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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Aussie Celeb News; James Bond Casino Icon Connection by Greg Tingle - 29th December 2010

Season's Greetings punters, entertainment news junkies, one and all. Today we have a look at the latest from Aussiewood and Hollywood powerhouses James Bond, with a Bondi Beach twist, Marvel Entertainment (go Wolverine)..we love you Hugh, Spider-Man, Underbelly and more.. Media Man and Gambling911 with your celebrity and entertainment news fix, just in time for the New Year. Ho Ho Ho!...

MGM Emerging from Bankruptcy; Wants To Produce James Bond 23...

MGM Studios is emerging from bankruptcy with a $500 million line of credit, and its first Xmas wish is to produce James Bond #23, rumoured to be directed by Sam Mendes and starring Daniel Craig (again), despite many leaks saying that means it will be a gay Bond (for real), if you follow.

The James Bond franchise has long been a fav of casino and gambling lovers, with Casino Royale being the top pick for most punters.

MGM Studios has been going through the wars as of late, with the filing of bankruptcy hanging around their neck. Their massive financial troubles led to the delay of not only The Hobbit, directed by New Zealander Peter Jackson, but also James Bond 23 starring the Daniel Craig.

The studio just underwent a giant restructuring and was able to acquire $500 million worth of credit from financial powerhouse JP Morgan, a good lot of which will likely be spent on the sequel to Quantum of Solace. MGM is expected to partner with Sony for co-financing, as it has done a few times previously with Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

Bond fans, did you know that 2012 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Dr. No (1962), the very first James Bond movie ever, which makes it bloody good timing to release a new Bond movie. The studio will be attempting to secure and shore up its cast, director, and screenplay for the new movie in very short order.

The studio had previously announced that Peter Morgan, and frequent Bond collaborators Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, would be penning a draft of Bond 23. Purvis and Wade have worked on every James Bond flick since The World Is Not Enough, and that includes Die Another Day, Casino Royale, and Quantum of Solace - the last two of which were rewritten, to some extent, by Paul Haggis.

Rumors have been flying for months have indicated that Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) is leading the pack to direct the new movie. Now, Mendes is not a filmmaker known for his action style skills. He did however direct Road to Perdition, co-starring none other than Daniel Craig.

As of press, James Bond will not be film in 3D. Oh, did we mention Media Man is the agent and manager for John Seru who played bad guy Gabor in Bond's 'The World Is Not Enough'. In Nine's 'Underbelly' Seru placed Kiwi Steve in the following episodes:
Alpha and Omega, The Good Lieutenant, Hurt on Duty (2010), Saving Face and Women in Uniform.

MGM is still technically under bankruptcy protection for a couple more months.

Marvel Entertainment's The Avengers: New Mexico Connection...

Marvel Entertainment's biggest film project of all time is is now New Mexico’s biggest film production ever as 'The Avengers' confirms its 2011 shooting locations.

Thor not only hits off the summer movie season of 2011, but it sets up events that will culminate in the Marvel superhero team-up epic, The Avengers, the following year. With story elements of Thor taking place in New Mexico, and the production shooting in Santa Fe and Galisteo, it’s of little surprise to see Marvel Studios returning once again for their biggest project ever.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Marvel Studios officially announced the agreement making The Avengers the single largest film production in the state’s history. The current schedule has Joss Whedon’s The Avengers shooting in New Mexico between April and September of next year, using both Albuquerque Studios and of course, the beautiful and vast surrounding locations that so many other major Hollywood flicks have used.

The Avengers also is set to shoot action in Michigan and New York but production will primarily take place in New Mexico’s largest city Albuquerque.

Governor Richardson talks to local economic benefits to New Mexico: "In addition to being our biggest production to date, The Avengers will be the most technologically advanced and will provide cutting-edge training opportunities for our crew… I’m announcing this as a Christmas present of sorts to the people of New Mexico. This is a perfect example of the incredible job creation, economic impact and global visibility this industry has brought our state over the past eight years, and of the need to keep it moving forward."

So Marvel heroes fans, be looking out for Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Clark Gregg and Samuel L. Jackson.

Thor opens May 5, 2011; The First Avenger: Captain America hits July 22, 2011 and The Avengers is scheduled to debut May 4, 2012.

Spider-Man: Broadway No Match For Movie; Spidy Fans Disappointed; Would Rather Play Spider-Man Games And Play Dress Up...

The new and much talked about Spider-Man musical has another problem stuck in its web. Sick to death of waiting for the problemetic Broadway show to officially open, critics for two mainstream news companies released early and negative reviews of the $65 million musical, which won't officially open until February 7.

Writing for Bloomberg News, the influential financial news wire service, veteran critic John Simon slammed the show as "an unfocused hodge-podge of story-telling, myth-making and spectacle that comes up short in every department. A few good songs would help, in which department the show is sorely lacking," Simon wrote in the review late Sunday night. Like most rock stars, Bono and The Edge haven’t a clue about writing for the theatre."

The U2 legends wrote the score for the show, which was directed by Lion King helmer Julie Taymor.

Both Simon and Newsday's Linda Winer defended their premature reviews on the grounds that the show was charging full ticket prices in some cases more than $200 a seat for the performances, and that the opening date had been pushed back twice.

Winer called the show's infamous high-flying acrobatics "exciting and scary, in a circus way" but dismissed the second act as "weak."

Simon was also impressed with the flying scenes: "An hour of anticipation for about 90 seconds of exhilaration," he wrote.

Would you believe four actors have been injured during the show's rehearsals, including a horrible injury to lead aerialist Chris Tierney last week.

Critics almost never publish their reviews of productions before the official opening night. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has pushed back its debut twice.

The New York Times said in a posting to its arts blog that it would not review the show until the official opening.

Media Man loves Marvel Entertainment, Spider-Man and U2, but this project does not sound good. Sorry guys.

Underbelly TV Movie Legal Problems...

Network Nine may be forced to shelve forever one of its Underbelly telemovies because of legal action in the state of New South Wales.

Tell Them Lucifer Was Here, the first of 3vtelemovies being made under the Underbelly Files title, tells the story of the 1998 murders of Victoria cops Rod Miller and Gary Silk.

After a probing investigation by the Lorimer Task Force, Bandali Debs and Jason Roberts were found guilty of the double murder in 2003. Debs was sentenced to life in prison, Roberts to 35 years.

The subject seemed relatively safe... for true crime. Reader may recall the first Underbelly could not be screened in Victoria.

However, anything that identifies "Debs" could be a bit no go zone in NSW.

On September 24, the Victorian Government Solicitor applied to the Melbourne Magistrates Court to have Debs transferred to a NSW prison for questioning over the death of a Sydney prostitute 15 years ago.

Debs's lawyer, Michael De Young, did not oppose the application, saying his client maintained his innocence and was confident of being acquitted and returned to Victoria.

New South Wales Police have been trying for 2 years to question Debs...also was convicted in 2007 of the 1997 murder of 18-year-old sex worker Kristy Harty...and reckon they have enough evidence to link him to the killing.

The transfer order was granted by the court, but Debs had 14 days to appeal the decision.

Channel Nine has 3 options: rush the Silk-Miller telemovie out before NSW police have laid any charges that might arise from the interview; release the telemovie in all states bar NSW if charges are laid; or hold off for a national release until any case has been heard.

Nine has has yet to comment on this matter.

Underbelly #4 To Hit Aussie TV...

A 4th Underbelly series to screen in 2011 promises to showcase the birth of organised crime in Australia.

Based in Sydney in the roaring 1920s, Underbelly Razor tells the story of the bloody battle between "vice queens" Tilly Devine and her rival Kate Leigh.

The Nine Network are calling it their most "ambitious and daring" Underbelly series yet.

It will be joined by 3 Underbelly telemovies - Tell Them Lucifer was Here, Infiltration and The Man Who Got Away...which were announced earlier in the year.

Aussie Poker Celeb King Shane Warnie Tag Team With Wolverine Hugh Jackman In Cricket Nets; Jackman Hit In Balls (Almost) In Lead Up To Boxing Day Ashes Test...

The tag team led the celebrity contingent to the Melbourne Cricket Group for the prestigious Boxing Day Test. 'Our Hugh' got hit in the balls by a Warnie spinner, so it seemed, but he had a cup on, perhaps taking safeguards, after getting hit in the eye with a foreign object at his Oprah Winfrey grand entrance via way of flying fox a couple of weeks ago. Wolverine Jackman joined other famous mugs in the crowd, including Opposition Leader Tony 'The Bruiser' Abbott and veteran English talk show king Sir Michael Parkinson aka 'Parkie'. Premier Ted Baillieu and wife Robyn also tagged along, as did Eddie "Everywhere" McGuire, Cathy Freeman and Molly Meldrum. In a smart and rather cunning move, just outside the MCG sports stars and entertainment biz celebs tag teamed a game of cricket which raised money for the McGrath Foundation. The foundation ambassador Lee Furlong joined ex-cricketers Justin Langer and Michael Slater, Glen Moriarty, Kris Smith and Guy Sebastian at the friendly game. Earlier, Shane Warne made one of his very first public appearances since the "Hurley-burley", acting as host for his fav Shane Warne Foundation's annual Boxing Day breakfast at Crown. Warne mate, James Packer, attended, along with wife Erica in a show of support. Singer Leo Sayer also entertained to an appreciative crowd that included Glenn Robbins, Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, Aaron Hamill and Bill Brownless. A great day was had by all, as best we can tell.

Aussie Poker Celeb Shane Warne And UK Sort Liz Hurley: Come Down Under And Come In Spinner?...

Is Liz Hurley coming to Australia? Getting spotted at Heathrow Airport sent press into a frenzy and created munch speculation she will keep her date with Warnie. Friends of Hurley told the Pommie press she had dumped the cricket spin legend after learning he had sent more than 100 sexy text messages to another woman behind her back. Warnie is known for his ability to sent sexy texts that can get the right response. Now it appears Liz may have reconsidered after attempts to stop an imminent divorce and rekindle her relationship with husband Arun Nayar reportedly failed. During her public flirtation with the spinner on Twitter, Hurley wrote that she was keen to attend the January 3 "Pink Test," which supports the Jane McGrath Foundation. Talk about a play on words "Pink Test", got to love her form. Liz also told Warnie she would "definitely" make an appearance on his Channel Nine chat show if she made it to Sydney. Sources close to the Aussie spinner have said the cricketer was devastated after being apparently dropped by Hurley, having previously confided his desire to marry her. Both Hurley and Warne announced on Twitter that they had split from their respective partners shortly after spending 2 delightful, fun filled nights together at a luxury London hotel earlier this month and being papped kissing outside a restaurant. Warne was last week caught in the outfield sending erotic texts, including, "I want to see you riding me" to middle-aged Melbourne mum Adele Angeleri. In an apparent attempt to win Hurley back after the messages were published in the British tabloids he logged back on to Twitter to pen "No matter what anyone says if you know in your heart… who cares what people think / say !!!" Hurley was snatched in the airport mess at Heathrow, where snowy conditions caused widespread cancellations from Saturday, leaving over 100,000 punters stranded, having their patience tested. A fellow traveler said the swimwear model and well loved celeb babe "looked nervous" as she attempted to blend in with the crowd, wearing large sunglasses and dressing down. "She'd dressed down and it was clear she wanted to be left alone," the witness told The Sun. "She looked like a woman with a lot on her mind." Liz’s office refused to comment on her travel plans. Whatever the case, we wish Liz (and Warnie) well on any of their upcoming travel plans.

Betting For Aussies On TV And Film Success: Not Yet...

Many Australia's remain pissed that they are not able to bet on financial outcomes of upcoming TV shows and motion pictures. Passionate Aussies has been reading reports filed by Media Man and Gambling911 on Box Office betting exchanges, but none of the action has come to Australia, so us Aussies can't be on it. We're not sure any Yankees of Canooks got to bet on outcomes either. Sly, Arnie and Wall Street - when you read this, give us an update please. We want to bet on movie and TV outcomes. PartyGaming and Virgin were rumoured to have some interest in the concept, but nothing has eventuated from our probe as yet. Oh, if you want to see the way Hollywood used to work, do yourself a favor and rent or buy 'The Last Mogul', which told the career story of the late Lew Wasserman. Oh, we heard you want a review, so here it is mates...

The Last Mogul: The Life And Times Of Lew Wasserman...

For the second half of the 20th century, Lew Wasserman was without question the most powerful money man in show business, even if most people had no idea who he was. Born in Cleveland, OH, in 1913, Wasserman started out booking music gigs for mob-controlled clubs, and quickly became an agent for Music Corporation of America, which became the most lucrative music agency in America. Funny that. As Wasserman rose through the ranks at MCA, he established such innovative business practices as "packaging" talent i.e: booking hot acts and artists only in a package deal with other artists who were not as talented, to put it politely, and took the company into managing acting talent in Hollywood, where he re invented the film industry forever by negotiating a ground-breaking deal for James Stewart on the film Winchester '73, which reduced the actor's up-front salary in favor of a cut of the movie's profits, earning the actor a mint in the process. Under Wasserman's lead at MCA, the company took over Universal Pictures, established the studio's television branch and made it the most important production outlet in the business), created the hugely successful Universal City studio tours, and expanded MCA's recording branch into one of the biggest record companies in the world. Wasserman was also politically well connected. Ronald Reagan was one of his early clients when MCA want Hollywood), and was reputed to have some handy connections to organized crime. Wasserman was a secretive fellow who did not give interviews or commit anything to writing if it could be avoided, but he knew nearly everyone in show business. The Last Mogul: The Life and Times of Lew Wasserman is a documentary that through interviews with his friends and business associates beautifully showcases his remarkable career, from his childhood in Ohio to his death in 2002. Yep, there's mob ties and such, but hey, that's show business.

Awards...

Last month was a big month for casino awards also. Let's have a look...

PartyGaming's PartyCasino has also come back with seconds, picking up another Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month Award' for November, and also the parent company, PartyGaming, picked up the prestigious EGR Slots Operator Of The Year Award ...Some other top picks of ours who picked up awards at the EGR night of nights were:
Virgin Games (Affiliate Programme)
Betfair (Innovation, Mobile Operator and UK Sports Betting Operator)
Bwin (European Sports Betting Operator
PKR (Poker Operator)

Oh, we almost forgot...Media Man and Casino News Media 'Casino Babe Of The Month': Jenny Woo, 'Poker Babe': Kara Scott, 'Gambling Babe Personality': Pamela Anderson.

Media Man Profiles

Australia

Australia Casinos

Cricket

Movies

Crown Casino

Jupiters Hotel and Casino

Tabcorp Holdings

SkyCity Entertainment Group

Politics

Broadcasting

Television

Media Companies

Australian Sports

News

Casino News

Entertainment News

Media News

Technology News

Sports News

News

Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? What films and celebs take your liking? As Shane Warne says, 'How goo was that?!". Have you been naughty or nice? Did Santa give you what you had hoped for? What have you got planned for New Year's Eve? Tell us in the forum.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.

Website Network

Media Man International

Media Man

Media Man Australia

Media Man Asia

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Global Gaming Directory

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Casino News Media: PartyCasino Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award

PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man Online Casino Award

PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".

PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.

The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com

The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".

The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.

PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.

The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.

The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.

PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.

PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.

PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

Websites

PartyCasino.com

PartyPoker.com

World Poker Tour Casino

Profiles

PartyCasino.com

PartyPoker.com

World Poker Tour

PartyGaming

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Virgin Casino Introduces Crocodopolis and The 100,000 Pyramid

Virgin Casino Introduces Crocodopolis and The 100,000 Pyramid

Virgin Casino and Virgin Bingo, part of the leading online gaming company - Virgin Games - have launched two new games this week, Crocodopolis by NextGen and The 100,000 Pyramid by Wagerworks.

Featuring on Virgin Casino and Virgin Bingo is Crocodopolis, a 5-reel, 25-payline slot. The Ancient Egypt themed game features the Croc pharaoh, whose realm is Crocodopolis. Crocodopolis brings a new concept to slots with its unique Slide a Wild feature. Slide a Wild allows the player to choose how volatile the game is, as they position and determine in which reels they want the wild symbols to appear. The more a player moves the slider away from reel one, the more powerful the wild symbols become and the bigger the wins.

The 100,000 Pyramid features on Virgin Casino. This new game, based on the hit TV game show in the US, follows on from its successful predecessor, The 50,000 Pyramid. The game features 15-paylines of fantastic game show fun where players can win up to 100,000x their bet. Score three or more Winner's Circle symbols to climb the Pyramid, earning free spins or multipliers with every pick.

Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "It's great to be introducing these new titles this week. The 50,000 Pyramid has been a huge hit with our players so we have high hopes for its successor. The variety we provide our customers is a key priority of Virgin Games, and adding these new games enhances the great choice we offer, making ours one of the most exciting online casinos around."

Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 250 games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Games seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. A growing selection of games can be found at Virgin Games from a number of producers including Microgaming, WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming.

*Sorry, no U.S, Australian or Canadian players. Please see World Casino Directory

Websites

Virgin Casino

Virgin Games

Virgin Bingo

About Virgin Games:

Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:

- Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games.

- Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry.

- Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com conducts b2b with Virgin Games, as they do with dozen of companies in the entertainment, gaming and media sector.

Profiles

Crocodopolis The 100,000 Pyramid The 50,000 Pyramid NextGen Gaming WagerWorks

Richard Branson Virgin Games Virgin Casino Virgin Bingo V*Points Virgin Enterprises Limited Casino Games iGaming World Casino Directory Global Gaming Directory

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Friday, December 17, 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010

PartyCasino Teams Up With NextGen Gaming

PartyCasino.com Teams Up With Next Generation Gaming

PartyCasino, one of the most respected and established online casinos in the world, has released three new games from our friends at Next Generation Gaming (NextGen).

PartyGaming's premier casino brand has introduced via North Sydney's NextGen Gaming 3 impressive online slot games with Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis and Unicorn Legend.

These latest games are unique, fun and value for money, and existing PartyCasino players will not be disappointed. New players will also be delighted. Most PartyCasino games can also be played for free or played for money.

With Crocodopolis, players are given the option to "slide their wild" to any other reels in the game and with Unicorn Legend, players are able to choose their ideal volatility in the feature play.

A spokesperson for PartyCasino released to Media Man "PartyCasino.com has the most frequent game releases and biggest jackpots in the industry and we're happy to introduce these 3 latest games from NextGen Gaming to a portfolio of more than 150 games."

"NextGen are great partners and we look forward to the delivery of more games in the near future."

Matt Davey, The CEO of Next Generation, said "We are very pleased to collaborate with PartyCasino.com. Their well-organized and focused technology team has given us the opportunity to release market leading ground-breaking games in record time. Crocodopolis, Shaaark! And Unicorn Legend captures a new level of entertainment and design, providing an excellent complement to PartyCasino.com's product suite."

PartyCasino is currently running a number of world class promotions and at the moment new players can get up to $3000 sign up bonus, making this one of the best online casino promotions anywhere in the world at the moment.

PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.

The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Cleopatra, Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.

The PartyCasino.com 'Big One' jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark and the Gold Mega Jackpot stands at over $1 million, and there's also the attractive Marvel Hero Jackpot and Cash Flash jackpots to aim for.

PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.

PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.

PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge.

PartyGaming was established in 1997 and are listed on the London Stock Exchange. They have won numerous awards and commendations over the years including EGR 'Socially Responsible Operator Of The Year', 'Slots Operator Of The Year' and Media Man and Casino News Media 'Online Casino Of The Month'.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

Websites

PartyCasino.com

PartyPoker.com

World Poker Tour Casino

Profiles

PartyCasino.com

Shaaark! SuperBet


Crocodopolis

Unicorn Legend

NextGen Gaming

Palladium Lounge

PartyPoints

PartyCasino Promotions

PartyCasino New Games

PartyPoker.com

World Poker Tour

PartyGaming

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Casino News Media: PartyCasino Players Celebrate The Best Game Releases of 2010, by Greg Tingle - 7th December 2010

Website

PartyCasino.com

Profiles

PartyGaming PartyCasino PartyPoker PartyBingo Circus PartyCasino Marvel Slots The Big One Melon Madness Casino World Poker Tour PartyCasino Promotions

PartyCasino.com is preparing to celebrating a massive year of awesome game releases with a 'Games of the Year' promotion scheduled to take place from December 16th to the 22nd. Opt-in to the promotion and you will be able to take advantage of a special money back guarantee on 10% of any losses made while playing any of the casino's 'Games of the Year' collection.

Only bets made during the promotional period will count towards a cashback bonus. Players can opt-in at any time during the promotion and regardless of when you register for the event all of your game play from the beginning of the promotion will count towards the cash back amount. Regular players can earn up to $300 cashback and VIP players can earn up to $500. All cash-back bonuses will be awarded as a cash bonus and requires no deposit.

Only bets on the 'Games of the Year' titles will count towards your bonus. The full list of games eligible for this prom is Festive Fortune$, Snow Business, Kung Food, Glamour Puss, Safari Soccer, Circus, Jail Break, Slotblox, Rubik's Cube, Amazon Wild, Alice's Wonderland, Heist, Shaaark Super Bet, Crocodopolis, Unicorn Legend, Chain Reactors, Super Cubes, Cash Drop, Final Score, Midas Millions, Chest of Plenty, Once upon a time, and Melon Madness.

PartyCasino has been providing players with world class online entertainment for more than decade. New players can get a 100% welcome bonus of up to $3,000 to play slots, and PartyGaming has some of the world's best including many exclusives.

PartyCasino has a number of awards and commendations to its name including Media Man and Casino News Media 'Online Casino Of The Month' and EGR 'Slots Operator Of The Year'. PartyGaming was established in 1997 and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Festive Fortunes Snow Business Kung Food Jail Break Slotbox Media Man Casino News Media Global Gaming Directory

Website

PartyCasino.com

Profiles

PartyGaming PartyCasino PartyPoker PartyBingo Shaaark Super Bet Alice's Wonderland Crocodopolis Unicorn Legend Chain Reactors Super Cubes PartyCasino New Games

Heist Glamour Puss Safari Soccer Rubiks Slot Amazon Wild Media Man Casino News Media Global Gaming Directory

Monday, December 06, 2010

Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!

Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino.com !

** Win your share of $5,000 every day in December. See: PartyPoker.com **

** The first episode of PartyPoker.com World Open VI is now online.

Many of the players involved will remember the jaw dropping quads over quads – Andrew Robl, Toby Lewis, Mike Sexton and Jesse May talk about this in a special post here: PartyPoker.com

** Aussie Millions qualifiers are up and running. Team Party pro Tyron Krost won the event last year and gives his own guide to satellites. PartyPoker.com **

Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!

Gibraltar – 30th November 2010 -- The festive season is drawing closer and PartyPoker.com is making sure they treat their most-valued players to a whole stack of presents. Palladium VIPs have the opportunity to pick up six presents and fill their very own Santa sack by just earning points by playing at PartyPoker.com’s online tables from the 1st to 14th December 2010.

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "The premise is very simple – Palladium VIPs earn points that make prizes. At the bottom end there is a $50 cash bonus, while 30,000 points delivers a $5,000 WPT entry. Players are entitled to keep all of the prizes they can win - so with six prize levels there’s six fantastic presents to keep!"

Here’s what’s on offer in the VIP Gift Accumulator:

Prize level Points required Prize Prize Draw tickets
1 1,500 $50 cash bonus 1
2 3,000 $100 cash 2
3 6,000 iPod Touch 4
4 12,000 $700 cash 8
5 20,000 16GB iPad 14
6 30,000 WPT entry 20

The feast of presents doesn’t just end here though. Every time a player hits a prize level PartyPoker.com award tickets for the VIP Gift Accumulator prize draw which offers the chance to win a share of $10,000. The more prizes a Palladium VIP earn the more entries they’ll get into the draw, giving more frequent players a better chance of winning the $5,000 first prize, the $3,000 second prize or the $2,000 third prize. Winners will be announced on the 17th December.

Please note that this is an OPT-IN promotion. For more information see: PartyPoker.com

Santa is also coming to PartyCasino.com. Unlike the poker promotion this is open to non VIPs too and runs from the 1st – 14th December, whether you have been bad or good. Points mean prizes including a luxury Caribbean holiday!

See: PartyCasino.com for more information.

Santa’s Party Pack

Prizes whether you’ve been good or bad!

Starts: 00:00 ET, 1st December
Ends: 23:59 ET, 14th December

Santa is making an early appearance. He’s spreading Christmas cheer, handing out killer Christmas presents to non-VIP and Palladium VIP players.

From 1st to 14th December, you can celebrate Christmas in style with a double whammy of festive winning opportunities. There’s a prize giveaway where you can scoop up to 6 prizes, and a massive cash prize draw!

Winning a share of Santa’s Party Pack is simple, and you don’t even have to sit on Santa’s knee! Simply opt-in between the 1st-14th December and collect points by playing your favourite slots and jackpot slots. The more you play, the more prizes you’ll unwrap.

Prize Giveaway

If you’re not a VIP yet, check out the Christmas List below, Santa could bring you up to 5 fantastic prizes worth $1,000:

Points Cumulative prizes
20 $5 cash bonus
100 300 points
500 $50 cash bonus
1,000 $100 free cash
5,000 iPad 32GB WiFi*

*The iPad 32GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $600, this will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.

If you’re a Palladium VIP player, check out the Christmas list below. Santa could bring you up to 6 prizes worth $10,000:

Points Cumulative prizes
2,000 $75 cash bonus
3,000 1500 points
5,000 $150 cash bonus
7,500 $250 free cash
15,000 iPad 64GB WiFi**
50,000 Luxury Caribbean Holiday**
(worth $8,500)

**The iPad 64GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $1,000, **The Luxury Caribbean Holiday has a cash alternative of $5,000 these will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.

Santa’s Big Prize Draw

What a cracker! But wait…there’s an extra present under the tree – Santa’s Big Prize Draw. By taking part in Santa’s Party Pack, you will be eligible for the draw. The more points you earn the more entries you will receive. Check below to see how much cash you can win:

Non-VIP Big Prize Draw

Every time you earn 20 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $10,000 will be shared equally between 10 lucky players.

VIP Big Prize Draw

Every time you earn 500 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $20,000 will be shared between 3 lucky players in the following amounts: 1st - $10,000, 2nd - $6,000 and 3rd - $4,000.

You can collect points on any of our slots and jackpot slots. To join the festivities you need to Opt-In from the 1st-14th December. Win some exceptional presents this Christmas with Santa’s Party Pack.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

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Saturday, December 04, 2010

Online gaming companies in for huge 2011, by Greg Tingle

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Could online gaming firms be in the mix of the top stockmarket investments to make in 2011?

The listing of Betfair (BET) at the conclusion of October on a fancy multiple and the $3.3 billion megamerger between PartyGaming and Bwin (PRTY), due to complete in the first quarter of 2011, appears to have added spark to the industry of late.

Then there is the prospect, albeit slight, of the liberalisation of the US igaming market which has put the industry firmly on investors' watch list, including ours, for next year.

It is understandable, as even a snapshot look at the stockmarket gains of the world’s biggest online gaming companies between circa 2004-2006 reveals just how quickly fortunes were made and lost.

The iGaming Global Top 30 Index, an index of the stockmarket performance of the biggest 30 online gaming companies, surged 40% between July 2004 and August 2005. This was followed by 12 months of extreme volatility before sinking thanks to a controversial piece of legislation in the US.

Since 2006, online gaming’s real story has been dominated by America’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

The multibillion-pound global industry virtually collapsed in a heap after its biggest market - the US - was closed down overnight when Congress introduced a surprise clause to legislation in September 2006, in effect making internet betting illegal. Not only was that a blow for investors - it was a hugely expensive one.

British-based companies were among the biggest casualties.

As soon as the London Stock Exchange opened the following Monday morning, shares in PartyGaming - then a FTSE 100 member - dived by 58%, while rivals 888 Holdings (888) and Sportingbet saw their shares slide by 26% and 64% respectively, wiping an estimated £4 billion off the sector's value.

The companies were forced to focus on opportunities in other parts of the world, but the businesses have never fully recovered from the impact of losing their most lucrative market. Last year, online gambling was worth an estimated $5.4 billion (£3.5 billion) overall, a figure that could rise to $12-$16 billion if the market was opened up, analysts say.

Despite the recent loss of a sympathetic Democrat majority in Congress last month, there is renewed hope of floated gambling companies being dealt a good hand on both sides of the Pond.

The new Republican chairman of the House financial services committee is likely to be an old-style Alabaman named Spencer Bachus.

Yet he is likely to listen to the prospects of a reinvigorated gambling sector for the ailing US economy. The Federal government’s non-partisan accountants, the Joint Committee on Taxation, have estimated online gambling could generate between $10 billion and $42 billion in new revenue by 2019, depending on the number of states that opt into a federal regulatory programme.

Yet he is likely to listen to the prospects of a reinvigorated gambling sector for the ailing US economy.

The Federal government’s non-partisan accountants, the Joint Committee on Taxation, have estimated online gambling could generate between $10 billion and $42 billion in new revenue by 2019, depending on the number of states that opt into a Federal regulatory programme.

And you can see why if you glance at the forecast numbers.

With the US nationwide unemployment rate at 10%, 48 of 50 states facing budget shortfalls and a Federal deficit approaching $1.3 trillion, the economic backdrop against which to promote regulation and taxation of internet gambling has arguably never been more favourable.

Yet those companies poised to get a real boost should America legalise online gambling, such as the impressive PartyGaming/Bwin combine, are getting excited about the future.

"We are seeing things from a legislative perspective that are quite exciting for us," says Jim Ryan, chief executive of PartyGaming, whose comments undoubtedly reflect the mood of a growing contingent of gambling operators on both sides of the Atlantic.

There has been speculation that PartyGaming and Bwin have decided to merge at this time precisely because they will be better placed than any other operator to seize a huge market share should the US decide to legalise online gambling. You only have to look at the market share that Party was able to capture by becoming one of the first operators into the online poker market back in 2001.

Analysts agree the enlarged company is in a strong position to exploit the opening up of the US market.

In a note to investors recently, the Morgan Stanley leisure analyst Vaughan Lewis said: "The overall political tide is moving firmly in favour of regulation, rather than prohibition.

"With its expertise... market-leading technology, strong marketing capability and good brands, we think the combined entity of PartyGaming and Bwin would be extremely well positioned to benefit from any market opening in the US. We include nothing in our forecasts for the US, so any new market here is pure upside."

And in a recent Barclays Capital research note, the investment bank said: "In the event of Federal regulation, we believe PartyGaming would be the likely key beneficiary.

"Under this hypothetical scenario, we estimate the potential [underlying profits] uplift could be 94% for PartyGaming and 58% for Bwin and 888. On a state-by-state hypothetical scenario, we estimate the uplift for the group would be considerably lower, but still meaningful."

Meanwhile, at the end of October analysts at Numis published a note saying there is 50% upside potential at Party when the merger with Bwin completes in March 2011. With the shares trading at around 230p at the beginning of November Numis have put a price target of 400p on the stock.

The PartyGaming/Bwin merger has got the other big companies in the sector scurrying around to do similar deals. They don't want to be left behind in what will become a gold rush should the US legalise online gaming.

888 and Sportingbet are also possible future takeover targets as the industry consolidates, but only once their legal liabilities in the US market are cleared. Serious negotiations in the PartyGaming/Bwin merger were only concluded once Party had secured a $105 million settlement with US authorities.

Analysts say a resolution would clear the way for 888 and Sportingbet to re-enter the lucrative US market should moves to overturn the 2006 legislation succeed.

Sportingbet has already acted telling shareholders at its latest results meeting that it had made a £22.8 million settlement with the US Department of Justice over an investigation into illegal internet gambling. The agreement means the firm will avoid being prosecuted in the US for accepting online bets made by Americans between 1998 and 2006.

Sportingbet would hold the most appeal to potential bidders, analysts reckon, pointing to its very strong market positioning in Australia and commenting that Ladbrokes (LAD) and William Hill (WMH) could be interested in a takeover.

Liberum Capital analyst Richard Taylor recently highlighted the strength of Sportingbet’s sports betting business, which he said had one of the best gross margins in the sector at around 10%. In addition, he said Sportingbet’s management was open to a bid, having previously stated up to 55% of their cost base could be removed.

Another former giant of the sector, now somewhat depleted thanks to the UIGEA, is 888.

Analysts say 888's attraction would be the potential for cost savings in a tie-up with a rival online gaming operator, and that Party/Bwin might be a possible buyer. What would make it attractive is that both Party and Bwin use 888 as a supplier.

However, the Shaked family who founded the company, and who control over 50% of the shares, would be looking for a price significantly above the 40p at which the company currently trades.

There have been whispers among London traders in the last few weeks that a £262 million, or 76p a share, cash bid from a much bigger industry player, possibly US entertainment giant Harrah's, which already has close business links with 888 could be on the cards.

Certainly 888 chief executive Gigi Levy has said recently that he looks at consolidation as one of the possible routes to realising shareholder value.

Another giant of the industry looking to become bigger still is the mighty Betfair. Having listed on the LSE at the end of October at 1,300p, the shares soon touched 1,600p-plus, as tracker funds piled in confident it will canter into the FTSE 250 index at the December review with a market value above £1.6 billion.

If things are hotting up at the Federal level for the online gaming industry there are also some exciting developments at state level.

So far in 2010, four states have considered whether or not to legalise some combination of online poker, casino gaming and sports betting: Iowa, Florida, California and New Jersey.

The state making most headway is New Jersey, where internet gambling has been under consideration by lawmakers since 2001. It is finally receiving serious consideration in the state Senate where two bills, which would legalise internet sports betting and casino gaming respectively, have already passed the committee stage this year.

From California to New Jersey to Florida, more state and federal congressmen are taking the reality of a legal online gambling regime a lot more seriously.

Whoever wins the race, state or federal, one thing is clear: more and more stakeholders in the US are finally coming around to understand the risks and implication of a ‘do nothing’ strategy. This is an opportunity cost and gambling companies are getting their bets on regardless.

But ongoing political deadlock clearly poses a real threat to regulatory efforts at all levels of American government. But even as gambling industry stakeholders duke it out in the halls of legislatures around the country, as well as on Capitol Hill in Washington, the very fact that the conflict between them is intensifying signals that interest and investment in pushing for online gaming regulation is rising.

With billions of dollars out there to harvest and market share to win, the entire online gaming sector looks ripe for an upturn in coming months. Investing in online gaming companies has always been a white knuckle ride - and there looks to be every sign this particular circus is once again rolling back into town.

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Thursday, December 02, 2010

Casino News Media: Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!

Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino.com !

** Win your share of $5,000 every day in December. See: PartyPoker.com **

** The first episode of PartyPoker.com World Open VI is now online.

Many of the players involved will remember the jaw dropping quads over quads – Andrew Robl, Toby Lewis, Mike Sexton and Jesse May talk about this in a special post here: PartyPoker.com

** Aussie Millions qualifiers are up and running. Team Party pro Tyron Krost won the event last year and gives his own guide to satellites. PartyPoker.com **

Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!

Gibraltar – 30th November 2010 -- The festive season is drawing closer and PartyPoker.com is making sure they treat their most-valued players to a whole stack of presents. Palladium VIPs have the opportunity to pick up six presents and fill their very own Santa sack by just earning points by playing at PartyPoker.com’s online tables from the 1st to 14th December 2010.

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "The premise is very simple – Palladium VIPs earn points that make prizes. At the bottom end there is a $50 cash bonus, while 30,000 points delivers a $5,000 WPT entry. Players are entitled to keep all of the prizes they can win - so with six prize levels there’s six fantastic presents to keep!"

Here’s what’s on offer in the VIP Gift Accumulator:

Prize level Points required Prize Prize Draw tickets
1 1,500 $50 cash bonus 1
2 3,000 $100 cash 2
3 6,000 iPod Touch 4
4 12,000 $700 cash 8
5 20,000 16GB iPad 14
6 30,000 WPT entry 20

The feast of presents doesn’t just end here though. Every time a player hits a prize level PartyPoker.com award tickets for the VIP Gift Accumulator prize draw which offers the chance to win a share of $10,000. The more prizes a Palladium VIP earn the more entries they’ll get into the draw, giving more frequent players a better chance of winning the $5,000 first prize, the $3,000 second prize or the $2,000 third prize. Winners will be announced on the 17th December.

Please note that this is an OPT-IN promotion. For more information see: PartyPoker.com

Santa is also coming to PartyCasino.com. Unlike the poker promotion this is open to non VIPs too and runs from the 1st – 14th December, whether you have been bad or good. Points mean prizes including a luxury Caribbean holiday!

See: PartyCasino.com for more information.

Santa’s Party Pack

Prizes whether you’ve been good or bad!

Starts: 00:00 ET, 1st December
Ends: 23:59 ET, 14th December

Santa is making an early appearance. He’s spreading Christmas cheer, handing out killer Christmas presents to non-VIP and Palladium VIP players.

From 1st to 14th December, you can celebrate Christmas in style with a double whammy of festive winning opportunities. There’s a prize giveaway where you can scoop up to 6 prizes, and a massive cash prize draw!

Winning a share of Santa’s Party Pack is simple, and you don’t even have to sit on Santa’s knee! Simply opt-in between the 1st-14th December and collect points by playing your favourite slots and jackpot slots. The more you play, the more prizes you’ll unwrap.

Prize Giveaway

If you’re not a VIP yet, check out the Christmas List below, Santa could bring you up to 5 fantastic prizes worth $1,000:

Points Cumulative prizes
20 $5 cash bonus
100 300 points
500 $50 cash bonus
1,000 $100 free cash
5,000 iPad 32GB WiFi*

*The iPad 32GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $600, this will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.

If you’re a Palladium VIP player, check out the Christmas list below. Santa could bring you up to 6 prizes worth $10,000:

Points Cumulative prizes
2,000 $75 cash bonus
3,000 1500 points
5,000 $150 cash bonus
7,500 $250 free cash
15,000 iPad 64GB WiFi**
50,000 Luxury Caribbean Holiday**
(worth $8,500)

**The iPad 64GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $1,000, **The Luxury Caribbean Holiday has a cash alternative of $5,000 these will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.

Santa’s Big Prize Draw

What a cracker! But wait…there’s an extra present under the tree – Santa’s Big Prize Draw. By taking part in Santa’s Party Pack, you will be eligible for the draw. The more points you earn the more entries you will receive. Check below to see how much cash you can win:

Non-VIP Big Prize Draw

Every time you earn 20 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $10,000 will be shared equally between 10 lucky players.

VIP Big Prize Draw

Every time you earn 500 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $20,000 will be shared between 3 lucky players in the following amounts: 1st - $10,000, 2nd - $6,000 and 3rd - $4,000.

You can collect points on any of our slots and jackpot slots. To join the festivities you need to Opt-In from the 1st-14th December. Win some exceptional presents this Christmas with Santa’s Party Pack.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

Websites

PartyCasino.com

PartyPoker.com

World Poker Tour Casino

Profiles

PartyCasino.com

PartyPoker.com

World Poker Tour

PartyGaming

Website Network

Media Man International

Media Man

Media Man Australia

Media Man Asia

Media Man Canada

Media Man Games

Media Man Brand

Media Man Network

Casino News Media

Poker News Media

Global Gaming Directory