http://www.primacasinos.com PrimaCasinos en-us 344 64 http://www.primacasinos.com http://www.primacasinos.com/img/logo2.jpg Internet poker provider Full Tilt Poker has announced the launch of its popular Rush Poker tables to players with Android enabled devices. Full Tilt players are now able to participate in live games of Rush Poker & win cash using Apple iOS devices, including iPhone, iPad &iPod touch.

In November last year the company released the Rush Poker Application for Android enabled devices, but it is now utilizing HTML5 technology to run the online poker format straight from any Apple iOS device's web browser, without requiring any additional plug-ins or installed applications.

In order to access the real-money and free-play games of Rush Poker straight from a computer's Chrome or Safari browser, the players will need a 3G, 4G or a wireless connection. Soon, the Full Tilt Poker's future versions will include tournaments as well.

“This revolutionary new poker format is designed to minimise your wait time between hands and keep you in the action at all times. Whether you’re playing a Rush Poker ring game or a Rush Poker tournament, you’ll join a large player pool and face a different table of opponents every hand you play. When you fold your hand, you’ll be rushed to a new table for the next hand immediately.” ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Full-Tilt-Launches-Rush-Poker-For-Apple.htm President Bronislaw Komorowski of Polant has signed into law a decree that bans some forms of gambling, including online poker. The ban will become law by mid-July.

After several months of political wrangling, Poland has defined online poker as one of the "hard games", or games that are considered addictive and that can imply the possibility of cheating.

However, it was not specified if the ban include the poker tournaments. Polish online poker players are banned from playing at foreign websites. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Poland-Bans-Online-Poker.htm The British based gambling company Ladbrokes, based in Rayners Lane in Harrow, London, has proudly announced it is close to dealing the four billionth online poker hand.

To celebrate this great performance, the British company will be giving away €100,000 cash on 200 milestone hands until the four billionth hand is shuffled up and dealt. The luckiest player will walk away with a massive €20,000.

Play on real money cash tables with at least three other people, and you will increase your chances of winning a cash prize. Look out for the hand number displayed on the screen and check out if it matches one of the Ladbrokes milestone hands. The winner of that hand will automatically win a cash prize, while the other three players at the table will receive smaller cash prizes.

“The four billionth hand as such is an amazing milestone and what better way to celebrate than by giving our customers hard cash. We are expecting to see some great hands in the build-up to the big event, and if you are playing on one of our lucky tables it is impossible not to win something,” Amy Trodd from Ladbrokes Poker said. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Ladbrokes-Celebrates-Its-Four-Billionth-Online-Poker-Hand.htm Loto-Quebec is a government agency, created in 1969, that develops and runs lottery games in the Canadian province of Quebec.
The latest financial report from operator Loto-Quebec has shown positive results for the first months of 2011, seeing an increase of $7 million in revenues and 37,753 in subscribers, of which about 60% were considered active.

“At the end of the first four months of operation, results are in keeping with estimates: 37,753 subscribers, of which about 60 percent were considered active, and revenues of some $7 million. Development of a complete and competitive offering will continue over the coming years,” notes the report.

According to the report, the launch of the Espacejeux website last December, has been one of the highlights of the year, that allowed adult Quebec players to legally play various online games of chance. Espacejeux online gaming offers its players eight types of poker, table games like baccarat, sic bo and red dog, as well as a variety of blackjack and roulette games.

Loto-Quebec's 2010-2011 Annual Report also notes that the net earnings from all their other gambling activities have remained stable despite the lower revenues. Loto-Quebec reported consolidated revenues of $3.675 billion and net earnings of $1.338 billion for the period. Thanks to a strict expense control, the corporation was able to reveal net earnings similar to last year's figures, despite an $80 million decline in sales. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Loto-Quebec-Registers-Positive-Online-Results.htm Gambling revenue in Macau, the world's largest gaming market, has registered another high record last month, showing a 42.2% increase in revenue to MOP 24.31 billion (US $3.03 billion) up from 17.08 billion patacas a year earlier. It was for the fourth consecutive month that Macau's gaming industry has set a new monthly gross revenue record.

Macau represents the world's largest gambling resort and China's only legal casino destination. Since the end of 2009, Macau has continually grown in visitors and it managed to overtake the Las Vegas Strip. In 2010, it ranked in about four times the Strip's gambling revenue and it is expected to grow to five times the size of the Strip's this year.

Last month's impressive results were also helped by the beginning of the month's week-long national holiday and by the opening of a new $2 billion resort, called the Galaxy Macau on May 15th.

“They have beaten my expectations. We will need to have another look at our gaming revenue forecasts for the full year on the back of this. I would be surprised if gaming revenue growth reaches this level until maybe October. Five out of the last six years we have seen a decline in June versus May. Obviously this year has the benefit of Galaxy Macau,” the RBS gaming analyst Philip Tulk stated. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Macau-Casino-Reveals-42.2%-Increase-In-Revenue.htm In December 2010, the Italian listed company Buongiorno and internet gambling software developer Playtech plc have signed a mobile gambling deal regarding the launch of mobile casino games in fun mode in the Italian market.

The international designer, developer and licensor of software for the online, mobile, TV and land-based gaming industry is amongst the first software providers to offer mobile casino games to the regulated Italian market. Playtech will offer to its Italian customers the following games: Blackjack, Roulette and Jacks or Better, which will be available for the iPhone and Android platforms. The Isle of Man-based Playtech said its titles are fully compliant with requirements laid out by the Amministrazione Autonoma Dei Monopoli Di Stato (AAMS) regulator.

The mobile games at Winga.it are currently available in fun mode, with real money mode to follow once regulation permits and in accordance with all regulatory requirements.

“This is a significant step for Playtech in the Italian market and in our ongoing partnership with Buongiorno, which will see the delivery of more innovative products as the year progresses,” said Daniel Orkan, Head of Mobile for Playtech.

Orkan also mentioned the company is excited to offer mobile casino games to Italian players and he announced the launch of an online casino later in the year, in line with their strong cross-platform capabilities.

Buongiorno's Head of Global Online Gaming Assen Diakovski said Winga.it is set to develop across two sectors in the following months and, once the regulations allow, the expansion of its existing gaming offering will include lotteries, casino games and the mobile channel. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Playtech-Launches-Mobile-Games-For-Buongiorno.htm King Cashalot progressive jackpot is another Microgaming-powered online slot that transformed a regular but lucky man in an instant millionaire at Ladbrokes.

Kim Cashalot is one of the 37 progressive slots, part of the Microgaming Network, which represents the largest online progressive jackpot offerings on the net. The Microgaming Network has paid out over €285 million to over 8,000 lucky winner.

At the end of April 2011, the King Cashalot online progressive jackpot was hit at GBP 1.5 and on May 13th for another GBP 111,368.

Mike Hebden, Head of Casino says: “I am delighted that the progressive jackpot network has created another millionaire. It is so exciting when this happens and I am extremely proud that the player is paid in one single payment, rather than an annuity. We still hold the record of the biggest online jackpot win in history back in May 2009 with a staggering €6.37m single pay out. Watch this space for more winners in the future!” ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Microgaming-Powered-Progressive-Jackpot-Pays-Out-GBP-1.5-Million.htm Peter Brown, 44-year-old from Torquay Cornwell, is the latest online player to hit an incredible jackpot at William Hill Online's Playtech-powered progressive slot Leprechaun's Luck.

The Leprechaun's Luck, one of the many online progressive jackpots available at William Hill, is a 5-reel, 20-payline video slot machine game, based on an Irish theme. The game features wild symbols, free spin bonuses, scatter symbols and a progressive jackpot.

Peter Brown opened his account at William Hill in 2001 and ten years later he became one of the biggest winners of William Hill Online.

“I’m still in shock, I just can’t believe it. I thought I was dreaming when it came up on the screen that I’d won and it wasn’t until someone from WilliamHill.com rang to congratulate me that it started to sink in,” the winner said.

When asked about what he would do with the money, the lucky player said he would probably buy himself a new Jeep and perhaps a new 3D television set.

A spokesperson from William Hill commented: “To turn one pound into £345,253 is just phenomenal, and we're delighted for Peter and we'd like to wish him all the best with his new found fortune.” ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/William-Hill-Player-Wins-Huge-Jackpot.htm Online gambling software supplier Playtech has confirmed the merger talks with gambling giant Gala Coral Group Ltd. The terms of the deal will allow Playtech to supply Gala's online bingo, casino and sports betting platforms with its quality software.

The merger talks come after Playtech have settled its dispute with William Hill regarding Playtech's stake in William Hill Online.

The gambling deal will involve significant improvements to Gala Coral's websites coral.co.uk, galabingo.co.uk and galacasino.co.uk.
The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two parties, will see Gala’s suite of online gambling games migrate to the Playtech platform in the near future.

“Gala makes money on its online bingo but its sport betting really punches below its weight,’ said one source. ‘Now that Playtech is free to talk to other operators, everything pointed to a deal between it and Gala.” ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Playtech-And-Gala-Coral-Confirm-Gambling-Deal.htm Paddy Power, Ireland's largest bookmaker, has reported a 33% rise in online revenues and 7% growth in retail revenues for the 19 week period ended May 15th.

The Irish bookmaker, which also markets its services in the United Kingdom, offers sports betting, online poker, online bingo, online and mobile casino games and spread betting services.

According to Paddy Power's recent report, the company has seen a significant mobile growth of 298% increase in mobile stakes and a 34% increase in the number of customers using the company's mobile gaming applications, from the beginning of 2011.

Nigel Northridge, Chairman, Paddy Power PLC said "The comparative period for the remainder of the year benefited from the football World Cup, as well as very favourable sports results. However, the strong underlying momentum in the Group should help to offset these factors, and consequently the Board looks forward to the balance of 2011 and beyond with confidence.”

Paddy Power, founded in 1988 by the merger of three existing Irish bookmakers, has more than 290 betting shops throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom. The company is listed on both the London and Irish Stock Exchanges. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Paddy-Power-Reports-298%-Growth-In-Mobile-Gaming.htm Jason Mercier won the first ever European Poker Tour Champion of Champions event. The tournament, which took place at the Grand Casino in Madrid, has featured every winner in the history of the European Poker Tour.

The European Poker Tour Champion of Champion event invited 50 former EPT winners to take part in the €100,000 freeroll event. All prizes were awarded in EPT buy-ins for the upcoming tournament season.

The final table of the EPT Champion of Champion event featured some of the biggest names in poker, including Galen Hall, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Harrison Gimble, and Victoria Coren.

“I’m extremely happy” Mercier commented on his win, “It was a tough tournament. Really good players came out and, when we got deep, I did think at one point that I was going to bubble it.”

The official results of the EPT Champion of Champions event were:
1st: Jason Mercier - €50,000 in EPT Season 8 buy-ins;
2nd: Galen Hall - €25,000 in EPT Season 8 buy-ins;
3rd: Max Lykov - €15,000 in EPT Season 8 buy-ins;
4th: Victoria Coren - €10,000 in EPT Season 8 buy-ins.

Jason Mercier is an American professional poker player, winner of the 2008 EPT San Remo, member of the Team PokerStars Pro and the Bluff Magazine Player of the Year for 2009. As of 2011, his total live tournament winnings exceed $5,500,000. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Jason-Mercier-Is-The-Champion-Of-Champions.htm The eGaming Review magazine, a leading publication of the online gambling industry, and EGRmagazine.com have held the B2B Awards in London, to honor the achievements of the largest companies in the online casino gambling industry over the last year.

Playtech and Microgaming were the leading online gaming software providers that stole the show at the EGR B2B Awards. Playtech was the most nominated operator at the awards, with seven nominations, while Microgaming received two awards out of five nominations.

“Winning EGR b2b Awards for two major product categories sends a significant message about the strength and capability of Playtech’s products across the group. As a leading name in the industry, we were delighted to be recognized at this prestigious event and look forward to building on our success in the coming year,” Playtech CEO Mor Weizer said.

The winners were:
Playtech – the RNG Supplier of the Year and the Bingo Network of the Year;
Microgaming - Innovation in Slots and Best online poker network;
Dragonfish - Best Bingo Supplier and poker software;
Net Refer - Best affiliate software;
Cozy Games - Innovation in Bingo software;
Net Entertainment - Innovation in RNG casino software;
IGT - Best slots provider;
Evolution - Top live dealer provider;
Mfuse - Best mobile technology provider;
GameAccount - Tops in skill games;
Openbet - Best sports betting provider;
Neogames - Best white label supplier. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Playtech-And-Microgaming-Hounoured-At-EGR-B2B-Awards.htm On April 15th, the Department of Justice ended online poker Stateside by closing three of the world's biggest poker operators: PokerStars, FullTilt Poker and Absolute Poker.

The three online poker giants faced bank fraud, money laundering and violation of the UIGEA law charges, and they were forced to block access to their websites to all American players.
PokerStars and FullTilt Poker were forced to suspend all online poker services and switched their online operations to pokerstars.eu, fulltiltpoker.co.uk.

Two weeks later, PokerScout published an online poker traffic report that compared the weekend before Black Friday with the weekend immediately following the announcement of the indictments and with the Easter weekend as well.

The results showed a 22% decline in cash game poker players. PokerStars, the largest online poker website, has registered a 28% drop in cash game players, Full Tilt Poker suffered a 35% drop, while CEREUS Network, which include Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, have seen a massive decline of 65%. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Online-Poker-Drops-22%-After-Black-Friday.htm The newly merged Bwin.party digital group has announced the launch of a live betting application for mobile smart-phones with Android operating system.

Thanks to this new application, users will be able to bet on sports such as football, tennis, Formula 1, hockey or skiing.

The Bwin live betting application for Android (versions 2.1-3.0) will be available for downloading and installing at wap.bwin.com/liveapp.

The live betting application will be available for all registered bwin.com customers. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Bwin-Launches-Android-Compatible-Live-Betting-Application.htm The Dutch Holland Casino Monopoly is investigating a suspicious progressive slot which was hit ten times in 2010 and so far seven times this year.

Although the Mega Millions Jackpot slot game is one of the most popular video slots at land based casinos in the Netherlands, the game was removed from all the Holland casinos across the country.

The authorities decided to remove all 161 inter-connected Mega Millions Jackpot progressive video slots in order to check out the mechanics of the machine. Apparently, the technicians think the slot machines may contain a malicious code capable of triggering jackpots.

Last time, the progressive jackpot was hit twice in a 24 hour period. Saturday, a woman hit the €1,049,000 Progressive Jackpot at the Holland Casino Rotterdam and next day another woman hit €1,008,000 at the Holland Casino Groningen.

Since January 2009, the Mega Millions Jackpot game was paid out an incredible twenty six times for over €30 million to twenty six individuals playing at different casinos. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Progressive-Jackpot-Hit-7-Times-in-12-Months.htm Last week, the FBI and the Department of Justice have shut down the US online poker industry, accusing PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker of bank fraud, money laundering and violation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

The three online poker giants have been forced to block access to their websites for all American players.
“When Pokerstars, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker left the US market, 95 percent of the market share for US poker players absolutely disappeared and with that so did $200 million worth of marketing money and advertising money,” said Brian Balsbaugh from Poker Royalty in an interview.

The FBI has issued arrest warrants for PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg, PokerStars director Paul Tate, Raymond Bitar and Nelson Burtnick from Full Tilt Poker, and Scott Tom and Brent Beckley from Absolute Poker. All six men face up to 30 years in jail for illegal gambling, conspiracy and money laundering related charges.
PokerStars was forced to suspend its online poker services and lost nearly 35% of its customer base, switching its online operation to pokerstars.eu.

“The developments are confined to the U.S. and do not have any impact on your ability to continue using our services. Please be assured player balances are safe. There is no cause for concern. For all customers outside the U.S. it is business as usual.,” said in a press release.

Full Tilt Poker opened the fulltiltpoker.co.uk website for non USA players as well.
“Mr. Bitar and Full Tilt Poker believe online poker is legal, a position also taken by some of the best legal minds in the United States.”

Absolute Poker, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker have promised to remain committed to the protection of their players' legal rights, continuing to provide their services worldwide. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/PokerStars,-Full-Tilt-Poker-And-Absolute-Poker-Shut-Down-By-FBI.htm The online gaming software provider Playtech has recently launched its latest online slot this week. The “Easter Surprise” is a 5-reel, 20 pay line video slot game featuring eggs, bunnies and many other Easter-themed items.

The Easter Surprise video slot has been released together with the scratch card game, with the same name, to coincide with the upcoming Easter season.

The video slot game has 20 paylines and it allows players to wager up to 10 coins per line. The Scatter symbol of the game is the Easter Surprise logo, which brings players big cash payouts when two or more logos appear anywhere on the reels. Spinning three Easter Surprise logos triggers the game's Free Spin feature and offers the player 10 free plays at triple payouts.

The 20 payline video slot allows players to wager up to 10 coins per payline, with the coin size varying from €0.01 to €1.00. The Auto Play feature allows up to 99 spins without manual intervention.

The Easter Surprise scratch card game is played in a three by three matrix. The aim is to get three rabbits in a column, row or diagonally. Scratch card bet values range from €0.10 to €100, with the maximum payout depending on the amount wagered.

Easter Surprise video slots and scratch card games can be played live at all Playtech online casinos. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/“Easter-Surprise”-From-Playtech.htm William Hill, one of the largest bookmakers in the United Kingdom, has announced it is offering a range of bets regarding the name of the fourth child of David and Victoria Beckham.

In January the couple announced they were expecting their forth baby, but it was not until recently that they found out and announced they would finally have the baby girl that Victoria Beckham had always longed for.

It has never been a secret that Victoria was very keen on the name “Coco”, inspired by her favourite designer Coco Chanel and hoped she would give this name to her first daughter.
“Victoria Beckham has admitted that she gave up hope of ever having a baby girl and used her favourite name, Coco, for the dog,” read a statement from WilliamHill.com.

Since she gave the name to one of her dogs, the odds of re-using it fell from 100/1 to 33/1. The odds on the name “Luna” have also dropped from 100/1 to 12/1. According to William Hill, the favourite names are Juliet (4/1 odds), Jacqueline (6/1), Sandra (7/1), Jessica (8/1) and Emily (10/1).

Other names added to the list include California (33/1), or Chardonnay, Crystal, Sharon, Tracey and Paris set at 50/1 odds. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Punters-Bet-On-The-Name-Of-Beckhams-Daughter.htm A report released by the Forrester Research, the market research company, estimates the revenue created from customers buying and downloading applications to their smartphones will reach $38 billion by the end of the year, continuing growth at an estimated compound rate of 9.5 percent per annum.

The astounding growth rate is due to the mobile entertainment market, which is growing so quickly. People from all around the world are purchasing the mobile communication devices. Meanwhile, the demand for mobile games and applications has continued to grow.

The Forrester report, written by analyst John C. Mc.Carthy, predicted a massive growth of the enterprise business opportunities over the next four years. According to him, the corporations will spend up to $17 billion for creating new applications for their products.

In 2010, the mobile gaming market was worth approximately $33 billion and it is expected to grow by 15% by the end of 2011. Since the online casino developers have started offering their mobile services, thousands of players have downloaded online poker and casino applications available on mobile communication platforms.

Mobile gaming market refers to playing games for money by using a remote device such as a Tablet computer, Smartphone, or a Mobile phone with wireless internet connection. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Mobile-Gaming-Market-To-Hit-$38-Billion-In-2011.htm PokerStars, the world's largest online poker room has reached its 60 billionth hand and rewarded the player who collected $102,090 when his Q3 made a pair of threes to win the lucky hand.

The player who won the PokerStars' 60 billionth hand was “Pogo650”, a young man from UK.
“I could not believe my luck, and I rang my dad who was at his home multi-tabling nine tables, also trying to hit the PokerStars 60 billionth hand!” he said. “I think I must have burst his ear drum when I screamed down the phone that I had won.”

The 60 billionth hand was dealt at a $5/$10 Limit Texas Hold'em cash game. Each of the lucky players at the winning table, MeisterHahn, Hedgehog87, DrPepel, chezlaw, and Blue Baboon received at least $21,000 for his participation.

65,000 people were logged in at the same time on PokerStars, playing at the world's biggest online poker room. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/UK-Player-Wins-PokerStars-60-Billionth-Hand.htm The Harvard professor and poker player Brandon Adams has developed a new poker coaching website to offer expert training across a number of different fields and he invited Tom “durrrr” Dwan and Patrik Antonius to give their first paid poker lessons next month.

Players who look for a special coaching lesson or a unique experience can bid on these poker lessons through Adams' Twitter account where biding will start at $3,000. The majority of the proceeds will be donated to Morris Jeff Community School.

“Having Patrik and Tom available to the poker community is clearly a great resource, and I’m very curious to see what their initial hours of coaching will go for,” Adams said. “Tom is simply the most innovative mind in poker, and many of the best poker players of his (or any) generation have publicly credited him as being the leading influence in their poker development. Tom is exceptionally quick, and I think he’ll pack a lot of insight into a typical one hour session.”

“Patrik is probably the second biggest winner in poker over the last decade,” Adams continued. “At one point, he was the biggest winner in every major game type on Full Tilt.
By results, Patrik and Phil Ivey are the best internet poker players on the planet. Patrik has never given a poker lesson before, and he has not firmly committed to give lessons after April 18, so I’d have to suppose that his April 18 lesson goes for a staggeringly high rate.” ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Dwan-and-Antonius-Will-Give-Paid-Poker-Lessons.htm The professional Danish poker player Gus Hansen has captured another $1 million across a slew of pot-limit Omaha and limit deuce-to-seven triple draw sessions on Full Tilt Poker.

This last million has raised Hansen's total winnings to a whopping four million dollars as on 2011. Hansen calls himself a professional poker player. He started playing poker professionally in 1997, and won three World Poker Tour open titles during his career. He is known for his strong reputation as a competitive card player, who rarely backs down from a challenge and for his quick and rash beginnings.

With this win, Hansen is now up to more than $4 million in winnings for the first quarter of 2011, placing him comfortably on top of the all-year leader board, ahead of Matt Hawrilenko and the anonymous “gavz101”. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Gus-Hansen-Scooped-Another-$1-Million-On-Full-Tilt-Poker.htm The 20 year-old professional poker player Eugene Katchalov is the newest member of the Team PokerStars Pros. The Ukrainian-born player will be joining the likes of Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker, Joe Hachem and Vanessa Russo.

Katchalov has been playing professionally since 2003, and won over $6.1 million in live tournaments ever since, with his biggest win coming in December 2007, after winning the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic for a $2,482,605 first place prize.

He is one of the most constant players over the past twelve months. In January 2011, Katchalov won the $100,000 Super High Roller event at the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for $1.5 million. A few days later, he finished the second in the $20,000 High Roller 6 Max event at the PCA.

“I feel very fortunate in having the opportunity to represent PokerStars,” Katchalov said. “It is the largest and, in my opinion, the best-run poker site in the world, with a great team of pros. I look forward to continuing my great run in poker and helping PokerStars successfully expand and evolve within the ever-changing world of poker."

“Eugene has always flown under the radar, but among his peers, his game is well respected and he is considered one of the best in the world, both in tournaments and cash games. I’m thrilled to see Eugene as part of the team. He’s a great guy and an excellent poker ambassador,” Daniel Negreanu spoke of Katchalov.

Eugene MyRabbiFoo Katchalov has already made his debut as a PokerStars Pro at the Russian Poker Series Kiev event on March 26th. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Eugene-Katchalov-Signs-With-PokerStars-Team-Pro.htm The leading events organizer and publisher iGB Affiliate and the online gaming B2B news and content provider iGaming France have combined their efforts and entered into a partnership to launch the first iGaming France Conference 2011.

The inaugural iGaming France Conference 2011 will be hosted in Paris at the Marriott Hotel Paris-Neuilly, on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 of March. The event aims to provide the best insights and networking opportunities on the French market, “one of the key European markets to have recently regulated”.

“With the French iGaming market rapidly growing, this event will provide a much needed resource for affiliates, vendors and operators not only from an educational standpoint but also to help bring this market together for the first time since regulation.” iGB Affiliate Alex Pratt, commented.

“This is an event that operators and affiliates have asked us to organize for a number of years and I am really pleased that we are going to deliver this with iGaming France as it means the event will be a huge success with every player that is serious about targeting France in attendance.”

The event will feature major industry figures talking about the key industry issues, by offering practical advice, market analysis, strategies and regulatory updates.
iGaming France Conference 2011 will coincide with the inaugural iGaming France Industry Awards that wishes to celebrate the best of the French online gaming sector. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/iGaming-France-Conference-2011.htm Titanpoker.com has recently received the 2011 Gambling Readers's Choice Award for Best Poker Customer Service. The winner was voted by readers of the Gambling Online Magazine.

The Gambling Online Magazine's Gold Award for the Best Online Poker Customer Service is considered among the most prestigious awards in the gambling industry. Titanpoker.com received the award for three years in a row, in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Here's what the Gambling Online noted when announcing the award last month: “If the players themselves believe that a company offers a good service, it speaks volumes for how well a business is looking after its valued customers.”

Titan Poker is one of the world's best online poker rooms and part of the iPoker Network. The company noted it was grateful for receiving the 2011 Best Poker Customer Service award, which serves as a recognition of their ongoing commitment to ensuring the best possible online poker experience.

“Our professional and friendly customer service agents always go the extra step in answering our players' needs in a wide range of supported languages, whether it be by email, phone, or in response to player messages in our highly efficient online support chat service.”

“Looking forward to the upcoming year, we are committed to maintaining our position above the competition by continuing to improve the customer service we provide to players and visitors at the leading online poker room in Europe,” the statement from Titan Poker said. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Titanpoker.com-Wins-The-2011-Best-Poker-Customer-Service-Award.htm Sorel Mizzi is a 24 year-old professional poker player, who has collected over $4 million from poker winnings. Although he is a very talented player and he even received the 2010 Player of the Year Award, Mizzi has long been the subject of several cheating scandals.

This time, the player is facing John Racener's accusations who accused him of cheating at Chinese Poker during the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure back in January. Racener gave Shaun Deeb permission to recount the incident to the poker community.

Deeb said Racener saw his opponent dealing off the bottom of the deck during the high stakes session of Chinese poker, and cheating him out of thousands of dollars. Here is what Mizzi stated regarding these accusations.

"ok Deeb, I dont really know what to say, he says that I dealt myself a joker from the bottom of the deck when I didn't . People have done it b4 to me and they'll do it again, seems like every 2 months I have to defend myself vs some sort of accusation with no proof and I'm really sick of it. I've been accused of just about everything, pretty sure if u said I was responsible for the 9/11 attacks a certain % of people would believe u. The reality of it is if u post these accusations on 2p2 the majority of people will believe you over me, you can say anything, I'm wide open and completely vulnerable to being accused of anything shady and having people believe it.”

We can see that his past actions have made him vulnerable to such charges, but Mizzi is still a talented poker player who really doesn't need to cheat in order to win at the poker tables. The Bluff magazine named him the 2010 Player of the Year, which comes as a recognition of his bright career in both live and online poker field. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/John-Racener-Accused-Sorel-Mizzi-Of-Poker-Cheating.htm The Danish poker star Peter Eastgate, winner of the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, has announced his sudden comeback to poker's main stage after seven month of absence.

In 2010, Peter Eastgate, one of the world's most talented poker players, announced: "When I started playing poker for a living, it was never my goal to spend the rest of my life as a professional poker player. My goal was to become financially independent. I achieved that by winning the WSOP main event in 2008. The period following has taken me on a worldwide tour, where I have seen some amazing places and met many new people; it has been a great experience."

Eastgate admitted his life changed completely after winning the WSOP. He relocated to London and started a new life as a high profile poker pro. He said his life was in a constant spotlight, “travelling from poker tournament to poker tournament, doing thousands of interviews” and he never had the chance to catch his breath.

Peter Eastgate plans to restart his career at the upcoming EPT Copenhagen event, which will begin next week. The player also announced his presence at the NBC's National Heads-up Poker Championship at the Caesars Palace, on March 3rd. Annie Duke, Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel, Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu and John Duhamel are among the confirmed players at the event. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/2008-WSOP-Champion-Returns-To-Poker.htm Betfair's Chief Executive, Andrew Twaits went to Hobart, Tasmania, to inspect the company's new facilities at the Tasmanian-based nerve centre.

The boss of one of the biggest online betting agencies in the world spoke about the protection of the vulnerable online gamblers who need the gaming regulation.

"The best response to protect the most vulnerable members of the community is to have a well-regulated environment with the appropriate controls around harm minimisation," Andrew Twaits said.
"We were one of the first ... operators in the country to offer voluntary pre-commitment so you can predetermine how much you can deposit per day, per week or per month -- or lose per day, per week, per month."

Andrew Twaits said his company, which renewed its licence for another 10 years, wishes to remain in the Australian state, in spite of the huge taxes and of the betting environment that has dramatically changed in the past five years.

“We are established here now with 120 or so highly qualified, very loyal staff,” he said. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Betfairs-Chief-Executive-Pleads-For-Australian-Gambling-Regulation.htm The Italian online gambling market has become the biggest market in Europe, rising from €3.4 billion in 2009 to €4.8 billion in 2010 and it continues to grow.

According to the information released by the TrustPartners, the Italian gaming market could potentially double by 2012, as the Italian government wants to tax and regulate the online market.

The new Italian legislation will allow poker players to take part in online poker tournaments. Previously, the Italian players were restricted from playing in cash games. The ban that restricted playing in online casino games will be lifted this summer.

Analysts say the online poker cash games are expected to bring in an additional €400 million to the industry, with the online casino games also adding a further €200 million in 2011 and €1 billion by 2012. The online poker games are expected to be added to the industry by March of this year.

Stefano Acciavatti of TrustPartners explains: “Even if game accounts and revenues for poker increased in 2010 with respect to 2009, during the last four to five months of last year there were clear signs of stabilization. Game sessions, tournaments and amount of money spent per each game were down in number and volume compared to the comparable period in 2009.” ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Italian-Gaming-Market-Continues-Impressive-Growth.htm The online gaming software giant Playtech has just released its forth quarter financial results from 2010, showing a 21% increase in its revenue up to €36.9 million and continuing to rise in popularity.

Total revenues for 2010 of the Isle of Man-based gaming software developer and licensor showed an impressive increase of 24% up to €142.3 million, compared to only €114.8 million a year earlier. The company saw a 20% increase in all online casino activities up to €25.9 million, increase in poker revenues of 3% up to €5.9 million and bingo revenues of 9% up to €3.3 million.

In January 2011, Playtech announced the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of the Intelligent Gaming Solutions (IGS), a provider of software based casino management systems for £5.5 million.

Commenting, Playtech’s Chief Executive, Mor Weizer, said: “Playtech’s business has increased in all areas, delivering a very robust fourth quarter performance. Growth from our existing business, when combined with the new licensees either just launched, or due to launch shortly, gives us a solid platform for 2011. As a result, the Board is comfortable with market expectations for the year ended 31 December 2010 and looks forward to 2011 with confidence as another year of significant development.”

Playtech's Chief Executive said the new year has already started strongly, with daily activities in the first month with over 11% ahead of January 2010 and he looks forward to 2011 with joy and confidence. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Playtechs-2010-Impressive-Growth.htm The American professional poker player Erik Seidel, who won eight World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour title has just won the Aussie Millions $250K Super High Roller event.

The winner defeated a field of 20 players over a single day to collect the whopping $2.5 million first place prize and to advance towards the third place on the All-Time Poker Money list behind Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey. The 20 players who paid the $250,000 buy-in created a huge prize pool of $5,000,0000!

The event featured famous players such as Phil Ivey, Tom “durrr” Dwan, David Benyamine, Annette Obrestad, Daniel “jungleman12” Cates and Aussie Millions High Roller Champion Sam Trickett.

The Aussie Millions is a popular poker tournament that brought poker to a new level by introducing the highest tournament buy-in in the world of poker.

“I’m really, really excited to win this. This was very special because it’s such an elite field. The entry fee was so big, I didn’t want to lose $250,000. I’m just having such an amazing month, year so far. It’s just incredible,” Seidel said after his success. His total live tournament winnings exceed $13,788,227 in prize money.

In January 2011, Erik Seidel has managed to collect a staggering $3.46 million from a 4th place finish at the PCA $25K High Roller Event for $295,960 and a 3rd place finish in the Aussie Millions $10k NL Event for $618,139. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Erik-Seidel-–-Third-In-The-All-Time-Money-List.htm PKR.com was named the IGA Poker Operator of the Year for the second year running, at the 2011 International Gaming Awards gala dinner in London. The winners were celebrated at London’s Jumeirah Carlton Tower in an impressive gala event.

The annual International Gaming Award honours success and achievement in individuals, companies and the industries they serve across.

Malcolm Graham, CEO of PKR.com said, “We are thrilled to be named as Poker Operator of the Year for the second consecutive year. 2010 was a difficult time for the industry as a whole, and this award is a great reward for all our hard work. We look forward to a prosperous 2011.”

PKR.com is an Alderney, UK-based website that offers poker games in a virtual reality setting, that uses 3D graphics and an unique engaging and immersive gaming system. At PKR.com, players can customize their characters to make the game more realistic.

The PKR.com was launched in June 2004 and received the eGaming Review "Hotshot operator of the year" award four years later. In 2010 it received the designation as the UK's fastest growing technology company in the 2010 Sunday Times Tech Track 100. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/PKR-Named-The-Online-Poker-Operator-of-the-Year.htm After almost two years of proceedings between 32Red and William Hill, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales has ruled in favor of the online gambling operator 32Red.

32Red started the legal proceedings against the British bookmaker on a claim of trademark infringement caused by William Hill's use of “32 Vegas” and “32V” brands. 32Red complained that William Hill's 32Vegas.com online casino, launched in 2006 by Playtech, confused players and affected their reputation which has been built up around the brand over the years.

The High Court of Justice ruled that “William Hill's 32Vegas casino signs were sufficiently similar to 32Red’s marks to cause a likelihood of confusion among consumers,” and it has caused detriment to the “distinctive character and repute of 32Red's trademarks”. The court dismissed William Hill's counterclaim until the validity of the 32Red's trademark rights in the UK and European Community.

“We are naturally delighted that the High Court has upheld our claims. This judgment firmly establishes our intellectual property rights and should deter other operators from infringing our trademarks. As highlighted by the judge, we have an excellent reputation as an online casino operator and a strong brand – these are extremely valuable assets in any marketplace,” Ed Ware chief executive of 32Red said. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/32red-Versus-William-Hill---Legal-Case-Finally-Ended.htm According to data released by the Italian regulator AAMS, the online gaming market has grown by 28% last year in Italy.

The significant growth of the gaming market was caused by the huge popularity of the poker tournament that accounted for 65% of total online gambling turnover in Italy last year.

Skill games turnover has also grown by 34% year-on-year in 2010 to €3.15bn, from the €2.35bn registered in 2009. Fixed odds sports betting and skill games accounted for 93% of the remote gambling revenues in Italy last year, growing by 11% to €1.35 billion, compared to €1.22 billion the previous year.

Bingo games have also registered a strong growth in 2010, with revenues reaching €146.14 million by the end of the previous year, which represents approximately 3% of turnover from the market.

AAMS said the popularity of the skill games, sports betting and bingo have confirmed that these product verticals are “better suited to use online”. In 2010, these products have amounted more than 96% of turnover from the territory.

The AAMS also estimates that the launch of the poker cash games in February and casino games in June 2011, will double turnover from the Italian market next year. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Explosive-Growth-Of-The-Italian-Online-Gaming-Market.htm The US online poker pro Nick “Nickdawgg” Harvalis has just become the latest player who won the coveted PocketFive.com Triple Crown, after winning three different online poker tournaments across three different websites in a one week period.

On January 5th, Nick Harvalis firstly managed to outlast a field of 961 players in the PokerStars $320 buy-in $250K Guaranteed tournament, winning the $52,182 first place prize.

Then, on January 11th, Nick “Nickdawgg” Harvalis won the $100 buy-in Full Tilt Poker $23,500 Guarantee for $7,850, and the $25 buy-in Absolute Poker Trishelle $10,000 Guarantee tournament for another $3,399.

“The Wednesday Quarter Million win was special to me because it’s a weekly major and has a great structure. It wasn’t close to my biggest score, but it was more rewarding simply because it was a win and not a second place. I’m an extremely competitive person in general, so winning is almost more important than the money to me,” Harvalis said.

During the same week period, Nick Harvalis has also managed to finish second and third in a couple of other big tournaments on Full Tilt Poker, winning nearly $31,000. Harvalis' biggest cash in was in May 2010, when he placed himself second at the $1k buy-in PokerStars SCOOP event for $108,000. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/“Nickdawgg”-Wins-PoketFives-Triple-Crown.htm Federated Sports and Gaming and Palms Casino Resort have announced the launch of a new poker league for “pros only” starting this year. Annie “The Duchess of Poker” Duke will be the commissioner of the league.

The 200-member league will host four televised regular-season events and an $1 million championship freeroll at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas this year.
“This is incredibly pro-centric," Duke told The Associated Press. "This is the one piece that's kind of missing from the poker landscape right now, which is something for the best players in the world to compete against the best players in the world.”

Annie Duke holds the women's record for the most “in the money” finishes at the World Series of Poker with more than $1,1 million for 38 cashes. As of 2010, Duke's total live tournament winnings exceeded $4.2 million.

The 200 players will be determined by a “ranking system based on an eligibility formula that is driven by mathematics and proven historic achievement,” based on the major event titles, career winnings and recent success.

Annie Duke will be the league's commissioner, but she will not compete in the events. She also said that the league is “something that poker players have talked about for a long time”.
The league's events will not take any profit on the event's prize pools from the players because the representatives expect to earn revenues from sponsorship agreements. The entry fees will be paid by the players.

The league's first three initial tournaments will include several events and there are set to take place between August and December at the Palms Casino Resort. The fourth event will be the $25,000 buy-in main event, set to take place in January 2012.

The league has already gained the support of Erik Seidel, the eight-time WSOP bracelet winner.
“It has been a long time coming for a poker league on par with other professional sports,” Seidel said. “I am looking forward to true excellence in the game being rewarded.” ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Annie-Duke-Named-The-Commissioner-Of-New-Pros-Only-Poker-League.htm Galen Hall is the player who managed to defeat a record field of 1,560 players over six days of tournament, collecting the amazing $2.3 million first place prize at the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event.

The 24 year-old US champion is no stranger to the online success for he has already managed to collect nearly $880,000 at PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker in the last couple of years.
“Up until this event, I’ve been a very terrible live tournament player. I have a pretty impressive track record of busting on Day 1,” said the winner.

“My focus all week, 12-hours a day, has been on playing poker as well as I can and playing every hand as well as I can. It was a very long and gruelling final table and it was also a long, gruelling heads-up match…I feel pretty awesome.”

Here are the complete final table results:
1st - Galen Hall — $2,300,000;
2nd - Chris Oliver — $1,800,000;
3rd - Anton Ionel — $1,350,000;
4th - Sam Stein — $1,000,000;
5th - Mike Sowers — $700,000;
6th - Bolivar Palacios — $450,000;
7th - Max Weinberg — $300,000;
8th - Philippe Plouffe — $202,000. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Galen-Hall-Is-the-2011-PCA-Main-Event-Champion.htm On January 10th, the New Jersey Assembly has approved the bill that would allow Atlantic City casinos to offer online gambling internationally and to state residents. The bill will now go to Governor Chris Christie to be signed into law.
The bill was approved by the Democrats and Republicans, by a 63-11-3 margin in the Assembly and a 34-2 vote in the Senate.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Lesniak, authorizes online gambling, but it restricts the gaming to state residents. If Governor Christie signs the bill, New Jersey will become the first US state to allow legal online gambling and several hundred high-tech jobs related to the Internet will be created.

If the bill is signed by the Governor, the licensed operator will be able to offer online games, including poker, craps, roulette, slots and other casino games.

iMEGA chairman Joe Brennan Jr, whose lobby group helped draft the bill, congratulated the New Jersey's legislators on their overwhelming vote in favor of the bill. “It’s clear that New Jersey’s representatives want their state to be at the forefront of the online gaming industry, both in the US and globally,” he said.

“With the combination of the top regulators in gaming, great information technology infrastructure, a highly-educated workforce, and the strong foundation and leadership of the Atlantic City casino industry, New Jersey is certain to lead this industry’s growth in the US, while creating high-paying, skilled jobs in the technology sector and also attracting investment to the state.”

President and CEO of New Jersey-based games supplier High 5 Games, Anthony Singer thinks the 10th of January 2011 is a historic day for the Jew Jersey state, which will become the centre of the US iGaming industry.

He is optimistic that Governor Chris Christie will sign the bill in order to revive the state's gaming industry. “This law will allow our state’s gaming industry to thrive, creating more jobs and much needed tax revenue for the people of New Jersey,” he said. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/New-Jersey-Assembly-Passes-Online-Gambling-Bill.htm Online gaming software provider Microgaming has announced that its wide selection of games is now available on Android v2.2 Froyo devices running Adobe Flash 10.1.

A spokesperson from Microgaming said the changes reflect the company's desire to constantly enhance its online and mobile casino offering, by providing its customers with innovative new technology and products.

Mike Hebden, Head of Casino for Microgaming said: “The interest around Android v2.2 is massive, the Froyo user interface and experience is comparable to that of the iPhone and the platform is rapidly growing in popularity with developers and consumers. Android has more momentum than any other platform and is largely driving the increased sales of smartphones. A number of pad style devices will also soon be running Android v2.2.”

Betway casino was the first operator to launch the Microgaming games in both play-for-fun and play-for-real versions, which are available for download directly from mobile.betway.com.

“Microgaming enables us to offer our customers the most dynamic and entertaining casino games on the market’s latest platforms. It’s a winning combination that has helped us grow our customer base and mobile casino business. A successful mobile casino business needs to support Android, and we are delighted to be able to meet this demand,” said Daniel Goss MD of Betway. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Betfair,-First-Microgaming-Operator-To-Offer-Games-On-Android-Phones.htm The 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event broke all attendance records for its eight consecutive year. A total of 1,560 players entered the tournament, breaking the previous record by 31 entrants. The event attracted famous poker pros such as Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Rousso, Barry Greebstein, Victor Ramdin, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Joe Hachem, Chris Moneymaker, Victok Bloom and many others.

38 players decided to take their chance and they paid the huge $100,000 buy-in for the Super High Roller Event, hoping to win the fabulous $1,5 million first place prize. Finally, Eugene Katchalov, the 29 year-old professional poker player from Brooklyn, New York, won the title of the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Super High Roller event, which took place at the Atlantis Resort & Casino in the Bahamas.
The winner played the heads up against Daniel Negreanu, who is one of his best friends.
“I feel great about it, because the competition was so tough. It brought out the best in me. It was tough because we’re best friends,” Katchalov said. “He knows more about my game than anyone else.”
“He made my life a living hell,” Katchalov added. “He did not give away any chips and played very well from the short stack. I was fortunate.”

In 2010, Katchalov made three World Series of Poker final tables and in 2007 he won the World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson Classic. Now, he has nearly $5.5 million in lifetime tournament earnings.

Despite finishing the second, Daniel Negreanu achieved a very important performance – he became the all-time leading money winner for tournament poker, surpassing Phil Ivey.

Here are the final table results:
1. Eugene Katchalov, USA - $1,500,000;
2. Daniel Negreanu, Canada - $1,000,000;
3. Bryn Kenney, USA - $643,000;
4. Nick Schulman, USA - $400,000;
5. Humberto Brenes, Costa Rica - $200,000. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/PokerStars-Caribbean-Adventure:-Old-Friends-Fight-For-Victory.htm PokerStars has recently published a list of its top earning poker pro players in 2010, showing that the game of poker is no longer a man's game and that women are able to compete in poker tournaments and take some of the biggest prizes as well as men.

At the top of the list is the female poker pro Vanessa Selbst, with $2,865,830 in live winnings, followed by Liv Boeree in second place with $1,825,425. Vanessa Rousso has managed to achieve the honourable 9th spot with $616,514 in earnings for 2010.

Several poker pros were quite surprised by these results, including the PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu who wrote:
“Another thing I found interesting is how badly the PokerStars boys were outplayed by the women! Vanessa Selbst topped the list, while Liv Boeree had a big win at EPT San Remo and placed second on the list. Vanessa Rousso also had another solid, consistent year, finishing in 9th place on the team.”

“That’s three ladies in the top 10 and that’s pretty impressive considering the fact that women only make up approximately 5% of tournament fields.”

Vanessa Selbst, Liv Boeree and Vanessa Russo are the three women who managed to place themselves in the top then of Women Poker's All Time Money List, behind Kathy Liebert – who occupies the first place with $5,722,371 live earnings and Annie Duke in second place with $4,270,549. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Women-In-PokerStars-Top-Earners-of-2010.htm Roberto Romanello has become the winner of the European Poker Tour Prague, after defeating a field of 563 players over six days to take down the €5,300 buy-in PokerStars sponsored tournament. At the final table, the 34-year-old Welshman entertained his opponents and the media with his jokes and his positive attitude.

“This means everything to me. I felt I had so much support here, and I would like to thank everyone who has given it. I feel like everyone wanted me to win and it feels so good to actually do it,” said the winner.

The EPT Prague first place prize is Romanello's biggest cash win ever. His biggest cash win prior to this EPT title was a sixth place finish at the European Poker Tour Copenhagen Season 6 and the $109,869 money prize that came with it back in February 2010.

Here is a look at the final table results:
1. Roberto Romanello, UK — €640,000
2. Emiliano Bono, Italy — €435,000
3. Marcin Horecki, Poland — €247,000
4. Peter Skripka, Russia — €163,000
5. Marco Leonzio, Italy — €130,000
6. Jan Bendik, Slovakia — €100,000
7. Manuel Bevand, France — €71,000
8. Roberto Nulli, Italy — €54,550. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Welshman-Wins-European-Poker-Tour-Prague.htm Betfair, the world's largest Internet betting exchange based in London, UK, has reported its half-year results to the end of October 2010.

The company's revenues were up 12.3 percent to £188.5 million, compared to £168m in the same period last year, whilst EBITDA was up 24 percent to £31.2 million, compared to £25.1 million last year, with underlying profit after tax up 49.8 percent to £14.4m. Also, Betfair managed to maintain its debt-free status, holding nearly £180 million in cash.

However, the reported profit after tax was down 12.7 percent to £6.8 million, following the net exceptional costs of £14.7 million associated with the company's recent IPO on the London stock exchange.

Betfair, the largest online betting company in the United Kingdom, was launched in June 2000, by one-time professional gambler Andrew Black and former JP Morgan trader Edward Wray. Currently, the company has over 3 million clients and a turnover in excess of £50 million/week.

Chief Executive David Yu commented on the results: “We are pleased to report our first set of results as a listed company, which cover an exceptionally busy period. We have made significant progress throughout the Group pursuing our five key growth priorities of: building on our leadership in sports betting; continuing to expand our product portfolio and cross-selling these products to Sports customers; taking advantage of the proliferation and convergence of new channels; continuing our geographic expansion; and developing our platform to address new markets and new verticals.”

“We also completed a listing of Betfair’s shares on the London Stock Exchange, an important development which we believe will enable us to grow more quickly than we could do as an unlisted business.” ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Betfair-Reports-Solid-Half-Year-Results.htm Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari is a professional poker player, known for his chip tricks. In 2004, he won his first World Poker Tour title at the LA Poker Classic and first WSOP bracelet just a few months later. “The Magician” won the 2010 WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond Classic event, after defeating a total field of 438 players over six days of tournament, and he collected the $870,124 first place prize.

On December 8th, the day when he was celebrating his 32nd birthday, “The Magician” won his second World Poker Tour title, at the $10,000 (£6,300) buy-in event, staged at the luxurious Bellagio in Las Vegas. He became one of just 12 players (including Daniel Negreanu, Howard Lederer, Barry Greenstein and Michael Mizrachi) to have achieved this second win of the tour.

Although he was amongst the chip leaders on day 1, holding on to the lead for almost three days, the Iranian-born player came onto the final table in 5th place. “The Magician” outlasted a strong final table that included: Vanessa Russo, Andrew Robl, John Racener, Kirk Morrison and Ted Morrison.

Commenting on his win, Esfandiari said: “It was legendary. It was tough. It was fun. It was exciting. It was all of the above and I'm so glad to come out ahead.”

The full final table results and payouts were as follows:
1. Antonio Esfandiari ($870,124)
2. Andrew Robl ($549,003)
3. Vanessa Rousso ($358,964)
4. John Racener ($232,271)
5. Kirk Morrison ($168,924)
6. Ted Lawson ($126,693)
The next event on the World Poker Tour schedule is the Southern Poker Championship at the Biloxi in Mississippi, running from January 23rd to January 27th. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/The-Magician-Wins-Second-World-Poker-Tour-Title.htm Nick Abou Risk has just won the PokerStars UKIPT main event which took place at the Radisson Hotel, Galway, in Ireland. The 25-year-old Canadian outlasted all his opponents and became the first poker player to win two UKIPT titles.

Despite the extreme weather conditions which delayed the event by a day, there were 265 players who entered the €1,100 buy-in tournament.

Nick Abou's win comes just four months after he collected the £50,000 by winning the UKIPT Edinburgh. At the UK & Ireland Poker Tour Galway event, Nick started the day as a chip leader and he did not face any major obstacles during the nine-handed final table.

The final table results and payouts were as follows:
1. Nick Abou Risk, Canada - €67,100
2. Trish Mallin, Ireland - €41,300
3. Maurice Silke, Ireland - €25,250
4. Vytenis Navickas, Lithuania, PokerStars qualifier - €18,600
5. Eoin Olin, Ireland - €15,400
6. Dan Rankin, Ireland, PokerStars qualifier - €12,725
7. Roar Aspaas, Norway, PokerStars qualifier - €10,100
8. Johan Meyer, Germany - €7,975
9. Aonghus Farrell, Ireland - €5,700.

The next UKIPT stop is Nottingham, with the main event running between 11th to 14th of February 2011. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Nick-Abou-Risk-Wins-Second-UKIPT-Title.htm The Portuguese football legend and one of the most expensive players in football history, appears to be playing poker on Full Tilt Poker against Patrink Antonius and Daniel “jungleman12” Cates.

“Jungleman12” has recently posted on his twitter account the comment “playing on Full Tilt vs. Cristiano Ronaldo”. Later he added: “I'm winning lol, fortunately not playing football”.

It seems like the famous football player was inextricably linked with “CR7sete”, mostly because he wears the No.7 jersey for Real Madrid football team and because he has trademarked the motif CR7, opening a couple of fashion boutiques in Portugal under this name.
The match between CR7sete and Jungleman12 lasted for a couple of hours, but there were no major actions taking place and Ronaldo proved that he was not a beginner to the game. Well, it's been a well-known fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is a poker enthusiast.

In fact, Jungleman12 and CR7sete played at much lower stakes than Cates usually does, what led to further speculations that Cristiano Ronaldo was actually being coached by Jungleman12.
The 21-year-old “Jungleman12” is known to charge $1,000 per hour for coaching poker lessons, rising up to $2,000 per hour for playing at $25/$50 NHLE tables.

A few days later, Christiano Ronaldo played against Patrik Antonius at a $25/50 NHLE table. Here is their chat history:
CR7sete: Didn't move down in levels…we are friends…
Patrik Antonius: wp champ
CR7sete: Thanks…
Patrik Antonius: football and poker good
Patrik Antonius: tennis is so so...
Patrik Antonius: ciao
CR7sete: Good game…play tomorrow
CR7sete: o text my mobile…
Patrik Antonius: ok
Patrik Antonius: ciao
]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Cristiano-Ronaldo-Plays-Online-Poker-At-Full-Tilt-Poker.htm Sebastian Homann is the 23 year-old poker player from Germany, who navigated through a field of 222 players at the World Poker Tour Marrakech to take down his first championship. Players entering the €5,000 event created a prize pool of nearly €1 million.

Homann played the heads up against Guillaume Cescut, holding a two-to-one chip advantage. It took him only 40 minutes to defeat the French player. In the final hand, Cescut raised to 125,000, and Homann made the call. Then, all the money went into the pot on a J-4-3 flop, with Homann holding a J9 for top pair and Cescut an A4. Cescut was eliminated in second place winning €135,831 for his finish.

“I felt so good today and really good about my game all week. I am a recreational player and this is by far my biggest win, I intend to put the money towards a new house and maybe a nice holiday with my girlfriend. I definitely intend to play more live tournaments now and I am thrilled to have got entry into the $25k WPT World Championship – this takes everything to a whole new level. I will have to play more to prepare for the standard of opposition I am going to get there,” Homann said after his win.

The final table results and payouts were as follows:
1. Sebastian Homann (Germany) – €244,508
2. Guillaume Cescut (France) – €135,831
3. Sebastien Compte (France) – €90,554
4. Felix Oberauer (Austria) – €72,439
5. Guillaume de la Gorce (France) – €54,334
6. Dominik Nitsche (Germany) – €36,220
7. Johan Williamsson (Sweden) – €28,977
8. Julien Lousier (France) – €25,356
9. Patrick Muleta (France) – €19,920

In addition to his prize money, the German player also won a seat in the $25,000 buy-in in the 2011 WPT World Championship in April. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Sebastian-Homann-Wins-WPT-Marrakech-Championship.htm The online casino JackpotCity.com, which uses the popular Microgaming online casino software, has announced that its full range of mobile games can be accessed from the Apple iPad devices.

The Apple iPad has become the latest toy for mobile players. The games that are offered by Microgaming on the mobile gaming platform are of high quality and include roulette, blackjack and of course, the famous slot games.

“We always strive to bring the highest user experience to the market and have therefore decided that the time is right to launch mobile casino software for players who use a more sophisticated mobile device. This will allow our players the chance to kick back and play their favorite mobile casino games in the best possible mobile gaming environment anytime, anywhere,” said a spokesman for the casino.

The JackpotCity mobile casino was launched one year ago. The iPad gaming software released by JackpoCity Mobile is called iPad centric casino software, it is 100% free and it's accessible almost anywhere in the world, at anytime.

The iPad is a mobile media device designed and developed by Apple in April 2010, that revolutionized the world. It was designed for browsing the web, streaming music, playing games, reading books, etc. The iPad is controlled by a multi-touch display that flips when you rotate the device for the ultimate mobile casino experience. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/JackpotCity-Goes-Mobile-On-iPad.htm PKR.com, the United Kingdom-based online poker room, has won his second major title at the International E-Gaming Review Awards, held at the Honorable Artillery Company in central London, on the 24th of November. The winner of the 2008 “Hotshot operator of the year” is now the 2010 “Poker Operator of the Year”!

“It's a wonderful achievement for us to be named 'Online Poker Operator of the Year'”, said PKR CEO Malcolm Graham. “We are absolutely delighted to be honoured by the International Gaming Awards in this way. 2010 has been an astounding year for us and we look forward to adding this title to this year’s portfolio, which also includes the top spot in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100”.

PKR.com is an online poker room that allows gamers to play in a virtual reality setting, using 3D graphics and player character animation during the game.
PKR.com has managed to fight off a strong field of competitors, which included household names, such as PartyGaming, 888 and William Hill Online, thanks to their constant innovation and originality.

The online poker website, launched in June 2006, has already reached more than four million users. The website uses 3D graphics and player character animation during the game, each character being customized in order to make the game more realistic.
The E-Gaming Review Awards ceremony saw over 800 gaming industry people attending the annual event. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/PKR-Wins-The-“Poker-Operator-Of-The-Year”-Award.htm Media Corporation, one of the United Kingdom's leading Internet media companies, has announced its plans to sell the Gambling.com domain.

The domain is expected to raise a significant amount of money, if we think at the huge interest regarding the purchase of this site. The money generated from the sale is expected to go towards the purchase of exciting online advertising and other gambling opportunities currently available in the market place.

Gambling.com is probably one of the most wanted online gambling names in the world of online gaming and it is expected to sell for $10 million at auction.
Online Media Corp. has also sold other gambling-related domain names in the past, such as the “casino.co.uk” for £3.62 million, or the German domain “Casino.de” for $530,000.

Justin Drummond, CEO, Media Corporation plc., commented: “Whilst the Group has significant cash reserves, we have recently seen a number of exciting acquisition opportunities in the online gambling and online advertising space. The successful sale of Gambling.com will give the Group significant financial resources to pursue these acquisition opportunities.”

Media Corporation released a statement saying that the online auction would be the fairest method of determining a buyer. The company thinks that such a domain name would help a company to become much more visible in search engine results. ]]> http://www.primacasinos.com/Gambling.com-Domain-Is-For-Sale.htm