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

November 20, 2013

Just How Do Online Poker Companies Know Where You Are When You Play?

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 2:56 am

Rip Gerber knows how to keep track of online players. He is the CEO of Locaid, which is a San Francisco tech company. It is his job to make sure that those who are playing online poker are where they say that they are. His company verifies the locations for William Hill, Ultimate Poker, and the World Series of Poker.

According to Gerber, his is the biggest location-finding company in business. They have created what they call “location as a service.” They are able to provide location information to a variety of industries, including health care and financial services, not to mention gaming.

In simple terms, they work with regulators on verifying the location of those who are playing online or via mobile devices. His company is able to locate those devices and report on where they are found. They are able to fine in excess of 5 billion devices that may be located anywhere on earth and do this through multiple location sources.

In some cases, it may be a cell tower that they use. Or it could be through the device using the IP location from the user’s Internet connection. In some cases, it may be through a third-party database. His company is able to use all of these either alone or in tandem.

The company’s main purpose in terms of finding online players is to make sure that the player is in the state that he or she says they are in. The company does not report to the player but rather to those who are providing the play platform. If a player is found to not be where he or she says they are, the online transactions to not go through.

This is just one of the many verification steps that online gambling companies are taking these days. They also check on age and identity through other sources.

Gerber says that only a few people ever try to trick the system. In most cases, a player who is in a state that does not allow online gambling will not even make it to the platform which is when Gerber and his company go to work. Spoofer apps may be coming out fast these days, but Gerber says that most of these do not work, or if they do, they only work for a short time.

Even if more and more states come around to allowing online gambling, Gerber is not worried. His business is one that is needed in a variety of industries and as long as people are making certain transactions online or through their mobile devices, his services will be in demand. The bottom line for online players though is you cannot get around the state laws anymore if you are playing via your internet connection or smart phone. The gaming companies are being very diligent in finding out who is where they say they are and who is not. It just won’t work anymore, folks, so don’t even try as you will be disappointed.

November 19, 2013

Online casino gaming has become one of the most popular virtual entertainments

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 2:47 am

Fun and excitement; without these two things life would be irredeemably boring. People get them in different ways, though. For some it is summers spent at the beach; for others it is weekend getaways in the countryside. There are many, however, who get all of the fun they need without leaving the comfort of their own home. Many such persons are avid fans and players in online casino gaming. For these persons it is all about getting online, staying online, and exercising their wits against those of others online.

This particular form of entertainment takes traditional casino play and puts it in a different context and format. Now instead of having to seek out a casino in your local area or in a locale near you, it is possible to bring all of the excitement of card and table games to your home. Online casino gaming has produced a revolution in this kind of gaming by making it virtual. It is now possible for everyone who has interest in the game to participate without having to go through a great deal of hassle or having to spend exorbitant amounts of money to travel.

Online casino gaming has become so popular that it has already began dwarfing traditional casino gaming. The emergence of the Internet and worldwide web has changed a lot of places and a lot about how people live. There seems to be no corner on earth without at least some access to the web. As radio and television signals dominated the airwaves during the twentieth century so the digital signal now dominates the twenty first. Persons from all over the world can access online casinos. All they need is access to the worldwide web to do so.

The growth in online casino gaming has led to new forms, new inventions, and new conceptions in how the game is played. Online casinos have had to adapt to the particular tastes and preferences of a twenty first century audience, which has resulted in the production of many new inventions. The graphics and special effects that one now finds in online casino gaming spaces is the result of this new demand—a demand that casino gaming carry an edginess that is commensurate with modern times. The aim of casino gaming has always been to thrill and give pleasure; online casino gaming carries on this purpose in its own way. Those who are interested in casino gaming are likely to be impressed and delighted by all that they are able to do with this new way of playing. The sights, sounds, and thrills that are to be had with online casino gaming are not to be missed by anyone interested in playing. Its changed form only adds value to the various games that can be played. So, if you are looking for a new adventure, a new way of entertaining yourself, you can do a great deal worse than playing online casino games. They can thrill and please you for hours and days at a time.

November 18, 2013

According to Whistleblower Some Banks Are Laundering Poker Money Illegally

Filed under: Casino — Tags: — OCE News @ 2:53 am

Recently, a banker spoke about his knowledge of some online gambling operations laundering money. This came out during a conference on anti-money-laundering that took place in Las Vegas. The banker was Cathy Scharf, who is a compliance officer, and she spoke in front of many banking colleagues who showed varying degrees of shock. She spoke about her own experiences in a Utah bank in which she says at least $200 million were illegally processed for the gambling sites Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars. Both of these are offshore entities.

According to Scharf, her supervisors informed her that the bank needed to perform these services, illegal as they were, in order to remain solvent. They told her that the bank had to have this income and that they then brought in criminal lawyers who she said threaten her with arrest in the event she informed on the bank.

Instead of being intimidated, Scharf went to federal regulators and began working with them. They were able to expose SunFirst Bank’s relationship with the poker sites. She went on to say that there may be many other banks who are doing the same thing with offshore gambling operations.

For their part, her colleagues supported her actions. They did express some concern, however, on how the government will protect her, if that need arises. She told the audience that it only took one week for her to realize that her employers were dealing in illegal business and doing so in a big way. According to her, the bank made little effort to conceal its dealings from her.

The scheme was fairly simple. When a person who was gambling on these sites transferred money to one of the offshore card sites, that money came through the Utah bank where she worked. According to her, this bank was earning about $400,000 a month just in transaction fees. This is a violation of the 2006 law which states that it is a federal crime to accept payments if those payments are for illegal internet gambling.

Scharf went on the say that with the help of her colleagues she was able to hire a lawyer. She began writing down what she saw in a diary, and she started working with the federal authorities. She said she was often afraid during this time. The vice chairman of the bank went to prison in 2012 for his role.

Because of her actions, there are new policies being put into place to help stop this type of illegal behavior. Also the FDIC is now looking more closely at certain types of transactions. Her work is being seen as being very valuable in identifying some of the problems that regulators have been facing.

To date, no other news concerning any pending legal action against the bank or its officials is available. Also, no comment was put out by either offshore poker site (Poker Stars or Full Tilt Poker), both of which have had their share of problems in the past with other issues.

November 16, 2013

Florida Lawmakers Debating Options That Would Expand State’s Gambling

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , , — OCE News @ 2:51 am

Florida lawmakers are now looking at ways that they can expand the state’s gambling venues to bring in some needed revenue. They are hoping that they can find ways to lure residents of neighboring states such as Alabama and Georgia to come and wager in Florida. They are considering ways to bring gambling to some of the already well-known spots inside of Florida such as Daytona Beach and Palm Beach.

The idea of expanding its gambling locations is getting support from a variety of lawmakers and others. In exchange for these new locations, gaming promoters and willing to help close some of the loopholes that the state has seen an increase in during the last several years.

To get it started, hearings are being scheduled by the Florida Senate Gaming Committee. These will take place in Pensacola, Jacksonville, Lakeland and in Coconut Creek. They will listen to the public, and from there, lawmakers may attempt rewrite of the Florida gambling laws.

Already the state’s Legislative leaders have agreed and signed a $400,000 contract. This contract is with Spectrum Gaming Group of New Jersey. It will assess any economic impact that bringing in new locations will have on existing gambling locations. The report will also offer a variety of regulatory options that lawmakers may want to use when they draft the plan. There are ten options being looked at by Spectrum, but just only one will not expand Florida gambling. Some of the other options include allowing two destination resorts to be placed in South Florida and options that limit expansion in certain parts of the state.

It should be noted that in 2015, the state’s provisions and agreements with the Seminole Tribe of Florida will end. This will require that the state renew its current compact or that the state set up new rules that would allow the tribe to continue to operate table games exclusively. This is in exchange for providing a portion of its revenue to the state.

It appears that many of the state’s lawmakers are now ready to look at new ideas. This was not always the case. Many believe that as more citizens of the state come to accept casino gaming as a good thing, newer changes to the law will be easier to get through the legislature. And that the time for making these changes in now.

Many of those who support the expansion say they are tired of seeing Florida residents go into neighboring states to play, taking that revenue with them as they go. They want to see that money stay in the state, which only makes sense.

However, not all lawmakers support the new ideas. The Senate President Don Gaetz as well as the House Speaker Will Weatherford are not supporting the new expanded gambling options. Other lawmakers are not sure if they will support or not, but the general consensus is if new bills are brought to the floor for a vote that expand gambling, those bills will pass. No word from the governor’s office on this.

November 14, 2013

Some Gaming Professionals Are Now Suggesting That Industry is Now Saturated

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 2:49 am

According to some gaming industry experts, the gaming industry is now saturated. They suggest that most areas of the country have reached their saturation point. The one noted exception is Texas. What they are saying, in simple terms, is that one would be hard pressed to find a location within the US where a player could not drive for a few hours (or less) and reach a gaming destination. This was suggested by a panel of executives all involved in the gaming industry.

According to Penn National Gaming President Tim Wilmott, “New England is saturated. The market is crowded in Ohio. It’s a little underserved in Florida.”

For those who may be wondering what all this means. According to some on the panel, it means that new casinos will not be built as quickly as they have in the past. Growth will come through other avenues such as mergers and acquisitions. There may also be some growth in the online gaming world once the issues it has are resolved.

The issue of saturation is not exclusive to the US. Many international markets are now becoming very crowded. Of those that still have some opportunities, Southeast Asia seems to be the best bet. Two major markets, Japan and South Korea, both are considering bringing in casinos into their countries. On a lesser scale, Mexico and South America may have some room for new growth as well. Europe, the panel suggests, is already as established as it is likely to be for some time to come.

The panel also suggested that with so little room left for brick and mortar outlets, gaming companies may turn to the online world for new opportunities. This may not happen soon as the online world has its own problems that need to be resolved before any large ventures can take place there.

Of the many problems facing online gaming is the issue of what the federal government is going to do. Many are still waiting for lawmakers to get around to forming a national gaming regulatory plan. Lawmakers do not seem to be any hurry to get this work done. Because national leaders are dragging this out, the panel suggest the next best bet is to work through states, one by one.

Of course, if online gambling is approved, what effect is that going to have on traditional casinos that rely on customers walking into the establishment? The panel agreed that no one really knows the answer to that issue just yet. Not everyone is pessimistic about online gaming biting too deep into brick and mortar casino profits. The problem, some suggest, is to use online venues to offer special incentives for visiting a brick and mortar establishment.

All in all, however, the panel says that consolidations and mergers will most likely be the wave of the future when it comes to gaming growth. For its part, Pinnacle is now finishing up a nearly $3 billion acquisition of Ameristar Casinos. And other companies are also into deals as well that involve mergers.

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