• Worldwide 2005 online gambling revenues seen over $10 bln

November 16, 2005 - WASHINGTON (AFX) - Worldwide online gambling revenues will top 10 bln usd in 2005 for operators of virtual casinos and bookmaking, a market research firm said Tuesday. The report by the firm eMarketer said the 10 bln usd represents only the house cut, which means there is likely well over 200 bln usd in play over the year. 'Fueled by a poker craze, the growth of broadband, and television coverage, online gambling is quickly moving to the mainstream,' says Ben Macklin, analyst at eMarketer. Online gambling is considered by US authorities to be illegal, but that does not prevent many Americans from visiting Internet gaming sites, which are mainly based offshore. The eMarketer report said various research shows 20-30 mln US internet users visited gambling or sweepstakes sites in February 2005, representing about 15-18 pct of all US internet users. 'US consumer spending on gambling is roughly 20 times the amount they spend on digital music downloads,' the report noted. In Europe, the report found 14 mln Internet users visited gambling or sweepstake sites, with Germany having the largest number of users. As a percentage of Internet users, however, France and Sweden top the list.

> Read the full story here Source: Forbes.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!