YouTeller Distances Itself From NETeller
YouTeller.com, a newcomer to the payment processing market, appears to have submitted to pressure by NETeller's legal counsel after it accused the brand of infringing on its registered trademark.
YouTeller's London-based parent group has recently posted the following disclaimer on its site: 'Seed Capital Ltd is not affiliated with, related to or endorsed by NETeller Plc.'
YouTeller was issued a cease and desist order from NETeller's corporate counsel on February 28, 2007 and ordered to put a response in writing to the company by March 5.
YouTeller is aiming to set itself apart from major players such as NETeller, whose co-founders are due at a court hearing on charges relating to money laundering, by marketing itself as a community-based payment processor. The move would be following the Google Gmail model of only serving customers that are recommended by other members and offering a €150 per account and transaction limit.
Florian Schweitzer, a spokesman for Seed Capital commented, “Our target group are people who play community-orientated online games like poker, chess or role-playing games. People who need instant and worldwide payment processing.”
Online Casino News
Gambling is bad for your health (literally!)
We've always known that gambling is quite likely to be bad for your bank balance, but now there's evidence that it even affects your health.
But then, so does drinking and the odd sigarette. And I'm definitely not giving up ALL my vices...!Wagering may up your chances of high blood pressure, liver disease, moreFor some, March conjures thoughts of spring weather, longer days and resort vacations.
For the rest of us, it's all about 65 college basketball teams, online gambling sites and the right wager.
But research on gamblers and their health problems may make you think twice before placing a bet this year.
A groundbreaking study found that people who gamble at least five times a year have more health problems than those who roll the dice less frequently.
"If you gamble it increases your risk of having some conditions," says Nancy Petry, a psychologist, professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut Health Center and study co-author. "But the important thing is the more you gamble, the worse [it gets]."
Adding up the risks Using data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a study of 43,000 Americans, researchers found that more than a quarter of participants gambled five or more times a year, including everything from playing cards for money to buying lottery tickets and betting on sports games.
Of them, the study identified close to 1 percent of the group as problem gamblers, people who developed mild to moderate issues as a result of the habit. Less than half percent were classified as pathological gamblers, a progressive and devastating disease characterized by a preoccupation with gambling, loss of control and continued gambling despite the impact on a person's work and social life.
After accounting for demographic factors such as age, gender, ethnicity and income, all of which might have affected the health of the respondents, the study still found that people who gambled five or more times a year had higher rates of hypertension, obesity and alcoholism. They also were more likely to smoke and to have been to the emergency room in the past year.
Even worse, problem and pathological gamblers also had higher incidences of angina and cirrhosis of the liver.
Before you make a doctor's appointment, however, it's important to note that the data doesn't explain whether gambling may cause these problems or people with these kinds of conditions tend to be gamblers. Placing a bet doesn't require a lot of physical activity and casinos in particular make it easy for people who are in ill-health or have disabilities to visit, says Petry.
"The more you're gambling," she says, "the less likely it is you're doing other healthy things."
MSNBC
Online Gambling owners fall from Forbes Billionaire list
Several land-based gambling tycoons rank high on the Forbes billionaire list, but the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement act has driven Bodog founder Calvin Ayre and PartyGaming founders Ruth Parasol and Russell DeLeon off the list.
Online Gambling hit hard Calvin Ayre, playboy founder of the powerful Bodog brand, dropped off the list one year after making the cover. The Canadian-born Ayre cracked the list in 2006 when his net worth hit $1 billion, but with the UIGEA making it difficult for American players to move money into online accounts, his stock has fallen.
PartyGaming founders Ruth Parasol and Russell DeLeon were also hit hard when they decided the U.S. legislation meant they had to stop taking American play. Both founders graced the cover of last year's list with Ayre, but were unable to remain after PartyGaming stock took a large hit. Parasol and DeLeon were in the middle of the billionaire list in 2006, worth $1.8 billion each.
One online gambling entrepreneur managed to stay on the Forbes list. India's Anurag Dikshit finished 618th with a net worth of $1.6 billion. Dikshit developed the software that powered PartyGaming and helped Parasol and DeLeon in launching the brand. PartyGaming was the undisputed online gaming leader before the UIGEA passed last year.
Land-based tycoons doing well Sheldon Anderson, the 75-year old owner of multiple casinos including the profitable Venetian in Las Vegas, tops the gambling world, according to Forbes. He finished sixth with a net worth of $26.5 billion.
Steve Wynn finished 264th on the list with a net worth of $3.4 million. The 65-year old Wynn recently expanded his gambling empire into Asia, opening the $1.2 billion Wynn Macau, and seems to be closing the gap with his rival.
Wynn also made the Forbes "Billionaire Blunders" segment for his gaff involving a Pablo Picasso painting. The art collector, who has an eye disease that limits his vision, recently put his elbow through Picasso's "La Reve" during a sale, reducing the paintings value from $139 million to an estimated $85 million.
William Boyd also made the list, finishing 664th. The 75-year old casino owner recently demolished the old Sands Casino, making way for the $4 billion Echelon Palace Hotel Casino and Condo complex. Boyd also has properties in Atlantic City including the Borgata and the MGM Mirage.
Online Casino City
Online Casinos Go to the Movies
Online casino have long since left the casino floors and taken to the world. Online casino sponsorship of soccer clubs is a well established practice in the United Kingdom, for example, for several years and with great success. As main entertainment centers for millions of gamblers around the world, online casinos have naturally also found the road to Hollywood and joined the movies. This week’s big news from one gambling site has it making another appearance in Los Angeles, figuratively speaking, by joining hands with a film production company for a unique campaign for a movie coming out soon.
300, as the action adventure movie is called, is due to be launched and promoted with involvement of online casinos. The graphic novel on which it is based has a readership of people who were identified as potential or existing online casinos players. Accordingly, the promotional campaign will have it screened on dozens of college campuses in the United States, with representatives of the online casino advertising on site the gambling site. Tickets and prizes of up to $5,000 will also be involved in these exciting events. Airfare, car rentals and accommodation–paid for martial arts training will also be won in the promotional campaign.
The online casino owner said of the business venture: “We are thrilled to do this promotion for '300'. Our fighters are some of the most exciting in all of mixed martial arts.” With regard to the movie he added that “helping to promote this impeccably produced film with its thrilling fight scenes is a perfect fit.” So now you have an answer if someone will ask what online casinos have to do with graphic novels or a mythological battle of 300 Spartans. If you prefer not to answer questions like this then just go to one of your favorite online casinos and play a game.
Online Casino Reports
Gym bunnies create electricity on treadmills to power gym
A gym in Hong Kong has hooked up their treadmills to the electricity generator of the building to save on their power bills and help ease the world’s energy problems.
Rita Wong is doing her part. One evening recently, the fit 27-year-old, dressed in black spandex, pedaled furiously on an elliptical machine at the California Fitness health club.
As she worked up a sweat to a Madonna song blasting on the gym's sound system, the energy she created was transformed into electricity and stored in a battery that powers some of the gym's lights.
"It's very good motivation," Ms. Wong said, pointing at the fluorescent bulb above her head. "You can watch yourself burning fat to turn on that light."
Source
UK Survey Reveals Top Gambling Quotes of All Time
UK based online casino review and information portal Jackpot.co.uk, has released the results of a survey carried out on its visitors to find the top gaming, casino and luck related quotes of all time.
The site compiled a list of 90 quotes related to luck and gambling and asked visitors to pick their top three.
The results were surprising. Almost all of the top ten quotes cast a positive outlook on the concept of luck whilst more negative and pessimistic quotes fell right to the bottom of the list.
A quote from Albert Einstein
'You cannot beat a roulette table unless you steal money from it,' Came in at number 67, and ‘
No dog can go as fast as the money you bet on him,’ by Bud Flanagan, the entertainer, was down the list at 74.
However, quotes from a more positive perspective from the novelist and poet Oscar Wilde, Jean Cocteau and fictional character Fast Eddie Felson, from the film The Color of Money (played by Paul Newman), dominated the list.
A total of 3,560 visitors entered the survey via the portal. A selection of the top quotes are as follows:
1. “
Money won is twice as sweet as money earned.”
Fast Eddie Felson, The Color of Money
2. “
One should always play fair when one has the winning cards.”
Oscar Wilde, novelist
3.
'The only difference between a winner and a loser is character.'
Nick the Greek, gambler
4. “
In the case of an earthquake hitting Las Vegas, be sure to go straight to the Keno Lounge. Nothing ever gets hit there.”
Unknown Source
5. “
They gambled in the Garden of Eden, and they will again if there's another one.'
Richard Albert Canfield, casino operator
6.
'I believe in luck. How else can you explain the success of those you dislike?'
Jean Cocteau, Poet, filmmaker and dramatist
7.
'It can be argued that man's instinct to gamble is the only reason he is still not a monkey up in the trees.'
Mario Puzo, journalist and author
8. “
With the casino and the beds, our passengers will have at least two ways to get lucky on one of our flights.”
Richard Branson, entrepreneur
9. “
The luck of having talent is not enough; one must also have a talent for luck.”
Paul Hawken, journalist and entrepreneur
Online Casino News
Let me play poker, damnit!
Ok, enough of all this neteller, youteller nobodygetstoplay stuff.
The boys at work still haven't invited me to one of their poker nights, and I need to keep on practising until they do (yes, I know it's very sad).
I can go the freeplay route, but it simply isn't the same. People are a lot less cautious when they play for free (obviously, they have nothing to lose), so it just isn't that realistic for me.
Bottom line. How do I overcome this legislation and play for money again?
ideas, anyone?
