Slowly the landscape of European online gambling is changing. Online casinos, poker play, and sports gambling are extremely popular throughout the continent. Most nations who belong to the European Union treat online gambling like any other trade, product or service. However, there are some nations that have supported a government run monopoly of gambling activities. They have done so to protect their citizens and businesses. Now, though, those countries are opening up. Some are doing so voluntarily. Some are doing so because the European courts are saying they should. Either way the market is expanding. France has already seen an influx of online gambling companies open up in their market and other countries are following.

Denmark was well on the way to be another country top liberalize their online gambling laws. This year the European Court of Justice ruled that their online gambling laws did not conform to European Union guidelines. In response, this summer the Danish parliament passed a law that would open up online gambling to private companies. The new gambling law was set to take effect in January 2011. It seems now, though, those plans have been postponed. Denmark just could not handle the number of proposals for licenses that flooded into the picture.

“We are talking about a government that has only dealt with the monopoly license in 50 years,” commented Ladbrokes Nordic country manager for Denmark, Richardt Funch. Denmark will be a popular market once it is opened at online gambling companies are rushing to get in on the ground floor. Funch added, “There will be a lot of due diligence work and legal requirements.” He went on to say that having everything ready by the end of the year is unlikely, and the industry should be looking more towards March or even April. When the time comes there will be two licenses offered. One will be for online casino and poker games and the other for online sports gambling.

One of the most exciting prizes online poker sites give away are seats to poker tournaments. While some of these tournaments are online, most of the time the online poker sites want to send their players to land based tournaments. Typically, an online player will visit his or her favorite site, enter a tournaments and play. Those who win get seats, accommodations, buy ins, transportation, and some spending cash. The online tournaments are qualifiers. The poke sites want to send their best novice players to represent them and do a bit of advertising. It is a wonderful marketing ploy. Not only is the name out at the land tournament, the online poker site gets to advertise they send their players to the bet events.

As mentioned before, most online poker sites use online tournaments as qualifiers. It makes sense. Play well online and you’ll get to play in a casino. However, one online poker site is trying something in a totally new direction. Well known PartyPoker.com wants to send some of their players to the Foxwoods World Poker Final. The six day event starts October 29 and will be held at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut. To qualify for the event players need to make a video?

The promotion is called the Foxwoods VIP Video Challenge. “We are giving our Palladium Lounge VIP’s the opportunity to win one of three exclusive VIP packages to play at the World Poker Tour Foxwoods,” read a PartyPoker.com statement. Those who belong to the VIP group can submit a video explaining why they deserve a trip to the Foxwoods casino to play in the poker tournament. With video cameras an everyday part of life on computers, cameras, and phones, it is not as intricate a task as it used to be. After shooting their video they then post it on YouTube and send an email to Events@PalladiumLounge.com with a link to the video. This is a brand new way of winning tournament seats.

Income Access is widely regarded as one of the best companies in the online casino and gambling industry. They don’t make games. They don’t have 3-D graphics. They don’t have clever, little mascots. What they do have is the best affiliate networking and marketing in the business. It seems that online gambling companies are signing up for their services every month. That’s why it is a big deal when they show up at affiliate conferences and other online gaming expos, and they usually do. Of course it is a good way for the Income Access team to show what they have and one what they do, but with their reputation it is a good thing for the expo. They get to say, “Income Access will be here.”

What does all this mean? Income Access will be attending the Budapest Affiliate Conference. In attendance will be award winning Chief Executive Officer, Nicky Senyard, Director of Client Relations Kristyn Gaffney, Director of Marketing Sarafina Wolde Gabriel, and Commercial Director Nicole Fortunaso. The team will be on hand at booth D24 to answer questions regarding their software and networking and marketing software. Income Access will also be sharing what they know with attendees. Ms. Senyard and Ms. Gabriel will be discussing how affiliates can make the most of their programs and relationships.

“Affiliate marketing continues to expand and diversify bringing with it an evolution of needs and objectives,” commented Ms. Senyard, “The recent upgrade of our affiliate marketing software solution has made it easier for our team, affiliates and operators to effectively manage their marketing campaigns, and we look forward to meeting with affiliates and partners at the conference to hear the views that shape our continued commitment to them and the industry.” The Budapest Affiliate Conference will take place from October 7 to 10 at the SYMA Exhibition Hall. Organizers are expecting over 1,600 delegates to attend. This is the perfect time to network and learn.

Little by little there are small signs that the economy in the United States is picking up. Let’s focus on the casino and casino resort industry. The casino resort industry was hit hard by the economy. The industry relies solely on people spending money with little in return. That isn’t an activity that people want to do when there is economic uncertainty. However, economists are starting to say that the recession is “officially” over. That doesn’t mean anything to the average American, but it does mean something to business. Investors could be ready to invest again. Lenders could be ready to lend again. Carl Icahn seems to think so. The multi-billionaire is looking at Mississippi and the Gulf Coast and thinking, it may be time.

Carl Icahn has recently purchased eight Tropicana Casinos that are facing bankruptcy. This includes the Horizon Vicksburg Casino and the Jubilee Casino, both in Mississippi. According to Mississippi regulations, Mr. Icahn had to appear before the Mississippi Gaming Commission. (His license is already approved.) During his meeting with the commission, he stated that he thought Mississippi was ready to move on. He was not as kind about Las Vegas. “I think it’s worrisome in Vegas,” he stated, “There was tremendous overbuilding in Las Vegas. With the slow economy and availability of online gambling, you don’t have as many gamblers just running out to Las Vegas or Atlantic City.”

He did mention that he thought Atlantic City could pull out of its slump, and Governor Christie’s plan for the casino town was on the right track. His real focus, though, was on Mississippi. He thinks the area is ready to take on the economy. Clearly, his purchase in the Tropicana casinos is evidence of this. There are no specific plans be released for any of Mr. Icahn’s new casinos. However, he is not the kind of person to buy something if he doesn’t think it will make money.

Las Vegas maybe the most famous gambling capital in the world, but the largest is Macau. The Hong Kong city and its Cotai Strip has become where the casino resort companies are focusing much of their attention, mostly because this is where they are making money. The Asian gambling market has benefitted from a booming economy. Macau is just as glamorous as Las Vegas or Reno. Major Las Vegas based casino resort companies have opened their brands of entertainment there, and Macau is pretty much keeping them afloat. The three major American presences are Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, and MGM Resorts International.

MGM Resorts International’s flagship casino resort in Macau is the MGM Grand Macau. It is a joint venture with MGM Resorts International and Pansy Ho, daughter of Chinese businessman and casino tycoon, Stanley Ho. To solidify its presence in Macau, MGM Resorts International recently announced they will be looking into a Initial Public Offering (or IPO) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The casino resort company made a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that claimed MGM China Holdings Ltd., would be making the offering. MGM China Holdings is a Cayman Islands based company that includes the partnership with MGM Resorts International and Ms. Ho. The filing claimed, “There have not been any decisions made regarding the timing or terms of any such listing or whether MGM China Holdings Limited will ultimately proceed with such a transaction or whether the proposed transaction will ultimately be approved by the Hong Kong Exchange.”

Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts already have a listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange. MGM feels it is time to get underway. The IPO would most likely precede raising capital for the construction of new casino resort properties in Macau. Most gaming analysts agree that this is a good step for MGM Resort International. Some feel the offering could generate proceeds on $300 million or more.

Even though the United States has not seen tangible proof, many news outlets and economic experts (or should I say “experts”) are claiming that the recession is over. This a a technicality for most. Any type of economic growth can only be seen on paper and in abstract terms. Most of the county has not returned to spending, lending or funding. Everything from big construction to Main Street is still hurting and overly cautious about what will come next. The casino and casino resort industry knows this all to well. Most believe it will be the last to recover as the industry is solely based on consumer spending. That being said expansion was the key topic at this years New England Gaming Summit held at the Mohegan Sun Casino Resort in Connecticut.

“We strongly believe that the current setbacks in our industry not withstanding, we need to continue to plan for growth that will occur as the economy eventually rebounds and spending increases,” commented President and Chief Executive Officer for Mohegan Sun, Mitchell Etess. Much of the focus of expansion was centered around Massachusetts. The state’s government has been back and forth on the issue. They can agree that they would like expanded gambling in the state, but the governor and the legislature can not agree on how. This put a major stall in the plans.

Some casino companies are already looking into sites for a Massachusetts casino. Mohegan Sun has had its eyes on a property in Palmer for a couple of years now. They are just waiting for the state government to come through. “Palmer is without question the premier site for a casino resort in the Commonwealth,” continued Etess.

Another talking point was gambling in Massachusetts neighbor, New Hampshire. New Hampshire lawmakers are worried about New Hampshire dollars floating over to Massachusetts. They are worried so much about it that some of their requirements for a casino license are reports on how much they could attract from their neighbor. The casino industry may still be reeling from the recession, but it is nice to hear them talk about the future optimistically.

Everyone will tell you that it does not matter what the game, business, or task may be, persistence is the key. Very few people succeed the first time out. Very few people make it to the upper echelons of their field. Once there very few people reach the top. One almost has to fail a little to learn anything. The difference between winners and losers is the determination and the dedication. It is all about ‘try, try again,’ ‘practice makes perfect,’ ‘not getting knocked down but how you get up,’ and the rest of the old cliché’s. Those with stick to itive-ness are the ones that succeed. Professional poker player and gambler Gus Hansen knows this first hand. The thirty-six year old player finally has a World Series of Poker championship bracelet.

Gus Hansen, who now lives full time in Monaco, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Early on in his career his high level of play, especially at backgammon, earned him the title of ‘The Great Dane.’ He has made a name for himself on such online poker sites as, Full Tilt Poker, PokerChamps, and his own GusHansenTV. As good as he is the World Series of Poker had eluded him. However, he kept entering and playing, and now the wait has paid off.

“I’ve been playing in the WSOP since 1996 when my good friend, Huck Seed, won the Main Event,” Hansen commented, “I’ve had a lot of attempts since then and come close a couple of times.” The win came at the World Series of Poker Europe High Roller Heads-Up event, being held at the Empire Casino in London’s Leicester Square. The tournament began with 103 entrees. As the players were eliminated it came down to Hansen and Jim Collopy, a twenty-one year old American. It was best of three. Hansen took home £288,409 to go along with his new piece of jewelry. He mentioned that he was surprised that his bracelet came from a heads-up event

In the why isn’t this already a law department, Lawmakers in Michigan are debating looking into a law that would seem to be an obvious one. Some lawmakers want to see a ban on the use of Welfare and assistance debit cards from casinos in the state. With the introduction of debit cards and direct deposit the way money is distributed has changed. Checks have become virtually obsolete. Now those who receive government assisted benefits are given debit cards that are recharged when the benefits are distributed. This allows those who need the help to get it quicker, forgo having to cash a check (which sometimes cost money on its own), and take it to grocery stores, and other shops that usually accept debit payments. Already, most states do not allow the use of the cards to buy tobacco and alcohol. Now states governments are acting to keep those who use the cards from abusing the cards.

To be fair, the great majority of those who take the debit cards really need them. For them it is the way they are able to provide for themselves and their families. These people are not going out to the casino, using the ATM, hitting the slots. However, there are exceptions to the rule, and California and Arizona have already put a stop to this abuse.

Michigan is about to decide they are done also. “This money was intended to provide for basic needs for people who are truly in need,” said State Senator Bill Hardiman. He added, “The willingness to help drops substantially when these benefits are being abused.” The state senate in Lansing, Michigan approved the gambling related bill this month in a unanimous vote. This passing vote then sent the bill to the Michigan House of Representatives where it will see a little more debate and another vote. It was referred to the floor by the Committee on Families and Children’s Services.

Te SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia is now open. This marks the first casino to open in the City of Brotherly Love and makes Philly the largest American city to have a casino. In any case the casino was opened this month with much fanfare. While this is an exciting time for Philly the SugarHouse Casino has not seen all of Philadelphia’s arms wide open to accept it.

Casinos and gambling, as it always does, has its detractors. (Perhaps it should considering the vices that comes along with it.) Philly was no exception. There were many that worried what a twenty-four hour casino would do for the area. Crime, problem gambling and image were all apart of their argument. The good news is, if a casino is going to open, then let it do some good for the surrounding area. Those who were and are for the casino claim that it has done so.

“There was a time I was on the other side of the issue,” said Councilman Frank DiCicco. He claimed he has now seen the good side of the casino adding, “This is the beginning of developing our waterfront to make it the best it can be.” New casinos usually mean a boost to the local economy, mostly because of taxes, fees and tourists. Casinos also create temporary jobs in construction and planning as well as permanent jobs at all skill levels once it opens. Those who helped plan the SugarHouse also made sure that local businesses benefitted. Joe Rafter of the Penn Treaty Special Service District made sure of that. “The casino calls me and says, ‘Hey, Joe, who do you use for a baker?’ I suggest Kaplan’s at Third and Poplar for rye bread. They asked me for a locksmith. I sent them a locksmith from Fishtown.” He thought was the casino should be the stimulus Philly has been waiting for. Isn’t that they way communities should be run?

Singapore took a major step this year when two mega-casino resorts held their grand opening. The Singaporean government calls them integrated resorts, because of everything else that comes with them. The idea was to boost foreign tourism to Singapore by offering two resorts that had a casino. (We will return to the foreign tourism topic later.) However, the government mandated that the casino portion of the resort not be the main focus. Genting Gaming and Las Vegas Sands each came up with their own, completely different idea of what this meant. Las Vegas Sands built the Marina Bay Sands. It is a Las Vegas style resort on a much grander scale. It offers meeting space, theatres, museums, and a park that spans the top of its three enormous towers. Genting opened Resorts World. This casino resort is more family orientated, with theatres and an entire Universal Studios theme park.

The singaporean government was very concerned about their image and gambling. Singapore is considered to be one of the cleanest and crime free countries in the world, and wanted to avoid any stereotype that comes with gambling. Detractors to casino gambling insisted that having casinos in Singapore would generate and promote problem gambling. The government reacted by imposing an entry theme to residents while foreign tourists could enter the casinos for free. This seems like a good idea, as it turns out that Singaporeans are more than willing to pay to get into the casinos.

However, this also means that there are some that will try to skirt around the rules to go gambling. This month three individuals will be seeing the inside of a courtroom on charges of illegally trying to enter a casino. All three defendants were caught trying to use someone else’s identification at entry points. One woman tried using a work permit that does not belong to her. One man (stupidly) tried to use his mothers driver’s license. Both were trying to avoid the fee. One man was trying to get around a self exclusion list, by using another’s driver’s license