In the hotel industry having a base of customers is as important as any sales industry. Motel, hotel, and resort chains depend on a wide customer base that they can market to and will show loyalty. They do so by offering reward points, specials for return guests, and seasonal packages. Most hotel chains have a range of styles of hotels from interstate stop overs to hotels designed for business travelers to luxury resorts. Staying in one gives the guest points for another. Las Vegas runs the same way. Hotels and casinos pull from their customer base to help keep the businesses running. This is especially so on the Las Vegas Strip. This is why companies like Harrah’s Entertainment, Wynn Resorts, and MGM Resorts International have so many properties.

There is a new casino resort that will open at the end of 2010. The Cosmopolitan is a highly anticipated luxury resort, residence and casino property located right on the famous strip. It is, however, trying to go it alone. They are a new casino resort group that has no established customer base to pull from. “Sure, they may be nice to visit, but I’m going to book at the [Insert hotel here] because I can get some points.”

To help get underway operators of the hotel side of the Cosmopolitan have decided to join hands with the world famous Marriott. The Marriott brand of hotels and resorts has the largest customer base in the industry and they have long been looking to get a piece of the Las Vegas Strip casino resort pie. The Cosmopolitan will have access to Marriott’s customer database, and Marriott will be able to advertise the new casino resort as one of its independent luxury offerings. “I think Marriott has the best distribution system around. They are the chassis and engine that allows us to continue to develop an iconic brand,” said Cosmopolitan CEO, John Unwin. This should help get the casino resort underway.

The online gambling site BetFred offers players some of the best action in online sports gambling, lotteries, poker, bingo and casino action. They are known for being the place where, “The bonus is King!” Their online sports gambling advertises cash back on all live games. They have an entire menu of sign up, new player bonuses such as, a £50 free bet for online sports gambling, £400 first deposit bonus for online poker, £30 welcome bonus for online bingo, and a £500 welcome bonus for new online casino goers. This just starts the list of bonuses and give-a-ways that can be found at the Betfred site.

The online casino and gambling site is also known for bringing their players the best sportsbooking and the newest games. Their commitment to keeping their players happy is evident with the announcement that BetFred will be offering new games as the summer season draws to a close. The online gambling site has penned a deal with leading online gaming software developer WagerWorks to host online slot titles, like Clue (or Cluedo), the Hollywood edition of Wheel of Fortune, Cleopatra, and the Monopoly online slot that features the ‘Pass Go Bonus.’

“Our overall aim at BetFred is to continuously update our games portfolio in order to keep our players happy and playing for longer,” commented BetFred Operations Director, Nick Mounteer. Mr. Mounteer admitted that going with WagerWorks was an easy decision by adding, “WagerWorks is widely regarded as one of the top games suppliers in the market and it makes perfect strategic sense to utilize its availability via the Finsoft platform.” WagerWorks is equally as excited about their new deal. They feel they have the resources to offer the online casino and gambling community the best games in the business. Making a deal with an online casino like BetFred increases awareness of their brand and their talents. Online casino goers, however, get the most out of the deal. They get the fun and the winning.

The Virgin brand has become one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Sir Richard Branson has founded the Virgin Records label, the mega music, movies, and book stores, the Virgin Atlantic Airway airline, and the Virgin Mobile phone company to name a few. There is also Virgin Games. Virgin Games offers online casino and gambling action. Since its founding in 2004 Virgin Games has become as popular as its Virgin kin in the online casino and gambling industry. The Virgin online casino offers some of the most exciting online slot play as well as table games, poker, and bingo. Their prize pools can be life changing and could spawn the next British millionaire who could take the world by storm just like its founder.

Sir Richard Branson has made his Virgin brand of companies so successful buy, “…setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them.” He has always been on the forefront of technology, and with each new release promises to bring the highest quality and most advance ways of thinking and accomplishing goals. This business model remains intact for the Virgin Games online casino. Operators have a staunch commitment to making sure their players have the best games and the newest online casino technology at the click of their mouse.

This commitment to excellence is evident in the release of a new game to the online casino. Virgin Games recently announced they are adding the Cashapillar online slot game to their menu. Cashapillar is a five reel one hundred pay line online slot game powered by Microgaming. The new game features wilds, scatters, multipliers and free spins. It is based around an insect theme. Five Cashapillar Wilds stacked vertically triggers a ‘Win Bonanza.’ During the bonanza every win that is completed by a wild is doubled. This is a quick way for Virgin Games online casino players to make very fast money. Up to 2,000 credits can be earned in the base game and 6,000 credits during the free spins. All of this is per line! Which means winning could be life changing!

August is a day away from closing. It has been a great summer. Sure a lot of people went to the beach, visited family, enjoyed picnics, and pools, as well as the summer blockbuster movies, but we’re talking about online casinos. The summer saw many promotions and just as many winners. The online casino industry rolls out there summer deals and give-a-ways the same way Hollywood rolls out action thriller movies. However, summer vacation is drawing to an end. The kids are getting ready for school, fall clothing lines are being released and baseball is racing to a finish while American football is getting ready to kick off.

To celebrate the end of August William Hill, maybe the most recognizable names in sports gambling, is giving its customers a chance at some free online bingo. William Hill has been offering gamblers some of the best online, phone, and high street gambling for quite some time. Since 2008 they have made a solid name for themselves when it comes to fair odds, quick payouts and online gambling fun. Not only do they offer one of the most extensive online sportsbooks in the industry but they also give players online poker, skill games, casino games, and, of course, bingo.

For the remainder of the weekend, and into Monday, August 30, the online gambling site will be offering a series of free online bingo games. The free online bingo games can be found from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Community Room. Just because they are free does not mean they don’t pay. There are £50 fixed prizes to be won. If you can’t play from 9 to 5 don’t worry. The free online bingo play will shift into the Bargain Basement Room at 6 p.m. and continue until midnight. The later games have a £75 prize pool to be shared. Money won from the free online bingo can be used for making other wagers on the online casino and gambling site.

The United States is doing what they can to help bring regulated online gambling back to the country. Earlier this summer Massachusetts Representative, Barney Frank was able to get a version of an online gambling bill out of the House Financial Services Committee that he chairs. He colleague from Washington, Representative Jim McDermott has come up with a companion bill that would deal with how online casinos and gambling sites should be taxed. His bill is called the Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act of 2010. According to reports he has asked Representative Sander Levin to schedule a session for the markup of his bill. Representative Levin is the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.

A mark up session for Rep. McDermott’s online gambling tax bill would allow members of the House Ways and Means Committee to give the item serious thought, discussion, and debate. This could lead to a vote by the committee. Assuming it passes through committee it could then be placed on the House floor for debate and another vote. Most political reporters familiar with the subject agree that if it is marked up soon the bill could be put before the House of Representatives before the October break and the November elections. The elections could change the makeup of both houses of Congress, so time is of the essence.

Rep. Levin has not made a commitment to scheduling a mark up session for the online gambling bill, but he has admitted (and for the first time) that he is interested to see what Rep. McDermott has come up with. On the Senate side Nevada Senator and Majority Leader Harry Reid has also admitted he may be ready to support a bill that would regulate online gambling within the United States. Of course should all work out for the bills there would still have to be some type of compromise between House and Senate lawmakers. This would be online gambling’s toughest battle should it make it that far.

Easy deposits and withdrawals are the lifeblood of online casinos and gambling sites. Players can not play their favorite games if they can not deposit funds, and they will stop playing if they can not collect their winnings. The smart online casinos and gambling sites advertise how easy it is to get started and start collecting. Online casinos and gambling sites usually have more than one way to make transactions. Most use credit cards and/or payment services. Another popular item is the prepaid credit card. They have become as valuable a gift or commodity as the gift card. The prepaid credit card are accepted anywhere the credit card is accepted. This means a user doesn’t have to go to a specific store.

The online casino and gambling world and the prepaid credit card generation have now found a way to hold hands. Playtech powered online casinos have made a deal with Mastercard and Intercash to allow players to make both deposits and withdrawals using a prepaid Mastercard credit card. Players at eighteen Playtech online casinos such as, Titan Casino, Vegas Red, Europa, and Tropez will be able to use the new payment method. The new payment system will not require operators to carry any sort of special integration set ups.

“We’re very proud to be launching our new MasterCard® card program on the Playtech software through Fastengine, one of Playtech’s largest groups of sites,” commented Intercash Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Seguev. “The venture between our companies marks a significant step into what is becoming an industry standard.” The new system will allow players to earn money in a way they never have before. They can make a deposit from a prepaid Mastercard. When they cash out on winnings they can have their money placed directly on the card. They can then use the card to make additional deposits or use the card anywhere Mastercard is honored. Players can now use their winnings to pay for that new shirt at the mall directly.

The online casino and gambling world survives on networking. Online casinos who are associated with the best affiliates and networks tend to be the most successful. One of the most well known networks in the online casino and gambling industry is the Cake Network. They tempt their partners to “Own a piece of the action.” The Cake Network offers the best in online casino, sports gambling, poker, and skill games. The have more than forty partners, and they’re growing. The Cake Network offers excellent player management and support tools as well as the best in affiliate support, marketing, licensing, and reporting. Some of their partners include Bet US, Doyle’s Room, Intertops, Pure Poker, and many others.

The Cake Poker Network has just added one more online casino to their list of reputable partners. The up and coming Victory Poker site has recently announced they will be moving to the Cake Poker Network. The online poker site has only been in operation since February, and will make the move on September 1. Victory Poker has already amassed a list a names to their pro list. These names include Keith ‘The Machine’ Gipson; 2005 World Series of POker Main Event runner up, Paul Wasicka; World Poker Tour Player of the Year, Jonathan ‘FieryJustice’ Little, and 2007 Playboy Playmate of the Year, Sara Underwood.

“Being on Cake will give our players access to a multitude of tournaments, cash games, and special promotions,” commented Victory Poker Chief Executive Officer, Dan Fleyshman. He continued, “Cake will ensure our players get to enjoy 20k to 100k guaranteed tournaments every day, as well as the new and exciting ‘Gold Chips/Gold Cards’ rewards systems.” Cake Poker is just as thrilled, “Victory Poker is a great partner for us as they bring a strong brand with a diverse and eclectic group of players to the network,” stated Marketing Director, Andrew Turner. Victory Poker maybe a young online poker site, but they have taken their first step into a march larger world.

The online casino industry has a new way to win, auctions. With the online revolution came a new way for people to buy stuff. Online commerce soared. Then came ebay, a whole new way to shop and sell. Now, people can sell their own items, or buy and find (sometimes rare) items at auction prices. ebay became an enormous hit to the point where the word ‘ebay’ has become as popular as ‘google.’ “What do I do with my old Hot Wheels collection?’ “EBAY IT!” The online casino industry now has its version of ebay. The newly launched site is called Bidibot.

Bidibot picks up the ebay model. They are able to auction off items for the online casino industry. They place online casino credits or entries into tournaments into auction. Then players can bid for the items. Most of the time they are able to win decent sums of credits for a fraction of the price. Take, for example, one auction winner who was able to win a chunk of online casino credits for almost nothing. “I think I only placed two bids to win my first auction for the bargain price of 11 cents,” they said. Bidibot puts the items up for auction, and the bids are made at one cent a piece for a limited amount of time. Each time someone makes a bid the price goes up and time is added to the auction. Obviously, the last person to bid when the clock expires wins the auction. “It was so easy to use and I even placed my bid from my iPhone,” commented the same winner.

The idea behind putting the online casino industry on auction is to help players who are intimidated or can simply not afford as much playing time to enjoy gambling online. It is a way of leveling the playing field. For serious gamblers, it is also another form of online gambling. Bidibot offers auctions on several of the major online casino and poker sites, and is gaining popularity at lightning speed.

Both land based and online casinos love to offer games that feature celebrities. To be honest, most casino goers love these games too. At one point in time it was just fun to say, ‘I sat at the Dean Martin slot machine at a Las Vegas casino.’ Now those celebrity themed and endorsed machines have so much more to offer. Most of the celebrity slot machines are based on stars of the entertainment industry, and that is exactly what slot machine game developers want to offer, entertainment. Now these machines offer more than just spinning wheels with pictures of movie and music stars. They offer the sites and sounds of the big time. They play music. They show clips. They offer a glimpse into the history and personality of our pop icons. Oh yeah, and they pay out too.

The online casino, Kerching Casino, knows this and has recently announced they will be offering a set of online slot machines based around the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Elvis in not only associated with putting rock and roll music into the mainstream, but as a Las Vegas icon. The three new games to Kerching Casino all feature the King in their own unique way. Players are sure to enjoy the entertainment.

Elvis – A Little More Action online slot offers just that. It is a fifty payline slot that has a multitude of wilds. The wilds keep the players happy and winning and the action up. This slot features pictures of Elvis from his early days through his mega-concerts. Elvis Multi-strike is another online slot that gives it players the chance at 4x multipliers. The innovative game has three separate sets of wheels, and plays some of Elvis’ most popular tunes. It also shows clips of Elvis performing. The third game is for Kerching Casino’s mobile players and is called Elvis Top 20. This game offers more pics of the King, and of course, more winning.

Winning is really what it’s all about. Oh sure, some online casino goers will tell you that they just like playing for fun, excitement, or relaxation, but they all have winning tucked somewhere in the back of their head. Same goes for online bingo players. Even though it is not as high stakes as some of the online casino and poker sites, players still go hoping to win a few dollars or pounds or even score the progressive jackpot. Online bingo sites are becoming as sophisticated as their online casino and poker site cousins, and have lots to offer their players. Their jackpots and promotions can rival almost any online casino, and their players think about winning just as much as any other.

West Yorkshire mother of two, ‘Dudderbear,’ may have only had winning in the back of her mind when she signed up for the online bingo site Mecca Bingo, but she left the other day with winning right in front of her. Dudderbear decided she would take advantage of a promotional offer she saw at her local Mecca Bingo Hall in Leeds. She enjoyed the land based bingo so much that she wanted to enjoy the activity at home also. After playing for some time, Dudderbear’s persistence paid off. It paid off to the tune of £53,714.

“When my win came up on the screen my mouth just dropped open!” she exclaimed. She admitted that her mother did not believe it when first told. However, once mom came around only a broken leg could keep her from jumping up and down. “She was my calm influence,” the online bingo winner joked. Dudderbear’s kids are excited about the win, but at the time her husband had not returned home from work. He is in for a surprise. Dudderbear has plans to buy the car she has had her eye on. She also may make plans for a vacation for her family.