New Film, ‘Broke’, Discusses Gambling Harm

Gambling addiction continues to be a major issue across New Zealand. Rates are on the rise, but problem gamblers are failing to seek help because of a stigma attached to this particular addiction. Now, a new film called Broke will premiere with the goal of communicating the message that ‘gambling harm can happen to anyone’.

The film Broke was directed by Heath Davis and stars Steve Le Marquand as Ben Kelly, a former champion footballer who has turned to gambling and is struggling to get by. The film has received plenty of praise from film critics around the world, and local responsible gambling advocates applaud Broke for its honesty in depicting gambling addiction among athletes.

It helps to bring attention to the issue and lets problem gamblers know that they are not alone. Many problem gamblers refuse to come forward and seek help because it is viewed less sympathetically than other addictions. It is important for people who have been affected by gambling harm to feel comfortable with coming forward so that they can get the help necessary to kick their addiction.

“It’s good to get it out in the open as it breaks down stigma and barriers to help-seeking,” says PGF Communications Director Andree Froude. “Gambling harm can happen to anyone, even to those we idolise. Sport players are people at the end of the day.”

A special screening of the film will be hosted by the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF), the New Zealand Rugby League and the League 4 Life Foundation on 1 June. It will take place at 6pm at the Rialto Cinemas in Newmarket. Tickets are just $11 and $1 from each ticket sale will be donated to the League 4 Life Foundation.

 

PokerStars Sponsors E-Sports Team, Team Liquid

Esports betting is becoming a major trend in the online gaming market. Over the course of the past few years, we have seen more and more online sportsbooks offering players the chance to wager on e-sports matches and tournaments like League of Legends and StarCraft. Now, one of the world’s leading online poker operators is getting involved in the market, as PokerStars has struck up a sponsorship deal with Team Liquid.

Team Liquid is a professional esports organisation whose players engage in online gaming at the highest level, such as international tournaments. Members of Team Liquid engage in many different kinds of esports like League of Legends, DOTA, Halo, Hearthstone and CS: GO. The team has plenty of sponsors include Twitch, HTC, Hyper X and Alienware.

PokerStars will join this extensive list of sponsors in a mutually beneficial deal with Team Liquid. The first step will see several members of the team engage in online poker games that will be broadcast to their viewers via Twitch. The first members to do so will be Janne “Savjz” Mikkonen, Jeffrey “Sjow” Brusi, and Dario “TLO” Wünsch.

“I’m happy to announce that I’ll be streaming poker under the PokerStars flag,” says ‘Sjow’. “I used to play a lot before I started my eSports career and it’s a very interesting and complex game. If you want to see an old poker player relearn the game, tune in to my stream.”

In return, PokerStars will be exposed to a wider range of players. Individuals who may not normally be interested in poker will now see their favourite eSports stars engaging in the game. This will increase awareness of the PokerStars brand across a completely different kind of gaming market, and it could be the start of a new trend across the eSports market.

 

Full Tilt Now Migrated to PokerStars Platform

Full Tilt players will now be playing their favourite online poker games on PokerStars’ software. This week, the company completed its migration to the PokerStars platform, so both player pools will be combined for bigger prizes and better game selection.

All Full Tilt players who attempt to login to their accounts this week will be required to update the software. From this point on, the will be playing poker on PokerStars’ software. The lobby will look just like PokerStars and feature all of its games. Players will still be able to access Full Tilt’s Rush Poker, but it will just be a re-skinned version of PokerStars’ Zoom poker.

When players enter the games and tournaments, things will be much more familiar. The operator has decided to keep the in-game look like the original Full Tilt platform. So, players will have access to avatars, customisation options for the look of the room and the ability to play The Deal side game.

Rational Group, which owns both PokerStars and Full Tilt is exciting about the migration, as it means that the company will be able to focus on one platform instead of two. This means they can concentrate more on bringing new innovations to the one platform that will offer players newer ways to play their favourite poker games online.

 

“It will also make us more nimble as we can focus our technological innovation on one platform, rather than two, so we will be able to innovate more quickly and enter newly-regulating and existing markets swiftly,” says Rational Group CEO Rafi Ashkenazi.

Another major benefit is that there will be a wider player pool. This means that players will have a better game selection and access to large prize pools in tournaments. This is an exciting time for Rational Group, and the migration could really boost business.

Generous Holiday Giveaways from Casino.com

Casino.com is an online gaming site that always offers players the chance to cash in on amazing prizes both inside and outside of their casino games. There is always a generous promotion on at Casino.com, and currently the site is running two great holiday giveaways.

The Dubai Dreams promotion offers players the chance to win a trip to Dubai, one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations. It is a prize draw giveaway where players receive one entry for every $30 the deposit. The more players deposit, the more entries they will win, and their chances of winning will increase. Players have until 2 June to earn their entries, and the prize draw will take place the next day. The winner of the draw will win a six-night holiday to Dubai for two.

The Lucky Break promotion offers players the chance to win weekly bonuses worth up to $2000, and the opportunity to win a holiday of their choice. This is a leaderboard promotion in which players receive points every time they play games at Casino.com. There will be a new leaderboard every week, and the winner each time will receive a $2000 prize.

At the end of the promotional period (2 June), all players who took place in the leaderboard promotion will be entered into a prize draw for a holiday of their choosing. There are different holidays available to players at different loyalty levels:

–          VIP Elite players: A $10,000 holiday

–          VIP players: A $7,000 holiday

–          Bronze, Silver and Gold players: A $3,000 holiday

If you win, where you spend your prize holiday will be completely up to you! Learn more about this online casino and opt-in to the promotion here.

New MMO Based On Casino Market

This month, Goldfire Games has released a new MMO called CasinoRPG. Allowing players to interact in a unique way, this game brings something completely new to the online casino market that has never been seen before.

Social casino games certainly exist, but not in this capacity. Players can access online slots and online poker games through Facebook, interacting with players and levelling up their experience – but they have never been presented with the chance to assume the role of a digital character.

In CasinoRPG, players control a virtual character, which is entirely customizable. As players earn cash by playing casino games (such as poker, roulette and slots), they can purchase upgrades for the character’s appearance and home. Earning cash also allows the player to level up, which unlocks more capabilities in the game.

When players reach Level 10, they can even open up their own casino. Like, everything else in the game, it is fully customizable. Players can choose which games to offer and decide how the casino will be designed. Then, other digital players can visit the casino and wager on the games.

CasinoRPG is still in Beta stages, but it has been well-received thus far. We anticipate that it will be a huge success in the online gambling market.

Las Vegas Sands to Launch Anti-Online Gambling Website

Last week, Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson made it known that he is opposed to online gambling. He stated that the industry is cancerous and toxic, and has recently decided to take his cause further by launching a new anti-online gambling website.

According to the Poker Players Association (PPA), Adelson has purchased the domain ‘stopinternetgambling.com’. On the homepage, there is a long message denouncing internet poker and online gambling – in line with the comments that were made by Adelson earlier in the week.

“Is it worth the societal and economic risk to produce more revenue for the government?” the message reads. “Internet gambling by definition will do away with tens of thousands of casino-based jobs and will take us down a slippery path from which we will never be able to turn back”.

The message also mentions that players of any age can gamble online and that identity theft is more likely in the digital world. There are plenty of arguments that oppose online gambling, and Adelson wants to make them all known.

There are also many benefits of legalizing online gambling, however. It is important to remember that there are two sides to the issue, and that Adelson’s arguments are not entirely truthful.

PokerStars Launches Facebook App

For years, Facebook has been a popular online gaming platform, and online casino developers are finally working their way into the market. This month, PokerStars announced that it would be launching a new play-money poker application on the social network.

PokerStars’ new Facebook application is an extension of the play money offering on its .net website – except this version is outfitted with a wide range social gaming features. These include experience points, bonus prizes and the opportunity to share progress with friends.

All of your favourite PokerStars features will be available as well. You will be able to access a wide range of games include, ring games, tournaments and even Zoom Poker.

It seems that PokerStars has been developing this social gaming application since last November. While it has taken the company quite some time to debut the app, there is still quite a lot of work to be done. It is still in its Beta stage and can only be accessed on Facebook’s online site; the application is not yet available in the Facebook app store.

Facebook has already entered into the world of real-money bingo, and it seems that the social networking site may be keen to launch real-money poker applications. With PokerStars now launching its first-ever social gaming app, the company is well-positioned for entry into Facebook’s real-money online gambling market.

Another Pro Returns to Full Tilt

It has been more than two months since Full Tilt Poker has made its return to the online gambling world, and poker pros seem to be reluctant to reconcile with the operator. It is only recently that world-renowned players are making their return to Full Tilt while the company slowly rebuilds its relationships.

Towards the end of 2012, Phil Ivey returned to playing at Full Tilt Poker. He distanced himself from the online poker operator after Black Friday, like many others – and his recent return has inspired some poker players to begin playing at Full Tilt Poker once again.

Patrick Antonius followed Ivey’s lead last week, signing up to play with Full Tilt Poker online. Since his return, he has lost $200 000. His result resembles Gus Hansen’s, who returned as Full Tilt’s bran ambassador but is losing more than $500 000. Viktor Blum has won $5 million since the beginning of 2013, but lost nearly half of that in just one week.

Phil Ivey remains the most successful pro on Full Tilt Poker. Since he began playing at Full Tilt Poker, he has raked in over $100 000. However, this is still only a small amount, considering Ivey’s lifetime winnings on Full Tilt Poker have topped $19 million.

2013 will be an exciting year for Full Tilt poker and its pros, and we are eager to see who emerges as this year’s winners and losers.

Female Gamers Experience Abuse Online

It is a well-known fact that online gaming is most popular among the male population. From online poker to first-person shooters, the market is dominated by male players. So, what happens when a female enters the field?

According to a recent report in McLean’s Magazine, women are subjected to harassment, abuse and prejudiced in the online gaming world. Although women constitute 20% to 30% of the online gaming population today, male gamers have yet to accept them as equals. As such, they are quick to hurl insults and dismiss them as having no skill.

“Online gaming is one of the last places where unadulterated male chauvinism exists,” the report states. “And, anonymity definitely plays a part”.

This even occurs in the online gambling market, especially in online poker. Female players (identified as such by their username or avatar) are often subject to differential treatment based on their gender. While most poker websites censor insults, women are still the subject of derogatory treatment.

A solution to the issue has yet to be the presented. Online bullying has been a problem for years, and the anonymity of the internet allows it to continue unphased.

Grand Reef Offers Happy Hour Promos

Grand Reef is one of the few online gambling websites targeted at New Zealand players. It offers players the unique experience of playing only the best online pokies and casino games, selected with the average Kiwi player in mind. The casino is also known for offering up generous promotions for players across the country.

One of Grand Reef’s most popular promotions is its Happy Hour bonus scheme. During happy hours, the online casino operator offers players generous bonuses. Before each Happy Hour, you will be informed of the prize amount being given away, so you can choose whether or not it is worth it to enter.

To enter into the promotion, simply deposit $25 during the promotional period. You will be informed by the casino when each Happy Hour begins, so you can take fully take advantage. After you have made your deposit, the bonus amount is immediately credited to your account!

It is one of the easiest online casino promotions to take part in! So, keep an eye our for the next Happy Hour at Grand Reef online casino.