Online Casino and Gambling News

Affiliate marketers already reeling from the Casino Coins departure from the market received more bad news Tuesday when the Best Casino Partners program advised that it was closing four internet casino brands: Online Vegas, Go Casino, Crazy Slots, and Grand Vegas. Speculation inevitably centred on recent US enforcement actions as the cause of the closures, but the shutdowns are international, and not confined only to the United States.

The Poker Players Alliance fly-in to Washington DC yesterday has attracted mainstream media coverage on the back of recent enforcement actions against online gambling e-cash processors and gambling domains. The Hill and The Washington Times both reported on the event, quoting PPA chairman Alfonse D'Amato, who said:

The US publication SI Live reports that federal enforcement officials extended their blitz against online gambling sites Tuesday with the arrest of 28 men in a Staten Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania bust of an online sports betting ring. Prosecutors claimed that the ring generated revenues in excess of $100,000 a week, operating through a website branded Betjerrys, a domain which has since been seized by the authorities.

Senior executives with US land gambling groups again emphasised this week that US-legalised internet gambling is the future for the casino industry. The executives were addressing a special session of the 15th East Coast Gaming Congress at the Atlantic City Convention Center, an event attended by some 600 land gaming operators, equipment manufacturers, regulators, attorneys, architects, analysts, public officials, investors and other gaming-related professionals.

A key element in recent federal prosecutions into online gambling-related banking offences has been a covert e-cash processing company - Linwood Payment Solutions - set up by federal enforcers two years ago to entrap online gambling companies and obtain information on their payment infrastructures.

The US-facing Merge Poker Network, which has been the main beneficiary of US traffic that went to major internet poker sites like Pokerstars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker prior to Black Friday, has apparently adopted a more cautious stance.

One of the online gambling industry's most successful and established software development firms, Microgaming, has partnered with training company People Dimensions, in the launch of three new training solutions for the eGaming industry: the Certificate in eGaming Programmes, the eGaming Essentials Course, and Tailored Training.

Industry research firm Research and Markets has released its new study of the Italian market, noting that turnover in the period 2004-2010 has been steadily increasing, with 2010 numbers expected to reach €57,4 billion - an increase of 5,5% on 2009.

The Birmingham Mail newspaper in the UK has reported on a Facebook poker phishing scam that almost succeeded this week.

U.S. enforcement agencies kicked off the week with more indictments Monday and a guilty plea from Black Friday accused Bradley Franzen (41).