There are fears that Europe’s economy may slide back into recession mode because of the Greek debt crisis which is threatening the Euro. Despite the economic fears 888 Holdings posted a $69 million increase in revenues from its online bingo and online casino operations. In 2010 888’s revenues totaled $262 million and 2011 increased to $331 million. Recently the gaming giant announced that they have about 10.6 million registered customers, an increase of 22% from the previous year. Many in the online gaming industry are optimistic about the future. In December the US Department of Justice cleared the way for legal online gambling. Recently 888 announced a partnership with Caesars Interactive Entertainment to extend the company’s British software licensing which would allow 888 to offer real money gaming in the US.

The announcement came on the heels of an agreement between Bwin party Digital Entertainment with MGM Resorts International and Boyd Gaming Corporation. Both American companies have extensive gambling holdings throughout the US and Bwin hopes to supply online gaming when it becomes legal. The internet gambling industry is optimistic about prospects in the US and industry experts are eagerly awaiting first quarter figures from the online gaming industry. 888 Holdings’ share price on the London Stock Exchange is currently 57.25 pence which is more than double the price the stock sold at in 2010. Stock analysts believe that 888 stocks will be a good long term investment for those with extra cash to invest.

888 Holdings has already made a move to enter the US online poker market. The Nevada Gaming Control Board is currently reviewing the paperwork necessary to obtain and Nevada online gaming license. 888 is trying to position itself to become one of the first Nevada license holders. 888 has extensive experience in the UK promoting the WSOP brand.

Currently Rank operates 35 casinos and 103 bingo halls in Britain. Mecca bingo also has a major online bingo operation. Rank has tried to broaden their appeal after revenues were hit by the smoking ban and the economic downturn. Rank’s Spanish operations were pressured after the passage of an across the board smoking ban. Presently 74.5% of Rank is owned by Malaysian based Guoco. Recently Rank posted figures that showed that pretax profits were 32.5 million pounds ($51.4 million USD) during the six months prior to December 2011 and that revenues were up 3% to 296 million.

The number of players at Mecca bingo halls rose 50,000 for a total of 700,000 during the same period and Grosvenor casinos attracted 762,000 punters, an increase of 61,000. The rise in revenue and player numbers helped to offset the declines in revenue and profits at Ranks’ Top Rank Espana which was hard hit by the smoking ban. Rank chairman Burke expressed concerns about the Spanish economy. Burke told reporters “We are not assuming that Spain will come out of the euro. The more immediate risk is the state of the Spanish economy. With unemployment at over 20 percent, it faces an even tougher environment than the UK does.”

Last month Rank announced it was in talks with Gala Coral. Burke said the talks are still in the early stage. The talks have been the subject of much speculation and rumor has it that Gala wants to sell its casino operations and focus on the company’s bingo operations and bookmaking. Gala also has a large internet bingo operation in the UK. In March Rank will go to court to see whether the company will have to pay 31 million pounds of VAT sales tax on slot machines. Last November the European Court of Justice ruled that Rank paid too much VAT tax. Rank currently has 275 million pounds in outstanding VAT claims that could be repaid to the company. Stock analysts give Rank a thumbs up. Peel Hunt analyst Nick Batram rates Rank stock as a ‘buy’ and stated “Over the next 12 months the group will either succeed in acquiring Gala Casinos, or indicate its position on repaying excess capital back to shareholders. Either outcome should be positive for the share price.”

Because of the economy many in the UK are choosing to stay home which is good news for online bingo and casino operators. Austerity measures have cut into Briton’s disposable incomes and many are seeking inexpensive home based entertainment. The weather has been partially responsible for revenue increases. A series of storms and cold weather has disrupted economic activity across Europe and many players stranded by the weather have turned to online bingo and casinos for entertainment. In 2010 many online bingo operators reported a spike in revenues during a series of strong arctic storms that devastated the UK.

888 Holdings reported a $69 million increase over the previous year’s $262 million for a total of $331 billion. The company also announced a 22% increase in the number of players at websites owned by the company. Currently 888 has about 10.6 million customers. 888 is also eying the US gaming market. A recent DOJ decision opened the gates for online gaming in the United States. The company hopes to enter new markets as governments liberalize their laws regarding internet gambling. Recently 888 and Caesars Interactive Entertainment announced plans to extend their UK software licensing agreement to offer “real money offering” gaming in the United States.

888 is not the only British gaming firm interested in entering the lucrative US gaming market. Late last year Bwin party Digital Entertainment announced plans to partner with MGM Resorts International and the Boyd Gaming Corporation to supply online gambling services to a liberalized US market. Optimism is running high in the gaming industry after the recent DOJ ruling and most gaming companies expect positive first quarter figures. After the DOJ decision gaming stocks were up on most global exchanges and many analysts expect this trend to continue. American players are eagerly awaiting legalized online gambling and hopefully games will be available by the end of the year.

Rick Bronson, chairman of U.S. Digital Gaming, said that the new ruling will give states the ability to offer online poker and lottery ticket sales. In addition to skill based games like poker some states say they will offer other games such as online bingo. Bronson estimates that online poker could generate $12 billion a year in revenue for states and that online lottery ticket sales would increase profits for state lotteries. Currently state lotteries generate between $60 and $70 billion annually. A 2010 report by Morgan Stanley estimated that internet gambling could bring in $5 billion annually.

Whittier Law School professor and gaming law expert I. Nelson Rose said that the Justice Department move is a “major Christmas present for the Internet gambling community.” Rose went on to say “We are about to see this explosion of Internet gambling sweep across the nation. All we’re seeing is every single state proposing more and more legal gambling. … Gambling is seen as a painless tax, involuntary tax so it is an easy way to raise revenue without raising real taxes.” Nevada is already poised to implement online gambling. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear is promoting expanded gambling in the state and Illinois hopes that online ticket sales will boost sales.

Washington D.C. had plans to launch online bingo and poker gaming sites but last week the city council reversed course and gambling proponents will have to start over. Rose pointed out the need for extra revenue and stated “It’s money and [states] can’t raise taxes anymore and they can’t cut services anymore so they need a way to raise money and gambling seems to pay more tax.” For legislators raising taxes would be political suicide in today’s economic climate. Rose also said that states must have programs in place to identify problem gamblers and prevent underage gambling. In several states 2012 may very well be the year of the online gambler.

Smart phones are used for a wide variety of activities. In addition to sending and receiving calls users can access social networking sites, play online bingo games, do their banking, purchase products, send text messages, get the latest stock quotes and news and play games. The only requirements are an internet connection and a signal. Users have hundreds of entertainment options at their finger tips. The mobile gaming industry now has its own trade organizations and awards. This year the mobile gaming awards will be held in Barcelona, Spain at the 2012 Mobile World Congress.

Nominees were selected in six categories. The categories include best casual game, best real world game, best sports game, best mobile social game, excellence in game play and most innovative game. The mobile industry professionals charged with selecting the nominees have already met in Marseille, France. The group included professionals from the game development sector, writers and journalists from mobile gaming blogs and sites and the mobile gaming hardware sector. Winners in each category will be awarded $130,000 worth of free publicity.

Maarten Noyons, CEO and founder International Mobile Gaming Awards is optimistic about the future of mobile gaming and told reporters “We have had an unprecedented response for this year’s awards. We see a trend of very high quality, big productions coming to the mobile platform, and on the other hand, a lot of fresh, innovative, casual games. The eighth IMGA shows a wealth of new ideas and ground-breaking quality coming from studios all over the world. I would like to congratulate each of the developers that have games nominated and thank everyone who submitted games to the awards.” A dozen jurors will met in Barcelona to play the nominated games. No doubt the online bingo industry will be represented at the awards ceremony.

Mark Pincus, chief executive officer at Zynga, was quick to respond to the accusations and denied that Zynga had copied Buffalo Studio’s popular online bingo game. Pincus turned the accusation around and said that Buffalo Studios actually borrowed ideas from Zynga. Zynga alleges that Bingo Blitz is copied from one of Zynga’s earlier games. Pincus told interviewers “It was a little ironic to look at Bingo Blitz. Pull that lens back. Look at our game Poker Blitz (comparisons below), and then Bingo Blitz, you see striking similarities in those pictures.” Pincus added “You can go back to (Zynga’s) FarmVille. Look at Farm Town and say, ‘Those pictures are troubling. They look too similar.’ But you pull the lens back again, and you see Farm Town next to My Farm, and next to Happy Farm, and next to (Zynga’s) YoVille. What you see is a series of games innovating on top of each other. You see Farm Town had a very similar avatar to YoVille.” Buffalo Studios launched their online bingo game ‘Bingo Blitz about a year ago. Currently it is the number 1 bingo game on Facebook and has over 1 million daily players.

It seems that lately there has been an epidemic of copycat charges in the social gaming world. Earlier in the week game developer Spry Fox announced that it was going to sue 6waves Lolapps for copyright infringement. Spry Fox alleges that 6waves Lolapps copied the company’s popular game Triple Town by creating Yeti Town. Pincus pointed out that game developers routinely ‘reimagine’ current games. Pincus stated “We think there is a massive body of work in the video game industry that is going to be reimagined for decades to come in a way that is free, accessible and social. That’s what we’re doing. I don’t think anyone should be surprised when they see us come out with games that they’ve seen before, a decade or more ago. I don’t think there are a lot of totally new games that are invented. We always try. But to us, they are like the crew mechanic in our games. They give you a new way to interact with your friends.”

New players at land based bingo halls should be aware that some players consider certain seats ‘lucky.’ If you are sitting in another player’s regular spot it is best to move to another chair. Fortunately most bingo players are very friendly and welcoming but there are certain riles that should not be broken. Some of these rules also apply to online bingo.

1.    Before playing familiarize yourself with the rules of the bingo hall or online bingo site. Knowing the rules and etiquette can make your bingo experience more enjoyable for you and everyone else.

2.    Do not say or do anything that could get you banned from the hall or bingo site. Obnoxious comments and intentionally distracting other players is unacceptable. Never disrupt the conversation at online bingo chat rooms. Never try to alter a bingo card at a live bingo hall. Your reputation as a player is up to you to establish.

3.    As has been mentioned watch out for ‘lucky’ seats in live bingo halls. Many players are very particular about where they sit during games. If you are asked to move do so gracefully.

4.    Bingo is a social game and most players will be happy to help new players learn the ropes and bingo lingo. In live bingo halls it is considered bad form to talk during games.

5.    Never parrot the numbers called in live bingo halls. It is annoying to everyone around you and you will be asked to quiet down.

6.    Don’t play when you are in a bad mood. If you are tired and angry you will make mistakes and be bad company for the other players.

7.    Be a good loser. Chances are you will win at another time. 96% of all bingo players say they have won at least one game. Do not take out your frustrations on the game’s caller.

8.    Try not to call any false bingos. It disrupts the game and the other players will be annoyed.

The sale will allow Gala Coral to concentrate in the firm’s bingo and bookmaking operations in the UK. Some say Rank’s new venture is risky and may be blocked by government regulators. Rank will become the UK’s largest casino operator but the deal will have to pass muster by the Competition Commission. If the deal is successful 105 of Britain’s 140 casinos will be run by one company. The Office of Fair Trading investigated all deals where the takeover target has an annual turnover of £70 million pounds or more. The Fair Trading Office refers cases to the Competition Commission. Last year Gala’s casinos took in £134.4 million and Rank’s Grosvenor casinos were even more profitable and made £238.6 million last year. The Office of Fair Trade said they will make no moves until a deal is announced.

Not everyone is pleased about the takeover. Analyst Daniel Stewart told reporters “If you have two operators controlling the market for the land-based casinos, that doesn’t make for a healthy market.” The first reports indicated that the deal may be done by February 9th but insiders say that most likely the deal will not be finished until the end of the month. Many analysts say that Gala has been ripe for a takeover since a debt restructuring deal in 2010 saw lenders left with Gala shares. At the time the deal fueled speculation that Rank would make a takeover move on Gala. Currently the Mecca bingo hall owner is backed by Malaysian billionaire Quek Leng Chan. Malaysian-owned Genting is the market leader and operates 46 gaming sites. The company was formerly known as Stanley Leisure.

A three person team at NimbleBit, which makes Tiny Tower, says that Zynga has copied the popular game. IPhone game developer Ian Marsh who works at NimbleBit posted an open letter to Zynga on Twitter. The letter read “Dear Zynga (all 2,789 of you),” the letter reads. “We noticed you are about to launch a new iPhone game called Dream Heights! Congratulations! We wanted to thank you guys for being such big fans of our iPhone game of the year Tiny Tower. Good luck with your game, we are looking forward to inspiring you with our future games! Sincerely, (all three of us) NimbleBit.”

Another game developer has also accused Zynga of copying their game. Buffalo Studios is the developer of the popular Facebook game Bingo Blitz. The game has over 1 million daily users on Facebook. The company created a side by side comparison with Zynga’s new online bingo game and claims that Zynga has “obviously played” Bingo Blitz. As part of Buffalo’s comparison the company said it was inspired by Ian Marsh’s Twitter post. In a letter Buffalo Studios stated “Hello Zynga. We are moved that your new game was so inspired by our innovative product, Bingo Blitz. You’ve obviously played our game Bingo Blitz a lot,” it continues. “Please tell your thousands of employees and shareholders that we hope they enjoy playing the games we’re cooking up next!”

Recently several accusations of ‘cloning’ have been made by other companies. Spry Fox, the developer of Triple Town, has filed a copyright infringement suit against game developer 6Waves Lolapps. Spry Fox claims that 6Waves Lolapps game Yeti Town is a “blatant copy of Triple Town.’ A spokesperson for Zynga did not immediately respond to inquiries by PC Mag. The accusations have created quite a stir in the internet gambling world and blog posts are full of accusations and counter accusations.

At some land based casinos slots generate about 70% of all revenues and are the most popular games on most casino floors. At some online bingo sites slots account for over half of all revenues. For those in rural areas with no local access to a casino online slots are a perfect solution and provide the same excitement as land based slots. In the past slot jackpots were small but this is no longer the case. Today online slots can be networked producing some amazing jackpots. Most networked slots feature progressive jackpots that grow with each spin.

Today slots can offer some substantial jackpots. Recently a player at a popular UK online bingo sites scored a £21,336.78 ($33,570.22 USD at current exchange rates) win playing slots. For many online bingo players slots, scratch cards, roulette and other casino games provide a pleasant diversion from online bingo games. Over the years there have been some amazing slot wins. At one online casino a $6 bet produced an astounding $8,500,000 jackpot. The jackpot was won by a player known as Giorgios M playing Mega Moolah.  Another lucky Mega Moolah player from Finland scored a $5,000,000jackpot. Even more amazing is the $300,000 jackpot won by a Canadian player just six minutes after signing up at an online casino!

Online bingo sites offer classic three reel slots and modern five reel multi payline slots with various themes. There are several online bingo sites that offer Mega Moolah and other mega jackpot progressive slot games. Most online bingo players will take a break every so often and will play slots and other side games for a change of pace. Players have won astounding sums of money and because of the random nature of slot games the next big winner could be you!