Online Gambling Press

General Quarters Kentucky Derby Odds Slashed Dramatically

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One of the bigger surprises this Saturday was seeing that Sportsbook.com had slashed General Quarters Kentucky Derby betting odds down to +500, making him nearly a favorite to win the race.  By far, the best odds on General Quarters were found at SBG Global where the payout would be $2000 on every $100 bet.  One would want to lock those odds in quickly if they happen to believe General Quarters can win the 2009 Kentucky Derby.

So what’s going on with General Quarters that we didn’t know about yesterday?

"He’s America’s horse and everyone wants to support him," said Don Shapiro of Gambling911.com. 

That might not be the whole story.   "People are rooting for the underdog, especially in such a tight race."

USA Today had this to say about General Quarters:

"General Quarters proved he can handle the big stage when General Quarters was finely tuned for the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes on April 11 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. Dismissed at odds of 14-1, the gray colt took command at the top of the stretch and delivered a convincing 1 1/2-length victory against runner-up Hold Me Back.

"The victory was General Quarters’ third in 11 starts with three second-place finishes and one third. He is the only member of the 20-horse Derby field to prevail on synthetic and dirt surfaces and boasts career earnings of $641,735."

There is also much talk about a muddy surface that is likely to be more dry than expected come race time.  General Quarters is widely seen as one of the few horses that can run a muddy track, and that might have prompted the last minute betting frenzy on him.

There is also a "feel good" story here because owner 75-year old Thomas McCarthy is a former school teacher who fought off cancer some four years ago.

McCarthy’s fight with cancer involved surgery and debilitating chemotherapy. But, he told USA Today, "I put it aside and went right on."

He combines the toughness of a principal with the gentle touch of a mentor. When he is done tending to General Quarters’ every need each morning at Barn 37, he greets numerous well-wishers, including many former students.

"The way things are right now, in this day and time, you’ve got to root for the little guy," says Frank Kaelin of Louisville as he stands outside the barn. "I’m not sure the big guys are doing so great."

McCarthy is relishing the moment. "I know it won’t come around again at my age," he says. "I’m enjoying it tremendously."

Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com

 

 

Friesan Fire Nears 2009 Kentucky Derby Favorite Status

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While I Want Revenge was still officially the favorite, Friesan Fire has now surpassed Dunkirk with the second shortest odds of winning the 2009 Kentucky Derby.  He is now within a point of becoming the favorite at online gambling sites the likes of betED.com.

Friesan Fire came in with odds of +350 that would pay out $350 on every $100 bet.  I Want Revenge was listed with +280 odds for a payout of $280 on every $100 bet.

Friesan Fire was the winner when it came to expert consensus picks Friday night.

Tom Amoss is a Churchill Downs trainer and TVG (America’s Horse Racing Network) analyst.  Making his picks for the Louisville Courier, he explains why Friesan Fire will win.

"The Louisiana Derby winner has improved with every start. I like him at the 1 1/4-mile distance. I think Derbys are won by fate, the winner preordained. In the case of Friesan Fire, it’s trainer Larry Jones’ swansong."

Experts at Blood Sport Magazine were also high on Friesan Fire winning while many other Kentucky Derby handicappers had the horse among their top three finishers.

 

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Below were your 2009 Kentucky Derby odds heading into race day courtesy of betED.com:

West Side Bernie

+3000

 

 

Musket Man

+2000

  

 

Mr Hot Stuff

+2600

 

 

Advice

+2800

Hold Me Back

+1300

 

 

Friesan Fire

+350

 

 

Papa Clem

+1700

 

 

Mine That Bird

+4500

 

 

Join in the Dance

+3800

 

 

Regal Ransom

+2200

 

 

Chocolate Candy

+1300

  

 

General Quarters

+1800

 

 

I Want Revenge

+280

 

 

Atomic Rain

+4500

 

 

Dunkirk

+380

 

 

Pioneer of the Nile

+550

 

 

Summer Bird

+3600

 

 

Nowhere to Hide

+4500

 

 

Desert Party

+1200

 

 

Flying Private

+3800

 

Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com 

US Friendly Online Casinos Head To Weekend On Jackpot Drought

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Jackpot The jackpots are not usually the focus for online casino players on the weekends. Most casinos run slot tournaments that last the entire weekend and players like to try their luck against other players.

This weekend, however, there is added incentive for many US online players. It was a slow week for jackpots at US friendly casinos, meaning that there could be a couple of jackpots hit over the weekend.

“During the week, everybody is concerned with family life and their jobs,” said observer Nellie Murtode, “But on the weekends the action at these casinos really heats up, and with more people playing, the odds are greater that a jackpot may be hit.

A couple of days ago a Let ‘Em Ride jackpot was hit at a US friendly casino. The player that won the jackpot walked away from their computer $28,664 richer, but that has been just about it for jackpots this past week.

In addition to the high jackpots, the Vegas Technologies network of online casinos are beginning some new May tournaments. Their big tournament, May Flowers, will not begin until May 5th, but will be free for players to enter.

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Online Gambling Bill to be Introduced by Barney Frank Next Week

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, said on Tuesday he would introduce a bill next week to overturn a three-year-old U.S. ban on Internet gambling.

The legislation, likely to be opposed by anti-gambling Republicans, would overturn a law imposed during the Bush administration that has hurt U.S. trade ties with the European Union. Frank said the bill was being drafted this week.

"We’ll be introducing it next week and I plan to move on it," said Frank, a Democrat, speaking at the Reuters Global Financial Regulation Summit in Washington.

The bill had been expected earlier, but Frank said his committee has been busy with other measures addressing the credit crisis and proposals to reform financial regulation.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive, said late last month in a draft report that a U.S. Justice Department crackdown on European online gambling companies violated U.S. commitments under the World Trade Organization.

But the commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27-nation EU bloc, said it would seek a negotiated solution with the United States rather than file a WTO complaint.

EU online gambling firms lost billions of euros in value after the U.S. Congress in 2006 made it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make payments to online gambling sites.

Republicans controlled the White House and Congress when the law was approved. Now, Democrats are in control in both branches of the government, but it is unclear how the Obama administration will handle the issue.

While EU companies like PartyGaming and 888.com subsequently withdrew from the United States, they still face possible U.S. criminal prosecution for their activities in the U.S. market prior to 2006.

32Red Online Casino Launches Financial Spread Betting – 04-27-09

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April 27 – 32Red Plc, the award-winning online gaming operator, announces the launch of 32Red Spreadbet, a platform for financial spread betting and contracts for difference (CFDs).
32Red Spreadbet is the result of a partnership with CMC Spreadbet Plc and CMC Markets UK Plc who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. The partnership offers 32Red customers access to a multitude of financial markets around the globe.

Commenting on the launch, Martin Saunders, Trading Director, said: “Our agreement with CMC Markets enables us to offer an exciting new group of products to our customers. Trading on financial markets is rapidly growing and we believe this will prove to be a popular addition to the 32Red experience. I am delighted to partner with a global operator such as CMC Markets and 32Red Spreadbet, available online at www.32RedSpreadbet.com, is the first of a number of new products we aim to launch in the early part of this year.”

Marc Aspinall, Group Director Partners of CMC Markets, added: “We are delighted to be working with 32Red. Our Introducer Agreement enables 32Red customers to access our full portfolio of financial trading tools, and we are excited about expanding our extensive product portfolio to a wider audience.”

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Poker Players Take On NFL Over Internet Gambling Ban

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Poker Players Alliance is betting $3 million that it can overturn an Internet gambling ban, or at least carve out an exemption that would legalize and regulate online poker.

The alliance, chaired by former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, R-N.Y., says it plans to spend that much on lobbying in this session of Congress. The group gets its money from the Interactive Gaming Council, a Vancouver, British Columbia-based trade association for online casinos, as well as from its poker player members.

The alliance is up against some tough competition. The National Football League says gambling threatens the integrity of its games and has made preserving the Internet ban a priority in Washington. Last year, the league hired a full-time lobbyist and started a political action committee to make campaign donations.

At issue is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which Congress passed at the end of 2006. The law aimed to curb online gambling by prohibiting financial institutions from accepting payments from credit cards, checks or electronic fund transfers to settle online wagers.

At least half the $16 billion Internet gambling industry, which is largely hosted on overseas sites, is estimated to be fueled by bettors in the United States.

Former New York Sen. Alfonse M. D’Amato tosses in a chip during his regular card game

In the last congressional session, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee pushed unsuccessfully to repeal the ban. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., plans to try again soon, a committee spokeswoman said.

The colorful and outspoken D’Amato was a natural choice to lead the Poker Players Alliance, even though it was his former GOP colleagues who had pushed the 2006 gambling ban. As a senator, D’Amato organized poker games with staffers and lobbyists in his office.

"We’d order pizza or Chinese, and we would play until the session was over.

Sometimes it would end at 10:30, 11," he recalled in an interview with The Associated Press. "And maybe we’d play an hour or two later. It was a lot of fun. And in those days, we were even allowed to smoke cigars in federal buildings."

D’Amato lost his re-election race to Democrat Chuck Schumer in 1998. Since then a lot of poker playing has moved to the Internet.

"How dare you come into my house and tell me what I can and can’t do on the Internet!" D’Amato said, citing online activities from business transactions to Facebook, even bragging about the number of friends he has on the social network site — more than 700.

"The Republican conservatives, who basically say" — and at this point, he shifts his tone to a mock, nagging voice, "’We want less government,’ come in and intrude, and they say, ‘No, you can’t do this."’

"It’s a cause for personal choice and freedom that I’ve always thought epitomizes what this country’s about," added D’Amato, who plays poker Monday nights at Oheka Castle, a hotel and estate on Long Island.

The NFL sees things differently.

"We are opposed to more gambling on our games which is what would occur if the 2006 law was overturned," league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an e-mail.

"We understand that illegal gambling currently occurs but there is little we can do about that," he said. "However, we can exercise our right to oppose Internet betting on our games. … Gambling on our games — online or off-line — threatens the integrity of our games and all the values they represent."

Other sports backed the 2006 ban as well, including the NCAA and professional baseball, basketball and hockey, but the NFL led the effort. The Christian Coalition also reported lobbying to preserve the ban.

The NFL has opposed gambling on professional football for many years. Pete Rozelle, commissioner from 1960 to 1989, feared tampering by organized crime.

D’Amato said he had no problem with letting leagues ban betting on their games, but argued that online poker should be legal.

"What about the elderly, who have no ability to travel?" he asked. "You’re going to say to them that a form of entertainment that they have — they should be precluded from because Big Brother says no?"

The 2006 law didn’t provide a clear definition of unlawful Internet gambling, instead referring to existing federal and state laws, which themselves provoke differing interpretations. The Justice Department maintained that Internet gambling is illegal even before the 2006 law.

Former Rep. Jim Leach, an Iowa Republican who helped write the law, told the AP he recognizes the libertarian argument for allowing gambling. "The question is, is it compelling?" he asked. "It’s not a close call."

Leach called Internet gambling "a double-whammy for society. It is so seductively habit-forming that individuals can in short order lose their homes and jobs and, indeed, their families and futures. And the effects on individuals redound into society."

The way D’Amato sees it, if the government were to regulate and tax online poker, it could ensure the games are fair and generate hundreds of millions of dollars to combat gambling addiction or other problems.

"How do you like that?" he said. "Raise some revenue during these difficult periods."

Last year, the Poker Players Alliance established a political action committee that made around $50,000 in campaign contributions, but its members had been active even before that. Leach lost his re-election race in 2006 after drawing the ire of poker players, who take credit for helping defeat him.

Leach, now a professor of public and international affairs at Princeton University, doesn’t contest that. "I realized that support for the bill jeopardized my re-election," he said.

Less Risk of Addiction In Online Gambling – Online Casino News

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A study conducted by Harvard Medical School’s Division of Addictions has led to a reassuring conclusion for those who naysay online gambling. According to reports, the huge increase in online gaming has not led to increased gambling addiction.

Quite the opposite was noted, in fact – supposedly, online players are more likely to regulate their wagering based on wins and losses. Those affected by ludomania, i.e. gambling addiction, do not have such self-control.

“The very first thing we learned, which we didn’t expect, was that the vast majority, the overwhelming majority, of gamblers online gamble in a very moderate and mild way,” said HMS Associate Professor of Psychology Howard Shaffer in an interview with Gambling Online Magazine.

Around 95% of players bought only a median of $16 at two poker sessions per week. “A minority of most involved players did not show such moderation,” the study noted.

 

Online Poker in der Schweiz

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Schweizer Fans von Online Poker haben einen Grund zur Freude: Wie es momentan aussieht, plant der Schweizer Bundesrat eine zukünftige Lockerung des Schweizer Spielbankengesetzes.

Um dem steigenden Interesse an Online Poker, sowie der wachsenden Begeisterung für andere Online Casino Spiele (Schätzungen zufolge besuchen 35.000 Schweizer jährlich eine Glücksspielseite im Internet – bislang noch illegal) gerecht zu werden, hat nun der Schweizer Bundesrat auf Empfehlung der Eidgenössischen Spielbankenkommission (ESBK) die Absicht, das Schweizer Spielbankengeset zu ändern. Zukünftig sollen in begrenzter Anzahl Konzessionen für Internet Glücksspiele an Online Spiele Anbieter vergeben werden, gleichzeitig jedoch auch illegale Angebote von ausländischen Anbietern kontrolliert und eingedämmt werden. Durch die Konzessionsvergabe erhofft sich der Schweizer Staat zudem zusätzliche Steuereinnahmen in Höhe von bis zu 26 Millionen Schweizer Franken (etwa 17 Millionen Euro) im Jahr.

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American Gulf Coast casino revenue down 16% in March

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America’s Gulf Coast region land casinos continued to battle with the effects of the recession through March 2009, suffering a 16% drop in revenues compared to March 2008, according to local media reports and official statistics.

The Sun Herald Biloxi quoted Silver Slipper Casino General Manager John Ferrucci as saying: “It’s really just a sign of the times. All the operators pretty much saw it coming.” But he added that he remains optimistic. “We’re already seeing some increase in April that we didn’t see in March. We are still real bullish on the Gulf Coast market.”

The 11 Coast casinos won $101.8 million in March, which was $19 million less than in March 2008, when the casinos won $120.8 million, the Sun Herald reports. River counties casinos dropped by $8.6 million year-over-year, making Mississippi’s total casino gross gaming revenue down 10.6% compared to last March.

The figures have been verified by the Mississippi State Tax Commission, and Bobby Moak, chairman of the House Gaming Committee, said the only bright spot in the report issued Monday is that Mississippi is faring better than other gambling centres in the US like Las Vegas and New Jersey. Moak said the state Legislature is adjusting the 2010 budget to reflect the decrease in casino tax and other revenue.

Mississippi Gaming Commission Chairman Jerry St. Pe said while the market still faces serious challenges, several of the large casino corporate representatives who attended last week’s meeting said Mississippi continues to be among their more favourable places to do business in the country.

Part of the March shortfall was because there were five weekends last March compared to four this year.

“The casinos make a majority of their money Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” said Scott King, director of research and policy for the Gulf Coast Business Council.

He said quarterly trends give a more accurate picture than month to month reports. For the first quarter, the Coast revenues were down $40 million from last year. He said other jurisdictions began feeling the impact of the national economy before the Coast and he expects similar numbers to be posted for the next few months before the eagerly awaited turnaround comes.

Mississippi Gaming Commission Executive Director Larry Gregory pointed out that March last year had been ‘huge’, resulting in a record March month on the Coast. “That was one of our best months in gaming history,” he said. This March he thinks Mississippi casinos lost some business to the new slot casino that opened in Alabama.

“The casinos are still marketing heavily,” Gregory said. and visitors are still coming to Mississippi, but he said they are spending less at the slot machines.

Business: Betbull bwin opens first Real Madrid betting shops

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Sunday, Spanish joint venture company Betbull bwin Espana SA opened four “w1nners” shops in Santiago Bernabeu stadium, home of football club Real Madrid. The shops are located in the stadium’s Palcas zone and are the first to offer live, on-site betting in Spain.

According to a company press release issued Friday, the shops offer 13 types of bets before the start of each match. The company said that the four shops are similar to the w1nners betting corner in the Diversia shopping center in Alcobendas, Madrid.

In September, the joint venture company acquired a retail-betting license for the province of Madrid. The company plans to open 120 w1nners shops and betting corners over the next four years, with a total of 12 locations slated to begin operating before the end of 2009.

The company also said that it hopes to open at least three more w1nners locations in Madrid before the end of May.

phill.provance@gamblingplanet.org

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