Following the Italian Economy Ministry’s submission of its draft online gambling law to the individual members of the EU and to the European Commission (EC)at the beginning of the year, it fell to the EC to respond with its own detailed comments. Unsurprisingly, Brussels found several things to dislike in the controversial text.

In a letter sent by the EC to the Italians, there are three key areas where the Commission has shown its disapproval, or rather its “doubts”: particularly it singles out the cost of the licence, the requirement for operators to connect their systems to the government central database, and the requirement for operators to have reached a certain level of betting turnover in the past to be eligible to request a licence.

The €300,000 cost of entry (in addition to regular four-figure annual licence fees payable to gaming authority AAMS) is criticized as being unrelated to the actual cost of providing authorization, even if the fee is proposed to fall proportionately each year as the deadline for the 2016 expiry becomes nearer.

The requirement that operators must connect to the government agency SOGEI, which controls the betting product and provides connectivity to the central database that effectively accepts the bets, is also criticized, particularly as the technical systems are non-standard and require costly development. The Commission asks the Italian authorities to “allow the use of alternative systems that are less onerous but still allow for an efficient and adequate control on the part of the State Monopoly” and avoid the present system’s “excessive complexity”.

Furthermore the present requirement that operators have reached several million euros of betting turnover in previous years before they are considered eligible comes under fire. The Commission suggests that the Italians suggest selection criteria that are “objective, transparent, non discriminatory and proportional.” In effect the EU wants that there be no limits on the number of operators allowed to request on-line licences in the territory, and finds that the current restrictions do seem to be having a restrictive effect.

One final thought for the government: once a company has received its licence, the authorities must, according to the Commission, ensure that operator’s website be no longer blocked by Italian ISPs. The letter sent to the authorities now needs to be considered by the Italian ministry, leading to further delay before fresh licences are formally available but also ensuring that some modifications will be required before the legislation arrives onto the statute book.

The French government said Thursday it is considering legalizing online gambling. Prime Minister Francois Fillon's office said it is studying a report it commissioned last November into how the online gambling market might be opened up in France.

Currently, all internet-based games involving money are outlawed in France, except for the French lottery monopoly Francaise des Jeux and pari-mutuel (or pool betting) horse betting monopoly PMU, which offer online betting and scratchcards. Within the last year, some heads of foreign online gambling operators have been arrested in France for breach of French gambling laws.

The report identifies three possibilities for opening up the tightly regulated French market: issuing licenses limiting online betting to sporting events, including betting on card games, or licensing all games except lotteries.

The report doesn't seem to envision wide-open gaming in France. It said the legalization of online slot machines would run contrary to France's "objectives of common interest," including the protection of gamers against addiction and the prevention of fraud and money laundering.

The European Commission is looking to end state monopolies on gambling in several European countries, including France, in a bid to enforce the European Union's free internal market and antitrust rules.

Antigua and Barbuda could get more money out of its WTO dispute with the U.S. pending current negotiations for due recompense of online gambling funds. As things stand now, a WTO arbitrator has granted Antigua and Barbuda up to $21 million per year, which many analysts agree is a significantly lower value than what the Caribbean island is entitled to.

In contrast to the $3.4 billion per year that Antigua says they have lost because of the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, and the consequent decision of the U.S. to cease from honoring its WTO obligations, the $21 million decision does indeed seem drastically low. Perhaps this is why a lawyer for Antigua said he believes they have a good chance to take the case to the General Council of the WTO.

According to the WTO arbitration panel, Antigua's financial recompense was limited to bets lost at horse racing, being this was one of the niche carve outs in the UIGEA. However, Antigua and many other delegations familiar with the dispute believe the U.S. should be coughing up much more in betting revenue derived from online casino gambling, poker and sports betting.

At one point in time, Antigua and Barbuda licensed hundreds of online casinos and sportsbooks. Now, that number has dwindled to just a handful of license holders. It is clearly evident that since the passing of the UIGEA, the vast majority of operators moved shop to other jurisdictions or closed down altogether. This is the substantive claim for Antigua to take their dispute directly to the WTO General Council - something which has never been done before. Pending further negotiations with the US Trade Representative, the world will soon find out if it comes to this.

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said online betting company Paddy Power has broken the new gambling advertisement rule by linking online betting with increased sexual prowess. The advertisement in question was for financial spread betting and featured a man drinking champagne in a limousine, while flanked by two women.

The Paddy Power campaign featured a short man and the text: "Who says you can't make money being short?", which according to ASA suggested the man's self esteem had been transformed by his financial success, which appeared to have come from gambling. In its defense, representatives for Paddy Power claim that the ad is aimed at those who would have understood the term "being short" referred to financial spread betting. "We concluded the ad suggested this man's 'shortcoming' had been overcome by the wealth he had acquired through gambling and therefore that the ad implied gambling was a way to improve self-esteem or gain recognition or admiration. We concluded the ad was irresponsible," was the official stance by the UK Advertising Standards Authority and the advertisement has been withdrawn by the bookmaker.

ASA also stung the popular Malta-based online casino "InterCasino", after a series of television advertisements which the agency concluded could appeal to children and young people. InterCasino insisted the humor was not intended to be juvenile and said the advertisements were designed to fit its "fun and relatively light-hearted" brand.

The two rulings are the first since the new law was introduced on September last year to coincide with the new Gambling Act. Advertising rules were tightened as gambling websites, bookmakers and casinos were permitted to publicize themselves on TV for the first time.

The online gambling prohibition measures called upon by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), are still awaiting to see the light of day. In fact, they may never see the light of day, if resistance to implementation of enforcement protocols continues to grow. You may recall in previous news articles here at Online Casino portal that a growing number of U.S. politicians, the American Banking Association and credit union bodies are beginning to speak out about the inherent faults in the UIGEA. Well, they've gone even further.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman, Barney Frank, along with other prominent supporters of his bill, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (HR 5767), have drafted a letter to the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve, calling for them to halt any implementation of enforcement protocols called upon by the UIGEA. Supporters of HR 5767 have stepped up pressure against the Treasury Department, warning that any attempt to enforce the UIGEA would amount to a "Sisyphean task".

In other words, trying to stop online casino gambling would be a never-ending, futile battle. Using a timely analogy, it would be like fighting terrorists in Iraq. I'm not saying that online gamblers are terrorists or that online gambling revenue is used to fund terrorism, but you get the point.

Interestingly enough, the original drafters of the UIGEA claimed there are links between online gambling and terrorism and cited family values as their "fighting cause". However, even more interestingly enough, these Congressman had received generous campaign donations from land-based casino gambling lobbyists like Harrah's and alcohol/cigarette interests. Now, there's family values for you. As Barack Obama would say, "politics and usual".

As for this letter of warning delivered to the Federal Reserve's Chairman Ben Bernanke and U.S. Treasury Department's Henry Paulson Jr., let's just say it stated that any attempt to enforce an online gambling prohibition would be foolish. Reminding the agencies of their major priorities already tasked to oversee, tackling an additional responsibility as large as policing online casinos and financial processors would not only be impossible, but would place a serious toll on agency assets and funding. In addition to Congressman Frank, the letter was signed by Frank Gutierrez of Illinois, Ron Paul of Texas and Peter King of New York.

Titan Poker, the largest poker room on the iPoker Network, sent a delegation of seven players to compete in the European Poker Tour (EPT) in San Remo, Italy, this month. The internationally renowned online poker site was represented by players from a range of countries, including Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

All players were awarded a prize package worth $10,000, which included $2,500 for flights, accommodations, and spending along with free entry to the 4,700+ 300 Euro Main Event.

Daniel Walker, winner from the U.K, said that "the player that busted my pocket Jacks with his Queen-6 was Anthony Lellouche, who played extremely well and went on to finish in second place. He definitely put my chips to good use! Thanks again for organizing a great week - I had a spectacular time!"

Another Titan Poker winner, Kenneth Tomming, from Denmark, had the chance of a lifetime to play at the same table as professional poker player Daniel Negreanu. In addition to San Remo, Kenneth has also won a seat to the upcoming Titan Poker sponsored EuroCity Madrid Tournament in May.

Titan Poker regularly awards its players with seats at the world's most well-known poker tournaments, such as the Aussie Millions and various European Poker Tour events. Titan Poker will also be sending players to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and the World Poker Showdown in the Dominican Republic later this year. In May, Titan Poker will host the European Championship of Online Poker II (ECOOP) where skilled poker players will compete for a share of $3,600,000 dollars.

One of the newest phenomena in the online casino world is that of live dealer casinos. This is interesting for several reasons. One of the main detriments to playing online is the lack of human interaction and the idea that the gaming program might not be replicating real game play. A person would log onto a cold computer program and play against some algorithm for hours and hours possibly without ever feeling like they were part of the true gaming experience.

Live dealer casinos have alleviated this problem by putting actual human beings behind the tables and dealing the cards. Because of faster Internet connections and technology that makes meetings and the like possible, players are able to play against a dealer literally a world away.

Live dealer casinos are not without its detractors though. Some players that have played on live dealer casinos complain at the speed in which the dealers deal, or the fact that they take breaks, talk, etc… These are some of the pitfalls that accompany playing with a live human being. Human beings are going to talk, take breaks, etc… If a player is looking for a game in where there are no game interruptions they should simply stay with the computer gaming programs and quit complaining. I hate to break it to them but every single time that I've played on a gaming table in Reno or Las Vegas there was a live dealer and they took breaks, talked, some were slower, and hey, some barely even spoke English. But that's part of the entire experience that someone has got to expect if they are looking for the genuine experience, plain and simple.

One of the genuine downsides to live dealer casinos, though, is the problem encountered by many players in where the dealer is dealing unfairly or is simply cheating. In Las Vegas, for example, the dealers are very strictly monitored by both the casino in the event that they are skimming and by the gaming commission in the event that they are violating the law. Additionally, if a player has a complaint against the dealer they can also tell the pit boss who will hear their complaint. None of these safeguards are in place for the player in a live dealer casino. If they are monitored by the casinos themselves those safeguards are not necessarily as strictly enforced as they are in the traditional casinos. A player has to be especially wary when entering a live dealer casino to play a game that they aren't necessarily very experienced at.

Live dealer casinos are a great alternative for online casino players looking for a little more traditional experience and they are a great place to look. Just keep in mind that like everything in the online world they aren't without their possible pitfalls.

American Internet poker players and online gambling affiliates were dealt another blow this weekend when ePassporte stopped processing transactions with online poker sites.

ePassporte did not respond to Casino City's request for comment. But in a letter sent to Pitbull Poker and posted on compatiblepoker.com, the e-wallet indicated that pressure from the Department of Justice forced them to cut ties with online poker sites.

"We have been advised that the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York is conducting a widespread investigation of internet gambling, including poker," the letter said. "All though (sic) we do not believe we have done anything illegal, we do not wish to be associated with anything that might be considered illegal by the United States government."

PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker have stopped offering ePassporte as payment options on its sites. And according to anecdotal evidence on the twoplustwo forums, ePassporte is allowing players to withdraw money from their accounts.

ePassporte originally rose to prominence when NETeller, Citadel and Click2Pay exited the North American market last year following the arrests of NETeller co-founders Stepehn Lawrence and John LeFebvre. Lawrence and LeFebvre eventually plead guilty to conspiracy charges.

With ePassporte no longer processing online gambling transactions, American players have very few deposit and withdrawal options. PokerEChecks.com, which powers the Instant eCheck option at PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker (where it's in beta), has jumped into fray, bashing ePassorte while promoting its service.

"In recent days many US poker players have found they are no longer able to deposit or withdraw from online poker rooms using epassporte," said PokerEChecks.com in a statement. "This decision has not been made in a formal announcement, but has been leaked through many online forums. Poker Echecks are a great alternative to ePassporte. Poker Echecks are fast, reliable and safe."

Instant eChecks can't be used for withdrawals. And that's the biggest problem facing American players right now. Without ePassporte, the only way for most players to get their cash now is by check.

Its not hard to earn money out of betting in the soccer championships. Gamblers know it because of which they put huge efforts in analyzing the teams performance and results of past tournaments. And before making prediction, they make sure that their bets will add some value to their money. They act using their intellect, not emotion.

Betting on soccer is a worldwide phenomenon these days. And, betting for Euro 2008 has turned into a passion for many football aficionados across the globe today. Some countries have embraced euro 2008 betting and have recognized it as legal activity, while others still consider it illegal. In the countries where betting is unlawful, the gamblers do it through illegal bookie. But on the internet, there are many sites that hold the betting activities openly and accept the wager from around the world.

Betting on Euro 2008 adds to the excitement of a soccer lover because it allows the fans to take part in the game than merely watching the match sitting at home or in the stadium. When it comes to big gambling, one thing should be kept in mind that take decision from your head, not from your heart. There are various things that are changeable and can occur at any time in the game. There is no surety to any thing in this game. Whenever a bookie receives more bets on one side of the football team, betting lines are adjusted accordingly so as to generate interest in other teams as well.

A wager needs to keep money management high on the list of priority when betting for Euro 2008. Many soccer handicappers fail as they can not handle their money. It does not do well to you even if you have good betting strategy. A wager also needs to make the bets on the same amount. If your bet amount vary in large then it will become more difficult for you to cover the loss. Investing in euro 2008 betting can prove out to be beneficial if ones activities are supported by proper ideas about a sound strategy and money management.

If you keep on winning the amount in betting, your account will give more options to play the bets with higher amounts. You do not need to add more money from your own pocket. Even if you loose some amount, it will not go from your hard earned money. Wining the bet is all about luck and intellect of the person. After all, its game of head, not heart.

All U.S. online poker players may have one less payment method to use if the third party eWallet, ePassporte, decides to pull out of the U.S. facing internet betting industry. Although this is still a rumor yet to be officially confirmed by ePassporte, it is anything but a speculative rumor, if there ever was such a thing. Players at some poker sites have already begun making preparations to transfer funds.

According to online poker rooms, Full Tilt and Cake Poker, they have been notified by the California-based ePassporte that they will no longer be able to provide deposit and withdrawal merchant services to their players. The statement went on to say that while ePassporte believes they are not behaving in an illegal manner by facilitating fund transfers to be used for online gambling, they do not want to be associated with anything that could be deemed illegal by the U.S. government.

ePassporte can't really be blamed for making such a decision, which they say is because of the overbearing presence of a widespread investigation of online gambling in the U.S. undertaken by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Southern New York. And we all know how that ended up for Neteller.

In many ways, ePassporte became the replacement eWallet of choice for U.S. online gamblers. Nobody's quite sure how close, if any, the USAO is scrutinizing ePassporte or the internet betting industry for that matter. However, the risk of this possibility is apparently too great for the company.

It seems somewhat of an unlikely time for ePassporte to pull out of the U.S. online gambling market considering how much negative criticism the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has been getting of late - most notably by the American Bankers Association and the House Financial Services Committee.

If any scrutiny is taking place on the U.S. online gambling industry (at least on a federal level), it is likely to be focused on the unstable UIGEA, which the New York Attorney's Office has based its former prosecutions upon. Nonetheless, if I was the founder of ePassporte, I definitely would not be using my passport for any US airline travel...pun intended...well, sort of.

Online bingo has taken a huge population of ladies by storm. A recent survey conducted by one of the popular and a new UK bingo site has analytical proven that the women in Leeds prefer a bingo game than a Saturday shopping trip or visit to gym and some even sex!

The survey that was undertaken found that many ladies are logging in online to play a game of bingo rather than doing their other favorite activities. 22% confessed that they would prefer not to go to gym compared to playing bingo at home. And interestingly 12% said they would definitely prefer online bingo rather than having sex! That’s indeed an interesting piece of finding!
Long gone are the days of bingo stereotype with old women with fat glasses looking down to mark the numbers with the bingo dauber. The online bingo has become a new way of socializing with people, where women in particular prefer to have a gossip and chat around in the all exciting chat rooms. The best part is that these chat rooms not only are socializing halls but also you win great chat rooms prizes in some of the sites! What more can anyone ask for?

One good example of such a site can be www.PlayUnitedBingo.co.uk which is a new and different to others. Arguably with the friendliest chat rooms and the vibrant fun around and with some interesting daily, weekly and monthly promotions and tons of giveaway this place looks like the place to be!

It doesn't take an Internet analyst to notice that online gambling has taken over a big chunk of the online activity that people participate in on a day to day basis. There are several reasons for this and the fact that it is gaining more and more momentum is a testament to just how incredible this market is.

For starters, there is money and excitement; what else could anyone want? Online gambling is quickly becoming the chosen method of online gaming across the globe. The strength that online gambling is showing is quickly surpassing mainstream gambling halls and casinos. The reason for this quick expansion is obvious. It is much more accessible for the average gamer to log on to their favorite online gambling site and play from the comfort of their homes as opposed to having to travel to a place where gambling is held.

Of course, as with everything there is a ceiling that eventually must be reached. There will be a point when the industry will reach a critical mass and will be unable to sustain the growth that it's experiencing right now. At what point that ceiling will be reached is anyone's guess and with new players coming on board everyday, coupled with more and more casinos springing up, they are pushing that ceiling further and further away. But there will be a time that that ceiling is inevitably reached. And that is a good thing.

Once the ceiling on the growth of the online casino world has been reached and there is no more growth of players or casinos the time will be ripe for more sophisticated games and gaming systems to be produced. Now try to follow me here. Once there is no more upward growth there will inevitably be outward growth.

Right now there are casinos cashing in on the ever increasing customer base by simply throwing together a mediocre gaming program and setting up shop. Once the industry has reached critical mass these mediocre online casino operations will be put out of business by better models that are more sophisticated and therefore able to attract players away from lesser sophisticated online casinos. Therefore, it is in the best interest of all online casino gamblers to hope that the industry stops swelling. The only people that won't benefit from this is the lesser casino operators using lesser operating systems. Survival of the fittest is constantly at play in many systems and the online casino industry is no different.

With more and more online casino gamblers coming on board there is no way that the industry as a whole won't continue to be able to take advantage of all that the future holds.

Online slots machine games are one of the attractions of all internet casino games. The truth is that there is practically no strategy involved in these games. You can just go up and pull the lever just to secure a huge bulk of money. It is also a trend that beginners usually cash out big in comparison of matured people in the game.

Another major attraction of online slots is their lack of rules. One of the biggest fears newcomers have to the world of gaming is that they'll bungle the rules and either look foolish, ruin the game for other players, or some combination thereof. With online slots, there are no rules whatsoever, so there's no one to disappoint but yourself.

There are few online slot machine game tips that help in improving the gaming performance of a player.

Always Play with Your Players Card
Playing through the player’s card will help you to earn additional benefits including comps for food, lodging, and shows. Some casinos even offer cash back for your play. Playing without a card, you are likely to deprive of many benefits and incentives the casino is giving back to the players.

Go Through the Pay Tables
Studying the pay table of the machine can help you estimate the frequency that the machine returns a winner. If you see that there are a lot of combinations that return smaller wins, then this machine will usually have a larger hit frequency than one that has fewer winning combinations that pay back larger wins.

Play Full Coin in Progressive Machines
Usually, it is seen that playing on any progressive machines provide large jackpots. The big progressive jackpot is made by taking a percentage of all the money played into the machine.

Look for the Slot Candles
Candles are the lights blinking on the top of the slot machines. Judging the color of the machine will help you to determine the denomination of the machine.

Look for the Profit
When you hit a jackpot, make sure you lock up the profit so that you won’t lose your chances of getting enough.

Play slot games because they are completely fun activity!