Virgin Casino Premieres Brand New Online Slot Game - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(TM) Win a Luxury 10-Night Break to New Zealand With Virgin Casino
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 09/03/10 - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company - Virgin Games, is proud to announce that it is one of the first online casinos to introduce Microgaming's eagerly awaited five reel cinematic online slot game, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The game, which promises to be one of the biggest launched this year, offers players a massive 243 ways to win and will be one of the most graphically rich, innovative and exciting online slot games to date.
To celebrate the launch of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Virgin Casino is offering a fantastic prize for one very lucky customer and a partner of their choice - a luxury 10 night break to New Zealand. The winner will be flown to New Zealand where they will stay in the 5(i) Rees Hotel which has amazing views of both Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkable Mountains. This picturesque setting is the perfect place to relax before the exciting Lord of the Rings mini tours begin. For every GBP 50 wagered customers will receive a ticket for the prize draw.
In the online slot game, players follow the Hobbit "Frodo Baggins" as he sets out to ensure the destruction of the Dark Lord Sauron. The five reel online slot will have unrivalled game graphics and include beloved characters from the film, such as Frodo, Aragorn, Saruman and the deadly Black Riders; along with some of the film's iconic footage, featuring Ringwraiths during the attack at Weathertop, Balrog in the Mines of Moria, and Uruk-hai in the woods of Middle-earth.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "This is truly a fantastic game and we are incredibly proud to be one of the first casinos to launch what is sure to become one of the biggest online gaming hits of the year. At the beginning of the year we stated our vision for Virgin Casino was to offer more choice to our customers and expand on the titles we offered. We are now doing this in spades."
Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 200 games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Games seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. A growing selection of games can be found at Virgin Games from a number of producers including Microgaming, WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming.
© 2010 New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
- Virgin Casino: offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over GBP 2,500,000
- Virgin Poker: part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
- Virgin Bingo: part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -(Sept. 2, 2010) - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, has today announced that it is launching nine new games in September from four leading games producers – Microgaming, WagerWorks, Virtue Fusion and Ash Gaming. Amongst the new games are some big titles, including, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ and Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword.
Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."
Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.
Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Profiles
Virgin Casino
Virgin Games
Virgin
Virgin New Games
Richard Branson
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Virgin Casino Introduces Major New Games in September
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -(Sept. 2, 2010) - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, has today announced that it is launching nine new games in September from four leading games producers – Microgaming, WagerWorks, Virtue Fusion and Ash Gaming. Amongst the new games are some big titles, including, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ and Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword.
Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."
Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.
Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Profiles
Virgin Casino
Virgin Games
Virgin
Virgin New Games
Richard Branson
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
The Media Man Network refers to the operation that is the Media Man group of companies, both online and offline. Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Media Man was established in 2001 and covers a dozen different business verticals.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Virgin Casino Introduces Major New Games in September
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -(Sept. 2, 2010) - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, has today announced that it is launching nine new games in September from four leading games producers – Microgaming, WagerWorks, Virtue Fusion and Ash Gaming. Amongst the new games are some big titles, including, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ and Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword.
Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."
Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.
Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Profiles
Virgin Casino
Virgin Games
Virgin
Virgin New Games
Richard Branson
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."
Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.
Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Profiles
Virgin Casino
Virgin Games
Virgin
Virgin New Games
Richard Branson
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Virgin Casino Introduces Major New Games in September
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -(Sept. 2, 2010) - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, has today announced that it is launching nine new games in September from four leading games producers – Microgaming, WagerWorks, Virtue Fusion and Ash Gaming. Amongst the new games are some big titles, including, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ and Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword.
Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."
Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.
Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Profiles
Virgin Casino
Virgin Games
Virgin
Virgin New Games
Richard Branson
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."
Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.
Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Profiles
Virgin Casino
Virgin Games
Virgin
Virgin New Games
Richard Branson
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Friday, September 3, 2010
Australian Pokies Reform Won't Work: Aussie Pokies King, by Greg Tingle - 4th September 2010
Australia is tipped to get a massive pokie reform, initially starting at pubs, clubs and hotels... so pokies palaces, then onto land based casinos, but insiders in the thick of the action say the plan won't actually work and go onto explain why? FUD (fear, uncertainly and doubt), spin, or just the hard facts Jack? The developments come months after the release of the Australian Productivity Report into gambling, and as brands such as World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, PartyGaming and Virgin continue to eye of Australia and the greater Asia Pacific region. Media Man and Gambling911 set sail to the land down under, encountering whales, dolphins and tuna. What a catch punters...
Australia is tipped to implement a number of gambling reforms, starting with everyones favorite - the pokies, you know... down the road at the pub. But, the reforms may be easier said than done, says folks on both sides - the pokie lovers and the pokie haters. Even those who are completely neutral on the matter says its going to be complex and may not actually the yield the desired result, which could well lead to a tidal wave of sackings from industries tied to gambling and gaming, including NRL and RSL clubs.
It's now widely believed from all ranks that putting in place a national "pre-commitment" system on pokies aka one armed bandits to enable gamblers to preset their spending limits would be "enormously" expensive and quite unlikely to actually reduce "problem gambling" (whatever exactly that is), industry veteran Len 'Always Winning' (MM tag) Ainsworth says. Gambling isn't it, and some of course have a bigger problem than others, but now the Aussie federal government has a new wave of problems on their hands. Let's learn more shall we.
Ainsworth's firm employs roughly 300 punters... ok, staffers, to build machines down under in Australia. It is one of dozens set to be affected by the pre-commitment system, which PM Julia 'Jungle Girl' (MM tag) Gillard has promised independent MP and anti-pokies campaigner Andrew 'Wild and Witty' (MM tag) Wilkie she will introduce (if) Labor wins government. Keep in mind the Liberal party needs to see all 3 remaining polies come across to Liberal ranks, if the Libs are to win! Want to place money on that.. but, stranger things have happened, so on with the story.
Ainsworth in his wisdom has estimated it would likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars to implement, and would be an incredibly complex task, because the various gaming machine makers that supply Australian venues would need to offer a compatible system. This might cause international manufacturers to leave the market, he said. There's a massive flow on effect, and this could end up just sending more players online, in a growing trend, so they can still play all time favorites like Cleopatra, Monopoly, Wheel of Fortune, many almost online exact replicas. Firms such as IGT already have a dedicated online gaming arm - WagerWorks, which supplies some games to the likes of PartyGaming and Virgin Games.
Now get this...contrary to findings of the Productivity Commission, which has recommended the system, Ainsworth passionately argued problem gamblers would not be deterred because their gambling usually reflected an underlying problem, and its hard to argue with this point. Many people have some sort of problem, it just depends what exactly it is. Machines don't cause problems, people do. Same thing with driving a car. Some issues are part of a persons make up, and these can be passed on from generation to generation. It's in the blood, be it to much drinking or whatever.
"A problem gambler is like a problem drinker or a serial killer; you've got to get to the cause," Mr Ainsworth said.
Investors sent the shares of another pokie machine manufacturer, Aristocrat, down 16¢ to $3.64, and Woolworths (linked to gambling) shares fell 9¢ to $28.38.
Woolworths, via the ALH Group, owns about 11,000 of Australia's 198,000 pokie machines. From 2012 it's going to own thousands more down in Victoria, when the current ownership duopoly of Tatts Group and Tabcorp hits the wall.
Woolworths declined to comment while an election result remains unknown, so I guess we can't blame them for the current silent treatment.
The change is not expected to significantly affect Tatts and Tabcorp, because they are exiting the market, but it may have some impact on future ventures. Some flow on effects may take years to trace to the cause, which may end up being mismanagement from the Australian government! Don't be against it.
Tatts and Tabcorp have been coexisting, and Crown Limited remains focused on hotels and casinos in Australia, as well as driving forward projects in Macau, with the odd venture further afield. Tatts is considered a strong contender to become Victoria's new monitor of the integrity of poker machines from 2012. Tabcorp will manage gaming rooms for venues after 2012.
Victoria has plans to introduce a pre-commitment system, phased in from this December to 2015, when all the machines will be linked across the state to prevent a player using any machine for a set period, once their spending or time limit has been reached. The tech has been used in Queensland and South Australia, and is offered to loyalty club players at Crown Casino. It's got a bit of a 'Big Brother' feel to it, but Australia's been big on 'Big Brother' and 'Thought Police' for decades, however these days its just more obvious.
Aristocrat in fact provides the "central monitoring system" for Norway's Norsk Tipping, which has a mandatory pre-commitment system.
"The system tracks usage by each player with the player able to set limits up to a maximum allowed by the Norwegian government," an Aristocrat spokesman disclosed.
Of the $19 billion Aussies spent on gambling - gaming in 2008-09, $10.5 billion was spent on poker machines in pubs and clubs. Another $1.4 billion was spent on pokies at casinos. Just how much went to internet portals and online casinos is not clear, but website portals such as Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory attract millions of hits per month, and MM remains ranked in the Hitwise top ten (entertainment category), so you know there's serious numbers involved.
Some state governments which on average get 10% of their revenue from gambling taxes are tipped to resist the federal push for change.
Enter the academics...constitutional law expert George 'Why Is It So' (MM tag) Williams, of the Uni of New South Wales, advised the federal government could use its powers under the Corporations Act to enforce the change, and that would probably apply to clubs as well. However, under WorkChoices states had demonstrated a precedent to get around this, he said. So, its all very complicated and like a gigantic Pandora's box. Hey, there's probably going to be an online slot games for it too... there's a Rubik's Cube slot. The possibilities are endless, and the internet is infinity in size, so its fun and games all the way...for the meantime.
The Late News...
Australian Casino, Gaming And Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Unite: James Packer and Shane "No Spin" Warne; Kym Illman Marketing Aussie Gumleaf Mafia Connection...
Warnie and Packer, long time mates and associates, have been working on something big for quite a while now, and the past Warnie - Kym Illman - Messages On Hold campaigns have been impossible to miss, thanks in part to Max Markson and even everyones favorite... wait for it... Media Man.
Cricket legend, poker player and Aussie larrican, Shane "No Spin" Warnie is officially going into business with Aussie casino and lifestyle king, James Packer. Warnie sure know how to pick mentors, also getting guidance and business opportunities from fellow mate Kym Illman, over the years. Yep, the Aussie Gumleaf Mafia is leaping ahead in leaps and bounds. It's enough to make Gambling911 resident and friend to all, Kasino Koala blush and fall out of his tree.
Back to business at hand, this year the Packer - Warnie collaborations with bit hitting the casinos, and they also have a few tricks up their sleeve for cafes, restaurants, gyms and other venues down under in Australia, and they don't have to be existing 'Gumleaf Mafia' or Warne - Packer inner circle to get in on the action, depending on what b2b deals are of interest. However, the casino joint venture is a Crown Limited thing, and the spinner might just get his own branded poker room at Crown if he plays his cards right.
Warne has been on fire, and not just fired up and pissed about what happened with the Paki fixing scandal. The legend is also tipped to get an 'Ashes' talkback show on Network Nine. No coincidence that Bondi Beach local David Gyngelll, just happens to be the CEO of Nine, and holds a seat on the Crown Limited board. Again, relationships matter, as does loyalty. A couple of Aussie media entrepreneurs have purchased Crown shares over the years in a big picture - holistic type strategy, and the same happened with Virgin, owner Richard Branson also being on good terms with Packer.
The spinner remains tight lipped on some matters, but did tell press a bit about his passion for good music. Ah, his colourful exploits with a few blond goddesses over the years hinted at that. Music does get one in the mood, so does coffee and a few other unspeakables.
Warne, a mark for '80s music, have taken like a duck to water for the music industry. Specifically lyric-free ambient music, set to calm the soul, energise the body and warm the heart. Yep, we're been reading up on the sales blurb too.
Warne yesterday spruiked his latest biz alliance Groove Gallery, a company that sells ambient music to gyms, cafes and restaurants that wish to "sub-consciously" put their customers in the mood to spend a dollar or ideally, much more.
Shane Warne Inc, a spin off from Billionaire Inc, now sports roughly 16 business investments at last count. There's "Advanced Hair, yeah yeah" poker website 888, a Messages on Hold deal, luxury designer Dunhill and a bush tucker bag of paid gigs and appearances et al with Channel Nine, Sky Sports and Cricket Australia, and god knows what else on the boil. Media Man TV?
His family and life after cricket and some key motivators.
Speaking with News Limited Warnie shared "We've got two or three that we are looking at at the moment, there's a business that I have with James Packer that we'll be launching next year. I'm not sure James would want me talking about that yet".
He's seriously cashed up, but he's not really a showoff. More a lifestyle guy who loves his family and big boys toys.
We obtained quite a property asset list of Warnie... $9 million Middle Brighton home, a $3.35 million investment property in Sandringham, and a $2.2 million holiday home in Arthur's Seat and a home in London. Who knows what else he has. How about a Bondi Beach pad too mate, if you haven't already. We might see you up at Icebergs Bergs Gaming
As you might have cottoned on, things are good for the spin man..."Life is going great, never been better," he said.
For Warnie its been about ups, downs, roller coasters, working hard and playing 'n party int harder. Clearly things are on the up and up for Warnie, be it business, pleasure and passion, or more likely, both. Knock em for 6 sport.
Paki Cricket Scandal...Warnie Speaks...
Just on the red hot subject matter of cricket for moment. Warne said "I thought that the game was clean now with the anti-corruption people there". We're not certain if that's music to the ears of inner circle Packer and Illman or not, but this Aussie 'Gumleaf Mafia' types have a habit of turning controversy and negatives into bags full of cash' whispered a Media Man insider, (at a well known Bondi Beach cafe...hit Sparrow... interested to give the music a test run). Ah, relationships matter. Media Man believes that relationship marketing, buzz marketing, and the simple concept of headline grabbing Shane Warne will pretty much guarantee the success of all or most of Shane Warne linked campaigns in the foreseeable future.
Media Man Profiles
Australia
James Packer
Shane Warne
Kym Illman
We think the Packer - Warne - Illman collaboration is a can't miss, and poised to knock 'em for 6 success, but what do you think? Tell us in the forum.
Gambling and pokies reform may be easier said than done. It's complex, and there's strong cases for and against on both sides. What happens if the Australian government gets it wrong? Numerous analysts forecast that 10,000s of people could be soon out of work, with the hospitality and entertainment industry being a major employer of Australians, and the proposal already threatens some of the good work of GenerationOne, that has been supported by James Packer's Crown Limited (Crown Casino and Burswood Entertainment Complex etc).
The stakes may never have been higher. It's not a few dollars down a slot anymore, its potentially a large chunk of the Australian workforce, and with gambling being such a signifiant part of Australian culture the proposed reforms are certainly akin to dancing with the devil. Yep, the devil is in the detail. In the meantime the early indicators are that the pokie playing public will be driven to website portals like Media Man, Gambling911 and Google, and the Aussie government will remain the 8 ball, chasing their tail, as they try to grasp new technologies, and at the same time the population telling them they don't want online censorship, offline censorship, thought police et al. And, the public awaits the downfall of yet more politicians involved in porn and internet surfing scandals at work and priests getting busted for porn offences.
It all looks like a perfect storm, and unless your Aussie casino king James Packer, sailing the high seas in your Arctic P, with casinos and entertainment icons scattered half way across the world, there could be stormy waters ahead.
But, punters and media, its not all bad news. For the meantime at least your can continue to surf the world wide web coming across thousands of slot games, virtual casinos, table games, arcades the worlds. PartyGaming, Virgin, Playtech Microgaming, Captain Cooks, World Poker Tour, WSOP, PKR, Media Man and the like may get short to medium term gains, but what will be the long term result is just about anyones guess. Punters are tipped to bet harder and more frequently, including on the web, as the news comes, knowing that the party may soon be over. Even a small amount of punters and gaming entrepreneurs are starting to speak about setting up new homes and bases abroad, as a protest against the Australian government, but that's only a small minority of people, but its a trend on the rise. Pubs, clubs, hotels and casinos are yet to start mass sackings, now unable to afford to employ the same amount of staff they once did, however experts say give it 3 to 6 months, and the trend will become clear, with welfare departments such as Centrebet about to get a whole lot more customers. Ah, the Aussie casino and gaming wars just keep getting bigger. Aren't you glad you have your (unfiltered) computer at home. If the filter comes, just add proxy. We're told its child's play, but the mess the Aussie government is heading in is anything but. Work hard and party and play harder.
Readers, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Australia is tipped to implement a number of gambling reforms, starting with everyones favorite - the pokies, you know... down the road at the pub. But, the reforms may be easier said than done, says folks on both sides - the pokie lovers and the pokie haters. Even those who are completely neutral on the matter says its going to be complex and may not actually the yield the desired result, which could well lead to a tidal wave of sackings from industries tied to gambling and gaming, including NRL and RSL clubs.
It's now widely believed from all ranks that putting in place a national "pre-commitment" system on pokies aka one armed bandits to enable gamblers to preset their spending limits would be "enormously" expensive and quite unlikely to actually reduce "problem gambling" (whatever exactly that is), industry veteran Len 'Always Winning' (MM tag) Ainsworth says. Gambling isn't it, and some of course have a bigger problem than others, but now the Aussie federal government has a new wave of problems on their hands. Let's learn more shall we.
Ainsworth's firm employs roughly 300 punters... ok, staffers, to build machines down under in Australia. It is one of dozens set to be affected by the pre-commitment system, which PM Julia 'Jungle Girl' (MM tag) Gillard has promised independent MP and anti-pokies campaigner Andrew 'Wild and Witty' (MM tag) Wilkie she will introduce (if) Labor wins government. Keep in mind the Liberal party needs to see all 3 remaining polies come across to Liberal ranks, if the Libs are to win! Want to place money on that.. but, stranger things have happened, so on with the story.
Ainsworth in his wisdom has estimated it would likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars to implement, and would be an incredibly complex task, because the various gaming machine makers that supply Australian venues would need to offer a compatible system. This might cause international manufacturers to leave the market, he said. There's a massive flow on effect, and this could end up just sending more players online, in a growing trend, so they can still play all time favorites like Cleopatra, Monopoly, Wheel of Fortune, many almost online exact replicas. Firms such as IGT already have a dedicated online gaming arm - WagerWorks, which supplies some games to the likes of PartyGaming and Virgin Games.
Now get this...contrary to findings of the Productivity Commission, which has recommended the system, Ainsworth passionately argued problem gamblers would not be deterred because their gambling usually reflected an underlying problem, and its hard to argue with this point. Many people have some sort of problem, it just depends what exactly it is. Machines don't cause problems, people do. Same thing with driving a car. Some issues are part of a persons make up, and these can be passed on from generation to generation. It's in the blood, be it to much drinking or whatever.
"A problem gambler is like a problem drinker or a serial killer; you've got to get to the cause," Mr Ainsworth said.
Investors sent the shares of another pokie machine manufacturer, Aristocrat, down 16¢ to $3.64, and Woolworths (linked to gambling) shares fell 9¢ to $28.38.
Woolworths, via the ALH Group, owns about 11,000 of Australia's 198,000 pokie machines. From 2012 it's going to own thousands more down in Victoria, when the current ownership duopoly of Tatts Group and Tabcorp hits the wall.
Woolworths declined to comment while an election result remains unknown, so I guess we can't blame them for the current silent treatment.
The change is not expected to significantly affect Tatts and Tabcorp, because they are exiting the market, but it may have some impact on future ventures. Some flow on effects may take years to trace to the cause, which may end up being mismanagement from the Australian government! Don't be against it.
Tatts and Tabcorp have been coexisting, and Crown Limited remains focused on hotels and casinos in Australia, as well as driving forward projects in Macau, with the odd venture further afield. Tatts is considered a strong contender to become Victoria's new monitor of the integrity of poker machines from 2012. Tabcorp will manage gaming rooms for venues after 2012.
Victoria has plans to introduce a pre-commitment system, phased in from this December to 2015, when all the machines will be linked across the state to prevent a player using any machine for a set period, once their spending or time limit has been reached. The tech has been used in Queensland and South Australia, and is offered to loyalty club players at Crown Casino. It's got a bit of a 'Big Brother' feel to it, but Australia's been big on 'Big Brother' and 'Thought Police' for decades, however these days its just more obvious.
Aristocrat in fact provides the "central monitoring system" for Norway's Norsk Tipping, which has a mandatory pre-commitment system.
"The system tracks usage by each player with the player able to set limits up to a maximum allowed by the Norwegian government," an Aristocrat spokesman disclosed.
Of the $19 billion Aussies spent on gambling - gaming in 2008-09, $10.5 billion was spent on poker machines in pubs and clubs. Another $1.4 billion was spent on pokies at casinos. Just how much went to internet portals and online casinos is not clear, but website portals such as Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory attract millions of hits per month, and MM remains ranked in the Hitwise top ten (entertainment category), so you know there's serious numbers involved.
Some state governments which on average get 10% of their revenue from gambling taxes are tipped to resist the federal push for change.
Enter the academics...constitutional law expert George 'Why Is It So' (MM tag) Williams, of the Uni of New South Wales, advised the federal government could use its powers under the Corporations Act to enforce the change, and that would probably apply to clubs as well. However, under WorkChoices states had demonstrated a precedent to get around this, he said. So, its all very complicated and like a gigantic Pandora's box. Hey, there's probably going to be an online slot games for it too... there's a Rubik's Cube slot. The possibilities are endless, and the internet is infinity in size, so its fun and games all the way...for the meantime.
The Late News...
Australian Casino, Gaming And Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Unite: James Packer and Shane "No Spin" Warne; Kym Illman Marketing Aussie Gumleaf Mafia Connection...
Warnie and Packer, long time mates and associates, have been working on something big for quite a while now, and the past Warnie - Kym Illman - Messages On Hold campaigns have been impossible to miss, thanks in part to Max Markson and even everyones favorite... wait for it... Media Man.
Cricket legend, poker player and Aussie larrican, Shane "No Spin" Warnie is officially going into business with Aussie casino and lifestyle king, James Packer. Warnie sure know how to pick mentors, also getting guidance and business opportunities from fellow mate Kym Illman, over the years. Yep, the Aussie Gumleaf Mafia is leaping ahead in leaps and bounds. It's enough to make Gambling911 resident and friend to all, Kasino Koala blush and fall out of his tree.
Back to business at hand, this year the Packer - Warnie collaborations with bit hitting the casinos, and they also have a few tricks up their sleeve for cafes, restaurants, gyms and other venues down under in Australia, and they don't have to be existing 'Gumleaf Mafia' or Warne - Packer inner circle to get in on the action, depending on what b2b deals are of interest. However, the casino joint venture is a Crown Limited thing, and the spinner might just get his own branded poker room at Crown if he plays his cards right.
Warne has been on fire, and not just fired up and pissed about what happened with the Paki fixing scandal. The legend is also tipped to get an 'Ashes' talkback show on Network Nine. No coincidence that Bondi Beach local David Gyngelll, just happens to be the CEO of Nine, and holds a seat on the Crown Limited board. Again, relationships matter, as does loyalty. A couple of Aussie media entrepreneurs have purchased Crown shares over the years in a big picture - holistic type strategy, and the same happened with Virgin, owner Richard Branson also being on good terms with Packer.
The spinner remains tight lipped on some matters, but did tell press a bit about his passion for good music. Ah, his colourful exploits with a few blond goddesses over the years hinted at that. Music does get one in the mood, so does coffee and a few other unspeakables.
Warne, a mark for '80s music, have taken like a duck to water for the music industry. Specifically lyric-free ambient music, set to calm the soul, energise the body and warm the heart. Yep, we're been reading up on the sales blurb too.
Warne yesterday spruiked his latest biz alliance Groove Gallery, a company that sells ambient music to gyms, cafes and restaurants that wish to "sub-consciously" put their customers in the mood to spend a dollar or ideally, much more.
Shane Warne Inc, a spin off from Billionaire Inc, now sports roughly 16 business investments at last count. There's "Advanced Hair, yeah yeah" poker website 888, a Messages on Hold deal, luxury designer Dunhill and a bush tucker bag of paid gigs and appearances et al with Channel Nine, Sky Sports and Cricket Australia, and god knows what else on the boil. Media Man TV?
His family and life after cricket and some key motivators.
Speaking with News Limited Warnie shared "We've got two or three that we are looking at at the moment, there's a business that I have with James Packer that we'll be launching next year. I'm not sure James would want me talking about that yet".
He's seriously cashed up, but he's not really a showoff. More a lifestyle guy who loves his family and big boys toys.
We obtained quite a property asset list of Warnie... $9 million Middle Brighton home, a $3.35 million investment property in Sandringham, and a $2.2 million holiday home in Arthur's Seat and a home in London. Who knows what else he has. How about a Bondi Beach pad too mate, if you haven't already. We might see you up at Icebergs Bergs Gaming
As you might have cottoned on, things are good for the spin man..."Life is going great, never been better," he said.
For Warnie its been about ups, downs, roller coasters, working hard and playing 'n party int harder. Clearly things are on the up and up for Warnie, be it business, pleasure and passion, or more likely, both. Knock em for 6 sport.
Paki Cricket Scandal...Warnie Speaks...
Just on the red hot subject matter of cricket for moment. Warne said "I thought that the game was clean now with the anti-corruption people there". We're not certain if that's music to the ears of inner circle Packer and Illman or not, but this Aussie 'Gumleaf Mafia' types have a habit of turning controversy and negatives into bags full of cash' whispered a Media Man insider, (at a well known Bondi Beach cafe...hit Sparrow... interested to give the music a test run). Ah, relationships matter. Media Man believes that relationship marketing, buzz marketing, and the simple concept of headline grabbing Shane Warne will pretty much guarantee the success of all or most of Shane Warne linked campaigns in the foreseeable future.
Media Man Profiles
Australia
James Packer
Shane Warne
Kym Illman
We think the Packer - Warne - Illman collaboration is a can't miss, and poised to knock 'em for 6 success, but what do you think? Tell us in the forum.
Gambling and pokies reform may be easier said than done. It's complex, and there's strong cases for and against on both sides. What happens if the Australian government gets it wrong? Numerous analysts forecast that 10,000s of people could be soon out of work, with the hospitality and entertainment industry being a major employer of Australians, and the proposal already threatens some of the good work of GenerationOne, that has been supported by James Packer's Crown Limited (Crown Casino and Burswood Entertainment Complex etc).
The stakes may never have been higher. It's not a few dollars down a slot anymore, its potentially a large chunk of the Australian workforce, and with gambling being such a signifiant part of Australian culture the proposed reforms are certainly akin to dancing with the devil. Yep, the devil is in the detail. In the meantime the early indicators are that the pokie playing public will be driven to website portals like Media Man, Gambling911 and Google, and the Aussie government will remain the 8 ball, chasing their tail, as they try to grasp new technologies, and at the same time the population telling them they don't want online censorship, offline censorship, thought police et al. And, the public awaits the downfall of yet more politicians involved in porn and internet surfing scandals at work and priests getting busted for porn offences.
It all looks like a perfect storm, and unless your Aussie casino king James Packer, sailing the high seas in your Arctic P, with casinos and entertainment icons scattered half way across the world, there could be stormy waters ahead.
But, punters and media, its not all bad news. For the meantime at least your can continue to surf the world wide web coming across thousands of slot games, virtual casinos, table games, arcades the worlds. PartyGaming, Virgin, Playtech Microgaming, Captain Cooks, World Poker Tour, WSOP, PKR, Media Man and the like may get short to medium term gains, but what will be the long term result is just about anyones guess. Punters are tipped to bet harder and more frequently, including on the web, as the news comes, knowing that the party may soon be over. Even a small amount of punters and gaming entrepreneurs are starting to speak about setting up new homes and bases abroad, as a protest against the Australian government, but that's only a small minority of people, but its a trend on the rise. Pubs, clubs, hotels and casinos are yet to start mass sackings, now unable to afford to employ the same amount of staff they once did, however experts say give it 3 to 6 months, and the trend will become clear, with welfare departments such as Centrebet about to get a whole lot more customers. Ah, the Aussie casino and gaming wars just keep getting bigger. Aren't you glad you have your (unfiltered) computer at home. If the filter comes, just add proxy. We're told its child's play, but the mess the Aussie government is heading in is anything but. Work hard and party and play harder.
Readers, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Australian Casino Entrepreneurs James Packer And Shane Warne In Biz!, by Greg Tingle - 3rd September 2010
Australia is tipped to see a new casino entrepreneur... with a dash of music, entertainment and technology on the side...no stranger to Aussies, Yanks, Pommies or Pakistanis... enter Shane Warne. Warnie has dabbled in gaming over the years, most notably as a face for poker room 888, (getting a one up on PartyGaming), however his upcoming collaborations with Crown casino king James Packer, has sent the gaming, gambling and celeb world into a frenzy. Media Man and Gambling911 think its music to the ears of Crown Limited investors and WA businessman, Kym Illman aka 'Mr Ambush Marketing'...we turn up the music and let the party begin...
Australian Casino, Gaming And Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Unite: James Packer and Shane "No Spin" Warne; Kym Illman Marketing Aussie Gumleaf Mafia Connection...
Warnie and Packer, long time mates and associates, have been working on something big for quite a while now, and the past Warnie - Kym Illman - Messages On Hold campaigns have been impossible to miss, thanks in part to Max Markson and even everyones favorite... wait for it... Media Man.
Cricket legend, poker player and Aussie larrican, Shane "No Spin" Warnie is officially going into business with Aussie casino and lifestyle king, James Packer. Warnie sure know how to pick mentors, also getting guidance and business opportunities from fellow mate Kym Illman, over the years. Yep, the Aussie Gumleaf Mafia is leaping ahead in leaps and bounds. It's enough to make Gambling911 resident and friend to all, Kasino Koala blush and fall out of his tree.
Back to business at hand, this year the Packer - Warnie collaborations with bit hitting the casinos, and they also have a few tricks up their sleeve for cafes, restaurants, gyms and other venues down under in Australia, and they don't have to be existing 'Gumleaf Mafia' or Warne - Packer inner circle to get in on the action, depending on what b2b deals are of interest. However, the casino joint venture is a Crown Limited thing, and the spinner might just get his own branded poker room at Crown if he plays his cards right.
Warne has been on fire, and not just fired up and pissed about what happened with the Paki fixing scandal. The legend is also tipped to get an 'Ashes' talkback show on Network Nine. No coincidence that Bondi Beach local David Gyngelll, just happens to be the CEO of Nine, and holds a seat on the Crown Limited board. Again, relationships matter, as does loyalty. A couple of Aussie media entrepreneurs have purchased Crown shares over the years in a big picture - holistic type strategy, and the same happened with Virgin, owner Richard Branson also being on good terms with Packer.
The spinner remains tight lipped on some matters, but did tell press a bit about his passion for good music. Ah, his colourful exploits with a few blond goddesses over the years hinted at that. Music does get one in the mood, so does coffee and a few other unspeakables.
Warne, a mark for '80s music, have taken like a duck to water for the music industry. Specifically lyric-free ambient music, set to calm the soul, energise the body and warm the heart. Yep, we're been reading up on the sales blurb too.
Warne yesterday spruiked his latest biz alliance Groove Gallery, a company that sells ambient music to gyms, cafes and restaurants that wish to "sub-consciously" put their customers in the mood to spend a dollar or ideally, much more.
Shane Warne Inc, a spin off from Billionaire Inc, now sports roughly 16 business investments at last count. There's "Advanced Hair, yeah yeah" poker website 888, a Messages on Hold deal, luxury designer Dunhill and a bush tucker bag of paid gigs and appearances et al with Channel Nine, Sky Sports and Cricket Australia, and god knows what else on the boil. Media Man TV?
His family and life after cricket and some key motivators.
Speaking with News Limited Warnie shared "We've got two or three that we are looking at at the moment, there's a business that I have with James Packer that we'll be launching next year. I'm not sure James would want me talking about that yet".
He's seriously cashed up, but he's not really a showoff. More a lifestyle guy who loves his family and big boys toys.
We obtained quite a property asset list of Warnie... $9 million Middle Brighton home, a $3.35 million investment property in Sandringham, and a $2.2 million holiday home in Arthur's Seat and a home in London. Who knows what else he has. How about a Bondi Beach pad too mate, if you haven't already. We might see you up at Icebergs Bergs Gaming
As you might have cottoned on, things are good for the spin man..."Life is going great, never been better," he said.
For Warnie its been about ups, downs, roller coasters, working hard and playing 'n party int harder. Clearly things are on the up and up for Warnie, be it business, pleasure and passion, or more likely, both. Knock em for 6 sport.
Paki Cricket Scandal...Warnie Speaks...
Just on the red hot subject matter of cricket for moment. Warne said "I thought that the game was clean now with the anti-corruption people there". We're not certain if that's music to the ears of inner circle Packer and Illman or not, but this Aussie 'Gumleaf Mafia' types have a habit of turning controversy and negatives into bags full of cash' whispered a Media Man insider, (at a well known Bondi Beach cafe...hit Sparrow... interested to give the music a test run). Ah, relationships matter. Media Man believes that relationship marketing, buzz marketing, and the simple concept of headline grabbing Shane Warne will pretty much guarantee the success of all or most of Shane Warne linked campaigns in the foreseeable future.
Media Man Profiles
Australia
James Packer
Shane Warne
Kym Illman
We think the Packer - Warne - Illman collaboration is a can't miss, and poised to knock 'em for 6 success, but what do you think? Tell us in the forum.
Readers, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Australian Casino, Gaming And Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Unite: James Packer and Shane "No Spin" Warne; Kym Illman Marketing Aussie Gumleaf Mafia Connection...
Warnie and Packer, long time mates and associates, have been working on something big for quite a while now, and the past Warnie - Kym Illman - Messages On Hold campaigns have been impossible to miss, thanks in part to Max Markson and even everyones favorite... wait for it... Media Man.
Cricket legend, poker player and Aussie larrican, Shane "No Spin" Warnie is officially going into business with Aussie casino and lifestyle king, James Packer. Warnie sure know how to pick mentors, also getting guidance and business opportunities from fellow mate Kym Illman, over the years. Yep, the Aussie Gumleaf Mafia is leaping ahead in leaps and bounds. It's enough to make Gambling911 resident and friend to all, Kasino Koala blush and fall out of his tree.
Back to business at hand, this year the Packer - Warnie collaborations with bit hitting the casinos, and they also have a few tricks up their sleeve for cafes, restaurants, gyms and other venues down under in Australia, and they don't have to be existing 'Gumleaf Mafia' or Warne - Packer inner circle to get in on the action, depending on what b2b deals are of interest. However, the casino joint venture is a Crown Limited thing, and the spinner might just get his own branded poker room at Crown if he plays his cards right.
Warne has been on fire, and not just fired up and pissed about what happened with the Paki fixing scandal. The legend is also tipped to get an 'Ashes' talkback show on Network Nine. No coincidence that Bondi Beach local David Gyngelll, just happens to be the CEO of Nine, and holds a seat on the Crown Limited board. Again, relationships matter, as does loyalty. A couple of Aussie media entrepreneurs have purchased Crown shares over the years in a big picture - holistic type strategy, and the same happened with Virgin, owner Richard Branson also being on good terms with Packer.
The spinner remains tight lipped on some matters, but did tell press a bit about his passion for good music. Ah, his colourful exploits with a few blond goddesses over the years hinted at that. Music does get one in the mood, so does coffee and a few other unspeakables.
Warne, a mark for '80s music, have taken like a duck to water for the music industry. Specifically lyric-free ambient music, set to calm the soul, energise the body and warm the heart. Yep, we're been reading up on the sales blurb too.
Warne yesterday spruiked his latest biz alliance Groove Gallery, a company that sells ambient music to gyms, cafes and restaurants that wish to "sub-consciously" put their customers in the mood to spend a dollar or ideally, much more.
Shane Warne Inc, a spin off from Billionaire Inc, now sports roughly 16 business investments at last count. There's "Advanced Hair, yeah yeah" poker website 888, a Messages on Hold deal, luxury designer Dunhill and a bush tucker bag of paid gigs and appearances et al with Channel Nine, Sky Sports and Cricket Australia, and god knows what else on the boil. Media Man TV?
His family and life after cricket and some key motivators.
Speaking with News Limited Warnie shared "We've got two or three that we are looking at at the moment, there's a business that I have with James Packer that we'll be launching next year. I'm not sure James would want me talking about that yet".
He's seriously cashed up, but he's not really a showoff. More a lifestyle guy who loves his family and big boys toys.
We obtained quite a property asset list of Warnie... $9 million Middle Brighton home, a $3.35 million investment property in Sandringham, and a $2.2 million holiday home in Arthur's Seat and a home in London. Who knows what else he has. How about a Bondi Beach pad too mate, if you haven't already. We might see you up at Icebergs Bergs Gaming
As you might have cottoned on, things are good for the spin man..."Life is going great, never been better," he said.
For Warnie its been about ups, downs, roller coasters, working hard and playing 'n party int harder. Clearly things are on the up and up for Warnie, be it business, pleasure and passion, or more likely, both. Knock em for 6 sport.
Paki Cricket Scandal...Warnie Speaks...
Just on the red hot subject matter of cricket for moment. Warne said "I thought that the game was clean now with the anti-corruption people there". We're not certain if that's music to the ears of inner circle Packer and Illman or not, but this Aussie 'Gumleaf Mafia' types have a habit of turning controversy and negatives into bags full of cash' whispered a Media Man insider, (at a well known Bondi Beach cafe...hit Sparrow... interested to give the music a test run). Ah, relationships matter. Media Man believes that relationship marketing, buzz marketing, and the simple concept of headline grabbing Shane Warne will pretty much guarantee the success of all or most of Shane Warne linked campaigns in the foreseeable future.
Media Man Profiles
Australia
James Packer
Shane Warne
Kym Illman
We think the Packer - Warne - Illman collaboration is a can't miss, and poised to knock 'em for 6 success, but what do you think? Tell us in the forum.
Readers, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Thursday, September 2, 2010
PartyCasino Wins Media Man Online Casino Of The Month Award, by Greg Tingle
PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man Online Casino Award
PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".
PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.
The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com
The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".
The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.
PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.
The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.
The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.
PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.
PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.
PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".
PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.
The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com
The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".
The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.
PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.
The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.
The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.
PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.
PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.
PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
Monday, August 30, 2010
PartyCasino Wins Media Man Online Casino Of The Month Award, by Greg Tingle - 31st August 2010
PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man Online Casino Award
PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".
PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.
The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com
The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".
The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.
PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.
The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.
The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.
PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.
PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.
PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".
PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.
The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com
The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".
The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.
PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.
The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.
The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.
PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.
PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.
PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Australian Sports News Update, by Greg Tingle - 29th August 2010
The Australian sporting world has enjoyed a mega week. We've got Mark Webber, F1 ace in pole position, a footballers ear bitten off and explosive news of AFL's Ben Cousin's tell all documentary, drug revelations and all, and who can forget
the Jason Akermanis gay AFL player revelations. Media Man and Gambling911 offer you on front row ringside and reved up account of the huge Australian sports week that was...
Mark Webber In Pole Position For Belgian Grand Prix...
Mark Webber was over the moon after snatching pole position for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix, but did admit that timing of his best qualifying lap was crucial. It was the 34-year-old's 5th pole of the season for Red Bull, who have taken pole at all but one race this year. Webber, who snatched back the lead in the driver's championship from McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, nipped the Pommie, who starts in 2nd place, by less than a 10th of a second. Webber clocked a time of 1min 45.788sec on his 1st lap in Q3 and admitted that the timing was vital as some timely rain prevented his rivals from matching his time. Remember the old saying, the more I win the luckier I get. "We knew the first lap was going to be pretty important because round here it is so unpredictable - the weather has been unique, even for Spa. It has been so on and off," the Aussie said. "So to have a pretty clean qualifying was very important. The first lap I was happy with, but you never know in this company if it is enough or not. It was nice to be on pole halfway through, but the weather made it more difficult to improve on our second attempt." Hamilton advised he was disappointed not to have bested Webber's time, but was delighted to be starting on the front row. "It was quite a tricky session through the whole qualifying," he said. "I got out for my first lap, the first one out. Turn 14 was drying up but I was first one to get there and didn't know how much to push. It was a bit of a disappointing first lap, I wasn't able to hold the time out of the tyres. Then I got the opportunity on the second lap which was a good lap apart from Turn 1. That was wet and a little bit damp, I lost time there. But the rest of the track was dry and I was able to utilise the tyres and pull out the time. I think I was a tenth behind Mark, there was the potential there to be in front in P1, but to be P2 on front row is a good position for us." Pole Robert Kubica will start in 3rd position for Renault ahead of German Sebastian Vettel in the 2nd (more controversial) Red Bull, while Brit Jenson Button of McLaren also made it into the top 5 spots. Ferrari driver Brazilian Felipe Massa was 6th fastest followed by Brazilian Rubens Barrichello of Williams. Force India's Adrian Sutil will start in 8th position ahead of fellow German Nico Hulkenberg of Williams and Ferrari driver Spaniard Fernando Alonso in 10th. Hulkenberg set the fastest time in the Q1 opening mini-session which saw rookie Russian Vitaly Petrov fail to set a time for Renault after spinning out on the exit of turn 9 on his opening lap. Sauber drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa joined Petrov on the casualty list after crashing out towards the end of the session. Despite not making it to Q2, Italian Jarno Trulli of Lotus will start in 16th position ahead of German Nico Rosberg who, despite finishing 12th fastest, has been given a 5 place grid penalty owing to a gearbox replacement. Kobayashi will start in 18th ahead of Hispania drivers Brazilian Bruno Senna and Japanese Sakon Yamamoto. Former champion Michael Schumacher's 10-place grid penalty for the incident involving Barrichello in Hungary means that despite making it to Q2 and finishing 11th fastest, he will start in 21st place! That will teach you a lesson son. Webber leads the championship just 4 points clear of Hamilton with another 6 points to Vettel.
Australian Rugby Player Loses Ear In Fight...
It was WrestleMania no holds barred on an Aussie footy field. An Australian rugby league player had part of his ear bitten off in a wild WrestleMania like brawl during a match. Jason "Smartypants" (MM tag) Schirnack, who was playing in the forwards for Sydney-based club Wests Tigers, was rushed to the Liverpool Hospital after being bitten in what his coach Paul 'Fireman' (MM tag) Fletcher described as a "bar-room brawl" during the match. The hungry and agro player responsible, winger Mitchell 'Muncher Steak' (MM tag) Stevens, 22, has been released by his club, the North Sydney Bears, Fairfax reported. The butt ugly match last Sunday was part of the NSW (New South Wales) Cup...1 of the 2 feeder competitions for the nation's prestigious National Rugby League premiership. Stevens will front up to the sport's judiciary Wednesday evening, and if found guilty, News Limited papers reported he could be suspended for 18 to 20 weeks. Some other media reckons he could be banned for at 1 year. Pissed off Tigers officials have lodged an official complaint over the bite to the sport's governing body, New South Wales Rugby League, while Schirnack, 21, described the bite as a "low act." "I was involved in a bit of biff with the guy and we started wrestling on the ground," Schirnack told Rugby League Week magazine. "Other players came running in and as we were wrestling on the ground, he took a chunk out of my ear. I couldn't believe it. It wasn't really all that painful, but when I realized a bit of my ear was missing, I was in shock. It's a low act. "I saw a plastic surgeon, but he said there wasn't much he could do," Schirnack said. "We didn't have the missing bit, so that made it hard for him to do anything. My girlfriend isn't happy because it looks pretty ugly, but what can I do? I just have to get on with life and try to move on." Tigers coach Paul Fletcher went on record with "The game was pretty nasty; it was like a bar-room brawl. There was no need for that sort of thing...it was a disgraceful act."
AFL: Ben Cousins Documentary - Drugs And All...
The first explosive scenes from the controversial Ben Cousins doco have been released. Cousins, 32, is shot dancing shirtless while holding a glass of red wine in Such is Life: The Troubled Times of Ben Cousins, which has been purchased by the Seven Network. Another scene shows the AFL star crying while under the influence of an unknown substance. "My name is Ben Cousins. I'm a drug addict", Cousins says while staring into the camera. The tell-all film, which was filmed over 2 years, is expected to screen later in the year over two nights. During the 30-second trailer, his dad Bryan chokes back tears while opening right up about his fears for his young fella. The AFL has confirmed Chief Executive Officer Andrew Demetriou has viewed the doco but has not publicly commented on its content. The Richmond Footy Club has also viewed the flick. Cousins played in West Coast's 2006 premiership but was sacked by the Eagles after the 2007 season when his drug problem and behaviour spiralled out of control. He was suspended by the AFL soon after for bringing the game into disrepute, before Richmond recruited him for the 2009 season. The Tigers club threw him a lifeline and he has played at Punt Road for the past two seasons. A sleeping pill overdose saw Cousins hospitalised overnight just last month. His club accepted it was accidental and he only missed one AFL match. Stay tuned for more.
TV Deals To Rich AFL And NRL Clubs...
About $2 billion from the next AFL and NRL television rights deals is due to deliver an massive boost to the brand value of the top clubs from the two codes. A list of the 10 most valuable football clubs in Australia across Australian rules, rugby league, rugby union and football, compiled by entertainment and trademark lawyer Wayne Covell of Worthy Of The Name, showcases the important role of television exposure in adding value to a club's overall brand. For example, Covell's $ list attributes a value of $263million to Collingwood with $87.9million of that due to television revenue and audience projections. In the NRL, television revenue and audience figures are also vital. Of the $169million value applied to Brisbane Broncos, $89.2million can be attributed to television weightings. For the Parramatta Eels, TV revenue accounted for $86million of the club's value of $141million. Interestingly, on a table compiled by brand analysis specialist Repucom International, highlighting the cumulative television audience of all football clubs in Australia across the four codes for 2009 on free-to-air television and Fox Sports, the Broncos are 1, the Eels are 2, and Collingwood are 3. The AFL's television deal, which expires at the end of next year, is worth $780million while the NRL's television deal, expiring at the end of the 2012 season, is worth $500million. Both codes will be looking for $1billion from their next deals. Covell emphasises the central role television plays in his valuations. "The size of the television deal has a huge impact on the football team valuations. A large slice of the television fees paid are attributable to a team's viewership. Their audience drives sponsorship, advertising and merchandise deals." With the NRL's potential to double the value of their current TV deal, and the AFL set to increase its own deal by $220million, it's interesting to compare their numbers to the English Premier League - its television deal is worth about $5billion, confirming its stature as the biggest football league in the world. NRL chief executive David 'Giddy Up' (MM tag) Gallop says he does not have a target price in mind for his code's next television deal, but feels the game has put forward a strong case to potential broadcasters. Gallop told the press "Our expectation is to get an increase in TV revenue that reflects the game's standing. We have not set a dollar value on that but we believe we have compelling content for any broadcasters and our ratings consistently reflect that." He said the NRL was doing everything in its power to secure the best deal. "It is an enormous opportunity," Gallop advised. "It is unquestionably our biggest single revenue source so it plays an important role in growing the financial strength of the game and in helping the game reach as many people as possible. I don't think anyone is underestimating the significance of the next broadcasting deal." AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou says his code isn't in a battle for the same television money as the NRL, despite having signed NRL players Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau. "We do not believe we are competing for the same television dollar in our next round of TV rights negotiations," Demetriou says. Covell's list comes after the release last month of Forbes magazine's valuation of the world's top 10 sporting franchises. Manchester United topped the Forbes list, with a valuation of $2billion. The total value of Australia's top 10 football brands is $1.8billion, which is about the value of the New York Yankees baseball team, which Forbes ranked as the world's third most valuable sports team. Well, it is sports business, and sports business is Big Business, something Gambling911 and Media Man can certainly attest to.
Boxing Gossip: Danny "The Green Machine" Green VS Anthony "The Man" Mundine (Outside The Ring)...
Mundine is a huge fan of the TV show Top Gear and quite the rev head...but he's said No chance to appear on the program. The producers really wanted Mundine to race against his arch rival Danny Green in what would have been a fantastic dream segment, but Mundine has put cold water on the pitch. "Let's get one thing clear...just like I whipped him in the ring when we fought, I'd whip him on the race track," Mundine sprouted "But Green has based his entire career on me and has ridden on me to try and make a name for himself in that time. I am not going to try and help him resurrect his name after his recent farcical fights (Hurricane Briggs). I've got to fight a world ranked fighter, Ryan Waters, on September 15 in Wollongong. All Green does is pick on blokes past their best."
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Australian Sports
AFL
NRL
Boxing
F1
What's your thoughts on the good, the bad and the ugly of Australian sports? Tell us in the forum.
Readers, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Good punting.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
the Jason Akermanis gay AFL player revelations. Media Man and Gambling911 offer you on front row ringside and reved up account of the huge Australian sports week that was...
Mark Webber In Pole Position For Belgian Grand Prix...
Mark Webber was over the moon after snatching pole position for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix, but did admit that timing of his best qualifying lap was crucial. It was the 34-year-old's 5th pole of the season for Red Bull, who have taken pole at all but one race this year. Webber, who snatched back the lead in the driver's championship from McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, nipped the Pommie, who starts in 2nd place, by less than a 10th of a second. Webber clocked a time of 1min 45.788sec on his 1st lap in Q3 and admitted that the timing was vital as some timely rain prevented his rivals from matching his time. Remember the old saying, the more I win the luckier I get. "We knew the first lap was going to be pretty important because round here it is so unpredictable - the weather has been unique, even for Spa. It has been so on and off," the Aussie said. "So to have a pretty clean qualifying was very important. The first lap I was happy with, but you never know in this company if it is enough or not. It was nice to be on pole halfway through, but the weather made it more difficult to improve on our second attempt." Hamilton advised he was disappointed not to have bested Webber's time, but was delighted to be starting on the front row. "It was quite a tricky session through the whole qualifying," he said. "I got out for my first lap, the first one out. Turn 14 was drying up but I was first one to get there and didn't know how much to push. It was a bit of a disappointing first lap, I wasn't able to hold the time out of the tyres. Then I got the opportunity on the second lap which was a good lap apart from Turn 1. That was wet and a little bit damp, I lost time there. But the rest of the track was dry and I was able to utilise the tyres and pull out the time. I think I was a tenth behind Mark, there was the potential there to be in front in P1, but to be P2 on front row is a good position for us." Pole Robert Kubica will start in 3rd position for Renault ahead of German Sebastian Vettel in the 2nd (more controversial) Red Bull, while Brit Jenson Button of McLaren also made it into the top 5 spots. Ferrari driver Brazilian Felipe Massa was 6th fastest followed by Brazilian Rubens Barrichello of Williams. Force India's Adrian Sutil will start in 8th position ahead of fellow German Nico Hulkenberg of Williams and Ferrari driver Spaniard Fernando Alonso in 10th. Hulkenberg set the fastest time in the Q1 opening mini-session which saw rookie Russian Vitaly Petrov fail to set a time for Renault after spinning out on the exit of turn 9 on his opening lap. Sauber drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa joined Petrov on the casualty list after crashing out towards the end of the session. Despite not making it to Q2, Italian Jarno Trulli of Lotus will start in 16th position ahead of German Nico Rosberg who, despite finishing 12th fastest, has been given a 5 place grid penalty owing to a gearbox replacement. Kobayashi will start in 18th ahead of Hispania drivers Brazilian Bruno Senna and Japanese Sakon Yamamoto. Former champion Michael Schumacher's 10-place grid penalty for the incident involving Barrichello in Hungary means that despite making it to Q2 and finishing 11th fastest, he will start in 21st place! That will teach you a lesson son. Webber leads the championship just 4 points clear of Hamilton with another 6 points to Vettel.
Australian Rugby Player Loses Ear In Fight...
It was WrestleMania no holds barred on an Aussie footy field. An Australian rugby league player had part of his ear bitten off in a wild WrestleMania like brawl during a match. Jason "Smartypants" (MM tag) Schirnack, who was playing in the forwards for Sydney-based club Wests Tigers, was rushed to the Liverpool Hospital after being bitten in what his coach Paul 'Fireman' (MM tag) Fletcher described as a "bar-room brawl" during the match. The hungry and agro player responsible, winger Mitchell 'Muncher Steak' (MM tag) Stevens, 22, has been released by his club, the North Sydney Bears, Fairfax reported. The butt ugly match last Sunday was part of the NSW (New South Wales) Cup...1 of the 2 feeder competitions for the nation's prestigious National Rugby League premiership. Stevens will front up to the sport's judiciary Wednesday evening, and if found guilty, News Limited papers reported he could be suspended for 18 to 20 weeks. Some other media reckons he could be banned for at 1 year. Pissed off Tigers officials have lodged an official complaint over the bite to the sport's governing body, New South Wales Rugby League, while Schirnack, 21, described the bite as a "low act." "I was involved in a bit of biff with the guy and we started wrestling on the ground," Schirnack told Rugby League Week magazine. "Other players came running in and as we were wrestling on the ground, he took a chunk out of my ear. I couldn't believe it. It wasn't really all that painful, but when I realized a bit of my ear was missing, I was in shock. It's a low act. "I saw a plastic surgeon, but he said there wasn't much he could do," Schirnack said. "We didn't have the missing bit, so that made it hard for him to do anything. My girlfriend isn't happy because it looks pretty ugly, but what can I do? I just have to get on with life and try to move on." Tigers coach Paul Fletcher went on record with "The game was pretty nasty; it was like a bar-room brawl. There was no need for that sort of thing...it was a disgraceful act."
AFL: Ben Cousins Documentary - Drugs And All...
The first explosive scenes from the controversial Ben Cousins doco have been released. Cousins, 32, is shot dancing shirtless while holding a glass of red wine in Such is Life: The Troubled Times of Ben Cousins, which has been purchased by the Seven Network. Another scene shows the AFL star crying while under the influence of an unknown substance. "My name is Ben Cousins. I'm a drug addict", Cousins says while staring into the camera. The tell-all film, which was filmed over 2 years, is expected to screen later in the year over two nights. During the 30-second trailer, his dad Bryan chokes back tears while opening right up about his fears for his young fella. The AFL has confirmed Chief Executive Officer Andrew Demetriou has viewed the doco but has not publicly commented on its content. The Richmond Footy Club has also viewed the flick. Cousins played in West Coast's 2006 premiership but was sacked by the Eagles after the 2007 season when his drug problem and behaviour spiralled out of control. He was suspended by the AFL soon after for bringing the game into disrepute, before Richmond recruited him for the 2009 season. The Tigers club threw him a lifeline and he has played at Punt Road for the past two seasons. A sleeping pill overdose saw Cousins hospitalised overnight just last month. His club accepted it was accidental and he only missed one AFL match. Stay tuned for more.
TV Deals To Rich AFL And NRL Clubs...
About $2 billion from the next AFL and NRL television rights deals is due to deliver an massive boost to the brand value of the top clubs from the two codes. A list of the 10 most valuable football clubs in Australia across Australian rules, rugby league, rugby union and football, compiled by entertainment and trademark lawyer Wayne Covell of Worthy Of The Name, showcases the important role of television exposure in adding value to a club's overall brand. For example, Covell's $ list attributes a value of $263million to Collingwood with $87.9million of that due to television revenue and audience projections. In the NRL, television revenue and audience figures are also vital. Of the $169million value applied to Brisbane Broncos, $89.2million can be attributed to television weightings. For the Parramatta Eels, TV revenue accounted for $86million of the club's value of $141million. Interestingly, on a table compiled by brand analysis specialist Repucom International, highlighting the cumulative television audience of all football clubs in Australia across the four codes for 2009 on free-to-air television and Fox Sports, the Broncos are 1, the Eels are 2, and Collingwood are 3. The AFL's television deal, which expires at the end of next year, is worth $780million while the NRL's television deal, expiring at the end of the 2012 season, is worth $500million. Both codes will be looking for $1billion from their next deals. Covell emphasises the central role television plays in his valuations. "The size of the television deal has a huge impact on the football team valuations. A large slice of the television fees paid are attributable to a team's viewership. Their audience drives sponsorship, advertising and merchandise deals." With the NRL's potential to double the value of their current TV deal, and the AFL set to increase its own deal by $220million, it's interesting to compare their numbers to the English Premier League - its television deal is worth about $5billion, confirming its stature as the biggest football league in the world. NRL chief executive David 'Giddy Up' (MM tag) Gallop says he does not have a target price in mind for his code's next television deal, but feels the game has put forward a strong case to potential broadcasters. Gallop told the press "Our expectation is to get an increase in TV revenue that reflects the game's standing. We have not set a dollar value on that but we believe we have compelling content for any broadcasters and our ratings consistently reflect that." He said the NRL was doing everything in its power to secure the best deal. "It is an enormous opportunity," Gallop advised. "It is unquestionably our biggest single revenue source so it plays an important role in growing the financial strength of the game and in helping the game reach as many people as possible. I don't think anyone is underestimating the significance of the next broadcasting deal." AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou says his code isn't in a battle for the same television money as the NRL, despite having signed NRL players Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau. "We do not believe we are competing for the same television dollar in our next round of TV rights negotiations," Demetriou says. Covell's list comes after the release last month of Forbes magazine's valuation of the world's top 10 sporting franchises. Manchester United topped the Forbes list, with a valuation of $2billion. The total value of Australia's top 10 football brands is $1.8billion, which is about the value of the New York Yankees baseball team, which Forbes ranked as the world's third most valuable sports team. Well, it is sports business, and sports business is Big Business, something Gambling911 and Media Man can certainly attest to.
Boxing Gossip: Danny "The Green Machine" Green VS Anthony "The Man" Mundine (Outside The Ring)...
Mundine is a huge fan of the TV show Top Gear and quite the rev head...but he's said No chance to appear on the program. The producers really wanted Mundine to race against his arch rival Danny Green in what would have been a fantastic dream segment, but Mundine has put cold water on the pitch. "Let's get one thing clear...just like I whipped him in the ring when we fought, I'd whip him on the race track," Mundine sprouted "But Green has based his entire career on me and has ridden on me to try and make a name for himself in that time. I am not going to try and help him resurrect his name after his recent farcical fights (Hurricane Briggs). I've got to fight a world ranked fighter, Ryan Waters, on September 15 in Wollongong. All Green does is pick on blokes past their best."
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Australian Sports
AFL
NRL
Boxing
F1
What's your thoughts on the good, the bad and the ugly of Australian sports? Tell us in the forum.
Readers, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Good punting.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Australian Gambling, Marketing And Media Wars, by Greg Tingle - 29th August 2010
The Australian casino and gaming wars are taking on a new angle, with marketing and legal eagle X factors playing a bigger role in both the high end of town and at the coal face. Crown Limited and Tabcorp may be 'The Big Two', but Tatts Group is far from standing still, using the iron fist of the law to help protect their turf. Media Man and Gambling911 give you a close up look at the expansion of the Australian casino, gaming, marketing and media wars in the ongoing battle for the entertainment, gambling and internet dollar...
Australia's Tatt's Group would not hesitate to expand its betting operations into every state of Australia if the governments failed to stop a marketing company from offering betting on computer terminals in pubs, the company's chief executive has disclosed. And keep in mind, Australian governments have a long history of failing business, mums and dads and punters.
Recently Liberal leader Tony "The Bruiser" Abbott called the Labor government "incompetent", and street survey results indicate he's hit the nail on the head. As to whether Abbott will snatch the victory, hitting his own jackpot, is yet to be determined.
In the meantime the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation is prosecuting a marketing company, VenueNet, and a hotel owner for providing an "unauthorised instrument of betting", after seizing a computer kiosk with internet access to a betting website from a South Melbourne drinking hole aka pub. Don't get us started on whether drinking and punting mix, but Media Man will point out that its scientifically proven that drinking does effect the brain's capacity to make sound decisions.
Many media, marketing and gaming brains are pointing out that it was just a kiosk, and that it can provide access to gambling, just as it provides access to most of the world's websites via the www access... like your home or work computer!
A roll-out of the computers would undermine the state's exclusive retail wagering licence, which is currently held by Tabcorp, but is up for renewal. Tatts Group, which runs UniTAB in Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory, is among the bidding hopefuls. It's a bit like ABBA's 'The Winner Takes It All'.
The chief executive, Dick 'Moneybags' (MM tag) McIlwain, advised Tatts had lobbied governments to ensure devices such as that offered by VenueNet would be banned. Did the lobbying work? Gibraltar based PartyGaming, the world's leading listed igaming company has had mixed success with lobbying, but has invested millions over the years. 'Moneybags' understood the Victorian government was "waiting first" to see how the charges against VenueNet played out in a court of law. Yep, that's the important part punters.
"In Queensland they haven't had to resort to extra regulation, they've been able to use what [laws] they have," he said.
In its recent report into gambling, the Productivity Commission recommended states no longer issue exclusive wagering licences, as the monopoly arrangements were a "rare privilege", unfair to punters and no longer justifiable.
McIlwain went on to say he did not expect states to scrap the arrangements but if VenueNet succeeded, Tatts would retaliate. Yep, that means war!
"If VenueNet can come over the border, well, we'll jump the border too into NSW and Victoria and anywhere else that we don't have a licence," he said not mincing worlds. Let the battle begin... we will know soon, and watch out for gunfire and hand grenades, leading up to war head missiles.
Tatts posted a profit of $119 million, less than 50% of 2009's result, after writedowns of $165 million.
It also purchased the NSW Lotteries licence for whopping $850 million during the year.
Tatt's is performing strongly of late. In 3 months of operation, net sales, after prizes, were $156 million. Tatts top brass encouraged analysts, journos and the like not to rely on that figure for a full-year comparison, which would be closer to $625 million.
Quizzed about that figure and the $460 million NSW Lotteries reported for 2009, McIlwain said, "I'm not interested, I'm only interested in what we do."
Tatts purchased the 40-year licence for at least $150 million more than many expected. The deal included the rights to unclaimed prizes. Investors initially reacted negatively and it sparked controversy about whether Tatts had been treated differently to other bidders, as previously covered at Gambling911.
Tatts looks to be rising the stakes and we understand have put the world on notice that they are well and truly part of the Australian gambling wars, despite not actually owing a casino. In other areas they are a powerful player without question.
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Australian Gambling
Australian Casinos
Readers, what's your take on the situation? What's your favorite casino games and why? Tell us in the forum.
Tatts Group Shares...
$2.40
Readers, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Good punting.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Australia's Tatt's Group would not hesitate to expand its betting operations into every state of Australia if the governments failed to stop a marketing company from offering betting on computer terminals in pubs, the company's chief executive has disclosed. And keep in mind, Australian governments have a long history of failing business, mums and dads and punters.
Recently Liberal leader Tony "The Bruiser" Abbott called the Labor government "incompetent", and street survey results indicate he's hit the nail on the head. As to whether Abbott will snatch the victory, hitting his own jackpot, is yet to be determined.
In the meantime the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation is prosecuting a marketing company, VenueNet, and a hotel owner for providing an "unauthorised instrument of betting", after seizing a computer kiosk with internet access to a betting website from a South Melbourne drinking hole aka pub. Don't get us started on whether drinking and punting mix, but Media Man will point out that its scientifically proven that drinking does effect the brain's capacity to make sound decisions.
Many media, marketing and gaming brains are pointing out that it was just a kiosk, and that it can provide access to gambling, just as it provides access to most of the world's websites via the www access... like your home or work computer!
A roll-out of the computers would undermine the state's exclusive retail wagering licence, which is currently held by Tabcorp, but is up for renewal. Tatts Group, which runs UniTAB in Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory, is among the bidding hopefuls. It's a bit like ABBA's 'The Winner Takes It All'.
The chief executive, Dick 'Moneybags' (MM tag) McIlwain, advised Tatts had lobbied governments to ensure devices such as that offered by VenueNet would be banned. Did the lobbying work? Gibraltar based PartyGaming, the world's leading listed igaming company has had mixed success with lobbying, but has invested millions over the years. 'Moneybags' understood the Victorian government was "waiting first" to see how the charges against VenueNet played out in a court of law. Yep, that's the important part punters.
"In Queensland they haven't had to resort to extra regulation, they've been able to use what [laws] they have," he said.
In its recent report into gambling, the Productivity Commission recommended states no longer issue exclusive wagering licences, as the monopoly arrangements were a "rare privilege", unfair to punters and no longer justifiable.
McIlwain went on to say he did not expect states to scrap the arrangements but if VenueNet succeeded, Tatts would retaliate. Yep, that means war!
"If VenueNet can come over the border, well, we'll jump the border too into NSW and Victoria and anywhere else that we don't have a licence," he said not mincing worlds. Let the battle begin... we will know soon, and watch out for gunfire and hand grenades, leading up to war head missiles.
Tatts posted a profit of $119 million, less than 50% of 2009's result, after writedowns of $165 million.
It also purchased the NSW Lotteries licence for whopping $850 million during the year.
Tatt's is performing strongly of late. In 3 months of operation, net sales, after prizes, were $156 million. Tatts top brass encouraged analysts, journos and the like not to rely on that figure for a full-year comparison, which would be closer to $625 million.
Quizzed about that figure and the $460 million NSW Lotteries reported for 2009, McIlwain said, "I'm not interested, I'm only interested in what we do."
Tatts purchased the 40-year licence for at least $150 million more than many expected. The deal included the rights to unclaimed prizes. Investors initially reacted negatively and it sparked controversy about whether Tatts had been treated differently to other bidders, as previously covered at Gambling911.
Tatts looks to be rising the stakes and we understand have put the world on notice that they are well and truly part of the Australian gambling wars, despite not actually owing a casino. In other areas they are a powerful player without question.
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Australian Gambling
Australian Casinos
Readers, what's your take on the situation? What's your favorite casino games and why? Tell us in the forum.
Tatts Group Shares...
$2.40
Readers, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Good punting.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Bransons forced to call off 2nd kitesurf - 25th August 2010
Richard Branson and his team have been forced to call off their second attempt at kitesurfing across the Channel due to weather conditions. Richard, along with a team including his children Holly and Sam Branson, tried to kitesurf from England to France again today, after strong winds forced yesterday's bid off.However, there was not enough wind to launch the kites. After changing to a different location in Dungeness, Kent, Richard Branson briefly managed to get his kite into the air.Nevertheless, unsuitable weather conditions once again forced the kitesurf attempt to be abandoned.
Profiles
Richard Branson
Virgin Enterprises Limited
Environmentalists and the environment
Guinness World Records
News
Virgin News
Sports News
News
Community News
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Profiles
Richard Branson
Virgin Enterprises Limited
Environmentalists and the environment
Guinness World Records
News
Virgin News
Sports News
News
Community News
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Australian Casino, Gaming And Politics News, by Greg Tingle - 25th August 2010
Australian casino, gaming and political news remains crazy. Australia is counting the final ballots as Australia awaits the announcement of who the Prime Minister actually is! Crown casino has signed up more world class entertainment acts and online gaming and gambling moves forward down under, as the industry awaits internet laws to catch up to reality, in line with much of the rest of the world. James Packers' Crown Casino marketing, internet and legal is going to be very busy, as they updated system and websites to the evolution of the online gaming world, with a bit of Aussie Casino Wars on the side. Media Man and Gambling911 once again dominate the world of online gaming reporting, with just enough politics to keep them honest. Enjoy the ongoing journey of discovery...
Crown Casino Getting More Top Line Entertainment Acts...
The Australian Bee Gees Show returns to The Palms with a brand new show celebrating 50 years of wonderful music by the Brothers Gibb. This multimedia concert event is the only Melbourne show in the Australian leg of their 2010 world tour. Since 1996, The Australian Bee Gees Show has played to capacity houses around the world, cementing their reputation as an exceptional live concert act and the world's leading Bee Gees show. For one night only be a part of the magic that is, The Australian Bee Gees Show. Date Saturday 28 August 2010
Time: Doors Open: 7:30pm
Australian Hip Hop Championships 2010 - 18th September
Tommy Fleming - 1 - 2 October
Village People - 8 - 9 October
Cirque Mother Africa - 12 - 24 October
Bjorn Again - 18 - 21 October
Leo Sayer - 27 November
World's Top ABBA Show BJORN AGAIN Coming To Crown Casino 'The Palms' This November...
BJORN AGAIN plus Special guest support are The Old Romantics who are a highly entertaining parody of the New Romantic music era in the 80's, featuring songs by Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran and Culture Club. Get ready to have the time of your life! Tickets available from 9:00am 24 August, 2010. Dates: Thursday 18 - Sunday 23 November 2010
Tabcorp May Take On US Private Debt!...
Australian gaming gaint Tabcorp Holdings is looking at refinancing options as debt repayments near, and declared a preference for placing bonds in the US private debt market, its finance top brass says.. The firm would consider Australia dollars and other currencies, but the US traditional private placement market would be a natural place to revisit since the company has issued $US1 billion ($A1.11 billion) of bonds there, chief financial officer Matt Bekier told the press. "Ideally, I'd like to get 12 to 15-year money," Bekier said.
Traditional private placements in the United States have been a popular source of funds for Australian companies looking for long-dated debt. 7 Australian borrowers raised a total of $US2.2 billion so far this year. Bekier also said he was committed to keeping the firm's investment grade ratings, as Tabcorp embarks on an $860 million expansion strategy. Tabcorp is trying to fill a looming hole in its earnings from 2012 when it and Tatts Group are due to lose their duopoly on gaming machines in the Australian state of Victoria. This month, ratings agency Standard & Poor's warned it may cut Tabcorp's BBB-plus ratings due to higher debt levels after spending money on a revamp of Sydney's Star City Casino. "We want to remain investment grade, whether they are BBB flat or BBB-plus," Mr Bekier said. The lowest ratings for investment grade is BBB-minus. Bekier said his main focus was ensuring gross debt did not exceed a ratio of 2-2.5 times the firm's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. He did not say where the ratio stood currently, though it was within that range. "That is, to me, the bigger metric," Bekier said. As to whether Tabcorp would consider raising equity to protect its ratings downgrade, as suggested by a Merrill Lynch research report, Bekier is unequivocal. "The idea we would raise equity just to maintain a specific rating is a bit outlandish," Bekier said. Tabcorp has $450 million of debt maturing in just over one year and is looking at refinancing into long-term debt. Typical buyers of US traditional private placements are "buy and hold" US insurance companies keen on long-dated paper to match their liabilities. Bekier said the Australian dollar bond market would always be part of Tabcorp's funding strategy but would not be its core, mostly because of the firm's focus on long-term debt. The gaming outfit could also sell Australian dollar retail bonds, as it did last year when all other long-term funding avenues were shut in the wake of the global financial crisis. However, Bekier highlighted the high costs associated with selling retail bonds. "It was relatively expensive," Bekier said, adding that the all-in cost of issuing retail bonds was around 100 basis points above what Tabcorp could get elsewhere. Unlike Japan and New Zealand, retail bond offers are rare in Australia, where bonds are typically reserved for professional investors. The Aussie authorities introduced this year measures to to ease documentation and speed up the lengthy process to give that market a boost. Yet Tabcorp's Bekier said the regulators would have to go much further still to attract borrowers. Looks like the Aussie Casino Wars are taking on more of an international flavor. Debt anyone?
Greens Exclude Themselves From Cabinet: Betfair Fun And Games...
The two Greens members of the Tasmanian Cabinet have excluded themselves from Cabinet deliberations over Betfair. Greens leader Nick McKim and the Greens Cabinet secretary Cassy O'Connor 48 hours ago exercised their right to abstain from Cabinet deliberations on an area of policy difference. Labor members of Cabinet approved legislation to enact a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government and the online betting agency Betfair before the March state election. It includes a reduction in the company's state tax contribution, a move opposed by the Greens. McKim says it is simply a policy clash that will happen from time to time in the power-sharing Cabinet. Bartlett says it's the first time the Greens Cabinet members have abstained from deliberations under the power-sharing model. He says the difference was handled with maturity. "The spirit of cabinet is a very positive one," he said. Bartlett says the rest of Cabinet supported legislation to reduce the company's state tax contribution to secure its future in Tasmania for another 10 years. "This is a clear indication that this relationship is maturing and that the protocols that we have put in place to provide for certainty and stability are working." Liberal leader Will Hodgman says it is a split that highlights the uncertainty and instability of the Labor-Green Government. His statement did not indicate whether the Liberals would support the Betfair bill. Political analyst Richard Herr says if the Greens oppose the Betfair bill, the Government will need the support of the Liberals to pass the legislation. "Well the Government will realise that if it proceeds to present this to the House and the Greens do not support it and the Liberals don't support it then it will fall over, it'll fail," he said. "Either they're betting the Opposition will or they are manoeuvring to oppose the legislation in hopes that it will embarrass the opposition." Stay tuned to Media Man and Gambling911 for more political and gaming fun and games, and Packer's Betfair (now understood to be off the ACMA blacklist) is tipped to remain in the thick of the action.
Punters Remain Excited On Aussie Election Result...
Australian punters wagered as much as $10 million on the election poll, with 1000s taking their changes on the craze that is election betting. There's is no sign of when the bookies will pay out or even when betting markets will actually close. Many are still taking bets on the final results two major betting agencies reported a flood of money rushing back to Julia Gillard on Monday afternoon. Prime Minister Gillard is neck and neck with Parliamentary Secretary Bill Shorten for the top job, says many punters. Betfair insiders Daniel Hoare went on record with "By Friday afternoon we had somewhere around $2.5 million on the federal election market overall. But at that point in time about mid-afternoon Friday there was about $3,000 a minute being traded on the election. That market now is bordering on $3.5 million. In the past few hours there's been a significant move towards Labor. This morning the Coalition were red-hot favourites to find a way to form government, but for some reason in the past few hours those odds have tightened right in for Labor and it's almost pretty much a toss-of-the-coin market at the moment and it's heavily fluctuating as we speak." Analyst Neil Evans from online betting agency Centrebet also noticed an increase in the total amount gambled and advised about $5.5 million has been wagered through Centrebet. "Certainly in the main book, the prime ministerial book, the market's still powering away," he said. "Hung Parliament punters of course have been paid and those who took the Coalition with the start, they're all in the winners' queue and of course most of the seats, but the battle goes on. It's been a very big day for the Australian Labor Party, who went from being favourite for so long out to a clear outsider overnight, with negotiations continuing. "But they've been backed from as high as $2.75 right down to $1.85 equal now with the Coalition. So the momentum back with Labor, the Coalition coming a long way out from $1.40 out to $1.85.". Some academic research suggests betting trends are a more reliable indicator of a likely election result than opinion polls. Newspoll, which is published in The Australian newspaper, was the closest to predicting the result with its final poll on Saturday. "We came out with a 50.2 two-party to a 49.8 in favour of Labor, which shows that we're very likely to have a hung Parliament. It was so close to 50-50 it wasn't funny," said Newspoll chief executive Martin O'Shannessy. Most of the other national polls showed a narrow Labor win, with the party ahead of the Coalition 52 to 48 on a two-party preferred basis. Newspoll had also been predicting a 52 to 48 result for most of the campaign and Mr O'Shannessy admits to being slightly nervous about Saturday's poll. "Obviously when you see a change like that, and especially the big negative swing in Queensland, you worry. "Then you look at it and you think well, a big move like that is much more than what you'd expect from sampling error, so the odds are then hundreds to one against it actually being sampling error. "And so while your hands shake, you have to remind yourself of the rules of sampling and you know and go with it."
Australian Punters Back Coalition To Form Government...(But Keeps Changing)!!!
Aussie bookies have installed the coalition as the favourite to form government following an inconclusive result from Saturday's federal election.
Aristocrat Not Concerned About Poker Machine Rules And Regulations...
Tougher rules and regulations on Aussie pokies are not likely to be a big ticket item of the new federal government, the gambling machine manufacturer Aristocrat Leisure has gone on record with. The company's half-year results went public less than 48 hours ago, and showed a 23% drop in revenue and a net profit of $49.5 million, Aristocrat's chief executive, Jamie Odell, advised he did not expect a new government would act soon on recommendations of the Productivity Commission's recent report on gambling, and did not factor it into his outlook. The report, published way back in June, proposes $1 bet limits with a maximum of $20 to be fed into a machine at any one time and recommends a pre-commitment system by 2016, for players to set a limit on the amount they are prepared to lose. The former prime minister Kevin Rudd referred the report to a council of state governments to consider. First things first...Once the election results are known, the new parliament may include the independent anti-pokie campaigner Andrew Wilkie. The Greens, who support greater restrictions on poker machines, will hold the balance of power in the Senate. 'O' told analysts earlier in the week that it was too early to know what all this might mean, and any changes would need to be managed "in an orderly manner through new product coming through. In the short term I'm not factoring anything in around the government because, like you, I don't know which government we will take or what influence that will have, but I would think with all the other issues around it wouldn't be the first cab off the block." Aristocrat's profit includes a $12.7 million sale of an asset, but also represents a turnaround from the $33 million loss the company reported this time last year, and its $157 million full-year loss. It reported encouraging results in its biggest market, North America, where profit rose 5.5% in local currency, but it made a 199 million-yen loss in Japan. Aussie revenue fell 22% and profit fell 46% to $11.8 million. Odell described the local result as unacceptable and attributed it to difficult market conditions "legacy issues" within the company. Aristocrat reported some good news with strong sales in Macau and in Singapore's 2 new casinos but Odell said he expected trading conditions to remain difficult in most markets. "We do not expect any improvement over the balance of 2010." Aristocrat declared an unfranked 3.5% dividend to be paid on September 30. Profit results were roughly in line with expectations, and shares rose 2.62% to close off at $3.52.
James Packer: Casino And Media King News Report...
James Packer's pay television investment group Consolidated Media Holdings last week said it would not seek a new standstill agreement with Kerry Stokes' Seven Group Holdings when the current agreement expires on September 10. The 2 groups reached the agreement last year following Seven raids on Consolidated Media, which raised Seven's stake in the group to 19.9%, compared to James Packer's 40.8% holding.
Mildura Jewel Casino Prop: Up To Public...
If Mildura wants a casino now is the time for the city’s “movers and shakers” to back the proposed $400 million development. That is the view of the man behind the Mildura Jewel entertainment and convention centre plan, casino and property developer John Haddad. In an exclusive interview with the Sunraysia Daily this week, Mr Had dad said the time for him to “push” the project had lapsed – it was now up to Mildura to show it wanted the development. It was a development he labelled “a once in a lifetime opportunity” for Mildura, one he hoped people would see as critical to underpinning the city’s future. “It’s a Mildura thing now, not a John Haddad thing anymore,” he said. “I’m not pushing it now – I’m standing back. “I’ve put the project and the idea together for everybody to look at. “I’ll await the outcome. “All I will say is that it’s an extraordinary opportunity that has been handed to Mildura by the government, to be able to decide whether it wants the Jewel or not.” Casino proponents have been buoyed in recent weeks by the level of backing from various interest groups around the city. Last week, a group calling itself the Mildura Progress Action Group met for the first time, its immediate aim to gain information on the development and the processes needed to move it forward. It followed earlier backing from the newly formed Advance Northwest Association, a resident-based, pro-development lobby group.
South Australian Govt Missing Millions Thanks To Online Gambling; Could Be National Trend...
Online gambling is clearly understood to be diverting tax money from state coffers as punters go colder on poker machines and give online pokies from the likes of PartyGaming, Centrebet, PKR, Virgin, Roxy Palace, Captain Cooks Casino and Media Man white label type deals a go. The most recent figures show a significant dip in the amount gamblers pour into the state's pokies and a $10 million annual fall in tax revenue. State Government analysis shows punters put $729 million into pokies in the past financial year, compared with $750 million in the 12 months to June 30, 2009. The result is the lowest annual outlay on poker machines for 6 years and has resulted in a Government gaming tax revenue drop from $292 million to $282 million in the past year. Experts say mass-media advertising campaigns have driven a dramatic rise in the popularity of internet gambling, which sidesteps traditional tax regulations. South Australian pubs and clubs have also suffered an $11 million revenue hit, which comes as smoking bans look to further harm the sector. Australian Hotels Association general manager Ian Horne said competition from both sports betting and online gambling outlets was placing major pressure on the industry. "The sports betting market is expanding enormously," he said. "Just look at the betting options for the federal election. The promotion of betting odds was unprecedented. It's becoming the normal way of life to bet on anything and everything." Horne said poker machines had been unfairly "demonised" while other gambling options were considered socially acceptable. A spokeswoman for Gambling Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the decline could be attributed to reduced household expenditure for recreational activities. "This expenditure is also affected by the Reserve Bank's increasing of interest rates over the past 12 months," she said. The spokeswoman also said the Government was working to reduce the number of pokies, despite figures showing 7 more in use now than last year. "There is always some variation in the number of live machines, as gaming venues may not use all of their entitlements, for example during renovations," she said.
"The Rann Government is committed to reducing pokie machine entitlements by 3000. "So far the Government has removed more than 2200 gaming machine entitlements from SA venues." Treasurer Kevin Foley has warned the state to brace for a tough September 14 Budget, saying the lingering impact of the global financial crisis has diminished revenue. Media Man and Gambling911 have strong reason to believe that online gaming and gambling will continue to grow in the Australian - Asia Pacific region, and many land based venues will continue to be hit hard.
A Media Man spokesperson said "Online gambling and gaming is here to stay in Australia. The internet is of course a global medium. Website portals, affiliate programmes, and media agency deals help determine where the traffic, players, entertainment dollar and media coverage goes to. Even Fairfax Media, News Limited and Google are big industry players now. YouTube may ramp up also. Website portal developers such as us have also done well. This is all fueled by media and gaming press speculation, and remains hot fodder for news articles. PartyGaming, Virgin, World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker remain some of the biggest brands that often get major articles in mainstream press, so of which we help facilitate, be it officially or unofficially. Smart Australian casino operators such as Crown Casino are starting to plug into the action, exampled by Crown accepting PartyGaming - PartyPoker.com online poker players as part of their Aussie Millions promo last year... one by an Aussie, and will be doing the same again this year. Google is pushing forward with Google Games on the back of Pac-Man. Marvel Entertainment, Sega, DC Comics and even Harrah's are expected to ramp up. Gambling911 and Media Man will remain in the thick of the action, even though gaming and sports betting are only 2 of about a dozen of sectors covered. Many media companies are heding thier bets are offering strong coverge, while also covering many of industries like tech, politics, entertainment and the like. Some brands like Party and Virgin are in a number of sectors which is very exciting and profitable. Online variations of Cleopatra, Monopoly and Sinatra remain the top slots, with Tomb Raider enjoying a second wind, with 3D games like Heist on the upswing too. The industry is looking forward to a further improved remainder of the year, and punters will be able to benifit from great promos and deals, so its a win - win - win".
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Crown Casino
Burswood Casino
Aussie Millions
James Packer
Australian Casinos
Aussie Millions Poker Championship At Crown Casino This January...
Folks, mark it down in your diary. Australia's richest poker tournament is coming back to Crown in Melbourne this January.
Readers, is it time for Crown and Burswood to get their own branded online casino games like 'Underbelly' and 'Kerry Packer'? Has Crown now got its security levels to the right level? What other developments would you like to see at Packer's world of entertainment? What's your favorite casino games and why? Tell us in the forum.
Crown Limited Shares...
$8.350
Readers, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Want more good Aussie fodder... check out Media Man and the 'Australian Casino Wars' portfolio at Gambling911 of course. Good punting.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Crown Casino Getting More Top Line Entertainment Acts...
The Australian Bee Gees Show returns to The Palms with a brand new show celebrating 50 years of wonderful music by the Brothers Gibb. This multimedia concert event is the only Melbourne show in the Australian leg of their 2010 world tour. Since 1996, The Australian Bee Gees Show has played to capacity houses around the world, cementing their reputation as an exceptional live concert act and the world's leading Bee Gees show. For one night only be a part of the magic that is, The Australian Bee Gees Show. Date Saturday 28 August 2010
Time: Doors Open: 7:30pm
Australian Hip Hop Championships 2010 - 18th September
Tommy Fleming - 1 - 2 October
Village People - 8 - 9 October
Cirque Mother Africa - 12 - 24 October
Bjorn Again - 18 - 21 October
Leo Sayer - 27 November
World's Top ABBA Show BJORN AGAIN Coming To Crown Casino 'The Palms' This November...
BJORN AGAIN plus Special guest support are The Old Romantics who are a highly entertaining parody of the New Romantic music era in the 80's, featuring songs by Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran and Culture Club. Get ready to have the time of your life! Tickets available from 9:00am 24 August, 2010. Dates: Thursday 18 - Sunday 23 November 2010
Tabcorp May Take On US Private Debt!...
Australian gaming gaint Tabcorp Holdings is looking at refinancing options as debt repayments near, and declared a preference for placing bonds in the US private debt market, its finance top brass says.. The firm would consider Australia dollars and other currencies, but the US traditional private placement market would be a natural place to revisit since the company has issued $US1 billion ($A1.11 billion) of bonds there, chief financial officer Matt Bekier told the press. "Ideally, I'd like to get 12 to 15-year money," Bekier said.
Traditional private placements in the United States have been a popular source of funds for Australian companies looking for long-dated debt. 7 Australian borrowers raised a total of $US2.2 billion so far this year. Bekier also said he was committed to keeping the firm's investment grade ratings, as Tabcorp embarks on an $860 million expansion strategy. Tabcorp is trying to fill a looming hole in its earnings from 2012 when it and Tatts Group are due to lose their duopoly on gaming machines in the Australian state of Victoria. This month, ratings agency Standard & Poor's warned it may cut Tabcorp's BBB-plus ratings due to higher debt levels after spending money on a revamp of Sydney's Star City Casino. "We want to remain investment grade, whether they are BBB flat or BBB-plus," Mr Bekier said. The lowest ratings for investment grade is BBB-minus. Bekier said his main focus was ensuring gross debt did not exceed a ratio of 2-2.5 times the firm's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. He did not say where the ratio stood currently, though it was within that range. "That is, to me, the bigger metric," Bekier said. As to whether Tabcorp would consider raising equity to protect its ratings downgrade, as suggested by a Merrill Lynch research report, Bekier is unequivocal. "The idea we would raise equity just to maintain a specific rating is a bit outlandish," Bekier said. Tabcorp has $450 million of debt maturing in just over one year and is looking at refinancing into long-term debt. Typical buyers of US traditional private placements are "buy and hold" US insurance companies keen on long-dated paper to match their liabilities. Bekier said the Australian dollar bond market would always be part of Tabcorp's funding strategy but would not be its core, mostly because of the firm's focus on long-term debt. The gaming outfit could also sell Australian dollar retail bonds, as it did last year when all other long-term funding avenues were shut in the wake of the global financial crisis. However, Bekier highlighted the high costs associated with selling retail bonds. "It was relatively expensive," Bekier said, adding that the all-in cost of issuing retail bonds was around 100 basis points above what Tabcorp could get elsewhere. Unlike Japan and New Zealand, retail bond offers are rare in Australia, where bonds are typically reserved for professional investors. The Aussie authorities introduced this year measures to to ease documentation and speed up the lengthy process to give that market a boost. Yet Tabcorp's Bekier said the regulators would have to go much further still to attract borrowers. Looks like the Aussie Casino Wars are taking on more of an international flavor. Debt anyone?
Greens Exclude Themselves From Cabinet: Betfair Fun And Games...
The two Greens members of the Tasmanian Cabinet have excluded themselves from Cabinet deliberations over Betfair. Greens leader Nick McKim and the Greens Cabinet secretary Cassy O'Connor 48 hours ago exercised their right to abstain from Cabinet deliberations on an area of policy difference. Labor members of Cabinet approved legislation to enact a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government and the online betting agency Betfair before the March state election. It includes a reduction in the company's state tax contribution, a move opposed by the Greens. McKim says it is simply a policy clash that will happen from time to time in the power-sharing Cabinet. Bartlett says it's the first time the Greens Cabinet members have abstained from deliberations under the power-sharing model. He says the difference was handled with maturity. "The spirit of cabinet is a very positive one," he said. Bartlett says the rest of Cabinet supported legislation to reduce the company's state tax contribution to secure its future in Tasmania for another 10 years. "This is a clear indication that this relationship is maturing and that the protocols that we have put in place to provide for certainty and stability are working." Liberal leader Will Hodgman says it is a split that highlights the uncertainty and instability of the Labor-Green Government. His statement did not indicate whether the Liberals would support the Betfair bill. Political analyst Richard Herr says if the Greens oppose the Betfair bill, the Government will need the support of the Liberals to pass the legislation. "Well the Government will realise that if it proceeds to present this to the House and the Greens do not support it and the Liberals don't support it then it will fall over, it'll fail," he said. "Either they're betting the Opposition will or they are manoeuvring to oppose the legislation in hopes that it will embarrass the opposition." Stay tuned to Media Man and Gambling911 for more political and gaming fun and games, and Packer's Betfair (now understood to be off the ACMA blacklist) is tipped to remain in the thick of the action.
Punters Remain Excited On Aussie Election Result...
Australian punters wagered as much as $10 million on the election poll, with 1000s taking their changes on the craze that is election betting. There's is no sign of when the bookies will pay out or even when betting markets will actually close. Many are still taking bets on the final results two major betting agencies reported a flood of money rushing back to Julia Gillard on Monday afternoon. Prime Minister Gillard is neck and neck with Parliamentary Secretary Bill Shorten for the top job, says many punters. Betfair insiders Daniel Hoare went on record with "By Friday afternoon we had somewhere around $2.5 million on the federal election market overall. But at that point in time about mid-afternoon Friday there was about $3,000 a minute being traded on the election. That market now is bordering on $3.5 million. In the past few hours there's been a significant move towards Labor. This morning the Coalition were red-hot favourites to find a way to form government, but for some reason in the past few hours those odds have tightened right in for Labor and it's almost pretty much a toss-of-the-coin market at the moment and it's heavily fluctuating as we speak." Analyst Neil Evans from online betting agency Centrebet also noticed an increase in the total amount gambled and advised about $5.5 million has been wagered through Centrebet. "Certainly in the main book, the prime ministerial book, the market's still powering away," he said. "Hung Parliament punters of course have been paid and those who took the Coalition with the start, they're all in the winners' queue and of course most of the seats, but the battle goes on. It's been a very big day for the Australian Labor Party, who went from being favourite for so long out to a clear outsider overnight, with negotiations continuing. "But they've been backed from as high as $2.75 right down to $1.85 equal now with the Coalition. So the momentum back with Labor, the Coalition coming a long way out from $1.40 out to $1.85.". Some academic research suggests betting trends are a more reliable indicator of a likely election result than opinion polls. Newspoll, which is published in The Australian newspaper, was the closest to predicting the result with its final poll on Saturday. "We came out with a 50.2 two-party to a 49.8 in favour of Labor, which shows that we're very likely to have a hung Parliament. It was so close to 50-50 it wasn't funny," said Newspoll chief executive Martin O'Shannessy. Most of the other national polls showed a narrow Labor win, with the party ahead of the Coalition 52 to 48 on a two-party preferred basis. Newspoll had also been predicting a 52 to 48 result for most of the campaign and Mr O'Shannessy admits to being slightly nervous about Saturday's poll. "Obviously when you see a change like that, and especially the big negative swing in Queensland, you worry. "Then you look at it and you think well, a big move like that is much more than what you'd expect from sampling error, so the odds are then hundreds to one against it actually being sampling error. "And so while your hands shake, you have to remind yourself of the rules of sampling and you know and go with it."
Australian Punters Back Coalition To Form Government...(But Keeps Changing)!!!
Aussie bookies have installed the coalition as the favourite to form government following an inconclusive result from Saturday's federal election.
Aristocrat Not Concerned About Poker Machine Rules And Regulations...
Tougher rules and regulations on Aussie pokies are not likely to be a big ticket item of the new federal government, the gambling machine manufacturer Aristocrat Leisure has gone on record with. The company's half-year results went public less than 48 hours ago, and showed a 23% drop in revenue and a net profit of $49.5 million, Aristocrat's chief executive, Jamie Odell, advised he did not expect a new government would act soon on recommendations of the Productivity Commission's recent report on gambling, and did not factor it into his outlook. The report, published way back in June, proposes $1 bet limits with a maximum of $20 to be fed into a machine at any one time and recommends a pre-commitment system by 2016, for players to set a limit on the amount they are prepared to lose. The former prime minister Kevin Rudd referred the report to a council of state governments to consider. First things first...Once the election results are known, the new parliament may include the independent anti-pokie campaigner Andrew Wilkie. The Greens, who support greater restrictions on poker machines, will hold the balance of power in the Senate. 'O' told analysts earlier in the week that it was too early to know what all this might mean, and any changes would need to be managed "in an orderly manner through new product coming through. In the short term I'm not factoring anything in around the government because, like you, I don't know which government we will take or what influence that will have, but I would think with all the other issues around it wouldn't be the first cab off the block." Aristocrat's profit includes a $12.7 million sale of an asset, but also represents a turnaround from the $33 million loss the company reported this time last year, and its $157 million full-year loss. It reported encouraging results in its biggest market, North America, where profit rose 5.5% in local currency, but it made a 199 million-yen loss in Japan. Aussie revenue fell 22% and profit fell 46% to $11.8 million. Odell described the local result as unacceptable and attributed it to difficult market conditions "legacy issues" within the company. Aristocrat reported some good news with strong sales in Macau and in Singapore's 2 new casinos but Odell said he expected trading conditions to remain difficult in most markets. "We do not expect any improvement over the balance of 2010." Aristocrat declared an unfranked 3.5% dividend to be paid on September 30. Profit results were roughly in line with expectations, and shares rose 2.62% to close off at $3.52.
James Packer: Casino And Media King News Report...
James Packer's pay television investment group Consolidated Media Holdings last week said it would not seek a new standstill agreement with Kerry Stokes' Seven Group Holdings when the current agreement expires on September 10. The 2 groups reached the agreement last year following Seven raids on Consolidated Media, which raised Seven's stake in the group to 19.9%, compared to James Packer's 40.8% holding.
Mildura Jewel Casino Prop: Up To Public...
If Mildura wants a casino now is the time for the city’s “movers and shakers” to back the proposed $400 million development. That is the view of the man behind the Mildura Jewel entertainment and convention centre plan, casino and property developer John Haddad. In an exclusive interview with the Sunraysia Daily this week, Mr Had dad said the time for him to “push” the project had lapsed – it was now up to Mildura to show it wanted the development. It was a development he labelled “a once in a lifetime opportunity” for Mildura, one he hoped people would see as critical to underpinning the city’s future. “It’s a Mildura thing now, not a John Haddad thing anymore,” he said. “I’m not pushing it now – I’m standing back. “I’ve put the project and the idea together for everybody to look at. “I’ll await the outcome. “All I will say is that it’s an extraordinary opportunity that has been handed to Mildura by the government, to be able to decide whether it wants the Jewel or not.” Casino proponents have been buoyed in recent weeks by the level of backing from various interest groups around the city. Last week, a group calling itself the Mildura Progress Action Group met for the first time, its immediate aim to gain information on the development and the processes needed to move it forward. It followed earlier backing from the newly formed Advance Northwest Association, a resident-based, pro-development lobby group.
South Australian Govt Missing Millions Thanks To Online Gambling; Could Be National Trend...
Online gambling is clearly understood to be diverting tax money from state coffers as punters go colder on poker machines and give online pokies from the likes of PartyGaming, Centrebet, PKR, Virgin, Roxy Palace, Captain Cooks Casino and Media Man white label type deals a go. The most recent figures show a significant dip in the amount gamblers pour into the state's pokies and a $10 million annual fall in tax revenue. State Government analysis shows punters put $729 million into pokies in the past financial year, compared with $750 million in the 12 months to June 30, 2009. The result is the lowest annual outlay on poker machines for 6 years and has resulted in a Government gaming tax revenue drop from $292 million to $282 million in the past year. Experts say mass-media advertising campaigns have driven a dramatic rise in the popularity of internet gambling, which sidesteps traditional tax regulations. South Australian pubs and clubs have also suffered an $11 million revenue hit, which comes as smoking bans look to further harm the sector. Australian Hotels Association general manager Ian Horne said competition from both sports betting and online gambling outlets was placing major pressure on the industry. "The sports betting market is expanding enormously," he said. "Just look at the betting options for the federal election. The promotion of betting odds was unprecedented. It's becoming the normal way of life to bet on anything and everything." Horne said poker machines had been unfairly "demonised" while other gambling options were considered socially acceptable. A spokeswoman for Gambling Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the decline could be attributed to reduced household expenditure for recreational activities. "This expenditure is also affected by the Reserve Bank's increasing of interest rates over the past 12 months," she said. The spokeswoman also said the Government was working to reduce the number of pokies, despite figures showing 7 more in use now than last year. "There is always some variation in the number of live machines, as gaming venues may not use all of their entitlements, for example during renovations," she said.
"The Rann Government is committed to reducing pokie machine entitlements by 3000. "So far the Government has removed more than 2200 gaming machine entitlements from SA venues." Treasurer Kevin Foley has warned the state to brace for a tough September 14 Budget, saying the lingering impact of the global financial crisis has diminished revenue. Media Man and Gambling911 have strong reason to believe that online gaming and gambling will continue to grow in the Australian - Asia Pacific region, and many land based venues will continue to be hit hard.
A Media Man spokesperson said "Online gambling and gaming is here to stay in Australia. The internet is of course a global medium. Website portals, affiliate programmes, and media agency deals help determine where the traffic, players, entertainment dollar and media coverage goes to. Even Fairfax Media, News Limited and Google are big industry players now. YouTube may ramp up also. Website portal developers such as us have also done well. This is all fueled by media and gaming press speculation, and remains hot fodder for news articles. PartyGaming, Virgin, World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker remain some of the biggest brands that often get major articles in mainstream press, so of which we help facilitate, be it officially or unofficially. Smart Australian casino operators such as Crown Casino are starting to plug into the action, exampled by Crown accepting PartyGaming - PartyPoker.com online poker players as part of their Aussie Millions promo last year... one by an Aussie, and will be doing the same again this year. Google is pushing forward with Google Games on the back of Pac-Man. Marvel Entertainment, Sega, DC Comics and even Harrah's are expected to ramp up. Gambling911 and Media Man will remain in the thick of the action, even though gaming and sports betting are only 2 of about a dozen of sectors covered. Many media companies are heding thier bets are offering strong coverge, while also covering many of industries like tech, politics, entertainment and the like. Some brands like Party and Virgin are in a number of sectors which is very exciting and profitable. Online variations of Cleopatra, Monopoly and Sinatra remain the top slots, with Tomb Raider enjoying a second wind, with 3D games like Heist on the upswing too. The industry is looking forward to a further improved remainder of the year, and punters will be able to benifit from great promos and deals, so its a win - win - win".
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Crown Casino
Burswood Casino
Aussie Millions
James Packer
Australian Casinos
Aussie Millions Poker Championship At Crown Casino This January...
Folks, mark it down in your diary. Australia's richest poker tournament is coming back to Crown in Melbourne this January.
Readers, is it time for Crown and Burswood to get their own branded online casino games like 'Underbelly' and 'Kerry Packer'? Has Crown now got its security levels to the right level? What other developments would you like to see at Packer's world of entertainment? What's your favorite casino games and why? Tell us in the forum.
Crown Limited Shares...
$8.350
Readers, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Want more good Aussie fodder... check out Media Man and the 'Australian Casino Wars' portfolio at Gambling911 of course. Good punting.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)