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NETWATCH 
Gaming Site Spotlight
Majestic International Casino & Sportsbook
www.majestic-casino.com
As the online gaming industry continues to work toward an acceptable level of consumer confidence and legitimacy, there are still many gaming web sites damaging this cause by conveying a sense of anonymity on their site. By not clearly displaying information such as the physical location of the casino, the jurisdiction where the casino is licensed, and a telephone number needed to reach a human being if need be, an online gaming site will simply be adding to the public's skepticism.
Thankfully, there are many online gaming sites that have no qualms about being up front regarding these issues. One such site is Majestic-Casino.com, where visitors can easily find crucial information such as contact e-mail addresses and phone numbers, physical location and casino licensee information. Clearly, this company puts all its cards on the table.
Majestic International Casino has been online for almost two years, and management claims the project has been in development for over four years. The site offers all the traditional casino games as well as a full sportsbook. But, unlike many gaming sites, a software download is not needed to play and users with WEBTV can also get in on the action. Of course, free play is offered and users can seamlessly switch between real play and free play.
Majestic International Casino is licensed through the government of Costa Rica and is allowed to operate a casino and sportsbook operation under the supervision of the government of Costa Rica.
Cyber News
Online gaming makes it to cable
Last spring, the online gaming industry received national network attention through a feature on the industry aired on ABC's World News Tonight with Ted Koppell. Although Koppell himself failed to offer an objective view on the subject, the program was fair in its presentation of the facts surrounding the industry.
In late January, just in time for the Super Bowl, the online gaming industry received more national attention in the form of a segment called "Point, Click, and Bet" on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumble. (Interestingly enough, Casino Player published an article in our January issue, written in mid-November, called "Point, Click, and Wager").
Unlike the ABC news piece, which dealt mostly with online casino gaming, the HBO story focused on sports betting. The segment was dominated by the story of World Sports Exchange (a company we also featured in our January edition), an offshore sportsbook based in Antigua. The owners of the company were interviewed by sportscaster Jim Lampley, who gave an overview of the gaming operation and background information on the owners. Lampley also interviewed an official from the Antigua government who fully supported World Sports Exchange's opinion that, despite the US government's belief that WSE is operating an illegal sportsbook, the site is fully licensed and permitted to operate a gambling site in Antigua and should not be persecuted by the US government. The owners of WSE stated that, if forced to because of fear of their arrest, they will never again set foot on US soil, prompting Lampley to say they are "trapped in paradise."
The segment ended with a Q & A between Lampley and Gumble, and the general feeling Lampley conveyed was that a ban on offshore wagering will be a very difficult thing for the US government to enforce, and that the industry will not be stopped by any country's prohibitive legislation.
We couldn't agree more.
Newsgroup Noise
"Living in the Arctic Circle is pretty much depressing in the winter and being an avid punter makes the depression harder, as there is no where to punt. Internet gaming makes life that much more bearable in the three months of no daylight."
Posted, alt.gambling
"Last year I had a losing streak of about 100 hours. It followed me around Nevada, to Louisiana and to casinos outside the U.S. It followed me from single deck to double deck, hand held to dealt from shoe, hand shuffled and shuffle master, head on and crowded tables. And then it went away and I finished the year with a nice win. Life is full of meaningless patterns. Don't try to read too much into them."
Posted, rec.gambling.blackjack.moderated
 What's New
Casino.Com www.casino.com
With a name like Casino.com, a site had better be a comprehensive guide to the world of casino gambling. Fortunately, the owner of the domain casino.com delivers the goods. In addition to information and links to Boss Media's many casino clients, casino.com entertains its visitors with casino-related quizzes, polls, news, chat, search tools, and browser-based shockwave practice casino games such as blackjack and roulette.
The site claims it is "the foremost portal for players to the world of online gaming," and they just may be correct.
Gambling Magazine www.GamblingMagazine.com
This is a very extensive site that offers a seemingly objective view of the gaming industry through various feature articles.
Association of Senior Gamblers www.seniorgamblers.org
If you're a senior "netizen" who loves to gamble while being treated like a VIP, this site deserves your attention. As a member of this not-for-profit organization, you will enjoy discounts on items such as hotel room rates, dining, travel, car rentals, entertainment and even gaming specials. If you like what you see, you can sign up online.
Atlantic interBet www.atlanticinterbet.com
Unlike other casinos promising "coming soon games," at Atlantic interBet, the games are already there. Atlantic interBet also offers unique interactive games so users can "sit down" at a table with other players from around the world for a game of poker or slots.
PlayBig Casino www.playbig.com
This site promises to be the closest thing to a real, traditional Las Vegas casino. PlayBig intends to be praised for its quality games, fast and friendly service, and high payouts.
What's Cool
Atlantic City's newest casino
is on-line, but not yet on-land
Even though the property is at least two years away from opening, web surfers can take a sneak peak at "The Borgata," Boyd Gaming's planned megaresort in Atlantic City's H-Tract. The Borgata (Italian for "village") is expected to cost $750 million to build and feature 1,500 guest rooms and suites, 120,000 square feet of gaming space, and a variety of first class resort and guest amenities.
The site includes three areas: "The Promise," "The Details" and "The Experience." On "The Promise" page, you'll find an overview of what to expect when you visit the new property. Within "The Details" pages, you'll find a development timeline, press releases, a project scope and an overview of the city's tunnel project. Lastly, "The Experience" pages give interested observers a glimpse at the property's plans for dining, retail, entertainment, gaming and conference facilities. Also available on the site are "interest forms" for those who would like to inquire about employment opportunities, as well as guest and vendor information. According to the site's text, Boyd Gaming is not accepting applications or reservations. However, they promise to send information to all persons who submit an interest form.
The Borgata's site can be found on the World Wide Web at www.theborgata.com.
E-Newsletters Galore
As the Internet continues to grow exponentially, marketers of web sites continue to come up with new ways to generate interest for and traffic to their respective web sites. One such marketing technique that has become popular is direct marketing to consumers through the use of electronic newsletters. These e-mail newsletters are basically self-serving, but many of them do have valuable content, including feature articles, current industry news and other updates on the site's new content. There are no fees to subscribe to these newsletters, but you may have to sort through a little bit of advertising while scrolling through them.
Below, we've listed some gaming-related websites that offer some sort of free newsletter. To sign up, simply go to the sites and look for the box in which you can enter your e-mail address. Once you enter your address and submit it, you'll then start getting the site's newsletter. It should also be noted that each of these newsletters offers an "unsubscribe" method in case you don't want to receive the e-mails anymore.
Casino Wire - www.casinowire.com
The Player's Advocate - www.playersadvocate.com
RGT Online - www.rgtonline.com
Sportsworld - www.sportsworld.com
Where To Bet - www.wheretobet.com
Intertops - www.intertops.com
Gamesville Times - www.gamesville.com
When John Hansen pages through the all the garbage that is found on the Usenet Newsgroups these days, images of that tearful Indian from the 70's anti-littering commercials always pops into his head. Hansen can be reached at DChan@casinocenter.com |
