The upcoming Casino Affiliate Convention (CAC) in Amsterdan has attracted more than 1000 pre registered members. Now the event has become the biggest single i-Gaming conference in the industry.

This would be the first time that PokerStars will be exhibiting at an i-Gaming conference in CAC Amsterdam.

The percentage has increased to more than 20% from the previous year. CAC2008 covers the most advanced methods of affiliate marketing for the industry. So, this event will illustrate a healthy and vibrant online gaming market.

So, get ready for the show as the countdown begins.

Read here

Police in Scotland are carrying out investigations on the alleged misuse of company funds amid reports that an employee of a telecommunications firm gambled almost two million dollars online.

According to Glasgow-based newspaper The Herald, 25-year-old Chris Proudfoot, is at the centre of the investigations. He was the former employee for Inverness-based business communications provider HIGHnet.

"That's basically all we can say given there is a police investigation under way," said the spokesperson.

A statement issued by the Northern Constabulary read," Inquiries are at an early stage and are expected to go on for some time as a substantial sum of money is believed to be involved."

"This is a case that could potentially come to court but at this moment is largely unsubstantiated so we wouldn't want to make any comment,” a spokesperson for William Hill was quoted in The Herald. "We don't comment on clients accounts anyway."

Las Vegas will see the newest and the tallest hotel on Monday the 31st of March 2008. This hotel stands at 645 feet and trumps the height of the Palazzo, which opened in January, by a mere 3 feet. It has got 1282 rooms. Sounds great, right?

Donald Trump, the co-owner, said, "If you drive down the Strip, all you can see is this building." Unlike Trump's ventures in Atlantic City, the Las Vegas tower will not have a casino. The hotel is supposed to be one of Vegas' priciest weekend room rates in April which starts at $349.

For more information on Trump Towers, visit www.trumplv.com

A two-day intensive casino training course was provided by GamCare and eCogra featuring lectures, case history studies and interactive training exercises.

The training session was supervised by expert GamCare officials Andrew Poole and Amy Webster. Former UK Gaming Board Chief Inspector, GamCare Trustee and eCOGRA Independent Director Bill Galstonobe said, "For both humanitarian and ethical reasons - and to correct adverse misperceptions by some - a comprehensive responsible gambling policy is a critical investment for any online gambling operation. eCOGRA has made huge strides in this area in developing a set of best practice requirements for online gambling operations, and this third course on the subject will coach managers in how to apply these tools."

Andrew Pole added, "This course will give you sufficient information and insight to set up a solid responsible gambling program at your companies if you have not already done so."

eCOGRA CEO Andrew Beveridge, said, "I believe I can safely say that this course is the best we have held to date, not only in terms of expert tuition from our colleagues at GamCare, but also due to the commitment and experience which delegates have generously shared throughout. Responsible gambling is an absolutely essential operational element and I am confident that you return to your companies motivated and with the right tools to ensure that a quality responsible gambling policy is constantly reviewed and refreshed."

The United States has announced that it might end gambling dispute with Antigua. It has proposed a settlement in its five-year gaming dispute with Antigua and Barbuda by next week.

Mark Mendel, Antigua and Barbuda’s attorney in its World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute, said, "I am assuming that if they are going to be good to their word, that they will have a proposal. We're just going to see what they come up with and then re-evaluate. We have no idea what they're thinking."

The disputes between the two countries stems from the case in 2003 where Antigua went to the WTO and claimed that the US was violating trade treaties by preventing online gambling operators in the Caribbean country from doing business in the US.

Do watch this space for latest updates.

Titan Poker has announced that it will stage a $5,000 Guaranteed Prize tournament in celebration of April Fool's Day.

Winners will be awarded $5,000 and the most interesting part is that the April Fool's Tournament is free for all players. It does not have any entry fees.

It was on 29th of February that Titan Poker players won $5,000 in prizes at a freeroll staged to celebrate the Leap Year. Titan Poker has always awarded fantastic prizes and moreover eighteen Titan Poker players are currently

competing at the Irish Open 2008.

Come May and 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.

To view the Poker Event schedule, just click here.

Sinead Constant has become the first Irish Open Ladies Poker Champion after winning Euros 11,400. Constant defeated Melissa Downey and went on to claim the title.

The battle lasted for only a few seconds. Shannon Purtell and Veronique Gourdon won in the third and the fourth place respectively.

Now let's have a look at the final standings which are in Euros:

# 1 Sinead Constant--- 11,400

# 2 Melissa Downey --- 6,250

# 3 Shannon Purtell --- 5,140

# 4 Veronique Gourdon --- 4,210

# 5 Ann McDonnell--- 3,270

# 6 Shelley Rubenstein--- 2,800

# 7 Vera Duffy--- 2,340

# 8 Margaret Morrissey--- 1,540

# 9 Trisha Stephens--- 1,540

# 10 Noni Hael--- 1,300

# 11 Heidi King--- 1,300

# 12 Lesley Devine--- 1,300

# 13 Stacy Jefferson --- 840

# 14 Annette O'Carroll--- 840

# 15 Alexandra Danielson--- 840

# 16 Leeann Jacovelli--- 630

# 17 Mary Galvin--- 630

# 18 Patricia McLean--- 630

Swede Andreas Jorbeck, an online qualifier from Stockholm, has won PartyPoker Late Night Poker 2008.

The 36-year-old Jorbeck said, "To win an event as prestigious as Late Night Poker against Europe's top professionals in my first live event is quite something. I've been playing online poker for around four years with relatively small stakes and never thought something like this would happen to me."

He further said, "I won't let this go to my head and say I'm a pro, I'm a competitor and am pleased to have out maneuvered some of the best in the game, I'm very happy."

Now let's have a look at the Final Table Payouts:

# 1. Andreas Jorbeck $125,000

# 2. Roland De Wolfe $75,000

# 3. Andy Black $50,000

# 4. Surinder Sunar $30,000

# 5. David Tighe $20,000

# 6. Eddy Scarf $12,500

# 7. Ian Frazer $10,000

The total prize pool for 2008 was $335,000 out of which $90,000 was added by PartyPoker. According to reports, there were 49 players who paid $5,000 buy-in which included ten online qualifiers, who won their seats in exclusive online tournaments on PartyPoker.

Phil Hellmuth and Williamson III will host Kentucky Derby Poker Championship which is going to be held on May 3rd at Caesars Indiana. According to reports, both the players will try their hands at the tournament.

The entry fees for this great tournament is $2,500. There will be rebuys available until the first break. So, the tournament will start at 8:30 PM EDT. Red Carpet will precede the event at 7:00 PM.

Hellmuth said, "I'm really excited to be co-hosting this event with Robert Williamson III and to support such an important cause. The climate is changing and its impacts will hit the poor hardest, as Hurricane Katrina showed us. Anything we can do to raise awareness of this issue and help save lives is important."

If you wish to get more information on this great tournament, then you can visit the website www.kentuckyderbypokerchampionship.org

Have you missed last year's World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE)? Well, then catch the action at Sky TV in April where the full story of WSOPE 2007 will be aired in one hour sessions starting 21 April, for eight consecutive nights on Sky Sports in the UK. This was announced by Betfair.

So, let's have a look at the schedule of 2007 WSOPE hour-long shows:

Episode#---Date ------Time -------Channel----------

# 1 -----21/04/08 ----21:00 ---Sky Sports 3 Digital

# 1 -----21/04/08 ----24:00 ---Sky Sports 2 Digital

# 2 -----22/04/08 ----21:00 ---Sky Sports 3 Digital

# 2 -----22/04/08 ----24:00 ---Sky Sports 2 Digital

# 3 -----23/04/08 ----21:00 ---Sky Sports 3 Digital

# 3 -----23/04/08 ----24:00 ---Sky Sports 2 Digital

# 4 -----24/04/08 ----21:30 ---Sky Sports 2 Digital

# 4 -----24/04/08 ----24:00 ---Sky Sports 2 Digital

# 5 -----25/04/08 ----21:00 ---Sky Sports 3 Digital

# 5 -----25/04/08 ----24:00 ---Sky Sports 2 Digital

# 6 -----26/04/08 ----21:00 ---Sky Sports 3 Digital

# 6 -----26/04/08 ----24:00 ---Sky Sports 2 Digital

# 7 -----27/04/08 ----21:00 ---Sky Sports Xtra

# 7 -----27/04/08 ----24:00 ---Sky Sports Xtra

# 8 -----28/04/08 ----21:30 ---Sky Sports 2 Digital

# 8 -----28/04/08 ----24:00 ---Sky Sports 3 Digital

AffiliateSpeedpay.com has announced that it has partnered with 360 Online Ltd. According to this partnership, 360 Online’s global affiliates will receive payments from AffiliateSpeedpay.com.

What's more, 360 Online will market the service of AffiliateSpeedpay.com to its worldwide affiliates base through Heypoker.com. This will allow partners to receive and withdraw their funds on the very same day for the first time.

Bjorn Lundberg, Chief Executive Officer for 360 Online, said, "AffiliateSpeedpay.com is a great solution since it helps us to pay our affiliates quicker and it also takes the hassle out of payments. We are looking forward to going live with AffiliateSpeedpay.com shortly and are expecting to see significant growth in our affiliate program."

Malta-based online gambling group Unibet has announced that its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ragnar Hellenius, has resigned and will be now be temporarily replaced by Henrik Tjarnstrom.

It was in March 2007 that Hellenius joined Unibet. He also served as the company's Acting Chief Executive Officer while Dutch and French authorities detained Petter Nylander late last year.

Nylander said, "Ragnar Hellenius contribution in connection with the Maria Holdings acquisition has been very valuable. Unibet would like to thank him for his contribution during a hectic and eventful year."

Henrick Tjarnstorm, who will be temporarily serve as the new Chief Financial Officer, has been a member of Unibet’s board since 2003 and has worked with the firm’s audit committee since 2004.

Nylander said, "We are on track with our financial targets for 2010 and will continue the organic growth strategy with focus on maximising profits. The company will not focus on any major acquisitions but potentially minor in the short-term future."

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. has announced the dates for the second annual World Series of Poker Europe which will be presented by Betfair.

The 2008 World Series of Poker Europe (the WSOPE) will be held from September 19th to October 1st, 2008 in London, England. According to reports, London Clubs International will host the inaugural event.

World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, said, "It was a clean sweep for the Europeans last year. There are many, many talented players in the European poker community and I think it caught some of the world's best known poker players by surprise. It's safe to say the pros haven't forgotten about last year and the young guns should expect a tougher fight in 2008."

So, wait for the big event to begin from September and watch this space for more updates.

One is an American world famous singer,dancer, songwriter, actress and author and the other is an American-Australian actor, Academy Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter. So what do you think would happen when both dines together? Well, Britney Spears had a great dinner with Mel Gibson on Saturday night. The famous singer met the 'Braveheart' actor at Los Angeles' Romanov restaurant.

Britney was accompanied by her close friend Victoria. According to sources, both the actors had a talk for two long hours.

A restaurant insider said: "It was exciting to have both of them here together. We heard they hit it off and that Britney seemed excited."

WPT Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WPTE) has joined hands with its network partner Game Show Network(GSN) to launch WPTonGSN.com They have taken their partnership online aligning their business objectives and consumer offering with the launch of the new website.

The viewers will be able to find the World Poker Tour show on GSN while featuring both brands on one website. They will also be able to find more information each week which will be tailored to the final table airing on GSN. What's more, player history, archived WPT Live Updates, statistics, as well as unique GSN content offerings will be featured on the website.

Jamie Roberts, Senior Vice President of Programming, GSN, said, "WPTonGSN.com is the one-stop shop for everything poker fans would want in a website. It provides exclusive content, features, information and much more about the new season of the WPT as it premieres on its new network home, GSN."

The two brands have also made plans to deliver multiple consumer promotions to further engage World Poker Tour fans on GSN. Another interesting part is that WPT and GSN will run a contest on GSN Live which will award five trips to Las Vegas where the winners can compete in the WPT Ladies Championship tournament at the Bellagio on April 13th and 14th.

Travmedia.com has announced that it has launched distribution of video, streaming and hosting facilities.

Nick Wayland, CEO, TravMedia, said, "Travel industry information presented in video format offers compelling content, bringing a destination, attraction or news event to life like never before. TravMedia's new video service allows travel companies to not only distribute their content to the media, but also to extend the life of their news, information or new features in a dramatic way." He further said, "Quite simply, video brings travel brands to life. Whether you're a destination, tour operator, cruise line, airline or other industry player, a thousand words can be communicated in 10 seconds of inspired video footage."

TravMedia's video service has increased the audience for key announcements by enabling travel organizations to capture and stream press conference content. You can watch the travel organization videos both on the web page of the press release it accompanies, and in the "Video" section of the organization's TravMedia press centre.

German domain name www.casino.de has been purchased by the Danish Internet company for Euro 400,000 / US $591,000.

Webmaster Jan Balslev, said, "The value of the domain consists of several things; first of all it's the perfect brand name -- it's short and it describes exactly what we do. Furthermore, many people will find our Web site even if they don't know anything about us through direct traffic, which is when people type in a keyword domain name in their browser and find a service provider without searching for it first. Additionally, the high price is based on the

popularity of online casino and poker gambling on the Web."

Casino.de is a German language version of the English language guide to gambling www.online-casinos.com The main aim of the new Web site casino.de is to give a thoroughly researched information on online casinos and poker rooms.

Florida’s Senate has approved video gambling machines across the state. The bill (SB 1380) would allow dog and horse track operators as well as jai- alai frontons to offer video slot machines, which appear virtually identical to full-fledged slot machines.

Some lawmakers are concerned about the bill and according to them this will only promote more gambling. They also approved tax reductions for similar gambling facilities.

It has been known that the measure would generate revenue up to us$ 500 million and the best part is that all the revenue would go to public schools. According to reports, the Senate has also approved a bill (SB 970). This bill

would lower the amount of taxes the three Broward facilities pay from 50 percent to 35 percent provided that they pay at least us$ 143 million in total to the state, the amount generated last year.

Lots of action at ActionPoker.com during Easter. They call it: Easter Rampage Weekend. Read more ..

Casino Affiliate Programs (CAP) has announced that Spring Break event will take place from May 21 to 24 at the recently refurbished Grand Resort in Limassol, Cyprus.

The event will take place just after the Poker Affiliate Conference and Expo at the same venue. It seeks to educate and influence a long term relationships by means of friendly networking.

Louis Fabiano, Founder of Casino Affiliate Programs, said, "CAP Spring Break is coming to Europe and it looks to be our biggest and best gathering yet. Of all the conferences and gatherings we do each year, this is my personal favourite and most CAP members agree. Cyprus with its beautiful beaches, great clubs and inexpensive drinks is the perfect fit for CAP Spring Break."

The motto of the great event is 'Outdrink, Outplay, Outearn’. So, just wait for May and witness the interesting CAP's Spring Break event.

Tom Ridge, the former first Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, has joined Ethoca, Dublin-based collaborative fraud management firm.

Ridge served as the 43rd Governor of his home state of Pennsylvania from 1995 till 2001. He is currently serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer for Ridge Global, which is a security and economic consulting firm for businesses and governments around the world.

Andre Edelbrock, President and Chief Executive Officer for Ethoca, said, "Tom's stature and reputation in matters of global security are second to none and we are honoured to have him agree to serve as a member of our board. His leadership of the US Department of Homeland Security and his deep knowledge of global security issues will bring tremendous value to Ethoca, our clients and our partners."

It was in 1982 that Ridge became the first Vietnam combat veteran to be elected to the US House of Representatives. He was even re-elected by voters in Pennsylvania five times.

1996 World Series of Poker Champion Huck Seed has emerged as the winner of the Main Event of the 2008 Canadian Open Poker Championships in Calgary Alberta at The Deerfoot Inn and Casino. This was announced by HeadsUp Entertainment Inc.

Huck defeated Canadian poker star "Yukon" Brad Booth which lasted for nearly 5 hours.

Seed stated, "This was an amazing tournament in terms of both structure and quality of players. I love it when the cream rises to the top and I get a chance to play with the best in the world. I am so happy that I finally won a heads up tournament!"

HeadsUp Entertainment's President and CEO Kelly B. Kellner, said, "I am very pleased with the success of the event. The staff at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino were amazing and that is reflected in the comments from all of the players."

If you wish to know more information about the tournament, then visit www.canadianchampionshippoker.com

Tote, Britain's pool betting system which was set up in 1928, is on sale on the open market. This news came after the government rejected a bid from a horse racing consortium, who have been bidding on the Tote since 2001.

The Tote not only has a pool betting system but also has approximately 540 betting shops, provisions at the nations 59 racecourses and an online betting sector.

It was a time when PricewaterhouseCoopers valued the Tote for the government at £400 million. The horse racing group initially offered £320 million in 2006 but was rejected. Conditions went bad when another bid made in 2007 was also rejected.

It is expected that the company is now estimated at £200-£300 million. This is due to the current economic climate in Britain.

PokerStars has announced that it has launched Latin America's first major poker tour, the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT). It has promised to bring the biggest game together for massive prize pools in the region's most vibrant destinations

Each LAPT event will anticipate 250 players or more and it would create a prize pool of over $600,000. The Latin American Poker Tour will begin from 3-5, 2008 in the beautiful beach city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This event will see Team PokerStars Pros and international poker stars Andre Akkari from Brazil and Humberto Brenes from Costa Rica.

LAPT President Glenn Cademartori, said, "Poker is exploding in Latin America and the game is more than ready for its own major poker tour. It's one of the fastest-growing poker regions and there are thousands upon thousands of players in countries like Brazil and Argentina who will love the chance to take part in events of this kind. In every regard, the LAPT is going to put Latin America on the map as the newest hotspot to play high-stakes international poker."

Team PokerStars Pro Andre Akkari said, "It's a real honor to be representing Team PokerStars in the PokerStars Latin American Poker Tour, and even more exciting that the very first event is in my home country. The LAPT offers great opportunities for Latin American players. Poker is growing so fast in this region and now local players will have the chance to compete in major events in their own backyard."

TimelessPoker.com has joined hands with Everleaf Gaming network to launch a new program where affiliates will be offered up to half of the total revenues they generate forever.

Licensed in Malta, TimelessPoker.com was launched in August last year, it has been offering online and e-mail support to both players and affiliates. New players gets a full match up to $100 when they make an initial deposit of atleast $20. What's more, they also receive a weekly ten percent reload along with a monthly free bonus depending on their activity.

So, if you thought that there is some minimum requirements to receive the commission, then you are wrong because affiliates do not require any minimum requirements and they receive their commission in no time. The affiliates can also contact current players at TimelessPoker.com with messages in order to know the recent tournaments and poker leagues.

The UK Gambling Commission has published a document on its website inviting consultations to review the proposals for the Gambling Commission's fees from 1 August 2008. The industry representatives and other interested parties will have the opportunity to express their views about the proposals. The consultation will last until Monday 2 June 2008.

The Commission’s budget estimates and supporting assumptions have been used as the basis for setting fee levels so that they recover all operational costs of the commission. The estimated total operational costs will be £15.5m in 2006/07 and £15.1m in 2007/08 and £14.5m in 2008/09.

Along with the launch of Microgaming's newest 5-reel, 30 payline slot game, the Tomb Raider - Secret of the Sword™, All Slots Online Casino starts a unique bonus promotion, as reported in yesterday's press release by the Jackpot Factory group of which All Slots is a member. David Brickman, Spokesperson for the Jackpot Factory in a joint statement with All Slots Casino, said, “Ever since Lara Croft first graced our casinos back in October 2004, Tomb Raider has been consistently ranked every month as one of the top games at our casino. With such an amazing track record, we’re confident that our players will enjoy the thrills and frills of the new, enhanced version.”

The new three-tiered promotion will run until the end of March. It features three different groups based on gameplay. This bonus structure aims to reward the maximum amount of players from the various segment groups, which range from novice to high-rollers. Under the banner of ‘Play a little or play a lot - you could be a winner!,’ All Slots, together with the other Jackpot Factory casinos, will randomly select players from each group and give out over 1,000 free credits on a daily basis.

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has joined hands with Clark Development Corp. (CDC) to build a world-class casino and other tourism-related projects in Clark Freeport.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday between CDC President Levy P. Laus, Pagcor Chair Efraim C. Genuino, and Pagcor President Rafael Butch Francisco. It plans to construct world-class casino, five star hotel, restaurants, and resorts on a 13.5-hectare area.

According to CDC President, Levy P. Laus, Clark has steadily emerged as a prime tourist destination after the Americans turned it over to the Philippine government in 1991. He said, "And since it was declared as a Freeport last year, this former United States military facility became a preferred site of local and foreign investors for their tourism-related projects."

Ticonderoga Ventures, Inc. has announced that the 6th European Affiliate Casino Affiliate Convention will begin from April 3 till April 5, 2008 at Amsterdam.

The event will be held at the NH Grand Krasnapolsky Hotel. CAC 2008 will discuss Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) for both affiliate programs as well as affiliates.

It has been expected that CAC 2008 will be larger than any previous year. It has also come to the news that the main exhibit hall for 2008 Amsterdam Casino Affiliate Convention has been completely sold out. There are only a few additional sponsorship available.

Come June 7 2008 and the company will have its first Eastern Europe based Casino Affiliate Convention in Moscow. Also it has been known that the second annual Asian CAC will be in Macau, PR China on November 21-22, 2008.

So, hold your breath for the 6th Annual European Casino Affiliate Convention and watch this space for more information.

Partygaming boss Mitch Garber has decided to quit. He joined Partygaming two years back. According to reports, after he told his intention to leave the job, Partypoker website operator hired headhunters to review both internal and external candidates for Mr Garber's job.

It has been known that Mr Garber will stay on until a successor is found. Mr Garber's employment is due to expire next May.

Mr Garber said, "there was never a good time to announce that you intend to leave a company", but he said he was leaving PartyGaming in good shape.

Bullet Business have announced the dates for the 3rd Annual Online Bingo Summit. It will run from June 17 to 18 at London’s Royal Garden Hotel.

According to reports, Online Bingo Summit will feature over 16 hours of networking opportunities, a 15-stand exhibition, round table discussion and fully interactive panel sessions. There will be around 250 senior level attendees.

And now a good news for visitors. Visitors who register before March 28 will receive almost $600 off the standard registration fee. So. register for the great event today.

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission, casino investor, Kirk Kerkorian, has donated 5 million MGM shares on Wednesday. More details were not disclosed but it has been known that this has lowered its stake in the Las Vegas-based company to 52.2 percent.

Kirk Kerkorian ranks 7 on The 400 Richest Americans 2007. He is known as one of the important figures in shaping the city of Las Vegas.

According to reports, MGM shares jumped us$ 2.67, or 4.5 percent, to us$ 62.52 in afternoon trading. In the last 52 weeks the stock has traded between us $58.87 and us $100.50.

According to the Wellington Daily News, Sumner Resorts, the team of developers which presents the leading resort and casino project, have announced the opening of an office in downtown Mulvane.

Located at 200 West Main it will benefit south central Kansas who wants to learn more about Harrah's Kansas. According to reports, the new office will be staffed by life-long Mulvane resident Kourtney Hensley Carson.

Supporters will now be able to get updates about the project's progress with the opening of the new local office.

By next year Maryland will ban all video gambling machines. Peter Franchot, the leader of the opposition, made this announcement and also said that it would prohibit bar owners and others from keeping the machines.

Franchot said, "The gambling industry is making a killing on these operations. The time has come to put an end to it." According to 2006 report by the Abell Foundation, it was estimated that nearly 3,500 machines were operating in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, bringing in between us$ 91 million and us$ 182 million a year in gross revenue.

Franchot’s news conference was held outside the Olde Philadelphia Inn on Philadelphia Road. Franchot further said, "This cash-only business with its lax oversight makes it ripe for corruption and tax evasion. The ultimate solution to this problem requires an outright and explicit ban on these machines."

Wild Jack Mobile Casino (WJMC) announced today that the three reel, three payline progressive jackpot slot machine Major Millions progressive jackpot has reached the £1 million mark! In other words, the first ever millionaire via the mobile device is not far off!

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Cryptologic has announced that it is actively seeking new licensees as a result of America’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA.)

The firm moved from Canada to Ireland last year in order to come closer to European markets.

Justin Thouin, Vice-President of Product Management for CryptoLogic, said, "CryptoLogic sees its share price as undervalued and, consequently, it views an expansion strategy as vital in going forward. Essentially, CryptoLogic is

undergoing a very big change."

Thouin further said, "If we want to grow, we need to change the business model. We are going to go after new licensees in a way we have not done for years. We are going to look at acquisitions and we already made some acquisitions in the past year with Parbet."

The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) has announced that it has appointed Marcus Prater as its new executive director.

Prater was recently serving as Senior Vice President of Marketing for Bally Technologies. He spent nine years directing Bally's global advertising, trade show and much more. He also served as Director of Marketing for Las Vegas-based slot supplier Sigma Game, Inc.

Brooke Dunn, President of AGEM and Senior Vice President at Shuffle Master, Inc, said, "AGEM is very pleased to have Marcus Prater join our organization and take over as Executive Director. Marcus brings a long history of success in the gaming industry to AGEM and his marketing experience and knowledge of the issues relevant for suppliers will help take the organization to the next level. It’s also important to thank Jack Bulavsky for his years of service during AGEM’s formidable years."

On the other hand, Prater said, "I have been an active member of AGEM since the organization’s inception in 2000 and plan to take that experience and combine it with a new outlook to drive AGEM forward. With the world’s leading suppliers as the foundation for the group, AGEM can build on what it has accomplished while making an even greater impact in the years to come. The supplier segment of our industry is a multi-billion-dollar global group of innovative companies that makes up the AGEM membership list."

Tennis player legend, Boris Becker, has launched poker career in his life.

The 40-year-old who won Wimbledon three times and has signed a sponsorship contract with an internet poker company, said, "I have already been playing intensively since last year. What fascinates me about poker is the psychology: what is my opponent thinking of me and what do I think of him."

Becker, who retired from tennis in June 1999, has learned to play the card game while on the ATP circuit.

Becker said, "I would like to know how people like Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Ivan Lendl or even Jimmy Connors, manage to keep their cool at poker."

So, wait and watch as he plans to take part at the Europe's grand final this April.

Slingo, the digital interactive entertainment company specializing in socially connected games, has signed a partnership with 3rd Rock Gaming. Slingo will soon go portable in bingo halls throughout the UK and European Union.

Eric Lamendola, General Manager of Slingo, said, "Slingo is a pioneer in bringing games to new platforms and reinventing game development. With 3rd Rock Gaming’s ability to support the Slingo games across bingo halls throughout the U.S.A. and internationally, Slingo is branching out in the UK market immediately after our successful launch of the Slingo Quest mobile game."

Rick G. White, CEO of 3rd Rock Gaming, said, "3rd Rock Gaming is excited about the creative collaboration with Slingo which is right in line with 3rd Rock’s expansion plans. 3rd Rock’s robust portable PhD platform is a perfect catalyst for gaming content creators seeking to expand market share and get a road in to brick-and-mortar business."

Israel has taken a major step in censoring online gambling. This was in effect after a bill had passed last week.

The bill, which was proposed by MK Amnon Cohen (Shas), ensures that porn sites, online casino sites, online poker sites will be automatically get blocked by the provider where the customers will not be able to view such sites.

Rimon Levy, president of the Israeli Internet Association, said, "This is a black day for the Internet community in Israel. The law will not protect even one child and will force a sheriff on citizens - the Communications Ministry."

Tim Vance, a 46 year old from the USA, walked away with a cool $1.23 million from the European Poker Tour Copenhagen. He beat a field of 460 players to win the first position.

He was quite confident when he was on the final hand with his opponent Soren Jensen. Vance said, "It’s been nice playing with you sir, I call."

Apart from Vance and Jensen, the tournament attracted players like Mike 'Timex' McDonald, the youngest European Poker Tour winner and WSOP favourite Alex Kravchenko.

The final table saw players: Soren Jensen, Tim Vance, Magnus Hanse, Rasmus Hede Nielsen, Nicolas Dervaux, Patrik Andersson, Simon Dorsland and Danny Ryan.

Not only did Tim Vance won the big amount of $1.23 million but he also managed to win a seat at the EPT Monte Carlo which is scheduled to start from April 12-17, 2008.

Scrabulous, the online version of the Scrabble board game has currently over 700,000 players a day and nearly three million registered users, reports The New York Times. Everyone seems to love Scrabulous, except two companies who own the rights to Scrabble, Hasbro and Mattel. They have denounced the online version as piracy and threatened legal action against its creators, two brothers in Calcutta named Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla who run a software development company. But the Scrabulous community thinks such a step would be unwise. Some of them say they had bought a Scrabble game only after having played Scrabulous online.

“The big thing that Hasbro is missing is that this is targeting a young audience that in general is not into board games,” said Venkat Koduru, the 15-year-old founder of the Facebook group “Save Scrabulous.” Mr. Koduru has already one thousand signatures of people who have pledged not to buy a Scrabble board in future if Hasbro and Mattel shut down the online game.

Gex Technologies (UK) Ltd, the leading gaming solutions provider has announced that it has joined hands with Gibraltar’s Digibet Ltd in order to launch an online version of one of the world’s top virtual fixed-odds betting football games.

Duenter Boyks, Director of Digibet, commented, "Fantastic League is a great addition to our games portfolio. I’m sure the product will appeal to our customer base and we’re really looking forward to this partnership and launching in 2008."

On the other hand, Peter Glancy, Managing Director of Gex Technologies, said, "We are excited to be working with Digibet. With their extensive knowledge and experience, this relationship will allow Fantastic League to reach Digibet’s

extensive European customer base."