SOCIAL MEDIA

The Google Glass feature no one is talking about

Tuesday, 05 March 2013 18:29

PGRI Note: The headline refers to the possibility that as these video-recording glasses become ubiquitous, everyone will be getting video-recorded with or without their knowledge. The article is about invasion of privacy issues. In more of a glass half-full perspective, I suppose we could think of it as the democratization of celluloid celebrity status.

Tech Industry Sets Its Sights on Gambling

SOCIAL MEDIA

Wednesday, 20 February 2013 01:55

Look out Las Vegas, here comes FarmVille. Silicon Valley is betting that online gambling is its next billion-dollar business, with developers across the industry turning casual games into occasions for adults to wager. At the moment these games are aimed overseas, where attitudes toward gambling are more relaxed and online betting is generally legal, and extremely lucrative. But game companies, from small teams to Facebook and Zynga, have their eye on the ultimate prize: the rich American market, where most types of real-money online wagers have been cleared by the Justice Department. Silicon Valley Companies believe that online gambling will soon become as simple as buying an e-book or streaming a movie, and that the convenience of being able to bet from your couch, surrounded by virtual friends, will offset the lack of glittering ambiance found in a real-world casino. Think you can get a field of corn in FarmVille, the popular Facebook game, to grow faster than your brother-in-law’s? Five bucks says you cannot. “Everyone is really anticipating this becoming a huge business,” said Chris DeWolfe, a co-founder of the pioneering social site Myspace, who is throwing his energies into a gaming studio with a gambling component backed by, among others, the personal investment funds of Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, and Eric E. Schmidt, Google’s executive chairman. As companies eagerly wait for the American market to open up, they are introducing betting games in Britain, where Apple has tweaked the iPhone software to accommodate them. Mark Pincus, the chief executive of Zynga, said the company was just following the market. “There is no question there is great interest from all kinds of people in games of chance, whether it is for real money or virtual rewards,” he said. Zynga, which has missed revenue expectations in the last year, is making gambling a centerpiece of its new strategy. It has just applied to Nevada for a gambling license. Casual gaming first blossomed on Facebook’s Web site, where players could readily corral friends into their games. It is now being rethought for mobile devices, so people can play in brief snippets as they wait for a bus or a sandwich. Some games mimic the slots and poker found in casinos; others emphasize considerably more creativity. The vast majority of casual game players play at no charge. A small number buy virtual objects in the game to speed their play or increase their status.

Zynga Bringing Real-Money Gaming to Facebook in the UK

SOCIAL MEDIA

Wednesday, 06 February 2013 16:33

PGRI Note: Two websites have already gone live in the U.K. to start spreading the word. One is dedicated to poker, and the other features a variety of casino games, like slots, bingo and roulette. Its real-money casino efforts will not be limited to standalone websites. Zynga will also be leveraging the Facebook platform. Zynga is by far the largest game maker on the social network, and its poker game is the third-most-popular game on the platform. By allowing Zynga to take and pay out real money in the U.K, Facebook is opening the floodgates to gambling. Online gambling continues to be unregulated in the U.S., except in a small number of states, including Nevada. Zynga has begun the arduous process of getting licensed there, but it will likely take months, if not more than a year.

Facebooks New Partnership with 888 Holdings Could Be the Future of the Online Poker Industry

SOCIAL MEDIA

Thursday, 10 January 2013 19:39

Meet the four social networks bigger than Facebook (in some countries)

SOCIAL MEDIA

Friday, 04 January 2013 17:18

Corporate

SPIELO International has won “Exporter of the Year” at the 2013 New Brunswick Export Awards
...

Tarzan Added to MDI Properties Portfolio
“We’re very pleased to have reached t...

Bally Technologies, Inc. announced that Hialeah Park Casino has selected Bally’s award-winning games and systems solutions at its South Florida property
...

JCM Brings Better Smarter Faster Solutions to G2E Asia
...

Aristocrat Partners With Ongame Poker For The Emerging
“We are delighted to partner with Ongame t...

Italian lottery operator selects Ingenico for POS network overhaul
Ingenico has been selected by Lottomatic...

PHILIPPE VLAEMMINCK
Articles appearing in Public Gaming Magazine & Videos

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LOTTERY EXPO 2013
Co-Hosted by PGRI and the Florida Lottery
November 4 to 7, Miami, Florida, Trump Miami Beach Hotel
18001 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
Phone: Domestic: 855.244.2964 International: 786.522.3523 **Use Group Code 10W820 to get our special rate

Schedule:
Monday, November 4: 5:00: Opening Night Reception
Tuesday, Nov. 5: U.S. focused conference sessions; Reception 5:00 to 6:30 pm.
Wednesday,Nov. 6: Joint U.S. and Latin America Sessions; Reception 5:00 to 6:30 pm.
Thursday, Nov. 7: Focus on Latin America
Three Receptions and luncheons provide lots of time to visit with colleagues
For complete Lottery Expo info, including registration materials and conference updates: PublicGaming.org
Conference Venue: Trump Miami Hotel - Limited special rate of $175 Reserve your room click here online booking
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SMART-TECH 2013

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Thank you to all of you who presented, served on a panel discussion, and participated at Smart-Tech. This was PGRI’s fourth annual event in NYC and has become a great venue for lotteries to delve into the most relevant issues of the hour, and we so appreciate the privilege of hosting it and visiting with you. The next issue of PGRI Magazine will include an in-depth analysis of the issues we explored. Too, the conference was video-recorded and will be made freely available to everyone on www.PGRItalks.com. We’ve received much positive feedback and hope that everyone accomplished their objectives. Our next event will be held at the Trump Miami Beach Hotel on November 4, 5, 6, and 7^th. Lottery Expo Miami is especially exciting for the participation from our colleagues in Latin America. The North America track is on Tuesday, the LatAm track on Thursday, and we all come together on Wednesday. Thanks to the support of our commercial partners and sponsors, the hosted receptions held every night of the conference have become a wonderful venue to talk with industry leaders from all around the world. Please check in at www.PublicGaming.org for PGRI conference updates. Thank you again - We look forward to seeing you again. Please e-mail me (pjason@publicgaming.com) with any questions, feedback, guidance, or comments of any kind. Smart-Tech 2013 was held April 8, 9, 10, 2013 at the Helmsley Park Lane, New York.