There's a lot of talk about land based casinos VS their counterparts, online casinos.
Of late some of this talk not only relates to the features, benefits, advantages (not to mention the risks), but also potential racism, which some argue falls into the protectionism realm, and it's this element which has seen some national and international legal action in recent years, much of which has been covered by numerous media outlets including
Media Man and Gambling911.
Let's first take a look at the landscape of Casinos VS Online Casinos
Casino Online Casino
Must attend in person Patrons / customers can access from most countries
Guards and bouncer security Online security checks and no plastic handcuffs required
Limited hours of business Open 24 hours, 7 days a week, around the clock usually
Food, drinks, bar Eating and drinking arrangements controlled by self
Betting limits (potential) Betting limits imposed by casino, self or both
1000s or 1000s of games 300 games is usually the maximum range
Human interaction Limited human interaction
Travelling expenses No travelling expenses
Lucky money and bonuses Welcome bonuses often offered by Casino
Licensed in city / state Licensed often offshore, be it Gibraltar, Malta, Virgin Islands etc
So readers and punters, as you can see via the basic comparison, there's pros and cons between land based casinos and online casinos. In any event, we recommend that you set your limit and stick to it, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun.
A few observations...
Land based casinos that has failed to adequatly adapt to the online landscape have generally struggled to maintain the cashflow and profitability they once enjoyed. Many land based casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City are suffering. Harrah's Entertainment has adapted in recent years, as has Australia's Crown Casino, Burswood Casino and Star City Casino, to a certain extent. Some 3 years ago Australia's Lasseters Casino closed its online casino arm.
MGM - USA - Macau Situation Update
New Jersey casino regulators said Wednesday that they have evidence Stanley Ho, the Asian casino magnate, has extensive ties to organized crime in China.
Their suspicions led MGM Mirage to agree last week to sell its half of Atlantic City's top casino — rather than abandon the lucrative Chinese market, where it has a joint venture with Ho's daughter.
Considered the father of modern gambling in China, Ho lets criminal gangs "operate and thrive" inside his casinos, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement said in a report issued to the casino last May and made public Wednesday. The division found that Pansy Ho, his daughter, is dependent on him and his money and remains under his influence.
Media Man questions Where's the evidence? Ho's are good enough for MGM but not good enough for United States government... interesting situation. At time of publication Google continues to withdraw from China and its Google results are now uncensored.
On the situation Macau Daily Times journalist and media commentator, Rogério Beltrão Coelho, had this to say...
New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement recently released a report stating that it was concerned with the ‘unsuitable’ companions of some of the US gaming operators it regulates.
In short, it recommends – or demands – that MGM should steer well away from Pansy Ho, because “Dad” Stanley makes life easy for triad operations in the casinos that he runs. It argues that its evidence is “conclusive” and adds that as in Aesop’s fable “The Wolf and the Lamb” that…if you’re not guilty, your father is.
Obviously I am not the right one to assess here who’s right or wrong. I wouldn’t even know if Stanley Ho’s prompt denial is strong enough to wipe out allegations.
In democracy – a word so dear to the US theorists – anyone is presumed innocent until proven otherwise, and that is done in courts.
What seems odd is the fact that this issue was made public and escalated to such a huge scale precisely when the aging gaming tycoon was visibly weakened by an accident he suffered last year – At a time when estimates and forecasts point to the fact that Stanley Ho’s casinos are still leading the list of gaming revenues…
Of course this reasoning is far from judging here a hidden sense of opportunity in all this. (As usually happens to former leading politicians when ousted or sidelined). It might be a coincidence.
Let’s make it clear. I am not enlisted by Stanley Ho to make his defense. Nor have I ever been the least inclined to try my hand, or even go near the “green velvet”. But I cannot help but sympathize with the magnate.
It might be because I’ve been here for over 30 years and with a mind trained for data and facts, I cannot wipe from my records his contribution to the development of Macau while he kept the gaming monopoly. No doubt a kind of development not immune to all the negative side effects that gaming trails, but even so, a more serene development.
At levels considered modest by today’s standards and then just enough, for instance, to allow young newly-weds to invest and buy a home. Gambling911 advises more from our Macau friend on the official Macau Daily Times website ... subscribe for your copy today!
Australia - Racist Or Not Racist?
Media Man is pleased that numerous Australian billionaires, millionaires and celebrities are certainly not racist. Nor are we for that matter. Mining magnate, Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest and mates including Aussie casino king, James Packer or Crown, rounded up the troops and recently launched GenerationOne, a movement to help get Indigenous Australia back to work. Packer, Forrest and many leading Australian business people and a swag of celebrities have pledged to support the project and to employ our indigenous friends. Forrest advises it's not charity. They need to be correctly trained and qualified. Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd attended and spoke at the launch, as did NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally, who has already has 2229 jobs earmarked for indigenous people, Packer has approx 100, "Twiggy" with multiple thousands, and Media Man has put aside 2 contract jobs for locals. The ultimate goal is for 50,000 jobs to be created. It's more paperwork, but the end result is worth it. We agree with "Twiggy"... the more you get to know Aboriginal people you more you get to love them.
Side note... last month we reported on land based casino patron, Beth Price, being refused entry to a casino. Bess is an Indigenous Australian. The casino in question maintains Bess is a drunk and Bess is sticking to the story that the casino is racist. It's the good old case of their being two sides of the story. Readers, you be the judge. We here have a multi cultural policy and embrace and respect culture from all fair minded nations.
The late mail
Tonight Star City Casino, Sydney, Australia, welcomes iGaming Business Down Under guests for networking and drinks. The official event starts tomorrow (Wednesday) at 11.30. Media Man will be attending and conducting interviews and investigating via video camera, complete with legal eagle mate and security in tow. Affiliates get to attend for free, which we think is an excellent idea. 200 plus people are expected through the gates and we will be reporting on the good, bad and ugly at the event over the next few days.
Websites of the Month
PartyGaming's
PartyCasino (no U.S players but accepts Canadians and Australians)
BetUS (accepts Americans, Canadians, Australians and many other regions
MediaManCasino.com offers a handy and frequently updated World Casino Directory area to help get correct country access information to potential players.
Media Man and Gambling911 only list the most trusted and ethical casinos and online casinos. If you need further clarification on a casino ask us, or refer to other resources like GPWA, CAP, eGaming Review, CasinoMeister or Affiliate Guard Dog. If an online casino is not listed at either Gambling911 or on the Media Man network, there's quite likely a good reason.
*we don't know if those who reside in China / Macau can access the above websites, such is the nature of internet censorship, a matter deeply concerning to most Americans, Canadians and Australians. *The Australian internet filter has been delayed until sometime after July this year. Opposition political party, Liberal, headed up by Tony "The Bruiser" Abbott has already gone on the record that they have serious concerns about the proposed filter and internet censorship.
Until next time, enjoy your (hopefully) unfiltered and uncensored internet, have fun gaming, good punting. Party hard and play harder. Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi, USA USA, CAN, 777, 888, Oi Oi Oi.
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