• Can E-Gaming Survive Without Credit Cards

Poker mag reports that Internet gaming companies could see their growth potential cut in half over the next year as major banks refuse to accept online gaming transactions, according to a new study by Bear Stearns senior managing director and gaming analyst Jason Ader. Growth rates in the industry could be sliced in 2003 from 43% to 20%, or to roughly $4.2 billion in total industry-wide revenues. "This is a real challenge for e-gaming companies," said Ader. "Credit card transactions are their life blood, without them it will be tough for the sites to thrive." Many large credit card issuers, such as Bank of America, Fleet, Direct Merchants Bank, MBNA, and Chase Manhattan Bank have already begun to block Internet gaming transactions. [...]

> Read the full story here Source : ATEOnline.co.uk

• Skimming From the Wages of Sin

Stocks are in the tank, jobs are scarce, war is in the news, and al Qaeda's still on the loose. It's enough to drive you to drink ... or smoke ... or gamble. At least that's what a new mutual fund thinks you'll do. The Vice Fund (VICEX), created by Mutuals.com of Dallas, hopes to capitalize on tough times by investing in "socially irresponsible" stocks like Anheuser-Busch (BUD), Philip Morris (MO), and Harrah's Entertainment (HET). Fund managers Dan Ahrens, 36, and Eric McDonald, 30, have managed modest amounts of institutional money and sold packages of mutual funds to the public; this, however, is their first attempt to pick stocks for their own fund. But Ahrens insists that with $2.5 million invested so far, the Vice Fund is no gimmick. "Warren Buffett says to invest in what you know," he explains. "This fund is very easy to understand." [...]

> Read the full story here Source : Business2.com

• CryptoLogic On An "Uncertain" Mode as EU's Market Inches Up

This past year, has been a bumpy ride for Cryptologic, a casino software company. The seven year old business has already slashed its profit figures three times this year. Due to the argumentative profit making business carried by a governmental atmosphere currently oxidizing the US, the booming online casino industry has repositioned itself to face a number of lawsuits from past licensees along with a fast changing perception of the gaming arena. Last week the company fell to a 7% low, placing its value on the Toronto Stock Exchange on a four year plummeting mode. An "uncertain" fourth quarter is what lies ahead, and we will have to hope for a positive profiting future. Lewis Rose, the new CEO of the firm, believes that the emphasis now needs to be placed on Europe and Asia. In the interim, Cryptologic has already started to turn the wheels, securing a number of established holds, such as Littlewoods, who was awarded an Isle of Man license and has already been launched and the Ritz, who is on a pending mode for a consent from Alderney. The company's current clients hold prominent names in the industry and both were certified by the "Teir One" authorities, stationed outside the UK and who are known to follow a strict regulatory system. [...]

> Read the full story here Source : OnlineCasinoReports.com

• Net Casinos Ready for PayPal Shut Down

Online casino gambling faced what analysts considered a turning point to its perpetual growth last week when PayPal's acquisition by eBay became official. Earlier, eBay announced its mandate that once it did acquired the virtual payment provider, it would exclude online gaming transactions from PayPal's range of services. PayPal is an accepted payment method at approximately 85% of the net's online casinos, yet online casino gambling accounts for only 8% ($116.8 million) of its total business. It therefore began to look like gamblers were more reliant on PayPal than PayPal was on them. Those opposed to online gaming saw this as a nail in the coffin of the e-gaming industry. However, online casinos have since announced that they were prepared for the impending PayPal decision, and that they were already implementing alternative payment solutions. "PayPal is a good payment method for online gambling. It is not however the only good payment method for online gambling" says expert Gabriel Black. [...]

> Read the full story here Source : GamblingOnlineMagazine.com

PLAY & ENJOY NOW the most favored online casino by American players! Las Vegas USA Casino offers everything you wish from a Las-Vegas-style online casino - a generous 150% bonus up to $3,000 at welcome, more than 120+ thrilling and fun games with fast and various blackjack tables, huge progressive jackpots and much more - discover today one of THE BEST ONLINE GAMING DESTINATION ACTUALLY!