Online Casino Edition – Casino News News about online casinos and gambling

Social networking sites have, for a long time, entertained players with their gaming networks and have given one more excuse for the world to come together. As gaming and networking fever gripped at the same time, the leaders of the gaming industry quickly grabbed the golden chance to make the most of this lush scenario.

Joining the league of big online casinos that are busy buying virtual property for providing gaming platform to Facebook users is International Game Technology (IGT). It is about to buy Double Down Interactive, which is one of the top Facebook game developers.

The agreement between IGT and Double Down Interactive is anticipated to involve about $500 million. IGT will pay an initial amount of $250 million, followed by the rest of the payments later. The rest of the payment mode and transaction agreements have not been made public till now.

More About International Game Technology

IGT is famous in the world of online gambling for creating successful games like Vegas Blackjack 20+ Bonus, 50,000 Pyramid, Bitten, Cleopatra and Cleopatra II, White Orchid, and Wipeout. The company is also into developing mobile gaming software. IGT is also known for acquiring companies that assist them in gaining greater control over the gaming market.

More About Double Down Interactive

Double Down Interactive is one of the largest companies involved in providing free-to-play casino games on Facebook and other social networking sites. Double Down Casino is their chief product. This is a free-to-play casino offering several attractive promotions as well as prizes. Being the biggest free-to-play casino game company makes the deal with IGT all the more important. Fingers are crossed over the outcome of this deal between Information Game Technology and Double Down Interactive.

Even as Facebook becomes the new muse of gaming companies, mobile casino tournaments are in full swing this month at Bet365 Casino. The casino is offering a series of attractive tournaments for slots as well as roulette. The Mobile Roulette Tournament commenced on January 10. It features a cool $1,000 prize that is divided among the best 15 players. The player in first gets $200, at the second position gets $150. Third place gets $120, and the fourth and fifth positions get $100 and $80, respectively. The rest of the prize amount is distributed among the remaining 15 players.

The Mobile Slots Tournament began on January 17. It features a similar prize structure. Mobile gaming has already become the rage among die-hard players. It has also attracted a new breed of gamers who believe in playing games everywhere they go. People who never gamed before have started using mobile gaming services to get a taste of the online gaming world.

Now, with Facebook almost becoming the lifeline of millions of Internet users, the time is ripe to reap the benefits of launching exciting online games on this site. The deal between IGT and Double Down surely raises hopes to take the gambling and casino industry to the next level.

The gambling scene in America is displaying fierce competition. Several states are looking upon casino projects as their “messiah” to make their fortunes in troubled economic times.

The state senate panel of Florida has approved a bill this month to build three casinos, one maybe in Miami.

In New York, thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo, the proposal for expanding casinos at the Aqueduct Racetrack located in the borough of Queens has sent ripples of joy among racers and gamblers. Also, a constitutional amendment to legalize gambling in the state is in the pipeline.

In Illinois, lawmakers have proposed a casino in Chicago.

Massachusetts has a new law that allows a maximum of three resort-style casinos and one slots parlor. Boston may have one as well.

The Debate to Legalize Gambling Continues

America is reeling under the heated debate of casino legalization. The argument rests on the ability of casinos to create new jobs as well as tax revenues. Though some gambling analysts don’t find any long-term financial stability from the casino and gambling industry, states still want to dig their heels into the “murk” of gambling to change the economy scene.

For the players who have won huge fortunes through gambling, “murk” might not be an appropriate word to describe the casino and gambling industry. It may be true that gambling gives players an addiction, yet it’s not a murky deal. For many, it is light at the end of the tunnel.

Will Las Vegas Lose Its Casino Dominance?

Hollywood flicks like What Happens in Vegas and The Hangover add to the justification of legalizing the casino and gambling industry. The irony is this: Both the movies are based on casino life of the City of Sin—Las Vegas. Yet, with a series of proposals doing the rounds across America, Las Vegas may have to gear up to keep pace with the fast-brewing competition from other states.

Recent reports suggest fluctuating business revenues generated from about 41 casinos along the Las Vegas Strip. But, they were able to redeem that spark within 12 months.

Several industry experts and analysts are of the view that mushrooming casinos across America may not hurt Las Vegas’s gambling future as feared. For example, states like Pennsylvania and Connecticut getting casinos may impact neighboring states like Atlanta but not touch Las Vegas.

With a series of astounding changes in the scenario of gambling in America, Las Vegas might have to work harder to maintain its casino sheen, yet it may take a long time before other states take the plunge into gambling and overshadow the City of Sin.

According to industry experts, feats like building the biggest convention center in the country at a race track might attract more tourists to New York. Yet, the biggest threat to Las Vegas comes not from the changing gambling scenario of America but from Hollywood making lesser movies about the glamor and night life of this city.

It’s important to maintain the “hangover” of gambling in the audience’s heads and continue to update them with “what happens in Vegas!”