand and results can literally turn the betting on its head in a matter of minutes. While all of the players at the final table know what they can do and how to play the game, playing the final table at the main WSOP event can be daunting for even the most hardened professional.
How easy must it be to let your heart rule your head, to feel you heart pumping and make the wrong move or fall for a well disguised bluff?
Life in the world of poker is never straight forward and while those carrying big chip stacks to the final table have the cutting edge at the moment, this can all change very very quickly.
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