Exclusive Slots Tournament at Europa Casino
22 January 2012 | By: Seth Shafer Europa Casino is playing host to an exclusive slots tournaments on January 23-26 just for CasinoTop10 readers, with 1,000 in free cash being awarded to top finishers in the free contest. Europa is a favorite online casino for many players, with hundreds of casino games and popular progressive slots jackpots such as Beach Life (which is at $7.2 million and counting) to pick from. New players just signing up at Europa can also cash in on a huge 200% up to $2,450 signup bonus and access a variety of ongoing promos, contests, and bonus offers. As far as the terms of the slots tournament, competing in it couldn’t be simpler as it is structured to give you the best of both worlds; simply play any of the slots games at Europa Casino and you’ll be awarded leaderboard points based on how much you play. Updated leaderboard standings will be published so you can see your position at all times, with the top five finishers when the tournament wraps up on January 26 in line for the following prizes: 1st place: 500 2nd place: 200 3rd place – 5th place: 100 Remember, just your play on slots games will count towards point in the tournament, so while you can play all the blackjack, craps, or roulette that you like it will only be play online slots that count in the race for the1,000 in free prizes.

Betfair and IOC Cooperate to Tackle Corruption at the Olympics
17 January 2012 | By: Seth Shafer Online gambling operator Betfair and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have announced a partnership for the 2012 Olympics designed to clamp down on the threat of gambling-related corruption for various sports and games. The IOC has signed an information-sharing agreement with Betfair (which operates an online betting exchange as well as offering casino and poker games) to stamp out potential corruption related to the London 2012 Games. The two organizations will share data in order to pinpoint unusual betting activity that could point to match fixing or other irregularities, utilizing Betfair’s in-house software and dedicated integrity team. “The interests of sports governing bodies, like the IOC, and Betfair are completely aligned in wanting to ensure consumers can bet on sporting events in a transparent and secure manner,” said Martin Cruddace, Betfair’s chief legal and regulatory affairs officer. “If we are to protect the sports we all love then we must continue to work openly and co-operatively, and today’s agreement is a clear example of just that.” Much of the concern is related to illegal betting markets in Asia, which are unregulated and unchecked and can see billions change hands each year with no obstacles or checks in place to prevent individuals or groups from bribing athletes to alter results. Sports such as tennis have been particularly susceptible to match fixing, with some online betting sites going so far as to void results when a heavily favored opponent unexpectedly retires or otherwise performs very poorly when far more than usual is wagered on their underdog opponent to win. Major sporting events such as the Olympics and football’s World Cup can have a major impact on the results of both online and offline sportsbooks, with the increased action influencing both quarterly and annual financial results during the years the events are held.

7 Million Reasons to Play Beach Life Slots
14 January 2012 | By: Seth Shafer The popular Beach Life progressive slots jackpot is nearly at the $7 million mark, well above its previous record high and rapidly growing in recent weeks as more and more players take a shot at one of the largest online jackpots. Available at casinos using Playtech software (which includes Europa Casino, William Hill, and Swiss Casino), Beach Life slots brings the popular progressive jackpot structure online, with players potentially winning millions with just one spin of the reels. Progressive jackpots pool a small amount of money from each spin of the reels which is used to feed the overall jackpot; this means that players at multiple online casinos can contribute to the same jackpot prize, allowing it to grow larger and much more rapidly than it otherwise would. The Beach Life jackpot is at $6.9 million at last check, far above the previous high of $4.3 million which was left in the dust months ago. The average hit size for Beach life historically has been $1.8 million, so its far overdue for a big score and hasn’t been hit for over 250 days. Progressive jackpots can grow very quickly once they hit dizzying heights, with casinos promoting them more heavily and offering special bonuses and other promotional offers, which only intensifies the rate at which the jackpots grow as new players give it a whirl to try to become an instant millionaire. Beach Life isn’t the only big online progressive around, with several others over the $1 million mark, including Major Millions and Mega Moolah (found at All Slots Casino). Slots fans are also able to cash in on some of the most generous new player signup bonuses and reload bonuses; unlike other games such as blackjack or craps nearly every bonus can be cleared while playing slots. Bonuses can be an excellent way to stretch your gambling dollars farther, with some adding hundreds or even thousands of dollars to your gambling bankroll.

Living in Las Vegas The Uncensored Truth
11 January 2012 | By: Casinotop10 Very few describe life in Las Vegas as it really is the unpolished version, what happens behind the facades. The blogger VegasRex did this. He put all the filth from the town he loves in the spotlight. For a lot of people blogging is more about pleasing your sponsors than having an opinion.Unfortunately this often pays off. Like Rex says,I could have easily spent my days and nights blowing air-kisses and exchanging phony and insincere pleasantries at PR events. Las Vegas welcomes ass-kissing wannabes with open arms, and this is a lure and a temptation that most bloggers simply cannot resist.What made VegasRex unique is that he never sold out. You can agree or disagree with his political rants, but calling him a sellout impossible.I never let the Las Vegas machine corrupt the content. Whether I was right or wrong, popular or unpopular, I took a position and I was always sincere, he says.We were fortunate to have Rex writing for us before he realized Las Vegas was killing him and decided to move to the North West.As a tribute to the best Las Vegas blogger ever, here is a collection of his best, most popular posts on CasinoTop10.Wanna know the truth of Las Vegas?Read on. Vindication is Mine Common sense should tell you that I do not think that everyone in Vegas is stupid. This would be statistically impossible. Not all Canadians have small wieners, and not all Las Vegans are dumb … it’s just that the majority of them do and are. Read the full post >> White Lines So Paris Hilton was found in possession of cocaine … big f**king deal. We shouldn’t arrest her, we should give Paris Hilton cocaine as soon as she steps off the plane. We should give everybody cocaine as soon as they step off the plane. Read the full post >> A Geography Lesson While the larger circle is the smelly, dingleberry-laden brown eye of the country … that dot you made is the exact point where this nation’s shit ends up. It’s where the least competent, the least intelligent, the most violent, and the most greedy come together to bake and simmer in a dirt encapsulated cesspool. Read the full post >> Neon Police State Because I am afraid of retribution. Genuinely. If I did not have a family, I would not be as concerned, but I know how this police department operates. It’s one of the reasons I fear living here much longer. Read the full post >> A Las Vegas Story Standing there, near the corner of Charleston and Main, my child was holding a $1 bill. It was folded into a square shape, and there was a single piece of tape wrapped around it. Of course, I didn’t just fall off the banana boat yesterday. I knew what she had, but I really didn’t want to have to explain it. Read the full post >>Next week we will come back with more of Rexs best posts.And if youre reading this Rex, please move back. Las Vegas needs you!

US States Consider Online Lottery Ticket Sales
04 January 2012 | By: Seth Shafer Several US states including California are now taking a more serious look at launching online sales of lottery tickets after a recent ruling by the US Department of Justice clarified that the Wire Act only applies to wagers on sporting events. In a legal opinion released by Assistant US Attorney General Virginia Seitz just before Christmas, the Department of Justice revealed that the Wire Act of 1961 only applies to sportsbetting and not to other forms of online gambling that states might conduct on an intra-state basis for residents. That has opened the door for many US states to take a closer look at not just selling lottery tickets online but also possibly launching their own online casino and poker sites for state residents, as none of those activities fall underneath the scope of the Wire Act as now defined by the Department of Justice (which in the past had considered any form of online gambling or wagering to be in violation of the Wire Act). California state lottery officials are reportedly mulling over beginning the process of studying offering online lottery ticket sales. The New York and Illinois state lotteries had petitioned the Department of Justice to clarify its position on online lottery sales, with those two states also likely to consider adding the option as well in the future. It does open up a major potential channel for lottery sales in California but right now it’s just a potential channel, Robert O’Neill, the Director for the California State Lottery told the Los Angeles Times newspaper in a recent statement. Many US states suffering from the lingering recession are considering a wide range of gambling options, including states such as Massachusetts and New York that may launch their first brick-and-mortar casinos in coming years to others with existing casinos that are looking to expand their operations or to explore offering online gambling sites.

Nevada Casinos Big Losers in 2011
10 January 2012 | By: Seth Shafer The adage “the house always wins” might be true in theory but not always in practice, with the $4 billion loss absorbed by Nevada casinos in 2011 a testament to that fact. It makes the third straight year that the 256 Nevada casinos overall are in the red, although overall revenue did increase from 2010 to 2011 for the first time in five years. Like other US casinos, those operating in Nevada have faced very difficult operating conditions as the lingering recession and high unemployment rates throughout the US have led to fewer tourist and gambling dollars making their way into casinos. Las Vegas casinos have fared slightly better in 2011 due to an uptick in revenue from non-gambling operations such as food, entertainment, and shopping, with convention traffic to Las Vegas steadily increasing and showing signs of life. The situation has been more grim for Nevada casinos outside of Las Vegas, which have fewer entertainment options to entice tourists from the US and abroad. The situation in Nevada is in stark contrast to other gambling areas such as Macau and Singapore, which have both eclipsed the famed Vegas Strip as far as total gambling dollars brought in and are projected to continue to log strong growth in the foreseeable future as more and more Asian gamblers stay close to home, especially lucrative high stakes baccarat players. Some Las Vegas casino groups such as Las Vegas Sands and Wynn have operations in Macau and Singapore, which have softened the sting of continued losses for their US-based properties. Both Nevada and New Jersey (whose own Atlantic City casinos are also struggling mightily) are contemplating shoring up some of their brick-and-mortar casino losses by possibly offering intra-state online poker sites for residents, with both states taking preliminary steps to either pass legislation authorizing online sites or setting up agencies to regulate online gaming if US laws change to allow it.

888 Ends 2011 with Strong Earnings
20 December 2011 | By: Seth Shafer Online gambling operator 888 is wrapping up what has been a very successful 2011 campaign, with strong gains in its poker and casino operations enabling the company to beat profit expectations for the year. 888 has announced that its core profit for 2011 will come in above analyst expectations of $39.7 million and is predicting strong 2012 results as well. Much of its success in 2011 came from dramatically improved results in its poker operations, which went from an also-ran in the online poker arena to a top five ranking overall when the year ended as far as player traffic on its poker site. 888 had historically been known for its 888/Casino on Net online casino offerings but an updated version of its poker software and a focus on more casual and recreational players paid off in 2011 with its traffic growing strongly. Innovations on the poker side included releasing new Web cam tables (which require all players at selected tables to have an active Web cam running so other players can see them) as well as adding team tournaments and other promos tied to the results of popular sporting events. Like other online operators, 888 has somewhat benefited from a lingering global recession that has caused many gamblers to stay home and play online instead of taking a trip to Vegas or venturing out to a local casino. Some of 888s gains on the poker side also came at the expense of Full Tilt, which was indicted by the US government in April 2011 and later shuttering its doors, with many international players seeking out new online poker homes at sites such as 888 and PartyPoker. In addition to its poker and casino offerings the company also provides sportsbetting, bingo, and skill games to its customers.

Legal Online Poker in the US by 2012?
25 December 2011 | By: Seth Shafer Several recent developments have increased the odds that there may be legal online poker options in the US in 2012, particularly on the state level in areas including Nevada. Several states have been mulling over the prospect of offering intra-state online casino and poker sites, while a recent ruling from the US Department of Justice clarified its stance on activities made illegal by the Wire Act passed all the way back in 1961.The state of Nevada has approved rules and regulations that now allow it to quickly implement online poker sites if the legal situation in the US changes to allow it. In 2012 the state of Nevada could continue to stand pat and wait for a federal law allowing online poker to be passed or instead choose to take matters into its own hands and launch its own online poker sites for state residents.The regulations address issues such as requiring online sites to have enough funds on all hands to pay back players at any time (hopefully avoiding another Full Tilt debacle) as well as checks and guards to prevent underage gambling and preventing sites from extending credit to players. The main operator of the sites would also have to be a Nevada casino company, with Boyd Gaming and Caesars reportedly already applying for licenses.As far as developments on the federal level, the US Department of Justice announced in late December that a previous opinion handed down in September by Assistant US Attorney General Virginia Seitz found that the Wire Act only applied to sporting events, and not other online betting activities such as lotteries or online poker sites.Some states have been hesitant to pursue their own intra-state online poker offerings due to fear that it could be considered illegal under the Wire Act, so the clarification of the law could be the nudge some states need to pursue offering online poker sites within their own state borders.