Finally Apple has accepted the first official iphone app featuring online gambling after many rejections. While mobile gaming is nothing new, Apple has been careful to weed out gambling applications, until now.

This new sport category app has been developed by Betfair, and will allow users to place sports bets and will serve as Betfair client to make other wagering activities. The Betfair gaming will only be made available to residents of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The application will employ the self-contained GPS in the iPhone to determine the player’s location. Attempts to place bets from locations outside the prescribed area will be blocked.

The application was pushed through the vetting process to be available in time for next month’s World Cup event. Gambling on this year’s World Cup is anticipated to set international records on volume and amounts wagered.

US players are barred from using mobile gaming devices, and US telecommunications companies will not authorize devices to permit gambling applications. US residents seeking to entertain them may have a glimmer of hope, in that mobile gaming policies may likely change if and when US regulation of online gambling begins.

Download this Application from Apple app store or visit Betfair website to learn more about this application.

NetPlay TV and Playtech Ltd have announced that they will be raising £12.84 million for an agreement on an interactive gaming deal for five years.

The ‘live’ TV gambling specialist NetPlay has conditionally placed 58,352,476 new shares on the market to strengthen the company’s bottom line and raise capital for continued expansion. Investment company Directforce Trading Ltd. will hold the new shares benefiting Playtech as a significant shareholder. Playtech will distribute NetPlays games both to retail as well as online customers. NetPlay TV is to supply ‘live’ interactive games such as roulette blackjack and bingo plus a live fixed odds draw. Playtech will also takeover on it’s platform all of NetPlays services over the five year agreement.

Martin Higginson, Chief Executive Officer for NetPlay, commented, “This agreement will take NetPlay TV to new heights. The investment of £12.8m into our business, along with the strategic relationship, both in terms of distribution and technology with Playtech, will enable us to drive the development of our converged gaming solutions.”

According to Martin Higginson’s recent interview on CNBC, repoted revenues for NetPlay were up 118 percent over last year, with a number of acquisitions and the launch of a number of new services extending it’s business to business  solutions segment.

Netplay TV’s Non-Executive Chairman, Clive Jones, commented on the company’s recent growth, “NetPlay TV has come of age. The business has been transformed during the course of the year into a significantly larger interactive media business,” adding, “The demand for “live” gaming is starting to gather momentum and we are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this major opportunity. The UK Government is committed to the delivery of a fast Internet service for all and, as such, TV quality interactive programming is now available to an increased and growing number of UK homes.

Jones, is a broadcasting veteran, since 1978 he has held a number of prestigious roles in the media industry. Currently he is non-executive chairman of GMTV and a non-executive director of S4C, as well as Governor of the National Film and Television School.

Courtesy: Online Casino News

The British agency responsible for administering standards for advertising has added actress Angelina Jolie to their humourless list of targets. The ad for the movie “Wanted”, featuring Jolie, has joined several online casino advertisements in being pulled from distribution by the Advertising Standards Authority.

The ASA previously made news for ordering a Ladbrokes online gambling commercial barred after a single complaint was registered in a nation of over sixty million. The ad humorously compared gambling to swimming with sharks as a safe way to find excitement. Watch it here! The TV campaign by William Hill was also banned for breaking betting advertising rules by featuring a woman who was “desperate” to gamble and was hiding it from her family. Watch William Hill Bingo Banned Ad here!

The Wanted DVD Ad shows Jolie curving the path of bullets with her mind, and shooting into a car while upside down in a car flipping over the first. The commercial clearly displays a humorous and fantastic setting, but the ASA seems to take all scenes literally.

The authority said the ad – which juxtaposes images of gun violence with Jolie showing off her bare back – “could be seen to condone violence by glorifying or glamorizing the use of guns.”

It was unclear what practical effect, if any, the ruling would have. The “Wanted” DVD was released in Britain nearly six months ago.

The advertising authority has no power to enforce its writ, but it can refer advertisers to Britain’s Office of Fair Trading for legal action.

The agency has also banned a Requestabet.com ad which made joking comparison between gambling and investing in the stock market. At the time, one critic declared the ASA correct, saying tongue-in-cheek that the market was no laughing matter and investors were probably angry they hadn’t wagered their money instead.

Media analyst Howard Bunker says, “The ASA should probably review the spots for ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ After all, they show a husband and wife gleefully trying to kill each other, which may promote domestic violence. And what about Beowulf? Naked Jolie morphing into a monster? Talk about misogynous.”

Source: Online Casino News Edited By: Casino Exchange Links

The addiction of gambling is a known fact. People begin having gambling problems when they start gambling more than they should.

What Gambling Problems can bring?:

• Debts build up. So people turn to other sources of money such as theft, or the sale of drugs.
• Pressure comes from money lenders or loan/mortgage providers.
• Problems in relationships. It includes abuse in home, family and society.
• Mental diseases that exhibit impulse control such as antisocial personality disorder.

Recognizing that you have a problem is the first thing you should do if you want to get rid of your gambling problem. The questions below have been made by Gamblers Anonymous and will tell you if you have a problem with gambling.

1. Did you skip going to school or work so you could gamble?

2. Did you have any problems at home because of your gambling?

3. Did your reputation ever took a hit because of your gambling?

4. Did you feel remorse at any time because you were gambling?

5. Have you ever tried gambling when you needed money to solve financial problems?

6. Was your efficiency or ambition affected by gambling?

7. Have you ever felt like you should go back to gambling to recover money you lost previously?

8. When you won, did you want to go back to win even more money?

9. How many times did you gamble until you lost all your money?

10. Have you gambled using borrowed money?

11. Did you sell anything so you could use the money to gamble?

12. Do you have a problem using money set aside for gambling to pay normal expenses?

13. Has your family welfare suffered because you are gambling?

14. Do you go gambling for longer periods of time than previously planned?

15. Do you gamble when you have troubles or worries?

16. Did you ever think or did something illegal to get money to gamble?

17. DO you have problems sleeping because you gamble?

18. When you’re frustrated, disappointed or have fights, do you feel the need to gamble?

19. Did you celebrate good news by going to gamble for a few hours?

20. Did you consider suicide or self destruction because of gambling?

You are a gambler with problems if you answered Yes to seven or more above questions.

Best tips for the Problem Gamblers:

• • When you go gambling, don’t carry ATM cards or credit cards with you, just the money you want to spend.
• • Gamble for small periods of time.
• • Don’t forget that there is a higher chance of losing than winning.
• • When you get some victories and have money, make a pledge not to use them.
• • Don’t get into debt when you don’t have money to gamble.
• • Don’t hesitate to ask for help from friends or family.

Millions of people around the world are wagering on sports betting, online casino, playing online poker, bingo and even the lottery online at any of the thousands of gambling sites available on the net. Even people who have never visited a land based casino or a local bookie are finding themselves visiting online casinos and poker rooms on a regular basis.

So, what makes gambling on the internet so appealing? Yes, you can play any game of your choice without having to leave your favourite chair. Still, you will not be served free drinks; you will not be able to watch the game you have wagered on from big TV screens; you can neither see the facial expressions of your poker opponents nor to hear the sounds of the coins fall from the slot machine when you hit the big jackpot…

Here are the benefits of gambling online comparing to traditional casino gambling:

Diversity: how else can you jump from an online poker room to the craps table and to a bingo hall while staying seated on your most comfortable chair? Most online casinos feature a large variety of casino table games, slots and video poker machines. Moreover, in many major online gambling companies you can switch from online casino gambling to online sports wagering with the same username and account.

Bonuses: where else can you receive free money to gamble with? Most online casinos offer free money bonuses in order to entice new customers and to keep up with the competition. The bonuses can start from £10 free just for downloading the casino software to a couple of thousand for completing a certain required amount of raked hands.  A very well known Ladbrokes Casino offers £100 Welcome Bonuse!

Convenience: obliviously, what can be more convenient than playing your favourite casino game in the comfort of your own home while listening to your favourite music and drinking your favourite beer? Not to mention being able to put your dealer on hold each time up you want to take a break.

Smoking and Dress Codes: whether you are a smoker or a non smoker, when you are gambling online you are free from obeying the rules. Same goes for dressing, eating and drinking; you can smoke nonstop or remain in a non smoking environment; wear your sloppiest clothes or stay naked; eat, drink, talk on the phone, watch TV, whatever…

Atmosphere: when you are gambling online, there are not any cocktail waitresses who will sedate you with free drinks and distract you from beating the dealer. In addition, you can set an atmosphere of your choice that can include clocks or even a source of day light.

Beginner Friendly: a land based casino can be an intimidating place for the newbie gambler. The average online casino, on the other hand, is much more beginner friendly than its brick and mortar equivalent. Interactive tutorials play money modes and the option of avoiding social embarrassment caused by misunderstanding of the rules and codes of behaviour is a more pleasant welcome for the novice casino gamer or poker player.

Safety: yes, gambling online is usually safer than playing in a land based casino and carrying big amounts of cash money in your pocket. Most online casinos are reliable and respectable businesses that will not risk their reputation and lose their customers base by scamming their players.

In addition to the list of benefits mentioned above, online gambling offers equal opportunity for people with disabilities or those who cannot afford travelling out of their state to play in a legal land based casino.

However, reading about the benefits of online gambling makes the huge popularity of online gambling, online poker playing and online sports wagering much easier to understand.