New 'Striking 7s' Mobile Video Poker Added to Slotland.com Java Games

Blackberry one of thousands of mobile devices now supportedby veteran mobile games provider

Slotland.com has added another Video Poker game – one that’s already a hit online -- to their suite of real-money mobile slot machines and video poker games. The long-popular slot machine web site was one of the first to offer mobile casino gambling when they launched their first slot machine for phones and PDAs back in 2005 and has been continually adding new mobile games ever since.

"We've made substantial improvements since we first launched or mobile platform," said Slotland.com Mobile Marketing Manager, Martin Smith. "We now have two mobile slot machines and two mobile video poker games, and we now support over a thousand different mobile devices, including the Blackberry, which only a really small number of other mobile gaming platform providers support."

"Striking 7s" is a video poker game, with a unique Doubling Feature. It has been one of the most popular games on the community’s web site since the day it was introduced earlier this year. After a win, Striking 7s players are offered the option to "Double or Collect". If they choose to try and double their winnings, another five cards are dealt and the player has one chance to pick the hidden high card.

Slotland’s mobile players use the same account that they play with online and can deposit and withdraw from their mobile phone just as they would online. The mobile games are tied to Slotland.com’s Progressive Jackpot which is famous for being frequently hit for well over $100K.

With more mobile games to choose from, and more of their players playing on their phones now, Slotland.com is seeing more and more wins on mobile devices.

"Just last week we had two players win over $3000 playing on their phones," said Smith. "One was playing Lucky Stars and the other was Jacks or Better. We’ve a few people hit a Royal Flush on their mobile device. That’s a nice win – and they could have been just about anywhere when they hit it!"

Lyceum Events Announces “Studio 54” Theme for Fire & Ice 2007

Big week for the online gambling industry coming up in London. Thousands of industry execs will fly in for the huge ICEi exhibition and thousands of rowdy affiliate webmasters will be in town for CAP Euro. There's also a Mobile Gambling Summit happening the same week. Lucky me -- I'll be there for it all!

The biggest social networking event of the week is, without a doubt, Lyceum Media's annual Fire & Ice 2007 party. They've just announced that this year's party theme will be Studio 54 -- so I guess I better start practicing my hustle!

With the support of sponsors, software provider CryptoLogic, games developer NextGen Gaming and payment solutions provider Wirecard, the party will be held on Wednesday 24th January at Paper&Glass, 9 Glass House Street, doors opening 8pm. Pokerzone will also join the party to film a news feature which will include interviews with some of the top industry names attending the event.

Lyceum Events will create the iconic theme by flooding the venue with a mixture of original digitally enhanced Studio 54 imagery, inter-mingled with sponsor branding, and specially chosen graphics developed and designed by Platinum sponsors CryptoLogic and NextGen Gaming. Decorative lighting effects and cracked mirror balls will also complement the synchronised projections to make Fire & Ice the most exuberant party within the 2007 iGaming calendar.

With the increase in popularity, Lyceum Events has secured a venue that will hold up to 1000 guests, giving iGaming Executives the opportunity to party late into the night with an evening of entertainment guaranteed to send them back to the hedonistic days of Studio 54.

Jodie Thind of Lyceum Media said: “Looking back over the last six years, it’s incredible to think how significant Fire & Ice has become as part of the iGaming calendar. Fire & Ice is a recognised brand within the Lyceum portfolio and the opportunities are endless. With the support of our sponsors Fire & Ice is a yearly event that is here to stay and can only get bigger.”

Justin Thouin, Vice President of Casino, CryptoLogic said: "As Platinum Sponsors we are working very closely with Lyceum Events to ensure that our innovation and vision is recognised immediately by guests attending Fire & Ice. The games graphics we have chosen are complimentary to the theme and are specific to our exciting games and new licensee launches.”

Admittance to the event is by special VIP wristband from one of the sponsors or with a printed invitation from Lyceum.

I'll let you know about the big CAP Euro party I'll be going to as well as a celebrity casino launch I've been invited to. Check this space for pics!

Online Slots Players Have Regional Preferences & Global Favourites

Slotland.com Survey Shows 'Lucky Stars' Most Popular Online Slot Machine in America, Britain, Europe & Australia

A recent player survey at Slotland.com shows that online slot machine players may have regional preferences, but they also have universal favourites. While some games are more popular in America and others in Europe or Asia or Australia, one in particular is a favourite with players around the world. “Lucky Stars” is Slotland.com’s most popular mobile game with customers everywhere.

“Sometimes it’s hard to understand why people are attracted to one game over another,” said Hannah Morante at Slotland.com. “Lucky Stars isn’t our only multi-line slot, and all of our games are tied into the same progressive jackpots – even the mobile games. So that’s not why it’s so universally popular. I guess people just think the little space man is cute!”

Analysts may not always know why people choose one game over another, but there are a few things that can be quantified. It seems that the “Booster”, a three-wheel, single-payline slot machine where you can “boost” your bet, is more popular with American players than in Britain where “fruit machine” players seem to prefer more classic slot machines like the “Golden 8”, a 9-wheel 8-payline slot machine that features the largest slot wheels ever on the Internet. Although there are slot machines in every Pachinko parlour in Japan and the casinos in Macau are adding them as fast as they can, Asian players still tend to play video poker more than slots.

So far about a third of Slotland.com players play on both their computer and their mobile phone. Since Slotland is continually adding new games to its mobile suite (“Striking 7s” mobile launched just last month) that’s one statistic that’s likely to change.

Neteller is another global preference. Although Slotland.com offers other banking options, players everywhere use Neteller more than the others, especially now that the Neteller Card enables almost instant withdrawals at ATMs around the world.

“It’s such a small world,” wrote one Slotland player in a story written for the Slotland.com community Newsletter. “It’s funny to think that while I’m playing slots or video poker on my WebTV in California, there’s people playing the same game on their phone in London or their laptop in Tokyo!”

With nine unique slot machines and video poker games on their web site and now four also available on mobile phones and PDAs, Slotland.com is one of the most innovative and trustworthy online casinos in the world.

Asian Poker Classic the Main Draw for Goa in 2007

The inaugural Asian Poker Classic, March 1-5, will be the biggest event held in Goa, India this year!

The Asian Poker Classic (APC) is the first professional poker tournament to be held in India. It will be sponsored by MaharajahClub.com and offer one of Asia’s richest ever poker prize pool – a guaranteed $1 million. The three-day APC main event marks poker’s arrival to the big time in India.

Goa is the perfect venue. The resort has become the new ‘it’ spot for people seeking luxury surroundings in India. Spectacular New Year celebrations promise to attract tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world as Goa changes its image into one of glitz and glamour.

Goa is set to transform itself into a gambling mecca over the next 12 months, which underlines that the APC is being held in exactly the right place at the right time. Plans are afoot to build a series of luxury casinos in Goa starting in 2007, so that the venue will eventually rival Macao as Asia’s number one gambling destination.

A further coup for the APC is hiring Thomas Kremser as tournament director. The Austrian poker expert has run numerous festivals around the world and played a central role in establishing poker on television across the globe.

“The Asian Poker Classic is not just the biggest poker event scheduled for India in 2007 – it’s one of the biggest events anywhere in the world. With big names ready to take part and Goa the perfect setting, it’s the most exciting new poker tournament of the year,” said Kremser.

A number of Bollywood and Hollywood celebs will attend to play, watch and have a good time. Names and details will be released in the weeks leading up to the event – watch this space!

Sachin Pawa, CEO of tournament sponsors Maharajah Club, said: “We are proud to be associated with such a prestigious event. The APC will promote poker in India and we look forward to the APC becoming a fixture on the poker circuit.”