10/31/2010

James Packer Plays In Own Charity Poker Tournament, by Greg Tingle - 31st October 2010

G'day punters, casino and media millionaires and billionaires, politicians and one and all. In big Australian casino and poker news, Crown Limited king of the castle, James Packer, is playing in Crown's Joe Hachem - Shane Warne poker tournament. Packer is on a roll as of late in both a business and philanthropic realm, and this will certainly give the living legend more time to practice his poker face, as he continues his reentry into the Australian mainstream media business with the Network Ten deal and such. Media Man and Gambling911 get you a front row seat at the poker table with this special report on 'Our James' and friends...

JP's no doubt learned a few valuable lessons under his late father Kerry Packer over the years. This weekend 'Our James' will have the opportunity to show off a few of his skills in the most unique of circumstances, which should result in a win - win - win - which tends to be typical of the Packer way.

Here's a quick history lesson for you...In one famous casino "raid" on Caesars Palace casino circa 1992, Kerry Packer snatched $US9 million at the baccarat tables. In plan his stack of chips represented US37¢ a share to the casino's listed holding company, Caesar World Inc, and bankers and top brass didn't know if they were coming or going under, if you get the picture.

In a famous tie in to Kerry's casino heist on Caesar's he apparently halved the casino's quarterly earnings. "He (KP) single-handedly, by himself, demolished that trading quarter," Caesar's chairman Henry Gluck would later revel.

Now some two decades later 'Our James' will make an extremely rare showing on the gaming tables at Crown, but shareholders like Media Man and friends need not loose any sleep. JP is a celebrity entrant in the Joe Hachem and Shane Warne charity poker tournament, and the winnings are understood to be "limited", so Crown won't be bankrupted by its own money man or anyone else, not this weekend anyway.

We've learned that under current Victorian legislation, Crown employees (including management) are banned - barred from playing at the casino, and that iron fist extends right up to 'Out James', chairman no less.

Good mate Shane Warne who is known to help raise funds for his own charitable foundation, of which JP is an ambassador...the casino applied for a special exemption from the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation, and we're pleased to report that it was granted.

Packer's also going to say G'day to some folks at Flemington for the Victoria Derby and will be pressing the flesh with many celebs and poker nuts, and a few high rollers, at the Crown felts.

Seats at the charity event put punters back $1000. The first prize is pushed as as a "high rollers package" which includes entry to the 2011 World Series of Poker, return flights, five nights' luxury accommodation and $5000 cash, plus a $1000 JMS Diamonds jewellery voucher. Some Media Man insiders reckon the poker tourney prize might actually be for entrance into the Crown Casino 'Aussie Millions', but time will tell.

In the event that Packer win the tourney, it is understood he will donate any prizes to the Shane Warne Foundation. Good eh.

Warnie and Packer are very tight these days. Early into the new year, Crown is expected to announce a JV with Warnie, with the casino agreeing to a Shane Warne-branded branded poker room. It is not known at this time if Warnie will want out of his existing online poker deals when that happens. At the same time Packer is looking to expand Betfair, and those close to the action say he will even consider b2b deals with the likes of PartyGaming, Virgin, NextGen Gaming or even others, if the deal and legals are right. Old Packer mate Tom Cruise is featured in one of PartyGaming's casino games, so that might be a deciding factor. On the other hand, 888 has had a very mixed player and news media experience in Australia. Also keep in mind that Packer gets on very well with the Virgin king Richard Branson also, so there's a number of possible outcomes. You can rest assured that Media Man and Gambling911 will be close to the action so when the news breaks you will get it pronto.

Well done Crown Casino, Packer, Warnie and all you 'Aussie Gumleaf Mafia' out there. It's a been a huge week, and we're pleased to finish on this high note. And, very soon we will announce the winner, so don't change your dial or website!

Gambling911 Australian News
http://www.gambling911.com/regional-news/australia.html

Media Man Profiles

Australia

James Packer

Crown Casino

Joe Hachem

Shane Warne

Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters, how did you like the special report? Do you think James should have been allowed to play? Who will win the tourney? Tell us in the forum. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

Crown Limited Share Price: $8.330

*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 and offer political commentary and analysis.

*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

Casino News Media: PartyCasino Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award

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

10/30/2010

Asia Pacific Casino News: Fiji To Get First Casino, by Greg Tingle - 30th October 2010

G'day punters, casino and media millionaires and billionaires, politicians and one and all. This week we take you a bit further afield that Australian waters. We paddle across to Fiji where talk of the counties first ever casino project is all the rage. Media Man and Gambling911 with this Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka body splashing report...

Fiji's notorious military government called for keen expressions of interest in developing and operating the embattled Pacific nation's first casino.

Tourism Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum advised a casino would help Fiji attract more visitors from the emerging markets of China, India and from Europe, in addition to building on the potentially lucrative US market.

The invitation to gaming companies will be a strong test for international investor confidence in the nation, where the economy has faltered since a military coup in 2006 led by current Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.

Sayed-Khaiyum said there were very obvious economic benefits from a casino development, which could create jobs of course, and also help raise additional revenue for the government.

He would not give a timeline for the casino at this time, saying Fiji was looking for reputable international gaming operators to develop a casino that would increase leisure activities in the country.

"At the same time we do not want to harm Fiji's tourism brand, which the government and the people of Fiji have invested so much in," Sayed-Khaiyum said in a statement to the press.

He said laws would be put in place to minimise possible negative social impact from the casino, citing Malaysia and Singapore as countries where such protective mechanisms had been very successfully installed. He did not mention the Australian experience and productivity commission findings into the gambling business, which are questionable in nature we have learned in our own probe over the past months.

Tourism is Fiji's major export earner following a decline in its former economic bread and butter, the sugar industry.

More than 540,000 international visitors, 65% of them from "downunder" in Australia and "Kiwi Land" New Zealand, flocked to the the island nation's white sandy beaches last year, according to official data.

The World Bank this month said Fiji's economy was expected to grow 0.5-1.0% in 2010, only partially recovering from a 3.0% contraction last year.

It said Fiji's public debt, including state-owned enterprises, was about 67% of gross domestic product and government revenues this year were were likely to fall below budget forecasts.

The non-profit organisation International Budget Partnership this week ranked Fiji bottom in a survey of budget transparency covering 94 countries, saying publicly-available information on government accounts was inadequate.

Media Man's bodyguards and Fiji cultural experts Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Adam Yarad and John "Vucan" Seru aka "The Fijian Warrior" are not commenting on the proposed casino development at this time, but we will advise if the situation changes. Ni Sa Moce (Goodbye in Fijian).

Media Man Profiles

Australia

Australian Casinos

Asia Pacific

New Zealand

Fiji

Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters, do you think Fiji should get a land based casino, or are online casinos enough to service our native friends? Tell us in the forum. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, 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 and offer political commentary and analysis.

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

10/28/2010

Casino News Media: PartyGaming Quarterly revenue rise

Casino News Media: PartyGaming Quarterly revenue rise

Websites: PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com WPT Casino WPT Poker PartyBingo.com

Profiles

PartyGaming PartyCasino PartyPoker World Poker Tour Noble Casino PartyBingo PartyBets Gamebookers Live Dealer PartyCasino Marvel Slots

World's leading listed online gaming operator PartyGaming has announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2010 showing a 9 percent year-on-year increase in total revenues to €85.3 million.

The Gibraltar-based firm operates popular online poker domains PartyPoker.com and World Poker Tour. They also own and operate leading online bingo websites Foxy Bingo, Mirror Bingo, Think Bingo and Cheeky Bingo and revealed that revenues from its casino businesses grew two percent year-on-year to reach €34.9 million.

It's premier online casino brand is PartyCasino.com and they also own and operate Noble Casino, Casino Las Vegas, Swiss Casino, and a number of others.

Although revenues from poker decreased five percent when compared to the same period in 2009 to €29.6 million, PartyGaming revealed that bingo improved by 36% year-on-year to hit €13.1 million while sportsbetting grew by a massive 86% for the three-month period to reach €5.4 million.

“Total revenues were up by nine percent year-on-year with growth in all products except poker despite the impact of having closed our French casino business at the end of June,” said Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer for PartyGaming.

“Excluding our French casino, total revenues would have been up by 12% year-on-year driven by casino growth in other markets, acquisitions and a strong performance in sportsbetting.

“We have been encouraged by the strong start from our nascent French poker network that went live on July 1. A strong performance by PartyPoker.fr in France has been further boosted by the launch of PMU’s poker business in France as well as services for AB Groupe and Aviation Club De France.

“In respect of current trading since the end of September, we have begun to see the normal seasonal upturn in-line with the board’s expectations and we remain confident about the full-year outlook.”

*New PartyCasino.com players get up to $3000 sign up bonus

*Media Man conducts some b2b activities with PartyGaming brands, as they do with dozens of companies in the entertainment, news and gaming sector.

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

Aussies, Yanks, Hollywood Betting Arnie Schwarzenegger To Come Back, by Greg Tingle - 27th October 2010

G'day Hollywood, Aussiewood and internet entertainment news tragics. Huge entertainment news for the vast and loyal following today with talk circulating from Bondi Beach to Los Angeles that The Governator - Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger Will Be Back (in the movies). That's right! The rumors and hints have been around for over a year now, with Arnie often seen in public with action hero mate and Gambling911 - Media Man favorite, Sylvester Stallone, and who can forget his awesome performance in The Expendables. Media Man and Gambling911 take on the machines and do the ring around in Hollywood in order to bring you this very special report...

The world is almost begging Arnie to make a full time ish return to the movies. At least that's the buzz down under in Australia and from a growing number of the American public and Hollywood movie executives. Some passionate Arnie fans are even having bets with their mates on if will will return, how soon, and in what movies!

"I'll be back". Yeah, we know, you've heard it before, but this time it's on the cards and looking like a safe bet from all angles. Those close advise he's got the fire in the belly, much like the type Aussie gambling tycoon James Packer got, seeing 'Our James' returning to the television spectrum.

Politically and in a business and all round timing aspect in makes good sense. Let's see, its only next week when California will elect a new governor. Some say it can't happen soon enough. So, in 2 months Arnie will be available for opportunities that take his fancy.

Schwarzenegger, now a great looking 63, doesn't appear to be after the job of U.S President. We mean, who the heck would want that job these days. His bio and CV is world class all the way and sports titles and attributes such as Mr Universe body builder champion, politician, environmental campaigner, movie star and philanthropist.

Hollywood types and political analysts reckon he time is about right for Arnie to lay his cards on the table and make his move - big splash fashion, for the most impact. Long time mate and associate Stallone is understood to be assisting him with strategy (and sourcing the right opportunities).

Veteran Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman was happy to go on record with "People still love Arnold. He can choose whatever he wants. He's got nothing left to prove, all the money in the world and the world of choices available to him".

In his response to the "what next?" question, Schwarzenegger said in well circulated "Tweetcast" last week that he planned to give speeches, write a book or two, and continue fighting for the environment.

Movies? "It depends ... if someone comes with a great script, with a great idea. Will I still have the patience to sit on the set and do a movie for three months or for six months, all of those things? I don't know," he said.

He teased us be announcing that he recently met with Terminator and Avatar director James Cameron, and would make some sort of an announcement soon!!!

The Republican "Governator" is to conclude his lucky 7 years in office with only a 22% popularity rating among Californians. Sounds like the sort of numbers Australia's Senator Stephen Conroy gets for popularity (Not - Borat speak). His star power and money making potential appears not damaged by his time in politics, which included some impressive and not so impressive happenings.

It's been understood that his Austrian birth rules out a go as US president, not that he would want it anymore, but one political analyst Allan Hoffenblum actually sees a possible appointment in the Obama administration, perhaps on an environmental front.

"I think that is a very viable possibility, especially if Obama does badly in the November congressional elections, he may want to reach out to moderate Republicans," Hoffenblum said.

Elective politics is likely not on his horizon, pundits said. The highest Schwarzenegger can go now is the US Senate, but an opening may be two years away, assuming California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein decides to step down.

In an interesting moneymaker, Arnie also features in The Terminator online slot game released by PartyGaming - PartyCasino.com which has being trying to get back into the U.S market for almost as long as Arnold has been in political office in the hotbed of California. Arnold was apparently unable to get legal casino igaming green lighted in CA while in office, but few are willing to put the blame on him.

Schwarzenegger would have no trouble being hired by Hollywood, be it part time, full time or other. He is still fit and resuming action roles would be "like riding a bike", industry leaks whispered.

A Media Man spokesperson said "Its amazing. There has been a massive upswell in support of Arnie returning to Hollywood, namely for his action movie genre many grew up on. The rebirth of Arnie came around the same time word leaked that he would be teaming up with Stallone in The Expendables, and as they say, the rest is history. Another Expendables movie is being planned, more Expendables games, and Arnie is sounding more and more like he wants more of the action. Most of the public and Hollywood want him back in the action too."

Media Man Profiles

Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Terminator

The Expendables

Sylvester Stallone

Hollywood

Politics

Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters and movie buffs, what's your view on a return of Arnie to Hollywood? Tell us in the forum. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun. Oh, we'll be back!

*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 and offer political commentary and analysis.

*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

10/27/2010

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

10/26/2010

James Packer Network Ten Deal May Link To Online Gaming And Politics, by Greg Tingle - 26th October 2010

G'day punters, casino and media millionaires and billionaires, those who aspire to be, journalists, politicians and one and all. Australian and Asia Pacific gambling and lifestyle king, James Packer, is on top of the world at the moment and riding a way of a momentum, following his "share raid of the decade" on Network Ten. Australian Communications Minister Sen Stephen Conroy has named packer's move "Very Clever", and Conroy appears to be on the money this time around according to a vast array of commentators both nationally and internationally. Media Man and Gambling911 can now reveal some of the big picture elements of the Network Ten deal, which point to an interactive media plan which sure looks to include online gambling and gaming, which will compliment his already strong Betfair online offering. The Ten connection by all accounts in the missing link that will give Packer the upper hand in media, new media, online gaming, politics and beyond. Read on for our latest "very clever" report...

Australian gambling and lifestyle 'king of the castle', James Packer, is now seen as a top ten global media baron, thanks to his latest Network Ten moves, including his now famous share raid, which in turn provided much needed confidence in the Australian and international news media - television industry.

In addition, since Packer's raid on Ten, both Network Ten and Crown Limited shares have continued on an upward trend, only now just starting to settle.

Media Man business analysts have been monitoring the situation closely, and one is now prepared to go on record with Gambling911 with the following "James Packer has pulled a genius master stoke with his share raid on Network Ten, and his associated follow up maneuvers. There's numerous benefits Packer and his camp. Snatching quality stock at a bargain price, building media power, political clout, and we strongly believe he's now in an ideal position to leap into national and international online casino and online gambling business ventures, which will tie into television, b2b deals and more. It shouldn't be much longer that Betfair will be only basically offering sports betting gambling. Be watching out for online casino games, political betting, even interactive games linked to TV channels like Network Ten and One. Packer appears to have borrowed a few tried and tested tricks from Rupert Murdoch who have done a solid job in controlling much of Australia's and the western worlds news media interests, mainly in print, TV and film, but also interactive gambling which is huge in the UK and other parts of Europe. Expect Packer to move quickly to offer the full suit of online gambling excitement, first in Australian, then UK most likely, followed by Macau... which his land based casinos also perform strongly. Make now mistake, right now is a historic time for Packer... the man so many were ready to write off only a few years ago. Now many insiders believe that the late Kerry Packer would be enormously proud of how James is performing in gambling, media, and even his work - life balance. For the foreseeable future expect for Crown Limited and Network Ten to leap from strenght to strenght, and if you are looking to grab some shares in either or both companies, do it very soon, before they jump either further. Packer is leading the Australian news media business as we head towards 2010."

Network Ten, Nine and Foxtel sources have been leaking some information to MM, and all agree that Packer is on fire at the moment, and are impressed that even Senator Stephen Conroy was prepared to go on record that Packer made a "very clever move".

Packer is currently Australia's 3rd richest man, much the way he's going he may soon be #1.

James Packer is fighting control of Ten Network, but will he get it? Most expects think Yes.

As a famous Media Man once said, "He who owns the press, runs the press". And, the same can be said for Packer's other big business passion - Gambling.

Gambling has been a virtual goldmine for JP. He has a cunning monopoly on casinos in Australia's Melbourne and Perth, and more casinos in downtown Macau, plus more gambling investments in UK... the Aspers connection and the like.

Packer may soon become even more powerful than his late father, Kerry. Sen Stephen Conroy has not commented on Packer's power, only making the "clever" reference.

The television network / s on Packer's radar / agenda will help him offer the ultimate in online and interactive gambling, at least in Australia for a start.

Online gambling, betting and all the rest of the adds ons are a punters dream (or nightmare), depending upon who you ask. Wives, lock up your husbands... just kidding, we think. And you thought the cricket and footy betting odds were too much... just wait for what's in store. You ain't seen nothing yet.

Packer, friends and associates will want to see the Australian and international footy and cricket corruption cleaned up, so as to not be a negative distraction from the master plan.

Politicians need to watch out for the powerhouse Packer. They will become friends or bitten enemies by the look of it, sort of like the GW Bush "You're either with us, or against us"!

A Media Man insider whispered..."Don't worry JP and DG, we're with you. A very happy shareholder we are, and we're upfront about it, not like some in the Australian news media business who are not upfront to say the least."

Packer is set to become the king of media moguls in Australian history, and watch out anyone that dare take him on, Prime Mister, Greens Party hotshots, or otherwise. Would "real life Underbelly" come into effect if need by to see Packer's dreams come true? Ok, forget that for a bit, but take a wild guess if you dare, and then remind yourself of who was JP's dad, and you'll soon enough get the idea.

Could the past 'Murdoch Amendments' in Australian broadcasting law be a clue as to if 'Packer Amendments' may be just around the corner.

A bit of history. Broadcasting in Australia was deregulated in 1992 by the Bob Hawke government and this upset some who jumped up and down about broadcasters' commercial interests VS the public interest.

Packer is looking to boost profits, cut costs, and boost his media and gambling empire. Will he be prepared to see the quality of journalism suffer to help his bottom line? Only time will tell, but entertainment, gambling and sports content and programming seem to be higher on his overall priorities, than winning news coverage awards at this point.

JP is looking to wrestle control of Network Ten and keep growing the gambling - casino, poker and sports betting et al arms of his empire. His gambling arm downunder is understood to bring 'The King' about $4 billion per year. That's power in most folks black book.

In Packer's defense, his has been more than pulling his weight in social endeavors, be it with poker tournament fundraisers, the 'Packer Wacker' ambo support, Victor Chang and friends happenings, Shane Warne Foundation, Salvation Army matters and more.

Having said that, Packer is yet to release the final plan, goals and the like of his Packer Foundation, and it might serve him well to give clarity on the matter.

Erica Packer aka Erica Baxter has also been doing more than her fair share with a number of worthy causes, including everyone's favorite, National Breast Cancer Foundation, but also some lesser known worthy causes on the quite, just as Media Man does from time to time.

Anon sources in both camps both pointed out words to the effect of "The better the businesses perform, the more we can support good causes".

Philanthropy Australia estimates that there are more than 2000 foundations in Australia, giving between $500 million and $1 billion a year.

Packer may be adding to his own wealth, whilst helping numerous causes, but at the same time don't dismiss his contribution to the Australian economy. Jobs, training, the tourism and lifestyle sector, more technology jobs on the way, and so it goes on. Without "whales" like Packer, the economy would further slow, and jobs would be lost. If you need more convincing of Packer's great work, along with mates like Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, just look up GenerationOne, where they have taken some "down and outters", and turned their lives around. Those close are known to call it the Twiggy - Packer magic, and it works for both social enterprise and commercial endeavors.

Media Man top brass also added "James Packer surprises a few folks with his move back into television, Mind you, he surprised a few with his massive bounce back in the casino and gaming sector in Australia and Macau also, as well as his solid exit strategy from the mayhem Las Vegas. Watch for Packer to also ramp up in the online area, with Betfair maintaining a strong position. More online casino game content to hit Betfairs, and I would be totally surprised to see the likes of a Packer do a deal with other leaders like PartyGaming or Richard Branson's Virgin. Packer is friendly with Tom Cruise, featured in a PartyGaming release, and has also been spotted and photographed with Richard Branson over the years, so nothing is impossible for JP - James Packer at this stage of the game. He appears to have the killer instinct and is virtually unstoppable. You really have to give the devil his due. At the same time he is main tainting his friendship with Network Nine boss David Gyngell, so good on his for taking care of the work - life balance, something many media and gaming tycoons struggle with. Packer is starting to turn into a living legend, and we are not talking that up. The record speaks for itself. For anyone that wants to try to step in Packer's way, its game on.!

Packer also has accelerated plans to offer Australian's a full online casino offering via his 50% owned Betfair, which have noted the success of other online gambling operators servicing down under such as Interestingly, PartyGaming's last year in a b2b type arrangement directed a number of their online poker players to Packer's poker tournament, Aussie Millions. Packer mate, Shane Warne, is also tipped to have a poker room and / or tourney named after him at Crown Casino, and its speculated other deals are on the radar with even some tipping Media Man, Casino News Media, Richard Branson - Virgin b2b and website portals in the mix. PartyGaming and NextGen Gaming are expected to also pitch to Packer and his team on the new media - internet front, and the brands 'Underbelly', 'Kerry Packer' and 'Casino Jack' keep coming up. First Packer is expect to get his Betfair to the next stage of offering a more comprehensive gambling offering, but at the same time the Packer camp is open to the right sort of b2b proposals.

A Media Man spokesperson said "James Packer's latest business plays have been brilliant. It's risk management, brand building, convergent media, relationship leveraging and more all in one. He's also buying entities at the right price, and has a global business model which helps ride out the world's financial storm, while also having an Australian - Asia Pacific focus, which is one of the strongest markets in the world at the moment, away from the chaos of sorts in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. From here on up it should be pretty smooth sailing for Packer and Billionaire Inc. Punters should likely expect some gambling or gaming reality TV shows, as Packer's passion for both having a punt and news media is pretty contagious. Packer is making exciting and smart business moves and has a world class team of advisers around him. He's also spending millions upgrading Crown and Burswood casinos, to help further cement them as the leaders, while Tabcorp tries to chase him with their Star City. Packer once again proves the knockers wrong, and we can't wait to get back down to Crown Casino to congratulate the Packer powers that be in person. From Bondi Beach to Palm Beach, Macau, Perth, the internet, to TV land - the world is his oyster. Watch this space".

Media Man Profiles

Australia

Australian Casinos

Crown Casino

Network Ten

James Packer

Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters, do you agree with our assessment of the Packer plans re media linked to the internet, online gambling and political power across Australian, then the globe? Keep checking daily for updates. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

Crown Limited Share Price: $8.450

Network Ten Holdings Limited Price: $1.61

*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 and offer political commentary and analysis.

*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

10/22/2010

Australian Casino And Gambling News: Huge Week, by Greg Tingle - 22nd October 2010

It's been one of the biggest and most colourful weeks in the history of the Australian casino, gambling and media industry. We've got Crown Limited VS Tabcorp in the Aussie casino war, Tabcorp restructure, Crown's Packer VS Network Nine's Gyngell, politics and gambling, tons of new games hitting PartyGaming and Virgin, the government chasing revenue, money laundering via pub pokie palaces and so much more. Media Man and Gambling911 continue to bring you the hottest news on the planet...

Fake Casino Chips Found At Star City Casino; 'Sin City' Lives Up To Name...

Action by a casino cashier uncovered a rather fishy fake chip scam that saw the arrest of a female (not fem bot) at Star City in Australia's 'Sin City' Sydney. Cops and security nabbed and detained the woman in the early hours of Monday morning after a staffer member alerted them to a batch of high-quality fake $100 gaming chips that had just been handed in at the cashier. The counterfeit chips were allegedly smuggled into the casino on Sunday night. A 27-year-old woman was arrested at roughly 1.15am. It was the first time in a decade that counterfeit chips have been found at the casino. A Star City spokesman said the cashier noticed an "irregular chip" and immediately contacted security. "It is very rare that we see a good quality chip like this but our cashiers are very well trained and fortunately we picked up on it early in the piece," he said. We had a separate set of $100 chips ready to go and they were distributed as quickly as possible. It will not affect those people who took chips home and want to come back into the casino to use them." The arrest was made as part of a wider surveillance operation. The Blakehurst woman was charged with dishonestly obtaining property by deception and two counts of use and possess counterfeit chips in a casino. Police went onto executed a search warrant at a house in Coogarah St, Blakehurst and seized more counterfeit chips, credit cards, computers and $21,840 in cash. A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of dishonestly obtain property by deception and two counts of possessing counterfeit chips in a casino. Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis said police were keeping a close watch for more fake chips. "Due to the co-operation and fast action by the casino, police have been able to identify and respond to these offences," Supt Katsogiannis said. "Anyone found using such chips will be arrested and dealt with by police."
In April last year, bosses at Melbourne's Crown Casino were forced to check the authenticity of more than $13.7 million worth of $1000 chips after near-perfect counterfeits were detected. More than $36,000 worth of chips were found to be fakes.
The woman charged over the Star City fakes will appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on November 8. The man has been bailed and will appear at Bankstown Local Court on November 16. No fish or vinegar was found with the chips, and before you ask, no, Annie "The Hunt" Duke or "Annette15" were not connected, despite many insiders calling them "sharks", with eyes squarely on Australian fresh meat!

Expert Advisory Panel On Australian Gambling Announced...

We've been chasing this story for a while, but only now can we give you the meaty chunks you've been waiting for on this front...

22 (not 21!) people have been selected to advise the Australian Government on its gambling reforms through a new expert panel. The Ministerial Expert Advisory Group on Gambling, chaired by Professor Peter Shergold AC, will provide specialist and technical implementation advice and assist the Government to deliver gambling reforms.

The Government has invited representatives to join the Ministerial Expert Advisory Group from:
problem gambling counselling and support services;
clubs, hotels, casinos and gaming machine manufacturers;
the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union; and
research and academic institutions that specialise in understanding problem gambling behaviour and harm minimisation measures.

The group will consider key issues such as the implementation of a best practice, full pre‑commitment scheme on poker machines, the roll out of poker machine dynamic warning and cost of play displays and establishing ATM withdrawal limits in venues with poker machines (excluding casinos).

The Government says the group will be guided by the latest evidence on gambling and will seek advice from other stakeholders where necessary and will meet for the first time in early November.

They will provide advice to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Assistant Treasurer regularly, through the Secretariat and the Chair.

On Saturday the Council of Australian Government's (COAG) Select Council on Gambling Reform, which includes Treasurers, Ministers responsible for gambling regulation, and Ministers responsible for community services, will meet for the first time to develop national solutions to minimise harm from problem gambling.

The Australian Government has committed to work with the states and territories, industry and the community sector to progress a national response to the recommendations of the Productivity Commission Report on Gambling.

The Productivity Commission estimates that there are between 80,000 and 160,000 problem gamblers in Australia. In addition there are between 230,000 and 350,000 people at moderate risk.
Ministerial Expert Advisory Group Membership
Chair: Professor Peter Shergold AC, Macquarie Group Foundation Professor, Centre for Social Impact, University of NSW.
The Government has invited the following people to join the Ministerial Advisory Group on Gambling:
Ms Cheryl Vardon, Australasian Gaming Council
Mr Anthony Ball, Clubs Australia
Mr John Whelan, Australian Hotels Association
Mr Chris Downy, Australasian Casino Association
Mr Ross Ferrar, Gaming Technologies Association
Mr Rohan Martin, ATM Industry Reference Group
Mr John Duffy, International Gaming Technology
Mr John Bresnan, Crown Limited
Mr David Curry, Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group
Mr Simon Schrapel, ACOSS and UnitingCare Wesley, Adelaide
Dr Mark Zirnsak, Victorian InterChurch Gambling Taskforce
Major Brad Halse, Salvation Army Southern Territory
Ms Rosemary Hambledon, Relationships Australia South Australia
Mr Barry Sheehan, Centacare Toowoomba
Ms Kate Roberts, Gambling Impact Society
Ms Louise Tarrant, Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union
Dr Paul Delfabbro, Associate Professor in Psychology, University of Adelaide
Professor Nerilee Hing, Director, Centre for Gambling Education and Research, Southern Cross University
Professor Alex Blaszczynski, Chair in Psychology, University of Sydney
Mr Ashley Gordon, Centre for Gambling Education and Research, Southern Cross University
Dr Charles Livingstone, Deputy Head, Department of Health Social Science, Monash University

Money Laundering Crime Spree At Australian Pokie Palaces In The Suburbs...

Money laundering via club pokies is big and dirty business in Aussie hotels, but its been a bit of a secret, before Gambling911 and Media Man spread the word worldwide. It usually happens in the middle of the night, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning. This is when many of Australia's top pokie palaces are doing the big numbers, in more ways than one. Professional money launderers in Australia are understood to have similar working hours and sleeping patterns to bats, rats, other rodents, and creatures of the night. They often hit several hotels in a night. Winter is understood to be the real festive season for this breed, as it's easier to carry huge wads of dirty cash in a jacket pocket, hidden into the landscape. They frequently use the car parks attached to the hotel, launderers trying to get a spot as close to the door as possible, as they carry large sums of cold hard cash. Being loyal patrons they are sometimes well known to security guards, who nod to them, get them inside, so the fun and games begin. The nod is known in the security trade as "brothel protocol", where familiar and loyal patrons are discreetly acknowledged without mentioning names, and you get the idea maties. Security guards who understand "the rules" make it easier for the pros. A car park is key because the launderers don't want to walk the street carrying thousands of bucks in the dead of night. After they enter the hotel, the pro launderers do what is known as a "recognisance" of the gambling room to check for any threats such as under-cover police officers or prospective muggers or other problems. You can sometimes spot the pros by the long jackets, with large pockets. This folks are daring and usually pretty tough. It's a bugger of a job, but those qualified and willing make a handsome living doing the midnight shifts. Crime gangs often go for Sydney's west and south-west when they need to convert large amounts of cash into funds in the form of a winnings cheque because they offer the top notch car parks and security needed. Pro launderers are almost exclusively male, and they take their profession seriously. Almost always as part of the art, during the initial visit they will play a small amount of cash through a one armed bandit and then reserve it by pressing a "reserve" button, before returning to their car to collect up to $10 grand in $100 notes. They often make several trips to their car to collect more cash, then return to the same pokie. Unlike other automated cash machines such as ticket dispensers, poker machines are not so fussy about how notes are fed into them. This means gamblers can do $10,000 in minutes by feeding 100 $100 notes before the reels start spinning, and the speed of machines means each bet may be seconds apart. The gambler then gets a cheque from the hotel, which is "clean" and appears to tax and other authorities to be a "win". Often they simply feed the money into the pokie without actually gambling it, and then collect a cheque for what they have put in the machine. Sometimes they play a few hundred bucks, or less, before collecting their clean money. The hotel of course gets high turnover through its machines, of which it can legally keep a percentage of the amount, through the profits on its machines, and the government coffers gets a percentage through gaming taxes. About $2 million passes through the pokies in a week at each of the state's top pokie palaces, according to an analysis of figures supplied from friends at the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing. This produces a net profit of about $160,000 a week, or $8.3 million a year for the hotelier. Good business, if you don't get caught. Many launderers don't need to play the machines, they just feed in the cash and press the "collect" button, allowing them to go to the bar or a booth and receive a fat cheque. The rumour mills says some hoteliers say some pubs are so well known to crime gangs that they refer to them as LLs, slang for "local laundries". Hotel industry sources estimate that nationally $2 billion is laundered through hotels, clubs and casino poker machines and gambling chips, and about 40% of this is via New South Wales, the nation's aptly named 'Sin City' Sydney. This is a party of the $14 billion fed through Australia's poker machines in pokie palaces every year. Poker machines are understood to be one of the few places remaining for crims to clean cash due to a crackdown on money laundering at racecourses, the TAB and a few other lurks.
Hoteliers and their staff are supposed to report suspicious transactions as one might guess, but the reporting of customers who feed large amount of cash through machines in return for cheques is not routine to say the least. The nation's anti-laundering agency is trying to crack down on this through the enhanced powers it got in 2006, but not much movement on that front, and there are more than 6000 hotels around the country, making it a tough nut to crack. Under the strict anti-laundering legislation, hotels are supposed to have a "compliance manager" on staff to report suspicious and large payouts, but in reality those who hand out the fat winnings cheques are often young and inexperienced bar staff. Many in the industry say that hoteliers won't be compelled to report all suspicious transactions and stamp out laundering until a hotelier "is made an example of". The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre has been sending out formal questionnaires to hotels and clubs for the past few months, asking hotels to declare who its big "winners" are. There was another round of these quiz's sent to hotels around NSW on 29th September. Austrac is working with the Australian Crime Commission, but no hotels or clubs have been prosecuted for breaching laundering laws, even though there are harsh penalties including jail and fines of $11 million for each offence. George Thomas, a 74-year-old publican from Vaucluse, is the only hotelier to be busted so far by the nation's anti-laundering agency. Austrac forced Thomas's seven companies to appoint an external auditor from the accounting firm Deloittes after they were found to have breached four sections of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act. The breaches were related to asking customers for identification, identifying and managing money-laundering risks and lodging reports to the regulator. Austrac said they were "asked a number of times" to comply with the laws which require the hotels to produce evidence it has procedures to address money laundering, but the hotels did not comply until the auditor was appointed. The Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing knows down to the dollar how much cash is going through poker machines in every NSW hotel, because of sophisticated centralised monitoring software that sends data back to head office. It can even identify if launderers are feeding money into machines and pressing collect without playing them! But those in the know reckon it is a state-government body which is mostly interested in gaming taxes, not laundering. No hoteliers were willing to comment on the record about the extent of laundering through poker machines. "The hoteliers think, 'Jesus, if my hotel gets mentioned then the launderers won't come. How much will that impact on my business?" one leaker said. The chief executive of the Australian Hotels Association, Sally Fielke, declined to comment about the extent of laundering through hotels, saying she had no way of measuring it. One of those willing to comment was Paul Mulligan, a risk manager for Risk Consultants Australia, which advises hotels on how to comply with the new laws. Mulligan said hotels wanted to stamp out money laundering but they were finding it costly and time consuming to comply as the legislation was complex. Bankers who fund the hotel industry are also concerned about the extent of dirty money flowing through poker machines that in effect, they part-own. "It is a very delicate matter," said one person in the bank sector, who does not want to be associated with laundering. They are also concerned about the loss of business, and how that will hit the bottom line of hotels. Austrac is also cracking down on poker machines within licensed clubs, as well as bets placed through bookmakers, one may ask is if launderers can't go to hotels, clubs or to the racetrack, where might the money go? Online casinos... the www, underground gambling dens at Kings Cross?

Tabcorp To Ramp Up Queensland Banana Bender Land Based Casinos...

Tabcorp Holdings has tipped even greater investment in Queensland casinos, stating it wants to snatch some of rival Crown Ltd's high-rolling VIP players aka "whales". Tabcorp on Monday announced a demerger of its casinos operations from its wagering, gaming and keno businesses. The company also said it would spend $175 million on upgrading its Jupiters casino on the Gold Coast to create an international entertainment and resort destination. The upgrade will include refurbishment of the main gaming floor, a new private gaming room, dedicated gaming areas for VIP - whale customers, new restaurants and bars, a nightlife venue, a refurbishment of the pool area and a new spa. Construction is expected to start in the middle of calendar year 2011 and be completed in 2014. Tabcorp also said it was in talks with the Queensland government on further expansion of its Gold Coast, Brisbane and Townsville casinos, including the construction of one or two new hotels. Tabcorp already is engaged in a $960 million expansion of its Star City casino in Sydney, which includes a $100 million licence fee to the NSW government. Tabcorp chief executive Elmer Funke Kupper said Asian VIP gamblers visiting Australia would "naturally gravitate" to the Gold Coast and Sydney. But Crown Limited, which operates the Crown Casino in Melbourne and the Burswood Casino in Perth, had more than 80% of the VIP market. Clients are understood to be loyal to the James Packer owned company, as are Media Man and most friends. "If you look at the geography, at the size of Australia, that is not the right mix," Funke Kupper said. "Therefore, we are very confident that by investing in Sydney and the Gold Coast, we can grow the market by creating destinations that people might prefer over Melbourne. "Secondly, we'd like to correct the market share equation where I think we're underdoing it." Funke Kupper said that given the far greater size of Melbourne and Sydney and the large number of tourist arrivals, casinos in those two cities would always be much bigger than casinos in Queensland. He said Queensland was a "stretched out" market along several thousand kilometres of coastline and more suited to a number of very strong local casinos. Tabcorp was pleased with its positioning of casinos at the Gold Coast and in Brisbane and Townsville but needed to grow the market. "We're flagging that we continue to be working with, and discussing very constructively with, the Queensland government on the next round of possibilities," Funke Kupper told the press. "Now that's a much bigger investment, that is a much bigger decision. If it were to be a possibility, then the casinos business will undertake that investment whenever that is - it could be 12 to 18 months out, or further out.". Folks, the Aussie casino wars are still going strong, and we thank each one of your for your ongoing contributions via email and in the world famous forum.

The latest just in...

Packer Eyes Sky TV...

Packer's $250 million-plus raid on the Ten Network is likely part of an elaborate plan that could lead to the axing of Ten's sports channel, One HD, and its replacement with a free-to-air version of Rupert Murdoch's Sky News service! By closing the Ten sports channel, Packer would eliminate a big competitor for the sports channels on Foxtel...the pay TV network that he jointly owns with Murdoch's News Ltd and Telstra. Under Packer's crafty if not cunning plan, Sky News would still be screened by Foxtel but would use one of Channel Ten's new digital free-to-air stations as another distribution point, giving it a much bigger potential audience reach... piece of the pie. Until now Sky News has only been available on Foxtel and its regional equivalent Austar. So as the commercial networks began offering multiple free-to-air channels, the pay television business has been under massive pressure. The management of Foxtel is tipped to battle the Packer move. A second leg to Mr Packer's investment in Ten involves cutting costs by chopping the network's expensive plans to boost its news service between 6pm -7pm, part of which involved installing news and current affairs veterans George Negus and Chris Masters. Packer would rather see a cheap alternative of reruns of programs such as mainstay The Simpsons. Cutting network operating costs would be an essential element to making a return on his investment. But while the theory is sound enough, the execution will put Packer into battle with the management and board of Ten. In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange last night, Packer's private company, Consolidated Press Holdings, confirmed it now owned more than 186 million shares in Ten, or 17.8% of the stock. As the stake might not be sufficient for Packer to push through his plans, he may need to enlist the support of regional TV tycoon Bruce Gordon, who owns 12% of Ten, and Perpetual Investments, which has about 10%. At this stage, Packer has no plan for a full takeover bid. Mr Packer ended his family's association with free-to-air television two years ago when he sold the last of his stake in Nine Network's parent, PBL Media.

PartyGaming VS Virgin Games War Continues...

In a week that sees PartyCasino and Virgin Casino go at it hammer and tong, both online casinos unleash yet more games, with a focus on slots and attractive bonuses. PartyGaming still has a clear upper hand on a global scale, as they are available in many more counties than Virgin at this stage, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In addition, Party is offering up to $3000 in bonuses for new players, while Virgin is only tipping $100. We still love Richard Branson's Virgin, so don't be too hard on them. We know they are trying to get into other counties, but until then, Party wins hands down. Both casinos have previously won the prestigious Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award. New slots include Unicorn Legend, Crocodopolis, Shark Super Bet, Thunderstruck II, Tally Ho, HellBoy, Pharaoh's Treasure, Snow Business, Alice’s Wonderland and Kung Food. Insiders say more new slots have hit the internet this month, than any other month in history! Well, what are you waiting for. Spin to win and good luck.

Media Man Profiles

Australia

Australian Casinos

Crown Casino

Network Ten

James Packer

David Gyngell

Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters, what's your view on the latest in the Australian casino and gambling landscape? Keep checking daily for updates. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

Shares

Crown Limited Share price: $8.490

Tabcorp price: $7.450

Network Ten Holdings Limited price: $1.580

CVC price: 0.910

*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 and offer political commentary and analysis.

*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

10/21/2010

Virgin Casino News: Hang Out With the Osbournes at Virgin Casino

Press Release

Hang Out With the Osbournes at Virgin Casino

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 14th Oct 2010 - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, is pleased to announce the launch of a new slot, The Osbournes, by Microgaming. The branded slot game is based on the TV series and features all the members of the unconventional family of aging rocker, Ozzy Osbourne, and offers additional opportunities to win with an innovative on-screen trail feature that unfolds above the reels.

The Osbournes is a 5 reel 20 pay-line slot with great graphics that captures the outrageous spirit and humour of the famously dysfunctional family and creates an engrossing new slot that is jam-packed with great opportunities to score free spins, multiplier boosts and solid cash prizes.

Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "Just as the TV show of this dysfunctional family provides hours of entertainment, The Osbournes slot does not fail to deliver in the entertainment stakes whilst also providing fantastic rewards. With free spins, multiplier boosts and great cash prizes, players don't have to be a fan of the show to enjoy playing this great new game".

Players can choose their currency - GBP, $, € - and win up to 75,000.00 in the base game and 150,000.00 in Free Spins. Whilst in the new Door Knocker bonus a further 50,000.00 is available and additional bonuses can bring in another 3,000.00. The betting range is anything from 0.01 to 0.50 and up to ten coins a line, making a maximum bet of 100.00 possible.

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.
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.

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

Press Release

Thunderstruck II Arrives at Virgin Casino

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -8th Oct 2010 - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, is pleased to announce the launch of Thunderstruck II by top game developer, Microgaming. The game's predecessor, Thunderstruck, which launched in 2003, is one of the most successful and entertaining video slots in online gaming; a feature-rich game which has achieved iconic stature over the years with a wide player demographic.

This latest game promises to be a big hit with fans of Thunderstruck and offers even more features and opportunities to win big rewards. Based on the innovative 5 reel, 243 ways to win concept, this slot offers the player a range of benefits that includes Wilds and Expanding Wilds, four different Bonuses, Scatter action, four different Free Spins rewards, Multipliers ranging from 2x to 6x and absorbing free games.

Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "Given the success of its predecessor, Thunderstruck II is set to become a firm favourite with our customers. It offers players hours of entertaining gaming with the real possibility of great rewards. Thunderstruck II truly enhances our games portfolio and helps deliver on our promise to provide the best online casino experience available."

All the mystical Nordic gods are present in Thunderstruck II, depicted in high quality graphics along with theme-setting symbols like long ships, kings and Asgard, a rainbow city from the great Nordic sagas.

The gods of Thunderstruck II offers players new features, such as the randomly triggered WildStorm award with its held Wild reels, and the introduction of a Player Achievements structure. The achievements concept is a new feature for online slots, empowering players to achieve gold status by winning the range of payouts of each symbol.

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.

*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory

Press Release

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

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

Website

Virgin Casino

10/20/2010

Australian James Packer Expanding Gambling And Media Interests, by Greg Tingle - 20th October 2010

Australian and Asia Pacific gambling and lifestyle king, James Packer, is further expanding his mainstream media interests, with Network Ten appearing to be a key focus. It's a move that has the world's casino and media billionaires wondering what's next for Australia's most famous gambling tsar, with many pundits previously starting Packer had lost his passion for media, preferring his luck at the likes of Crown Limited and Melco Crown's City of Dreams, Macau. This news follows Team James Packer's halt to strike action at Crown Casino just days ago. Media Man and Gambling911 get you up to speed on one of the world's most successful and newsworthy gambling and media figures...

Australian gambling and lifestyle 'king of the castle', James Packer is now set to be one of Australia's, if not the world's, kings of mainstream media.

Packer has jumped on (in a smart and friendly fashion) Network Ten in a massive $245 million share raid that also sets him up for next year's AFL broadcast rights, and much more.

The move is an exciting return for Packer as one of the Australian media's heavyweights some 4 years after he started selling off his family's famous share in PBL Media, including the main event attraction, the prestigious Nine Network.

Analysts now expect the move will spark more maneuvering and "fun and games" in the industry by competitors ahead of key changes to Australian sports broadcast laws, notably the anti-siphoning regime that restricts pay-TV's shadow.

Communications Minister, you're friend and ours (satire) Stephen Conroy said the purchase of Ten shares was a matter for Packer. Media and gaming insiders have noted its great to see Conroy stop attacking the gaming and media sector, and be balanced and non confrontational once again. Just maybe Conroy may like the fact that Australian television is easier to censors and "filter" than the internet, but that's only speculation, but regular Media Man and Gambling911 readers will get the point.

Packer's Consolidated Media Holdings purchased the 15.6% stake in the network through investment bank UBS, a favorite of JP.

A block of some 163.3 million Ten shares was traded in a single transaction at $1.50 a piece, according to the Australian Securities Exchange. Packer mate, David Gyngell, recently purchasing a modest $100,000 or so worth of Crown Limited shares.

Numerous in the know sources, leaks et al confirmed Packer's company was indeed behind the sale.

The move also comes amid heavy speculation Packer is planning to privatise his gaming empire, Crown Limited, in which he has also recently increased his stake, leading by example, say the Packer supporters.

Packer and Kerry Stokes began wrestling for Consolidated Media, which holds online and pay television assets in the middle of last year.

The move got people talking about Packer moving into position ahead of the next round of AFL television rights that are up for grabs in 2011. They do say the early bird catches the worm, so Packer might be feeling a like a very confident worm as of late.

CMH currently also owns a 25% stake at pay TV operator Foxtel.

BBY media analyst Mark McDonnell was prepared to go on record and advised the purchase put Fox Sports into a strategic position for the AFL rights.

"It's very interesting, particularly with the AFL rights coming up again next year and, of course, Ten teamed up with Seven and Fox Sports the last time the contract was being renewed. Packer effectively owns Fox Sports and the AFL rights are going to be one of the big stories over the next 12 months."

McDonnell said CMH may have also "simply" thought Ten's shares were going for a good price and Packer may have seen potential in the network's future.

However he also said every free to air channel wanted the football broadcasting rights and the move positioned Ten into a strong position to again team up with Foxtel.

The purchase also coincides with the Gillard Government's review of anti-siphoning laws governing sports broadcasting on Australian television.

Both Foxtel and the AFL have been lobbying for changes to the anti-siphoning legislation so pay-TV stations can bid for a minimum of 4 home-and-away matches a week.

Packer is surrounded by media and sports on the home front, owning a pad overlooking Bondi Beach, world class pro surfers, favorite of NRL Sydney Roosters, mate Gyngell, the Bondi Rescue (Network Ten inked lads), and much much more. Yeah, Media Man has a pad there too, and Bondi Beach is constantly becoming home to Australia's best entertainment and sporting talent. Warnie, are you here yet mate? Poker in the beach park perhaps or a few slots at Bondi Icebergs Bergs Gaming?

Changes to the anti-siphoning legislation could allow the 3 big free-to-air networks to broadcast AFL matches on their digital channels and AFL games on their secondary digital channels.

Senator Conroy's spokesman said the anti-siphoning review would be released "shortly".

Network Ten declined to comment, while Media Man said "coincidences don't normally happen, be it in gambling, media or the internet business. Packer is smart and clearly his relationship and lines of communication with Sen Conroy are excellent, so you have to give the devil his due."

This current Packer has one heck of a fire in the belly, and his passion for news media has certainly bounced back. Insiders also tipped he enjoys seeing the balanced and positive coverage of his Crown Casino empire on Ten News and The 7PM Project, giving him a fair go, when some other Australian media companies choose to go more down the "attack journalism" path. Packer also has plans to offer Australian's a full online casino offering via his 50% owned Betfair, which have noted the success of other online gambling operators servicing down under such as PartyGaming. Interestingly, PartyGaming's PartyPoker last year in a b2b type arrangement directed a number of their online poker players to Packer's poker tournament, Aussie Millions. Packer mate, Shane Warne, is also tipped to have a poker room and / or tourney named after him at Crown Casino, and its speculated other deals are on the radar with even some tipping Media Man, Casino News Media, Richard Branson - Virgin b2b and website portals in the mix. PartyGaming and NextGen Gaming are expected to also pitch to Packer and his team on the new media - internet front, and the brands 'Underbelly', 'Kerry Packer' and 'Casino Jack' keep coming up. Yep, Packer is a busy man and taking on the world and winning by all accounts.

A Media Man spokesperson said "James Packer's latest business plays have been brilliant. It's risk management, brand building, convergent media, relationship leveraging and more all in one. He's also buying entities at the right price, and has a global business model which helps ride out the world's financial storm, while also having an Australian - Asia Pacific focus, which is one of the strongest markets in the world at the moment, away from the chaos of sorts in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. From here on up it should be pretty smooth sailing for Packer and Billionaire Inc. Punters should likely expect some gambling or gaming reality TV shows, as Packer's passion for both having a punt and news media is pretty contagious. Packer is making exciting and smart business moves and has a world class team of advisers around him. He's also spending millions upgrading Crown and Burwood casinos, to help further cement them as the leaders, while Tabcorp tries to chase him with their Star City. Packer once again proves the knockers wrong, and we can't wait to get back down to Crown Casino to congratulate the Packer powers that be in person. From Bondi Beach to Palm Beach, Macau, Perth, the internet, to TV land - the world is his oyster. Watch this space".

Media Man Profiles

Australia

Australian Casinos

Crown Casino

Network Ten

James Packer

Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters, what's your view on the latest? Keep checking daily for updates. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

Crown Limited Share Price: $8.490

Network Ten Holdings Limited Price: $1.490

*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 and offer political commentary and analysis.

*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