MaharajahClub.com Brings Online Gambling to India

MaharajahClub.com is set to widen its reach when play-for-fun only gaming site MaharajahClub.net goes live in India on November 1.

As the first online gaming site to specifically target the Asian market in the UK, Europe and South East Asia, Maharajah Club is ideally placed to make an impact in the up-and-coming market in India. The new US law making online gambling illegal is set to have an impact on the industry worldwide and as the focus switches to new markets, Maharajah Club will use its strong cultural relevancy and team of experts to make its mark in Asia.

India boasts one of the most rapidly growing economies in the world with highly educated affluent communities expanding at astronomical rates, a familiar environment for the gaming community. Poker is a very new recreation among India’s middle-classes and could follow other pop culture trends as an example of the way Indians strongly embrace western pastimes and passions.

As the first online gaming site to aim its launch towards the Asian market, MaharajahClub.net brings the fun side of gaming to India. Their new play-for-fun site will help grow the game on the continent by teaching first-timers how to play and increase poker’s widespread appeal among beginners and seasoned players alike.

Maharajah Club has already underpinned its commitment to India with its involvement in a Bollywood-based TV show and support for MahaCricket.com, a cricket website carrying news stories, latest stats and community news. This follows the news that Maharajah Club will be sponsoring the Asian Poker Classic (APC), which will be held at The Grand Resort in Goa, India from March 1-4 2007. The APC is the first major professional poker tournament to be held in India and will include players who have won $7,500 prize packages via satellite tournaments held at MaharajahClub.com.

Sachin Pawa, CEO of Maharajah Gaming, says, “This is the first time an online gaming company has targeted an audience based on ethnicity. It happens in land-based casino around the world. By targeting ethnically, we can cater to the culturally specific needs of our clients in a way that no other casino on the net can.”

Household Slots Tournament Adds Excitement

Husband and wife compete against each other on WebTV & computer

Logged on side-by-side – one on the household computer and the other using WebTV – a husband and wife team at Slotland.com has created their own household slots tournament. When players TOOTY and REENY34 go head to head, the jackpot prize -- picking a chore for the loser to do -- is better than cash they say.

“My wife and I have been pulling slots at Slotland.com for over seven years now,” said TOOTY, “But this month was special because we purchased a new computer and now we play in the same room, at the same time. I’m on WebTV because the TV screen is bigger and my wife is on the computer because she says it’s faster.”

The pair starts out with $100 each and they can choose whatever games they like. Every three hours, whoever has the most money picks one chore from a list of chores for the other to complete during their break.

In a recent after-dinner tournament, they each won $250 within twenty-five minutes hitting four of a kind at Jacks or Better – TOOTY twice on $5 bets and REENY34 just once but with a $10 bet. TOOTY later changed strategy when REENY34 took the lead and switched to placing max bets playing the Treasure Box slot machine.

“After three hours of competition, my wife had $900 in total wins and I had $700. I did the chore that night!”

“Many other online casinos don’t allow two members of the same household to open separate accounts,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com. “Which means Slotland.com is about the only place where you can enjoy head-to-head competitions.”

“Actually, they could have as many friends join them as they can fit in their living room,” reminds Slotland.com Mobile Gambling Manager, Martin Smith. “You can play our most popular slots on any mobile phone or PDA!”

America -- Intertops is Open for Business

Pioneering Online Gaming Site will Allow Americans to Play

Intertops announced today that they remain open for business and will accept all bets and process all payments from American citizens.

Developments in Washington, DC earlier this month compelled publicly-traded gaming sites such as 888.com and PartyPoker to cease all US services. All services at Intertops.com will seamlessly continue, offering sports betting, casino, poker and games.

Intertops commented, “We consider online gaming to be legal in most U.S. states and sanctioned by the World Trade Organization.”

“We are licensed and regulated in both Canada and Antigua and comply with every law within the jurisdictions in which we operate. We are dedicated to offering our worldwide customers a efficient and enjoyable service via our online sportsbook, casino, poker room and games. As a privately owned and independent company we have arranged to fully accept and disperse payments for US-based gamblers.”

After offering the world’s first online betting platform in 1996 and an online casino in 1997 Intertops.com started its poker room and games in 2003. Intertops will not only continue to serve its own customers but has made arrangements to accommodate an considerable amount of new customers that have lost their betting accounts due to the shut-down of many online gaming sites earlier this month.

Intertops added “Intertops has been in business for 23 years, 10 of them online. Our reputation as a responsible and trustworthy gaming site stands alone. We will continue to ensure that deposits and payouts are as quick and safe as they have always been.”

There IS Something You Can Do About New U.S. Anti-Gaming legislation

Pass around videos that show Frist and gang for what they really are, send emails to the Senators and Congressmen, write to the media!!!


Poker Patriots provides players, operators and affiliates of the online gambling industry with the tools, training, resources and support needed to fight the Internet Gambling Prohibition Bill. They believe Americans should have the freedom to play, bet, wager, or gamble on their favourite games of skill and chance, be it poker, blackjack, bingo or backgammon. Join the revolution!

The APCW (Association of Professional Casino Webmasters) is asking for the help of players, webmasters, and online casinos to fight the hypocritical, lying, corrupt American political machine. Please watch their videos, download them, and send them to your friends and family! www.APCW.com also has phone numbers and addresses for US Senators, Congressmen and media.

These APCW videos would be funny if your freedom wasn't at stake:

How the US Congress Betrayed the US People

The Truth About the Corrupt Politicians who Passed the Gambling Ban

Sen. Frist and the Online Gambling Ban (A.K.A. Mr. Bill Goes to Washington)

I-Gaming Industry Unites at EiG in Barcelona

Over 1,050 i-gaming professionals from 42 countries converged last week in Barcelona for the European i-gaming Congress and Expo (EiG). At this, the biggest EiG to date, the general feeling was that there has never been a more important time for the i-gaming industry to come together and speak with one voice.

EiG opened with a message that both surprised and touched the packed conference room. David Carruthers, former CEO of BetonSports, spoke via video from his residence in St Louis, USA. Carruthers couldn’t speak about his upcoming legal battle but said he was "strong, fit and in high spirits" and is "preparing for the final outcome of his nightmare." He thanked the industry for its support.

EiG, produced by ATE and River City Group which are divisions of Clarion Events, is the first major i-gaming gathering since the arrests which have rocked the industry and sent i-gaming share prices plummeting.

After the video, Norbett Teufelberger, co-CEO of Bwin spoke rousingly about his experience of being held by the French authorities. "We have been treated as criminals," he stated. He called on the industry to put aside their usual competitive stance to unite and fight together to defend the besieged industry.

The conference programme spanned three days, featuring many more of the biggest names in the industry. Sessions of particular interest included the Monopoly Debate, which brought together state and private operators, including the CEOs of Norsk Tipping and Ladbrokes Nordic, in a frank discussion. The session attendees were also very interested in the news that the European Commission had that day decided to question France, Italy and Austria about their cross-border gambling legislation. The session on USA concerns also drew much interest, with worrying information on the ease with which UK nationals can be extradited to the US.

Running alongside the conference was a 46-stand exhibition showcasing numerous new products and services for the i-gaming industry. Feedback from the exhibitors was extremely positive, with several reporting multiple deals being signed over the three days.

On Friday the 13th, the last day of the Congress, President Bush signed and passed into law the “Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2006” which criminalises online gambling firms operating in the US. The general consensus was that this was a sad day for US consumer choice.

The conference sessions closed with a flourish, with a CEO panel that included Mitch Garber of PartyGaming and John Anderson of 888.com. Considering the events of the last couple of weeks, all were impressed by their commitment to sharing their thoughts with the industry.

Whilst all being positive about the future of the industry, the panel warned against the smaller private operators not taking the new law seriously, with Garber concluding “I think it's very brave of private company operators to think that they're not going to be next to be indicted, arrested and pursued.”

Interesting times indeed for an industry that includes some of the most entrepreneurial minds in the business world.

America Has Been Fristed

Black Friday the 13th for Online Gambling in the U.S.

I don’t often write editorial comment specifically for my blog. If you received this story by RSS, sorry for sending you a rant instead of online casino news. Most of the stories here are from news releases and interesting stories that I’ve found surfing online gambling news. But events that have rocked the online gambling business over the last two weeks move me to come out of the cyber-woodwork and comment on how furious I am about the new anti-gambling laws that have been passed in the United States.

The way this backhanded legislation was pushed through in the middle of the night of the last night of a session, and tacked on to some other bill that everyone was automatically voting for, is disgusting. America has been Fristed. I can’t wait for the backlash from online poker players and sports bettors when they realize that they are no longer allowed to choose those kinds of entertainment! Pleeeeease tell me that right-wing fundamentalist control-freeks are not the majority in America.

I had the pleasure of coordinating Aces.com’s movie sponsorship publicity this summer and have run lots of stories about that here and on my other blog. Aces was part of Sportingbet Plc and has just been purchased by another group. We may not hear much from them for a little while…

There’s also lots of Slotland.com stories here. Slotland.com’s players are mostly European, so that softens the blow of the new US legislation. Watch for ongoing stories, especially about mobile gambling.

MaharajahClub.com is a casino for Indians outside India that’s doing a million dollar poker tournament in Goa, India next year. I’ll be following that. I’ll also be publishing stories from Intertops, WireCard and Orbis.

I hope that Americans that enjoy online gambling – and there are millions and millions of you – will be very vocal and protest what is happening. I hope you continue to play just as long as Neteller and your credit card company will allow you to. (As I understand it, unless Neteller stands up to the U.S. and refuses to comply with that “foreign” legislation, that’s till next summer.) But what I really hope is that this Bill that infringes so blatantly on your right to choose your own entertainment will be overturned somehow.

Don’t worry. When you’re allowed to play poker and casino games again, they’ll still be there. Europeans, Asians and South Americans will keep them busy till you come back. Until then, maybe learn to knit… Go for a walk… ;)

New European Roulette Improves Players’ Odds

No 00 in French version of Aces.com’s new instant-play casino game

Aces.com ’s newest game – European Roulette – improves players’ odds by eliminating the extra zero added to the American version of “The Game of Kings”. The game is one of the popular online casino’s new instant play Flash games that require no downloading or installation.

“Why would we add a game that pays more winnings than the one we had?!” laughed Rene Quesada, Manager of Aces.com. “Because if they play it in Vegas, we’ve got it at Aces.com. Simple as that. European Roulette is increasingly popular on the Strip these days so we’ve got to have it at Aces.”

The first form of Roulette, invented in the seventeenth century by mathematician Blasé Pascal, had no zeros. Early Monte Carlo casino operators added the zero to improve the house odds. When the game arrived in the U.S., Americans added the double-zero to give the ball one more place to land and thus improve the house’s chances even further.

There are two other differences between the European and American games. In American Roulette, each player has their own color of chips, all worth the same value. Standard casino chips of differing values are used in the European game. Also, the European table is much larger than the American version, so the European croupier uses a rake to clear chips while their American counterpart does this by hand. Of course, Aces.com’s cyber-croupier just clears the board with a click.

Aces.com offers online gamblers all the betting opportunities they have in Las Vegas: casino games, poker, sports betting and horse racing. Later this month, the Vegas-style online casino will be adding three more games to its comprehensive suite of table and card games.

MaharajahClub.com Launches Cricket Focused Sportsbook

New Online Sportsbook for South East Asian Players

MaharajahClub.com has launched the first online sportsbook for South East Asian gamblers. MaharajahClub.com is the only online gaming site aimed at South East Asians living in the UK, Europe and South East Asia. The sportsbook – with a special focus on cricket – is live and will include online betting for football, horse racing/ante post, greyhound racing/ante post, American football, basketball, boxing, bowls, darts, golf, ice hockey, motor sport, rugby union and snooker.

Maharajah Club has entered into a marketing agreement with online sports betting and casino operator Interactive Gaming Holdings (IGH). The new deal will substantially increase the variety of experiences open to members of MaharajahClub.com and enable Maharajah Club to offer a full-service package to its members. With a focus on cricket, Maharajah Club is bound to prove the best location for South East Asian gamblers.

Sachin Pawa, CEO of MaharajahClub.com, said, “Launching a sportsbook was always part of our plan, so we are extremely excited to have it live, adding to our poker and casino offerings. Additionally, since cricket is adored by millions worldwide, and is an especially important sport in South East Asia, we are thrilled to be the specialists in the sport. We are certain our sportsbook will prove to be a very important addition to our portfolio.”

John Heaton, Chief Executive of IGH, said, “We are quite excited about our alliance with Maharajah Club. It will give us access to the Asian gaming market at an elementary stage of its development with a partner who understands the culture. We believe that this gaming market will be of great significance in terms of our future success.”

Slotland.com Honoured at eGaming Review Awards on Monday

First mobile slot machine provider nominated in “Best Mobile Operator of the Year” Category

The first company to launch real-money slot machines for mobile phones and PDAs is once again being recognized for its pioneering efforts in the new and rapidly developing mobile gambling arena. Slotland.com, best known for it’s large and frequently hit jackpots and attentive customer service, has been nominated in the “Best Mobile Operator of the Year” category of the prestigious annual eGaming Review Awards.

Slotland.com, which celebrated its eighth anniversary online this summer, launched its first mobile phone game a year ago and has been adding original new slot machines to its mobile gambling suite ever since. With thirteen unique slot machines on their web site and three available on mobile phones and PDAs, Slotland.com is one of the world’s most innovative and trustworthy online casinos.

“Eight years of experience in providing online entertainment has taught us that players like new, original games,” said Slotland.com Mobile Gambling Manager Martin Smith. “We develop our own games – you won’t see our slot machines anywhere but Slotland.”

At a gala ceremony in London on October 9th, eGaming Review Magazine will present awards in sixteen categories, recognising achievements from all corners of the egaming industry. Each award will be judged by an impartial panel of industry experts.

The “Best Mobile Operator of the Year” award will be presented to a company that excelled in the mobile sector, including casino, poker, sports betting and soft game operators. It will assess only the mobile service offered and will not take into consideration online support.

Slotland.com was recently voted “Most Unique Slot Site” and “Best Progressive Jackpot Site” by Strictly Slots Magazine readers and was named “Best Web TV” in a Gambling Online Magazine poll. The company was a finalist in the “Mobile Gambling Company” category of the ME Awards presented last month in London.

Celebrity TV Poker Tournament Host Brandi Williams to MC Aces.com's Star-studded Movie Gala

Aces.com & Alex Quinn Presents Attract A-List Crowd to ‘Aces the Movie’ DVD Release Party at the Beverly Hills Friars Club

TV poker tournament host Brandi Williams will MC Aces.com’s star-studded Hollywood gala celebrating Warner Brothers’ release of Aces the Movie, the sexy new poker movie sponsored by the popular online casino. The event, organized by celebrity party planners Alex Quinn Presents, will be held at The Friars of Beverly Hills on October 6th. Jazz/hip hop fusion artists 2Deep will entertain at the casino-themed extravaganza. Hundreds of Aces.com players have received special invitations and five Aces.com tournament champions are being flown in to attend the gala.

Aces the Movie director and producer Daniel Zirilli and Christina Morris, star of the film, will be special guests.

“This party is the culmination of our sponsorship of Aces the Movie,” explained Aces.com Manager Rene Quesada. “We’re sending DVDs to our members, we’ve had the director and cast hosting online tournaments, and we partied at the WSOP with Christina Morris and Sheena Chou, two of the stars of the movie.”

MC Brandi Williams has been called the ‘Queen of Hearts,’ and the ‘Princess of Poker’ by every gambling magazine on newsstands and over 7 million viewers worldwide watch her every week as host of the hugely popular show ‘The Ultimate Poker Challenge.’ The 24 year old who was named ‘One of the 50 Sexiest Women of 2005’ by Femme Fatales Magazine has worked alongside American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest, and has shared the stage with other celebrities such as Alan Thicke and Donny Osmond. The former Arizona Cardinals Cheerleader just shot a pilot for the producers of Extra for a teenage version of their highly rated show.

“Brandi will keep the evening moving all right,” said Francine Marseille of event coordinators Alex Quinn Presents. “It’s going to be a casino night – Brandi will be introducing winners when she’s not schmoozing the red carpet crowd or playing a few casino games herself.”

2Deep -- saxophonist Vondell Henderson & vocalist Mike J (Michael Kurt Jackson) -- will keep the crowd swaying to their unique fusion of Contemporary and Classic R&B, Hip Hop, Jazz and Soul. 2Deep appeared last month at the Vanguard Hollywood and BB Kings, and have just released a new single, “Somebody”.

Other celebrity guests include:

- Cher Tenbush, 2006 winner of the CW hit reality series ‘Beauty and the Geek’

- Eric Schiffer, socialite, film actor and best selling author of “Emotionally Charged Learning”

- Al Bandiero, star of "Desire", a new nighttime drama on Fox's My Network TV

- Anthony Ghannam, Disney voice actor who most recently played "Ronno" in Bambi 2 and "Huayna" in Kronk's New Groove

- Burke Bryant, star of the 2006 hit show “Alive!” currently in three-picture deal with Paramount Pictures including soon-to-be-released “Sins”.

Bowmans Launches First Ever Hockey Handicapping Competition

Players predict NHL results to win over $22,000 CAD
The first ever ‘Pick’em to Win’ hockey handicapping competition has been launched by Bowmans.com, the name to trust in wagering since 1985. The completely free-to-enter competition starts today October 2nd and gives players the chance to win $800 (CAD) every week of the 2006/2007NHL season.

Easy to enter and to play, this game involves players picking the teams they think will win the 10 NHL games, which are posted by Bowmans.com every Wednesday from the weekend’s schedule. That’s it – no lines, no point spreads, it’s just a case of ‘pick’em to win’. The prize is divided between the top handicappers every week who get 28 chances to win as much as they can from the overall prize fund of $22,400.

To take part in the competition, all players need a valid Bowmans.com account (no deposit required) and a PIN number. Again, this is easy, just log on to the Bowmans.com website and register a user name and password. Players can then choose the 10 teams they think will win and submit their free entry by 6:00pm EST on the Friday before each weekend’s games. Results are posted on the website at 12:00 noon the following Monday. Lasting for the entire NHL season, the contest runs from 2nd October 2006 to the end of the last game, likely to be on 8th April 2007.

Sara Waller of Bowmans.com said: “We are absolutely delighted to be running this unmissable handicapping competition. Not only will people have loads of fun seeing if their predictions are correct but they will also get the chance to win a lot of money – which isn’t bad for a competition that’s completely free-to-enter!”

To Register, Play and see full Contest Rules and Terms and Conditions just Click Here.