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Confederations Cup Betting Odds Announced

Confederations Cup betting odds announced

The FIFA Confederations Cup ended on Sunday this week with a final that saw many people absolutely aghast. The tournament is effectively viewed as a warm up for the FIFA World Cup to be held next year in South Africa. The country is in the throes of building various stadiums making improvements to essential infrastructure such as roads and transports modes. The central business region of the country in Gauteng is to receive a major upgrade in the form of wider roads, an upgraded airport and the construction of a bullet train between strategic points in the province which are usually subject to high traffic volumes.

So it is a very exciting time for the country and this recent tournament was really a test to see if it was at all ready to be the host of one of the world’s biggest events. There were mixed signals from FIFA and while it was impressed with certain elements of the competition, there were others that need to be addressed and this is something that the government and the Local Organizing Committee are now fully focused on in the last eleven months before the World Cup next year.

Of particular interest in this tournament was some of the upsets that happened with the teams competing. The teams involved in the tournament include the World Cup hosts, the current World Cup holders – Italy, and then the winners of all of the continental competitions. So teams such as Iraq, Egypt, the United States, Brazil, Spain and New Zealand were present. In the semi finals Spain was pitted against the United States and South Africa faced off to Brazil.

The semi final between Brazil and South Africa had an expected result although it was not expected that at one stage South Africa would actually be leading the game 2 – 0. Eventually the South American masters won through and it was believed that they would face Spain. This was the biggest upset though as the United States beat the team ranked number one in the world and went on to face Brazil.

The final was a fantastic occasion with the United States dominating the first half and for most of the game they were 2 – 0 ahead. It was only in the last fifteen minutes of the game that the current champions Brazil managed to win over the competition. The odds against the USA were incredible at +550 and incredibly enough this team received the most bets from any sporting team on Sunday according to news reports. With action such as this, one can only hope for time to fly so that we can look forward to the FIFA World Cup.

Massachusetts reconsiders gambling

The state of Massachusetts made headlines during the course of this year because of its consideration of the possibility of introducing gambling in the state. There was much talk about the introduction of casino gambling to the state as a means of earning the state government some much needed revenues. It was made clear to law makers that the state would be facing a financial deficit as a result of the current economic crisis and this meant that they would have to find new ways to generate revenues.

The idea of gambling was one that was put forward as a sort of quick fix, given that it would not take too long to get these activities up and running. The other advantages would be that there would be additional revenue coming into state coffers and more importantly the establishment of casinos would also see the creation of new jobs. This was a very important element to the state because it would mean that not only would people feel empowered once again, but it would be another way of broadening the tax base which is where the first line of state revenues come from in the first place.

Despite the positives of gambling, it was felt that there were too many negative aspects and eventually the state government decided that it was not the correct option at the time. Now the story seems to have changed again and perhaps one reason for this is that the new financial year is almost here and the law makers are now faced with the reality of the short fall.

It is now time for drastic action as the governor has had to approve a budget with major shortfalls and sales taxes have been increased by twenty five percent. This is a difficult time and has resulted in the fact that the option of casino gambling has once again come to the fore as a potential revenue generator for the state. The matter has moved on further than it did previously, with law makers holding a public hearing in order to gain their voters’ opinions on the matter.

There is still a level of criticism against the introduction of gambling as some people feel that this is an excuse for the financially struggling to state to victimize people without the will to control themselves. This need not be the case though if the industry is properly regulated and this will depend on the state’s intentions with gambling. The most dangerous aspect here would be to have a short term outlook on the industry. It should be a long term decision.

Pitting an industry against itself

Pitting an industry against itself

The state of California is recognized as one of the United States’ most liberal and it certainly has the economic position to be able to command respect from its state counterparts in the country. The state was one of the first to allow same sex unions, it was also the first to enforce minimum emission standards and there are a host of other firsts that the state can lay claim to.

But, despite all of this good press, unfortunately the state is not able to always get it right, just like all of us from time to time. In this instance, it has to do with the manner in which the state government has approached the issue of online gambling. It is well known that online gambling is broadly illegal in the United States, except for poker which has now been ruled as a game of strategy and not one of chance. This means that the UIGEA legislation can not be applied to it.

The state is already well known for rapidly expanding gambling within its borders and many residents say that it seems as if there is a new gambling parlour opening up almost every day. So there is definitely revenue flowing into state coffers but now it would seem as if these revenues are actually been channelled into the wrong activities and actually taking away from the potential of these revenues to assist the state with the financial difficulties it now faces.

Citizens of the state – which faces a $25 billion short fall in budget, have asked the government why resources are spent on conducting online gambling raids of internet cafes. For all of these operations, no arrests have been reported and the only money seized amounted to a small thirteen thousand dollars. That is not going to help the government in its attempts to stop the budget gaps. The main reason for the high level of concern is the fact that the government has stated that there is very little money available and it is likely that there will be many of the most basic services that will suffer as a result.

So the residents of the state of California are set for a difficult year moving forward and this is perhaps when the real impact of the financial crisis will be felt by the broader population. In some cases it is thought that services as crucial as firefighting could even suffer and this is unacceptable in the state of California where there are hectic fires every year in the summer.

Betfair enters the United States online gambling industry

Betfair enters the United States online gambling industry

Betfair is a leading betting agency from the United Kingdom and has a strong presence throughout Europe. The company has realized that taking part in the online gambling industry is very important if it wants to make sure that it has a good future going forward. This is why the company has extended its online presence into the European region. Betfair is typically associated with betting on activities such as football, horse racing and fights. This year though, it has also reported a lot of interest in the Wimbledon tennis tournament that is currently underway in the United Kingdom.

Success on the European continent is not enough for the company though and it seeks to expand into new areas of growth. This is especially true of the current economic climate, where people are no spending as much as they used to and it is important for companies to find new markets that can sustain their required revenue levels. This is often easier said than done though and this is very true if one thinks about the United States.

Online gambling is illegal in this country, a situation that was brought forth with the passing of the UIGEA legislation by the Bush administration in 2006. The law stated that no games of chance could be played online and this meant that the industry was crippled. A court ruling earlier this year has made people a bit more optimistic about the future of the online gambling industry when it stated that poker is not a game of chance and therefore can not be subject to the UIGEA legislation.

So there is hope on the horizon and poker is not the only game that has had some sense of progress in this regard. Horse racing is another area in which it seems likely that the government will relax some of the regulations that currently govern this sport. This is the reason that Betfair purchased an American television channel that is a license online gambling provider. The company will look to capitalize on the popularity of horse racing in the United States and is also hoping to leverage its other services through this medium. Advertising will be far cheaper on this channel, given that the company owns it itself and it is very likely that people that enjoy betting on races, will enjoy betting on other sports as well and might even be poker enthusiasts too. So Betfair could look forward to advertising revenue from other online gambling companies as well.

Online gambling industry does not need a regulatory body

June 29, 2009

Online gambling industry does not need a regulatory body

The passing of the UIGEA legislation in the United States meant that online gambling was effectively declared illegal. The reason for the law was that the government of the day – namely the Bush administration, felt as if there was no way that the online gambling industry could effectively be regulated or policed. In essence, this was really the lazy way out as it is certain that every single industry can be regulated, it just sometimes is more complicated for one than it would be for another.

There are many countries where there is no regulation in place at all and this is usually due to the fact that the online gambling industry has simply not received this sort of emphasis from the government yet. So there is just some attention that needs to be paid to these industries. Given the type of economic environment that most countries are dealing with at the moment though, there is little hope that industry regulation will occur in the short term. This does not seem like good news because every industry really should have some form of regulation.

Despite concerns that there is no online gambling industry regulation in the country of Canada, there are actually people who say that this industry seems capable of regulating itself. This could be due to the fact that there is an international perception that Canadians are generally nice people and that they are law abiding. While this may be true, it would seem quite a shaky premise to base a theory on, it does have some merit.

The industry seems to have demonstrated the ability to regulate itself because of the introduction of new software by a Canadian company. The new product will give parents the ability to stop their children from gaining access to online gambling web sites and other potentially harmful content. The software is called Betstopper and is an improvement on existing software. There are calls for the implementation of this software throughout the country and it has already received great endorsement from some of the industry’s key stakeholders.

The question then arises, if this is possible in Canada, then why not in the United States as well. The two nations are not so vastly different that citizens in the United States could not become more law abiding and put their best foot forward. If it could be proved that the industry could regulate itself on some levels then there is no doubt that Mr Frank’s bill would have a far greater chance of success.

Is Ladbrokes going to keep up with the pack

Is Ladbrokes going to keep up with the pack

Ladbrokes is one of the United Kingdom’s leading betting agencies and has William Hill as one of its greatest competitors. The company, like its competition, has a physical presence throughout the country with various sites everywhere. But it is clear that this country is no longer the land of milk and honey that it was for companies such as these and it is now up to these betting agencies to make some clever moves if they are going to stay ahead of the back.

William Hill has already announced that it is likely to move its online gambling operations else where as the tax increases that have been announced by the government of the United Kingdom are just regarded as too much. Ladbrokes might have to do the same thing, the only difference though is that the company does not really have much of an online gambling presence to speak of at the moment and this is perceived to be quite a problem. There are now questions being raised as to whether or not the company is actually a viable competitor.

This question was actually raised by Credit Suisse that reportedly said that it did not think that the company would be able to attract people away from its rivals’ online gambling sites. Ladbrokes is currently in the process of utilizing its earnings from its betting shops as a means of helping to grow its online gambling presence in Europe. The problem is that this money should really be channeled towards debt of more than four hundred and ten million pounds, which it has to pay back by 2011. This might seem like a long time away but in the current economic conditions it really isn’t.

The company seems to have to take some sort of drastic action soon if it is to convince Credit Suisse and the rest of the industry that it is indeed in a position to not only service its debt, but also make a success in the online gambling space moving forward. This is after all where the real money is and there are many who think that the company should have focused on this area a long time ago and that any efforts now are really just too little, too late. It looks like it is going to be an uphill battle trying to prove that the situation can be saved.

Irish concerned over online gambling’s impact on marriage

June 28, 2009

Irish concerned over online gambling’s impact on marriage

Ireland is often thought of as the most Catholic country in the world. This is of course a bit of a misnomer or rather a misconception as countries such as Italy and Spain and a host of others might even be more deserving of this title. There is no doubt however that the Irish are passionate about their religion, one need only think about the Troubles and the fact that there is still so much tension between the Protestants and the Catholics to realize that this is indeed the case.

The Catholic church is very much involved in the daily lives of its parishioners in this country, perhaps much more so than in other English speaking countries. One of the ways in which the church keeps up a constant level of contact is through the publication of a newsletter. A recent edition of this expressed concern over the impact of online gambling on marriages in the country. The newsletter quoted a study that showed there are various activities that the Irish population is taking part in more and more that could negatively impact the institution of marriage in the country.

One of these is of course drinking too much, but this is more a cultural affinity with the Irish than perhaps with other countries and no doubt there would be some debate about whether or not this should be stopped. Another past time that has people worried is that of online gambling. There is concern that people are spending too much time online and not enough time with their families. The main games that attract Irish players are thought to be card games but more than this even is the foot ball (soccer) which is just as popular in this country as it is in the United Kingdom and there is some big money in it.

Given that there is now a lot more football being played these days, it means that people spend more time online placing bets than they would have done previously. This takes them away from their families and they do not put in the time that they should in this regard.

It is not fair to only blame online gambling though and there are other activities that have the same impact. The church is working hard to combat all of these though and talks about taking a measured approach to past times such as online gambling. This makes perfect sense, the only question now is whether the parishioners will listen to the advice.

Lottery announces move to new system

June 27, 2009

Lottery announces move to new system

The United States is home to fifty two different states and each of them is entitled to run its own state lottery, even though not all of them have opted to follow this strategy. But for those that have it has become part of their identity and there are even some cases in which states actually advertise their lotteries to people living outside of their borders. This is in an effort to gain more players of course, but there is also an element of competition between the various state gaming boards.

Other measures used to attract more players include raising the prize money and also offering new and exciting games to play. The justification all of these organizations use is the fact that this money goes to state initiatives. Colleges, schools, hospitals, parks and other deserving recipients all benefit from the proceeds. This is a good cause but there are those that raise questions when a state will allow a lottery but will not think twice before deciding that online gambling is just too dangerous for its citizens. There does not seem to be any logic in thinking like this, but interestingly enough it is very prevalent in the United States.

So it is a tough market out there as a state lottery and you have to make sure that you differentiate yourself all the time. This is the view that has been taken by the West Virginia Lottery (this one does not even represent an entire state) and as a result it is going to be moving to a new gaming plat form during the course of the weekend. The lottery has decided to opt for GTECH which is a platform vendor. Reports indicate that the vendor expects to see transactions with a combined value of more than forty million dollars flowing through its platform during the next five years. This is the time frame for the contract with the lottery organization.

The new contract does not only mean that work has to occur at the back end, but it has also resulted in the delivery of new Customer Premise Equipment to retailers all over the territory. These new products are supposed to make the purchase of a ticket easier and as a result the gaming board expects greater revenues from the lottery. They are certainly hoping so as this is the source of revenue the state’s budget depends on.

Time to get off the island

June 26, 2009

Time to get off the island

Earlier this week it was revealed that the island of Antigua has unfortunately been brought into disrepute by a man that should really be seen as a person that takes the moral high ground. This is definitely the feature that one would expect of a person tasked with the regulation of the financial services and gaming industry. Sadly for Antigua, Leroy King, who held the position of Financial Services Regulatory Commission CEO, has been found to be involved with taking bribes from an international business man who has turned out to have been running a massive investment scam. He utilized the infamous pyramid scheme model for his fraudulent activity.

Following this shock to the island nation, the government has decided that all of the operations that were touched by Mr King have to come under scrutiny and this means that online gambling companies operating there are likely to be the first targets. The premise is that he was closely involved with the licensing and set up of these organizations and it is perhaps safe to assume that if he was taking bribes from one person then he was definitely in a position to take bribes from others as well. So the government is now going to turn its attention towards online gambling companies in an effort to ensure that there are no more irregularities.

While this may seem like a headache for those online gambling companies operating on the island, it should not be seen as a threat if they have everything in order. In some instances a decision such as this by the government is referred to as adding to the red tape, but this is not the case here. In order for the online gambling industry to develop and mature, it is very important that there is a good regulatory environment in place and that these guidelines are properly enforced. It seems that this is the main aim of the government of Antigua at present.

Online gambling companies are not the only organizations to be investigated and the government will undertake a full audit of every single company that has registered with the Commission during the time of King’s role there. The island wants to ensure that it repairs its international image and there are rumours that it is even considering the use of a marketing campaign to achieve this.

Italy moves to liberalize its online gambling market

June 25, 2009

Italy moves to liberalize its online gambling market

The Italian government has had a difficult time in the last eighteen months as it has struggled with the impact of the financial slow down. It is important to remember that the country is not only famous for its fashion, ice cream and fantastic coffee, it is also recognized as one of the world’s foremost car designers and manufacturers. When the global motor vehicle industry took a major knock due to the economic crisis, this had a direct impact on the country’s economy and it is still struggling to right the ship.

But not every industry is one of doom and gloom in Italy. The country has for the past six months, reported consistent growth in an industry that is now thought to be recession proof. The online gambling industry has in fact been one of the best performers in the Italian economic climate recently and growth is at least at five per cent every single month. As a result of this, the government has announced its intention to expand online gambling activities and hopefully this will mean it can reap the reward of higher revenues through greater tax income.

In addition to this, the government has also announced steps that it says will lead to the liberalization of the online gambling industry in the country. The 23rd of June saw the country’s parliament approve the expansion and liberalization of the online gambling industry as a means of revenue generation destined for a very special cause. The additional money earned by this venture is to be channelled to the town that was the center of a recent earth quake in Italy. The ancient town of Abruzzo was basically flattened and there are almost no funds available to assist its inhabitants in rebuilding their lives.

This certainly is a good cause for the expansion of online gambling activities but there is some scepticism in the international market about just how much liberalization will actually occur. This is due to the fact that it seems as if there will not really be new entrants into the market, but that the state owned companies will gain most of the benefit. Time will tell how serious the government is about the full liberalization of this market and whether or not the online gambling industry will continue to grow once the needs of Abruzzo have been met.

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