• Would Having An Edge Let You Gamble For A Living?

Solid citizens can play some casino games at an advantage. Card counters at blackjack and controlled shooters at craps do it. Both skills demand dedication to master and sustain, and both require finesse to use since the bosses will take countermeasures if they suspect what you're doing. But they're neither cheating nor illegal. Further, they exploit inherent features of the games rather than loopholes that could be closed once understood. Make believe you could master some such technique. No matter how adept you become, the best you can hope to achieve is between 0.5 and 1.5 percent edge. How confident of a regular paycheck would you be if you knew you could sustain, say, 1 percent edge? One way to answer involves the action needed to reach some average earnings based solely on that 1 percent. Posit a target of $1,000 per week. The 1 percent implies a handle of $100,000. Handle is gross wager, not cash in your fanny pack. At blackjack, averaging $100 per round, one hand at tables with four total spots receiving cards would mean 10 hours. At $25 per hand, the time jumps to 40 hours. More crowded tables take longer because rounds dealt per hour decrease. With fewer players it's faster, but you'd probably fear calling too much attention to yourself. [...]

> Read the full story here Source : PressOfAtlanticCity.com

• Women Are Top Online Players

Open any men's magazine and you cannot miss the adverts for internet casinos. Many of the adverts feature scantily clad women and promise membership of an exclusive club offering instant gratification. But the firms selling the glamorous James Bond lifestyle might now want to think about radically changing their advertising, as new research shows that more middle-aged women now engage in an online flutter than any other group. Although men still represent a hardcore group who play regularly for big stakes, women now make up a vast chunk of what aficionados term 'casual' punters. According to the media consultancy firm Screen Digest, 'bored housewives' have become major players on online games and competitions which promise cash rewards and prizes, a burgeoning industry which is now worth more than £270m a year in Europe and north America alone. [...]

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

• IGC Tackles Casino Spam And Other Advertising Issues

VANCOUVER, Canada -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- In an effort to reduce spam and promote reputable business practices, the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC, www.igcouncil.org) today announced an updated Advertising Code of Practice for member casino operators and software developers. "It's a sad fact that Internet casinos and sports books are, knowingly or unknowingly, responsible for contributing to the spam problem, " said Rick Smith, executive director of the IGC. "Spam often originates from a third-party marketing company or affiliate rather than the gaming operator, but regardless of the source, spam needlessly alienates many consumers who would otherwise bear no ill will to online gaming. According to Smith, spam from gaming sites also provides fertile ground for U.S. Senator Jon Kyl and his allies to continue their misguided attempts to prohibit online gaming. The IGC's board of directors, at its meeting in Toronto last month, unanimously approved an amended Advertising Code of Practice. The Code warns against unsolicited advertising, including spam and pop-up advertisements. "As a voluntary trade organization," Smith noted, "we have little by way of formal sanction available to force members to stop spamming. And of course there are many online gaming sites and portals that are not members of the IGC and that are involved with this practice. But when we formally declare that spamming is not an acceptable business practice, we send a powerful message throughout the industry. The Code is the first step toward an international industry standard. Until such a standard is widely adopted, the IGC will continue to lead by example." [...]

> Read the full story here Source : IGCouncil.org

• Mandalay Accepts MGM Mirage Buyout

CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- The Thing That Ate Las Vegas moved one step closer to its goal Wednesday morning as MGM Mirage's $7.9 billion takeover bid was approved by Mandalay Resort Group's board of directors. Early Wednesday, the two companies announced that they had come to a "definitive merger agreement," under which MGM Mirage (MGG: news, chart, profile) will pay $71 per share -- or $4.8 billion -- in cash for Mandalay (MBG: news, chart, profile). The deal also includes $600 million of convertible debentures and the assumption of approximately $2.5 billion in Mandalay debt. Shares of MGM Mirage closed down 1.3 percent to $48.88 while Mandalay slipped 8 cents to $67.80. The $71 per share price represents about a 30 percent premium to Mandalay's closing price June 3, the day that MGM Mirage offered $68 per share. Mandalay rejected that bid late Friday, citing risks in completing the merger. MGM Mirage said it expects the deal to immediately increase its earnings per share. Mandalay stockholders still have to vote on the transaction, which is likely to face scrutiny from federal and state antitrust and industry regulators. The combined entity will control about half the rooms on the Las Vegas Strip and own and operate 28 casinos from Nevada to Mississippi and the suburbs of Chicago. [...]

> Read the full story here Source : MarketWatch.com

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