Issue 126
February 10-16, 2003
Volume 3
page 2
 

Gambling Goes Mobile

/Forbes/ - NEW YORK - Through the boom and bust of the Internet, there was one activity that managed to make money online: gambling. And just as Internet access has moved past the PC and into cell phones and wireless PDAs, gambling is going mobile as well.

"Certainly wireless is the next generation of e-gaming that is looking to take hold," says Nancy Chan-Palmateer of CryptoLogic, a Toronto-based Internet gambling software company that is now shopping its first wireless gambling products.

Cell phones themselves are becoming better suited to gambling. The newest cell phones are essentially mini-PCs, with full operating systems, heavy-duty processor power and high-resolution color screens. Pricey phones, PDAs and phone-PDA combos now offer an expensive but accessible way to get online.

Developers would use an applet--easily downloadable software--to deal a card in blackjack, depositing the graphics on the user's cell phone and sending a request to the casino's server for a random card, says Don C. Harold, vice president of operations for Chartwell Technology, a gaming software company for online casinos based in Calgary, Canada.

Mobile Internet usage is also about to get cheaper. Carriers have spent heavily on upgrading their networks to allow high-speed data access over the last few years, and they desperately need consumers to use the data services to pay for
the investments.

Software vendors expect wireless gambling to take off first in sports betting, including horse races and wagering on team matches. Initially, the bets will be made using simple text-based programs or instant messaging, although a gambler's wish list would include streaming video of live games and races once 3G networks can handle the huge amount of data required.

Lotteries, either government-run or private, are another early candidate for wireless,

as are casino games like blackjack, slot machines, craps, and roulette, where the player competes against the house.

The real test is poker, a multi player game where speed and simultaneous delivery matters.

In New Zealand, the government-owned gambling authority, the Totalisator Agency Board, uses instant messaging to let registered users bet on sporting events and races.

Arizona Casinos Open Blackjack Tables - ARIZONA - Las Vegas-style live blackjack became legal at about 6:45 a.m. on Feb. 5th in the Grand Canyon State. Three Valley casinos say they are prepared to play.

Proposition 202, the 17-tribe gaming initiative that passed Nov. 5, 2002 allows house-banked blackjack tables with betting limits of $500. Ex-Gov. Jane Hull began signing gaming compacts in December, and the Federal Register should activate the agreements by publishing them on Feb. 5th. Both Fort McDowell and Casino Arizona, on the Salt River Reservation, started dealing as soon as they got the go-ahead.

Foxwoods Celebrates Chinese New Year - /The Norwich Bulletin/ - MASHANTUCKET, CT – Foxwoods Resort Casino held its 11th annual celebration of the Chinese New Year Feb. 9, an example of its successful efforts to lure Asian patrons, casino officials said.

Chinese Americans and immigrants flocked to the casino in droves to celebrate the "Year of the Ram." Steve Karoul, vice president of casino marketing, said that Foxwoods has the largest percentage of Asian customers in the country.

The Chinese New Year festivities, on the ninth day of a 15-day celebration, started with the awakening of the Lion. "The Lion Dance, which probably is the most recognizable part of the New Year celebration, is normally accompanied by loud music played on a large drum along with fireworks to dispel evil spirits and to bring good luck." Ernie Woo, the Asian marketing manager at Foxwoods, explained that as part of Chinese New Year, the Lion on this day was to chase all the evil spirits away in business. Chinese movie and television stars Derrick Wan and Yan Chu came to entertain a packed audience of 1,500 at the Fox Theater Sunday.

Woo said that between Feb. 1 and Feb. 9,500 busloads of Chinese left New York for Foxwoods. Woo also pointed out that more than 1,000 Foxwoods employees are of Asian descent.

Jay Leno

Jay Leno will appear at the EFX Theatre at MGM Grand Hotel Casino February 21-22, 2003.

Price: $65.00, $75.00

Price Note: Prices don't include tax and fees

Show Time: 9:00 p.m.

Reservations: Reservations Recommended

Age Restrictions: Must be 21 years of age or older

For more information please call: (800) 646-7787
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