Online Casino and Gambling News: March 2010

The Swedish and Malta-based online gambling software provider Net Entertainment has landed another juicy contract for its CasinoModule product in the Italian market. Gioco Digitale, the major Italian subsidiary of Vienna-listed Bwin, is to use CasinoModule on the dedicated Italian sites of both Bwin and Gioco Digitale, which are claimed to command an Italian market share of 25%.

Millions of dollars, allegedly from online gambling transactions interrupted by US government action against a number of e-cash processors, are now the subject of forfeiture hearings in the northern division of The US District Court for Maryland, reports the Baltimore City Paper.

The multi-ministry war being waged by the Chinese government on Internet gaming continues to hammer companies as well as individuals, according to a progress report issued this week by the Ministry of Culture.

Visitors to this year's ICEi show in London were much taken with a new game in the Wagerworks Internet games pipeline branded Kitty Glitter, and the news this week is that the wait is over, with this interesting online version of a popular land slot appearing on Wagerworks licensee websites.

Graphics that bear a remarkable likeness to Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg and David Cameron adorn a new series of slots that the UK Barcrest group has introduced to coincide with the upcoming British general elections.

Online gambling software developer Microgaming launched two new Bingo side games to its network of operators this week. Mega Moolah Isis is a five reel, 20 pay-line, progressive jackpot video slot with wild and scatter symbols, a free spins bonus feature and a gamble feature. The game features the rich graphics and intuitive game play of Microgaming's popular Mega Moolah, but with a new Egyptian theme, symbols and slot features.

The highly controversial attempt by the Australian government to censor Internet access through a government agency blacklist to ISPs is starting to meet with criticism from a US government already alerted by similar moves in China. According to the Australian political debate, sport and entertainment publication The Punch, the US government claims that the proposed Internet filters Downunder will do little to enhance an open internet.

The heat is rising over the apparently imminent launch of Congressman Barney Frank's bill seeking to legalise and regulate online gambling in the United States. This week Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land called on Frank's House Financial Services Committee to oppose a bill he claims will undermine current (UIGEA) restrictions on Internet gambling and significantly harm America's youth, families, and communities.

Colorado casino gambler Louise Chavez thought she had hit the bigtime at the Fortune Valley Casino last week when the bells rang and lights flashed as a slot machine told her she had just won $42 million, reports Fox25.

Last week's disappointing news that the Kentucky Supreme Court had denied trade association iMEGA's legal standing until it could produce an owner of one of the 141 seized domains has been followed by positive news. The court will consider the real issues in the case after iMEGA's submission last week of Yatahay Holdings-True Poker as domain owners and members of iMEGA.