Monday, March 31, 2008

Canadian Wins Almost $200K Spinning Slotland’s Treasure Box

Regular video poker player gets lucky when he switches to slots


Spring time in Canada is looking that much sweeter for a video poker player who switched to slots on a recent spring day and won a nearly $200,000 progressive jackpot at Slotland.com. Slotland’s jackpot is hit, on average, every six or eight weeks. Since it had been more than that since an American player won the last $100,000 jackpot, many players sensed this win was overdue.

“It’s hard to resist when the jackpot gets to big numbers like that,” said Martin Smith. “Lots of players play a little more when they feel like there’s going to be a big jackpot winner any second. They want it to be them! So we’d been very busy in the days before the win.”

“I usually stick with video poker,” said the player known as TEXASTEASER who’s been a regular at Slotland.com for five years. “I don’t know what made me think I should take a spin or two on the slots that day instead, but I’m sure glad I did!”

The lucky canuck won the biggest Slotland progressive jackpot ever: $195,083 (€126,910). He was playing Treasure Box, one of the most popular slot machines on the site which now features 6 unique slot machines and 4 video poker games. JAMKAT2 won a $113,418 (€89,067) progressive jackpot playing “Treasure Box” last year. Prior to this springtime windfall, the biggest jackpot ever won at Slotland was $179,166 won by TOPNOTCHED playing the Golden 8 slot machine last May.

The progressive can be played on any of the slot machines and video poker games on the Slotland.com web site. Most of the games are also available on mobile phones and PDAs where they are tied into the same progressive jackpot. The next big winner could be at their computer or anywhere they take their mobile phone. The last player to win a large jackpot playing on their phone was OLYMPIAGOLD who won $163K playing the mobile version of Lucky Stars in early 2006.

Re-set at $50,000 after each win, Slotland.com’s progressive jackpot is already back up to over $70,000 (€45,000).

$1 Million up for Grabs in Asian Poker Tour

Asian Poker Tour to include 4 events each with $1,000,000 to be won

The Asian Poker Tour has announced its 2008 calendar with four events set to capture the imagination of the poker world and to make the Tour bigger and better than ever.

The Tour will kick off in the Philippines from May 27 to June 1. It will be followed by similar events in Macau, Asia’s gambling capital, South Korea, and Singapore, which will be the last leg of the Tour. Venues and dates for the last three events will be announced shortly. Each tournament will offer a US$1 million guaranteed prize pool, which is sure to attract poker players from all over the world. There will also be internet qualifiers which will ensure that online players can rub shoulders with some of the world’s leading poker pros at each live tournament.

The opening APT leg in Manila will be a poker tournament of world class standards – more than 400 players will battle it out during six days of thrilling poker for a share of the guaranteed $1 million prize pool. The buy-in is $2,500 – but there’s the chance of winning one of the online satellites, which includes an all-expenses paid trip as well as the buy-in. You can also expect similar fare at the other three events – huge prize pools will be up for grabs as well as fantastic tournament packages for online qualifiers.

Poker has been growing in popularity in Asia for years and the APT announcements will make it an even bigger phenomenon. For all the latest news on the APT, including online satellite details, visit the APT website at http://www.asianpt.com/ for regular updates.

AsianLogic CEO Chris Parker said: “The Asian Poker Tour (APT) will definitely be a top-class brand. This is such an exciting time for poker players in Asia and we feel that with our expertise and skills, we can make the APT a bigger and better series of events each year. From the four events that will take place this year, the APT plans to expand to a total of six events in 2009. We are continually working to set up some of the world’s most exciting and prestigious poker tournaments.”

Online gaming company ESL-Asia, a subsidiary of AsianLogic, has taken over the APT and will organise all the online and land-based tournaments, as well as brand management. ESL-Asia will also oversee the APT’s plans to launch their own online poker rooms in the months ahead, where internet players can improve their skills and win money.



Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The World's First Online Gambling Company Toasts 25 Years of Trustworthy Gambling

The First to Take Online Sports Wagers Celebrates 10th Birthday of Casino

The world’s first online gambling company has begun a yearlong celebration of the 25th birthday of its sportsbetting business, established in London in 1983. Intertops.com, which took the first online sports bet ever in 1996, this year also celebrates the tenth birthday of its online casino. Pioneering once again, the company accepted the first mobile bet in 2001 and added a world-class poker room in 2003. Over the years, by staying on top of trends and technology, and by paying players, partners and affiliates quickly, Intertops has earned a reputation for being exciting, innovative, trustworthy and reliable.

Two years ago, Intertops celebrated the tenth anniversary of their very first online wager, but the story actually began back in April 1983 when founder Detlef Train revolutionized the German sportsbetting market with a UK bookmaking license from London. He offered punters back home fixed odds as an alternative to the unsatisfactory offers of the state monopoly.
The World Wide Web, as we know it today, hadn’t even been imagined back when Intertops was born. The fledgling company began by sending weekly betting slips to customers in Germany who then placed their bets by phone or post. In the days before modern online payment processing, the first Intertops customers sent their stakes in cash by post. The company moved to Austria in 1992 to avoid British postal delays. “By sending betting slips to Germany, 30 million mail boxes were potential remote betting shops,” says Train.

Not long after the company set up in Salzburg, and long before many others saw commercial possibilities in the infant technology, Train was dreaming of conducting his business on the Internet.

“Everyone told me to leave it well alone,” he recalls. “They said it would only ruin the reputation of my business. But my view on life is that one shouldn’t just accept things as they are, but start questioning and looking at things from different angles. I just ignored those who asked why anyone would ever want to place a bet on the Net. And with 30 million Internet users worldwide in the mid 90s I saw more huge potential for remote betting shops.”

After the unstoppable success of their online sportsbetting business, Intertops partnered with Microgaming to offer the best available online casino games to their customers as well. In 1997, with a strong monopoly on casinos in Austria, the company had to be split up. Train stayed with the traditional betting business in Austria whereas the online part of the company moved to Antigua and started its online casino in May 1998.

In 2001, Intertops was the first to take a sports bet via mobile phone and in 2006 launched its mobile casino with many of the Microgaming online casino games adapted for cell phones and powered by Spin3.

“Our introduction of both online and mobile betting has played a major role in making the business more democratic,“ says Michl Posch, Head of Marketing. “Every citizen can now decide what he wants to do and what not. He is no longer at the mercy of state regulation. Our whole business has always been customer-centric. It has to be as convenient as possible for the customer.”

Intertops Toasts Anniversary at Lyceum iGaming Social Thursday Night in London

Lyceum's regular igaming business social in London is celebrating a whole bunch of birthdays tomorrow night at a hip new club in Soho called Maya.

Intertops.com is celebrating the 25th anniversary of their first UK bookmaking license and the 10th birthday of their online casino. Michl Posch is flying in from Austria to make a champagne toast and cut the first birthday cake.

Later in the evening the assembled igaming business crew will celebrate the 2nd annual 29th birthday Michael Caselli and Aideen Short.

If you're in London and working in the igaming business, get your invitation here and join the party on Thursday night!

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Intertops Kicks Off 25th Birthday Celebrations with $25,000 March Madness Bracket

Players can begin making their 63 tournament picks after Big Dance teams announced on Sunday

It’s been twenty-five years since Intertops took their very first wager and this month they begin a yearlong birthday celebration with a free $25,000 March Madness Bracket. All through the silver anniversary year, the site that started it all in online gambling in 1996 will be giving away trips to major sporting events including Super Bowl XLIII, the NFL game in London, the MLB All Star Game, the tennis US Open, the PGA Championship, the BCS Championship and the NCAAB 2009 final plus NHL season tickets.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been twenty-five years since we took the first sportsbetting wager!” said Michl Posch of Intertops. “So much has happened since then – online betting, online casino games, online poker, mobile gaming… We’re always adding something new and exciting for our players. We’ve also always made it a top priority to provide the very best customer service. Over all these years, we’ve earned our customers’ trust by living up to our promise to make deposits and withdrawals quick and easy.”

The free March Madness Bracket is the first special offer in the anniversary celebrations. The challenge is to pick the winner in all 63 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship games. The prize is $25,000 and tickets to the Final Four 2009. If more than one punter picks all 63 correctly, the cash prize will be split and the tickets will be allocated by draw. Even if nobody picks the perfect bracket, the full $25,000 will still be awarded and split between those with the most correct picks.

As soon as the NCAA brackets are announced on March 16th, players can enter their picks at Intertops.com/Sportsbook. They’ll have until the start of the first round games on March 20th to enter their selections. (The Opening Round game will not be included in the contest.)

In keeping with the “25” theme, Intertops is also giving two special 25% bonuses on deposits made between March 17th and 23rd and ahead of the Final Four tournament between April 5th and 7th – that means up to a total of $500 free money.

“We’ve taken a lot of bets in twenty-five years,” said Posch. “This is always the most exciting time of the year – the crazy March Madness days provide us with the most action during the year outside of the NFL season.”

As always, Intertops welcomes American players to their online casino, poker room and sportsbook.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

FlopTurnRiver.com Poker Forum Regular is a Contender in PlayersOnlyVIP.com Video Contest on YouTube

Unless someone can do better, GiveMeMyLeg likely to win $10,000 prize

An avid online poker player who’s active at popular poker forum, FlopTurnRiver.com, is poised to win PlayersOnlyVIP.com’s $10,000 video contest on YouTube. His rivals at FTR – or any other online poker community for that matter – have until March 31st to enter their own video clip in the contest. The video that best shows what it means to be a “player” will win $10,000 and a night out with PO hostess (and Playboy/FHM model) Carrie Stroup.

Known as “GiveMeMyLeg” at FlopTurnRiver.com where he’s active in online poker discussions, and at YouTube where he’s posted seven other videos, the Michigan contestant’s clip is about a “Pretend Player”.

“Sometimes you feel like a bit of a player,” he said. “Then reality kicks in.”

In his clip, a wannabe player may blow his nose and wipe his butt with twenty-dollar bills – but when it comes to wheels his old beater shows he’s definitely not player material.

“Being a player means different things to different people,” said Stroup. “Most people agree a real player’s gotta have confidence. And style. A Rolex and a Ferrari sure help. But using money for toilet paper might be going a bit far!”

“Who wouldn't want to be a player? (or "baller" as some of my friends call it),” admits GiveMeMyLeg. “I'm pretty far off from it right now, but I know if I were to win the 10k and a night out with Carrie, it would definitely change a lot of things!”


Contest entries can be viewed at www.youtube.com/Group/UnleashThePlayer where anyone can enter the free contest. Details, including complete contest rules, are available at www.PlayersOnlyVIP.com/videocontest.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Intertops Launches New Tomb Raider Video Slot with PSP Giveaway

New Lara Croft video slot "Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword™" is a glossy 5-reel 30 pay-line offering lots of ways to hit major cash rewards


Intertops.com has added a brilliant new Lara Croft Tomb Raider game -- the most ambitious video slot ever seen in online gambling -- to their already incredible selection of online casino games. To celebrate the launch of this fantastic new interactive entertainment, Intertops.com is giving away 10 PSPs -- Sony´s newest portable model of its famous Playstation.

The new “Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword™” video slot is a glossy 5-reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted video adventure that sets new standards in every aspect of online gaming. This outstanding game offers hours of interactive entertainment -- and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.

The latest adventure of the intrepid Lara Croft, “Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword™” is a licensed concept from the globally popular series by Eidos. The new game captures the gripping excitement and suspense of the movie and video series. With unique twists and turns, it makes for a fully immersive online gambling experience.

Until March 21st, just spinning the wheels on the Tomb Raider video slot will automatically enter players in a random draw to win one of ten PSPs including an astonishing Lara Croft console game. (Ten spins for one draw entry.)

Intertops has a longstanding tradition of global customer service. As always, they welcome American players to their online casino, poker room and sportsbook. Trusted around the world for two and a half decades, Intertops guarantees easy and secure deposits and withdrawals.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Backgammon Masters Blackjack and Poker Software Now Available in Bulgarian

BackgammonMasters now offers Blackjack and Poker in Bulgarian. This multi-lingual gaming software is available to players around the globe in 13 additional languages, including English, Hebrew, Arabic, French, Italian, Japanese, Turkish, Danish, Portuguese, Chinese, Greek, Spanish and German. BackgammonMasters is currently in the process of adding two new language options, Dutch and Russian, and will continue to add additional languages to meet players’ increasing demands.

BackgammonMasters’ software package offers players a wide variety of popular games, including Backgammon, Poker, 21 Blackjack, and Perudo. Because BackgammonMasters software features so many different games and language options, BackgammonMasters attracts an exciting mix of worldwide players to its gaming competitions. By allowing players to connect over the internet in real-time, BackgammonMasters has created one of the largest shared gaming communities on the internet. When joining one of the open tables at any playing level, players can enjoy synchronized chatting and a competitive global playing standard.

By navigating to the All-in-One Game Lobby, players can choose their language preference by selecting the country flag of their choice. In addition to various language options, players can also enjoy the convenience of different currency options. At the BackgammonMasters Cashier, players can make transactions in any currency, including GBP, USD, Euros, and CAD (Canadian Dollars). BackgammonMasters will then exchange the money into USD at the best possible exchange rate available for no extra fee.

If players have any questions while enjoying a BackgammonMasters game, there is always an expert to turn to by clicking on LIVE Customer Support. This feature is available to all players in English, and will soon include live operators that offer assistance in many other languages.

More information about games and promotions can be found at: c (in 14 different languages)
Additional BGM Blackjack and Poker information is available at: http://www.backgammonmasters.com/blackjack.html
http://www.backgammonmasters.com/poker.html

Monday, March 03, 2008

Online Poker Star Bertrand Grospellier Featured in This Month's Bluff Europe Magazine

The March issue of Bluff Europe is on UK newsstands and in card rooms today -- featuring an in-depth interview with one of the games biggest online stars, Bertrand Grospellier.

The Frenchman might not be a name you’re familiar with, but his online alias is one that is well known to online players. ‘ElkY’ has been one of the leading lights on PokerStars and is the first player to achieve the esteemed Supernova and Supernova Elite statuses on the site. ElkY has now landed on the live scene with a bang, winning the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for a $2,000,000 payday. He tells Bluff Europe how he took it down, about his rise to internet phenomenon and he’s former life as one of the world’s most famous cyber gamers.

This issue also takes a retrospective look at the highlights – and lowlights – of poker in 2007. It was a massive year for Phil Hellmuth, Spain’s fiercest competitor Carlos Mortensen, and a certain young lady from Norway called Annette Obrestad. We also remember the more sombre moments, including the passing of legend Chip Reese and the shock of the great poker scandal of 2007.

“Grospellier is one of the hottest players in the game.” said Bluff Europe Editor-in-Chief Michael Caselli. “We’ve not only got an exclusive interview with the man himself, but we’ve cooked up a great looking cover to complement this superhero’s persona. If you can’t wait to pick up your copy from the newsstand, visit http://www.bluffeurope.com/ and see for yourself.”

Other highlights in this issue include:

> Michael McDonald’s €933,600 success in Germany
> The Top Ten Poker Howlers
> Sam Simon’s love of poker
> Heads-up with whiz kid Jon ‘PearlJammer’ Turner.
> And awesome regular columns from Paul ‘Action’ Jackson, Jennifer Tilly and Phil Laak.