Paddy Power Trader, a Multi Asset Trading Platform from Ariel, went live on November 24^th.  Ariel is widely regarded as the experts in Multi Asset Trading Platforms (MATP) and their clients are eager to put the new web based front end with loads of new features, paddypowertrading.com, to good use.  Ariel’s technology also powers E*Trade Spread Betting and Tradefair Spreads, and is owned by London Capital Group.

The new web based platform replaces the existing Flash-based system.  The brand new MATP uses technology also used by ETX Capital (for spreadbetting).  Its Flex technology is purported to deliver faster response times, connections, and up to the minute prices.  And notably, Ariel was able to deliver the new platform both on time and in budget!

London Capital Group’s Chief Financial Officer, Simon Denham, was quoted as saying, ”This was an extremely efficient, hassle-free upgrade. We have been collecting feedback from our customers, most of whom are retail investors, and have received overwhelmingly positive commentary on the new platform. It offers customers a much richer interface, faster pricing, multiple views, multiple trade tickets as well as tear-off windows.”

Angus Clacher, Chief Executive Officer of Ariel, also commented saying, “Importantly the new Multi Asset Trading Platform was delivered by Ariel in a short timeframe and without interruption to paddypowers’ operations. The project was completed in 8 weeks and there was zero downtime, which is essential for a business like paddypowertrader, which trades 24 hours a day. I’m extremely proud of the people at Ariel and the leading technology we produce. This implementation is testament to their skill and experience with Multi Asset Trading Platforms.”

New features for the platform include embedding the stake entry directly in the trade ticket to provide faster trading; multiple trade tickets that can be traded with a single click; multiple views with browser tear-offs; and cherry picking – which allows a client to close a trade in their own preferred order.

Live entertainment, and my sports are quickly being replaced by the online world of streaming. Online fans are able to know watch and enjoy their sports in real-time, therefore making their entertainment value higher and create more opportunity for gambling on their favorite sports. With the price of sporting event tickets and concerts going up in value, then the economy declining, many sports fans are enjoying the new Avenue for feeling like they are at the game without having to travel to be there.

Now that the online gambling community is taking charge and changing the way we see sports, streaming is having become more popular with sports fans. Online broadband features from Sky and ESPN are allowing a larger variety of games to be offered through online streaming. Many sites such as Justin.tv and UStream.tv are beginning to offer a wide range of sports that appeal to fans of all cultures. Fans of Premier League football, UFC, cricket can now enjoy their favorite matches, however other sporting events are quickly coming. The quality of these online streams is subpar at this time, but has more online users begin to find out about these resources, the cable companies will be forced to increase their bandwidth and offer new packages that support live sports streaming.

Many online gambling firms are beginning to offer streaming at the highest quality by participating in the gambling with online bookmakers. Bet365 is one of the top online gambling firms that offers this type of feature for their fans. Some of the pitfalls of online streaming are downloaded software which causes computers to be more cumbersome as well as the low quality bandwidth provided by many cable providers. There are many online companies that offer this type of streaming however it is up to the individual to decide what quality they prefer and the easiest way for them to acquire it. Often times, customers have to go to foreign sites such as European or Chinese in order to skirt around the illegal streams that are being offered by many companies. Through these sites online fans can access games without the interference of the government.

Michael Jackson’s recent passing has highlighted his amazing career and cause resurgence in the world. It is death, fans and customers are looking forward to purchasing anything that has to do with Michael Jackson in order to keep the memory of him alive. Even in his vehicle career, fans have been excited about seeing intoning a piece of his history as well as the history of pop music. Casinos compete with many companies such as Planet Hollywood and hard rock in order to obtain memorabilia of famous people, rock bands in any notable names that could have an effect on drawing in new customers. With the passing of the pop icon, a hotel and casino in Macau joined in to acquire a piece of history.

Michael Jackson’s moonwalk love that stage in his life performance of Billy Jean recently was sold at an auction in New York. A Macau hotel and casino company was at the auction and placed their final bid on the glove. The final price for this icon that was once won by the King of Pop was $350,000. Jackson made the white sequined glove popular in 1983 while accepting one of his many awards at the Grammys and the American music awards. The glove is a piece of history as it marked the Emmy nominated performance on Motown 25: yesterday, today, forever where Michael Jackson pulled out his most iconic move, the moonwalk. This move once again sent Jackson into the King of Pop status, securing his spot for many years. Now, The Ponte 16 will display the glove and showcase next year along with nine other Michael Jackson items are purchased at the auction. The gambling resort owned by Stanley Ho will now have many items to display the King of Pop, therefore drawing and tourists from around the world.

There are many highlights when gambling in online and land based casinos.  Of course, there is always the dream of winning the big jackpot, and walking away a new millionaire or driving away in a shiny new car.  However, players enjoy other amenities such as bonus games; weekly, monthly, and seasonal promotions; tournaments; contests; raffles; give-a-ways; and a generally fun   and entertaining playing environment.  There are also loyalty programs which can reward players with points that can be used for upgrades and exclusive offers.

For example, one of the world’s leading online casinos Platinum Play offers unmatched promotions and jackpots.  Platinum Play is a member of the prestigious Fortune Lounge Group.  Platinum Play site, platinumplay.eu, prides itself on the promotions they can offer their players.  They virtually guarantee that their players will have countless hours of entertaining playing fun with the most exciting prizes.  They also believe that they offer a wide variety of Platinum Play UK offering more promotions that will tailor themselves to the individuals player’s style.

Some of the promotions on the online casino site are as follows:  New player promotions.  These are used when a player makes his or her first deposit on the site.  It is the best way to attract new customers from around the globe.  The most famous of these is the 1500 Free Bets; Keep Your Winnings promotion.  After a player opens an account they have one day to win as much as they can.  Anything over the initial 1500 credits is the player’s to keep up to a maximum of 100.

Another way the casino acquires new players is by the Refer a Friend bonus.  When a registered player refers a friend and the friend makes at least a 50 Euro (about $75 US) deposit the original player qualifies for a 100 Euro bonus.  The list goes on with Platinum Play bonus like, You Play…We Pay where players can earn free gambling for a year, and International SLots Leagues and many others.

The gambling industry, especially the online casino industry, is always been a highly controversial, hotly contested issue.  There are is a lot of grey area to be exploited.  Besides the moral concerns that always surface when gambling is involved, there are now issues of revenue generating, licensing, consumer protection, and local community protection in a world wide market.  This often leads to laws, loopholes, and legal action.  Recently the Right2Bet blog has used much of its space on one of these legal issues.

According to its website, right2bet.net, right2bet’s mission is to “to ensure that the principles of economic freedom in the European Union are applied as fairly to betting and gaming as they are to any other sector.”  The site continues, “Ultimately, we want all EU citizens to be able to bet with whichever EU-licensed betting company they wish, regardless of in which member state that company is based.”  Basically, the site is a petition set out for the European Union to allow gamblers the right to choose in the casino industry.  They are also a watchdog group that reports on governments in the EU when they refuse to ignore the basic laws and guidelines accepted by European Union.  The site is available in multiple languages.  It is not without its lighter side, though.  There is a blog, forum, and even a poetry corner.

Their most recent concern is with Italy.  The Italian government has declined a license to Stanlybet even though other EU licensed  casino operators are being approved in the country.  This denial wold force the closing of close to 20 outlets in Italy, which would cause a massive amount of job loss within the gambling industry.

There is another issue that has come to the forefront.  The European Commission has stated that most decisions regarding casino licensing are based on problem gambling issues.  However, the commission recently admitted that no real research was being carried out.  This allows preferential treatment to state run casino companies and creating close to a monopoly.

“GoWild Casino is offering an innovative and revolutionary approach to the online gaming industry, with a strong focus on service, fast cash outs, exclusive promotions and a lucrative VIP program,” stated GoWild Affiliate Program Manager, Igor Yagmoor.  GoWild is one of Income Access’ white label clients.  Recently they announced they are launching a new affiliate program.  This program promises to offer a 50 percent flat revenue share for the first two months and up to 50 percent from then on out.  companies who sign up for GoWild’s affiliate program can take advantage of the commission structure that follows the two month introductory program.  It is as follows:  25 percent for $0-$2,000; 30 percent for 2,000-10,000; 35 percent for 10,000-20,000; 40 percent for 20,000 to 50,000; 45 percent for 50,000-150,000 and the advertised 50 percent for anything over 150,000.

GoWild Casino also offers the advantage of providing a wide range of payment options, timely payments, full support, rapid response, detailed statistics and a multitude of marketing tools to aide affiliates in profiting from the traffic they generate.  Mr. Yagmoor continued, “Plus, with the Income Access iGaming affiliate software powering our affiliate program, we feel confident that GoWild Casino will continue to rise as one of the top online casinos.”

“We also organize several events that run every month, where we offer special bonus offers, dedicated multiplayer tournaments or wagering contests,” said Yagmoor. “We want to keep our players interested, and ensure that their experience is a lot of fun.”  GoWild Casino players have always taken advantage of their weekly, monthly, and seasonal games and promotions and tournaments.  Not to mention the VIP Club membership program.  Some benefits include a personal account manager, Faster Comp Points, and exclusive promotions designed specifically for the VIP Club members.

GoWild Casino “…has distinguished itself in the gaming industry for its around-the-clock financial services and fast payments, which is a major benefit in this industry,” said Income Access CEO, Nicky Senyard. “With a white label version of our affiliate marketing software, they will be able to offer affiliates advanced features such as mobile tracking, geo-targeting, language settings and a powerful suite of reports for complete performance analysis down to the player level.”

Slot machines are arguably the most popular gambling devices in casinos.  They are popular not only with seasoned gamblers but the recreational players that venture in once or twice a year.  To make sure players are happy and keep coming back casinos are always looking to update their slot machines with the newest slot machines that feature the newest trends and latest technology.  Gone are the days when the one armed bandit with its three wheels and one play line.  Now slots are an audio-visual that rival the most sophisticated video game platforms or sometimes even movies.

Recently the Las Vegas Convention Center hosted the Global Gaming Expo or G2E.  One of the highlights of the casino industry convention was the showcase the slot machine developers displayed.  This was there time to showoff their goods and dazzle casino owners.  This was there time to pull out all the stops.  Slot machines featured had 3-D graphics, X-Box style features, touch screen technology, and even surround sound.  Patti Hart, Chief Executive Officer for International Gaming Technology stated before the convention got underway, “There is that sense of energy and anticipation this year. We’re getting the sense from our customers that they truly want to see what we have to offer.”  Gaming analyst, Joel Simkins agreed, “It has never been a better time to be a slot manager, as the competitive playing field is arguably the most robust in the history of the industry and nearly all vendors are bringing out high-quality, innovative products.”

There had been a bit of decline of slot machine sales in recent months due to the economy.  However, there are small signs of a turn around and that prompted one of the most spectacular slot machine shows at the G3E.  Even casino owners who were not at the convention specifically to buy, wanted to see what might be available to them in the near future.  “We’re in pretty good shape right now. Our floor is up to date,” Tjeerd Brink of the Pechanga Resort said. “We’re always looking to see what’s out there.”

In any case, the slot machine industry is constantly evolving, securing that players will always have new reasons to visit their favorite casinos.

Visionary iGaming is one of the world’s leading online gaming and gambling providers.  What sets Visionary iGaming from the rest of its competition is that it offers live dealer gaming.  According to its website they specialize “…in providing the most authentic and entertaining live casino experience available on the world wide web. Using state-of-the-art video, audio and chat technology, ViG broadcasts live casino games, from both studio environments and land based casino environments, straight to the end user’s PC.”   This means players from around the world can interact with casino dealers in real time.  They offer familiar games such as roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and various kinds of poker.

ViG, as it is called, has recently announced they have penned a deal with the AmsterdamsCasino.com, a leading Dutch online casino, to provide its live dealer online casino software.  This is definitely a big step for the Dutch online casino industry.  A spokesperson for AmsterdamsCasino.com stated, “We have made a strategic decision in choosing Visionary iGaming to help us meet our player’s demand for live casino games.  We selected Visionary iGaming because it is an innovative group offering exceptional video and audio along with the most interactive live dealer experience available in the market.”

ViG has been impressed with the initial reaction to the expansion to the Dutch online casino market.  They have reported impressive growth in grosses, and feel confident that players are enjoying an exciting new gambling experience.  “We are thrilled to provide our LiveCasinoGameFeed product to AmsterdamsCasino.com,” Chief Executive Officer for Visionary iGaming, Martin Reiner, stated, “This deal helps solidify Visionary iGaming as a leader in the live dealer market and proves there is room for another premier live gaming provider”

Clients of ViG have the choice of adding the software to an existing platform or license a complete turnkey gaming solution.  Mr. Reiner went on to say, “Players and operators alike seek rich gaming experiences and it is our mission to offer the market a high quality alternative featuring highly professional and interactive live dealers.”

Most areas in the service industry have awards or seals that are given out by reputable agencies that reward first class service or high standards of quality.  The hotel and resort industry as the coveted AAA Four Diamond, Restaurants enjoy high marks from Zagat Survey, The automobile industry is always looking for an endorsement by Car and Driver Magazine.  These stamps of approval tell the consuming public that a particular brand or service has met or surpassed certain test and standards and are good and safe purchases.  It is the metaphorical “guarantee on the box.”  For the online casino and gambling industry one of these sought after stamps is an accreditation seal from the eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance or eCOGRA.  eCOGRA is an independent players protection and standards organization.

Recently Digitote Software GmbH received the accreditation seal from eCOGRA .  Digitote specializes in sports gambling software and back office applications.  They run offices out of both Germany and the United Kingdom’s Isle of Man.  They invited a full audit  and inspection team from eCOGRA this year.  The team qualified Digitote through the European Gaming and Betting Association and eCOGRA’s own eGap requirements.  Now that it has been made official Digitote is allowed to display the eCOGRA seal, confirming to customers Digitote is a fair and safe online sports gambling provider.

Chief Executive Officer for eCOGRA, Andrew Beveridge commented, “The EGBA standards are particularly high and a good fit with our own eGap requirements and, by achieving these levels, Digitote sends a strong and positive signal regarding its capabilities and professional commitment.  Our audit confirms that the development, implementation, maintenance and security of Digitote’s product and back-office systems are representative of industry best-practice and technology standards applicable to software suppliers.”  This is truly a feather in the cap for the online sports betting company.

Gunter Boyks who is the director for Digitote stated, ”Apart from its value as a measure of Digitote’s professional efficiency and commitment to fairness and quality, the achievement of this eCOGRA accreditation provides a practical assurance to both ourselves and our clients that, as a business, we meet the most demanding (sports gambling) industry standards.”

Most casinos whether land based or online have well structured deals with gaming and technology manufacturers, developers and distributers.  This is the major means in which they are able to offer their players the games the love and the updates and service they expect.  The deals penned between the providers and the casinos are marriages that can and should be beneficial and profitable for both parties.  They are highly sought after and take on the seriousness of corporate relationships found and all other industries all around the world.

Recently a multi-year deal was made between Italy’s Gamenet SpA and one of Gruppo Lottomatica’s many subsidiaries.  Gruppo Lottomatica is one of the world’s leading gaming and casino operators and its deal through Spielo with Gamenet SpA will give the Italian business ‘several thousand’ video lottery terminals or VLT’s.  It is predicted that the agreement could be worth close to 45 million Euros (over $67.4 million US).  It will also see the Canadian firm provide Game Gamenet with a new server based gaming central system.  This will come with retailer terminals, game content and services.  Theoretically this will all take place sometime in early 2010.

Chief Executive Officer and President for the gambling provider commented, “We look forward to entering this extremely competitive video lottery terminal market, which is about to become the largest of its kind in Europe.  Through our partnership, Gamenet will benefit from server-based technology and the Dynamic Game Management features of Spielo’s Intelligen central system and value-added modules as well as the i-Link terminal and value-added prodiGi Vu and WinWave Vu terminals.”  He then went on to add, “With the help of our sister company, Atronic, we’re also pleased to provide the top-performing games from our combined game library.”

Gamenet isn’t just receiving in this deal.  It has over 700 gaming  and gambling machine distributers and is one of Italy’s top three public concessionaires.  It also boast an extensive networking system.  Ezio Fillippone, Chief Executive Officer for Gamenet said, “Through this video lottery terminal investment and agreement with Spielo, Gamenet will expand its gaming portfolio beyond the current slot machines, betting, poker including Texas Hold ’Em and skill games, strengthening its position as a leader in the Italian gaming market.”