Author: fraser

Originally Posted on Saturday Nov 28 5:36:00 GMT 2009

The end of November has been eagerly awaited by the online casino industry.  Laws that were scheduled to come into play in early December in the US would have made it almost impossible for gamblers to be paid by their casinos.

However, on Friday the Treasury Department delayed their decision until 1 June 2010.  Apparently the extra time was needed in order to implement the rules for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, known as UIGEA.

Online casinos were afraid they would not be able to operate in the US market once the new rules came into effect.  It is now hoped that the representative, Barney Frank, will have enough time to overturn the UIGEA.

A statement by Frank made on Friday said, “The Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors deserve a great deal of credit  for suspending these midnight regulations promulgated by the Bush Administration which would curtail the freedom of Americans to use the internet as they choose and which would pose unrealistic burdens on the entire financial community.

The delay gives the online casino industry, here in New Zealand, as well as in the US and worldwide, time to reflect on the future on the online gambling business.

Originally Posted on Sunday Nov 22 0:00:00 GMT 2009:

Whilst online gambling in New Zealand continues to enjoy good times, this is not the case in the USA, where they have had to cope with a ban imposed by the last administration.

As December approaches there appears to be no legislation in sight to stop the full force of the ban in the USA.

The press and President Obama have indicated that they believe the recession is on the way out.  However, this is not the experience of the casino owners worldwide, who feel that it will take many years to recover.

The president of the American Gaming Association, Frank Fahrenkopf, thinks his land based casino membership may look closely at online casinos as the industry’s future.

He recently told an audience at the Global Gaming Expo that the gaming industry is facing a long road to recovery.  Although the decline in revenue has slowed this is by no means the same as an increase, and he felt that recovery may be at least 4 years away.

Setting up and maintaining an online casino costs a fraction of a land based operation.  In fact one Las Vegas operation has already set up an online poker arm through its Canadian division.

Although the AGA has in the past opposed online gambling there seems to be a softening of attitude.  It is hoped that the AGA will discuss the reintroduction of online gambling and show support for new regulations.

None of this applies to online gambling in New Zealand where there continues to be a significant growth in spite of these economically challenging times.

Originally Posted on Monday Nov 16 0:00:00 GMT 2009

Online gambling has grown in the recession, helped along by smoking bans in casinos across the world.

Everyone seems to be offering bigger and better incentives to gamble online and it all seems so tempting, but everyone should be aware of gambling addictions.

Gambling online should be a safe and fun experience, but there is no getting away from the fact that gambling online can become a problem.  Statistics show that the problem is high in Hong Kong and the USA, with Britain following quite closely.  Whereas this is not such a problem in New Zealand.

There are many things to remember when gambling online, wherever that may be, the UK, USA, Australia or New Zealand.

1. Gambling a little is fine.

2. It should never be an investment.

3. It should be fun.

4. Always stick to a limit of time and money.

5. Never try to win back losses.

6. Make sure this is not your only interest.

7. Never gamble because you’re bored.

Wherever you are, online gambling is on the increase, so enjoy it and quit whilst you are ahead.

Many people in many countries are enjoying the freedom online gambling gives them.  So, New Zealanders, give it a try, but make sure it is a fun experience.

Originally Posted on Saturday Nov 14 0:00:00 GMT 2009

In Saturday’s Group 3 Christchurch New Zealand Cup the favourite galloper My Scotsgrey ran home to victory in front of an army of enthusiastic supporters.

He was ridden by Leith Innes and this win marked a hat-trick of wins for the horse.

The race did not go entirely to plan as Innes was further down the field than he would have liked, but he managed to get away from the main group of horses at the right moment and make his way to front.

My Scotsgrey is trained by Shaun Ritchie who has always thought that he was an excellent 2 mile horse.

Being only a 4 year old he has a great future ahead of him.

The Christchurch Casino New Zealand is a prestigious race, sponsored by the Christchurch Casino.  The betting was intense, with My Scotsgrey proving a worthy favourite.

Originally Posted on Monday Nov 2 0:00:00 GMT 2009

The Manawtu Harness Racing Competition in New Zealand has attracted much attention.

New Zealand’s junior driver Simon Lawson had six wins at the meeting, proving he is a horseman to keep an eye on.

Lawson became a junior driver only last season, and since then he has won 15 races and been placed an amazing 25 times.

This weekends great wins have pushed Lawson to only 2 wins short of the Top Ten drivers in New Zealand.

He is placed third in the Junior Drivers Premiership, only one win behind his rival Nathan Williamson.

Harness racing has always been a popular sport in New Zealand and offers a great opportunity for people to place their bets, as well as having an exciting day out.

Originally Posted on Sunday Nov 1 0:00:00 GMT 2009

Reports that a smoking ban in New Zealand and Australian casinos will greatly affect revenue within the casinos could be good news for online casinos.

The ban which starts on January 2 in Australia is expected to cut revenue within the casinos by 10 – 15%.

This is already apparent in New Zealand where the smoking ban is already in force and casinos have seen a drop in their revenue of 10 – 12%.

Although measures are being taken, such as refurbishment and general improvement of facilities for gamblers, to raise the revenue within the casinos, progress has been slow.

There seems to have been no corresponding drop in the number of people using online gambling sites in New Zealand.  In fact numbers of people using the sites is expected to continue to grow.

Originally Posted on Friday Oct 23 0:00:00 BST 2009

Some people may say the that the fact that gamblers in Tauranga and Western Bay, New Zealand are gambling less has got to be a good thing – it seems that the gamblers have reduced their pokie spend by 5% in 2009 – however it does seem that there is a negative impact to these changes in gambling habits.

The community schemes and projects that get grant money from the proceeds of pokie gambling are starting to get less because of the reduced spending and this is at a time when spending on any type of community funding is shrinking anyway.

New Zealand’s gambling habits, it seems, does have great benefit to the community and this is something that we would not want to reduce too much.

If online gambling were to be properly regulated perhaps some revenue earned from online casinos could be channeled into these worth projects…

Originally Posted on Friday Oct 2 0:00:00 BST 2009

Over the past few years, the popularity of online casinos has been spreading like wildfire. Since 2006, both online and land-based gambling has been generating nearly $91 billion per year, with land-based casinos accounting for most of the profits. However, in more recent years, online casinos seem to be pulling ahead, due to a variety of factors. Additionally, with the great strides being made in online gaming technology, these online casinos are getting even closer to replicating the land-based casino experience.

The biggest draw of online casinos is the convenience that is provided to players. Casinos are not very common structures, usually confined to gambling capitals like Atlantic City and Las Vegas. This usually means that gaming fans have to travel fairly far to get to a decent casino. Players must plan the trip, rent a car (or book a flight) and travel across the country just to be able to play their favourite casino games. With online casinos, the casino is brought to you. There’s no travelling involved so you don’t have to spend money on gas. This way, you have an extra $50 to spend on slots, roulette, blackjack or any casino game of your choice!

Secondly, online casinos are fully customizable to suit your needs. You can deposit money using the currency you are most comfortable with, you can adjust the audio and visual settings and you can pick exactly which games you would like to play.

This is perfect for beginners who simply want to get their feet wet, offering a low-pressure alternative to going to a land-based casino. This is also great for veterans, who want to try rare games. Many land-based casinos are selective about the games that they offer, but at online casinos, you can find virtually any game!