It looks like Playtech is at the top of its game. The business-to-business gaming software supplier has reported strong first half results boosted by regulatory changes across Europe. With the launch of new networks and a rise of almost a third in revenues from its joint venture with William Hill, it comes as no surprise that the company is faring quite nicely

Playtech has also announced a flash-based casino product is expected to go live at the end of this month, complementary to Betfair.

The joint venture with William Hill has Playtech seeing green. The cash generated from operating activities and sums received from William Hill almost doubled  this year, to €60.8m compared to €37.4m in 2009. Total revenues for the six months from the deal were €72.9m, representing an increase of 29% over the €56.7m achieved in the first half of 2009.

Other ventures such as the launch of new networks has contributed to Playtech’s gross income increase. In total, an astounding overall 31% increase to €87.9m for the six months ending June 30 2010 from €66.9m last year. Total revenues were up by 29% to €72.9m from €56.7m, while adjusted EDITDA rose by 20% to €54.2m from €45.3m.

Playtech signed a five-year agreement with William Hill in 2008 to supply the UK bookmaker with its online casino and poker software.

With profits like this, it looks like Playtech and Willian Hill have come up on top.

The Chief Executive of poker and casino software provider Playtech, Mor Weizer has stated that his company is well placed to enter the US market when reforms take place in the United State’s online gambling legislation.

As the US moves closer to the legalization and regulation of online gambling since the introduction of the UIGEA in 2006, Weizer has said that Playtech is getting a lot of interest from gaming operators in the United States regarding joint ventures.

Weizer has further said that “The timing is not clear but we see a genuine and positive momentum towards the regulation of online gambling,” and also added on “We see a lot of interest from operators in the U.S., and we are in discussions with various local groups.”

Weizer believes it will be easier for the Playtech to enter joint ventures with local operators and break into the market because of its position as a software provider, and not as a gambling operator. Local operators will dominate the online gambling industry, but because Playtech is a business to business company, it means that they will not be competing with the local operators, and simply entering into a number of strategic partnerships with US companies.

The month of August is seemingly the vacation month at InterCasino. They are giving away $20,000 worth of holidays for this month, with four amazing trips to Europe up for grabs, as well as a luxury Kenyan Safari trip!

There are two trips still up for grabs! To get started, players simply need to play and make regular $25 deposits. A nice perk about winning the trips is that a cash alternative is also offered, but who would refuse a trip to Monaco!?

So far, three trips have been rewarded. The first trip was to Paris, won by susygirl8. The second trip was to Barcelona, won by profkitso. The third trip, which was won last week was to Amsterdam, won by a player that goes by the alias TETIE. All trips awarded so far are worth $2,500.

This week’s prize trip, valued at $2,500 as well, is to gorgeous Monaco. Yesterday was the start of this destination’s promotion, and will come to an end this Sunday on the 29th.

The grand prize has been up for grabs all month, and what a grand prize it is! Valued at $10,000, the Kenyan Safari trip is sure to be a trip of a lifetime for a lucky winner.

Participating in this promotion is very easy, simply enter the bonus code “BREAK1” every time you make a minimum deposit of $25. This will get a player one entry into the current week’s prize draw, as well as an entry into the grand prize trip to Kenya.

What could possibly be the reason behind these two heavyweights merging a partnership? Well, how about the fact that the ban on online gambling in the United States has been lifted! It’s a very smart move for Austrian based Bwin to make, as UK based PartyGaming once ruled the U.S. online gambling market.

After the U.S. ban lift was announced, PartyGaming announced the next day that Bwin would become a partner.

The coupling of these two gambling giants has bookmarkers worried, as they each bring a lot to the table. Before the 2006 federal ban on online gambling in the United States was imposed, PartyGaming was ranked the number one online gambling company in the world. After the ban, many bookmarkers were forced out around the world, as well as PartyGaming.

The 2006 federal ban hit many online gambling operators hard, but hands down, PartyGaming was hit the hardest as 70% of their players resided in the United States. They went from ranking number one in the world to sliding down to fourth place.

Now that the ban has been lifted, PartyGaming will be able to come back in full swing and bounce back from their losses, and take back their number one title.

A recent report by iGaming Business as stated that the online gambling industry is only expected to grow in the future. It has been on a steady incline for the past decade and shows no signs of slowly down, according to the online gaming publication.

Although there was a downswing last year due to the global recession, this year has seen a great deal of growth. As the recession continues to come to close, an increasing number of gambling fans now have more disposable income available. They can now spend their money more freely, and online gambling gives them the opportunity to do so.

Currently, the online gambling industry is worth about $4.7 billion, but by the end of the 2014, it is expected to nearly double to about $7 billion worldwide.

Social networking is the key to the growth of the online gambling industry. More and more casino operators are using websites like Facebook and Twitter to solicit new customers and maintain relationships with existing players. It is important that operators take advantage of the vast opportunities that are out there because they will certainly contribute to the growth of the industry over the next couple of years.

Also, the opening up of many different gambling markets around the world is sure to help the online gambling market grow. France and The United States are expected to be some of the most lucrative markets in the world and they will both be of great value to the industry at large.

Australia started the movement, by banning all internet service providers associated with online gambling websites. Now, Russia, China and France have decided to make similar moves, which force ISPs into blocking residents in these countries from having access to online gambling websites.

The most recent country to enact these rules has been Israel. This week, the government issued a list of IP addresses that must be restricted to those living in the country. Police have ordered various internet service providers to block these addresses from Israeli citizens, and they have only 48 hours to do so.

The ISPs that have been ordered to carry out the ban have stated to the government that banning online gambling websites is illegal and they do not have the authority to do so. However, the police back their case by citing 224 of the Penal Code, which states that online gambling is, indeed, illegal.

The situation is convoluted, but it is very common around the world. Many countries believe that online gambling is harmful to their citizens, but ISPs do not have the power to carry out bans of the sites that provide this service. Other countries, on the other hand, have welcomed online gambling, as it can provide the government with a great source of revenue that can be used to benefit citizens.

Progressive jackpots operate by collecting a portion of all wagers placed on the machine and contributing them to the jackpot total. While progressive jackpots currently can range anywhere from £5000 to £5 million, a financial analyst believes that by the year 2018, the average progressive jackpot will be £1 million.

This is great news for online casino operators and players, as both sides of the coin will benefit from this breakthrough. As progressive jackpots increase, more and more players try their hand at winning the big prize. This is beneficial for operators as they are guaranteed an influx of customers who are interested in winning the million-dollar progressive jackpot.

While the average increase is destined to be, there are some things that online casino operators can do to speed up the process. The first thing that can be done is to expand progressive jackpot networks. Most online casinos today only link progressive slots across one particular casino, but it would be a most worthwhile option to link progressive jackpots across a many casinos that belong to the same brand.

Cryptologic had the right idea by linking all of its Marvel Superhero slots. The progressive jackpot is not only linked between games with the same title, but between all of the Marvel Superhero slots, regardless of which hero the game is based on.

This is certainly the future of online gambling and operators should take note of this!

A staple at InterCasino, players can always count on InterCasino’s weekly tournaments. The month of August is no different, and offers up an interesting mix of featured game this month.

This month, there are 5 different games being offered up. Currently running now, is Over Poker. This game will be running until August 15th, then the next featured game, Green Lantern will start it’s run on the 16th until the 22nd. After the Green Lantern tourney, Perfect Pairs Black Jack will be up from the 23rd until the 29th. The last 2 days of the month will finish off the month of August with Ferris Bueller’s Day Out.

Every weekly tournament has a shared $250 prize pot for the top ranking 6 players. The first ranking player gets $100, the second ranking player will get $50, and the third through sixth player will get $25 each.

These tournaments are simple to play, and simple to join. An entry fee of $10 is all it takes to get in on the action. When a player signs up for a tournament, the $10 fee is automatically deducted from the player’s account. When the game begins, all players start with a $500 token balance, and are given 30 minutes to rack up the highest possible token balance. The six highest token balances will get a piece of the $250 prize pool.

Win your share of $250 this month!

InterCasino has a great vacation promotion going on now! Trips to four hot European destinations, and a trip for two to Kenya are what’s up for grabs this month! $20,000 worth of vacations alone!

The first trip was won last week, and was a trip to Paris. The trip includes a return flight from London, 3 nights in a 4 star hotel, and $500 spending money, as well as a tour of Paris with an Eiffel tower visit.

The second trip, which will be won this week, is a trip to Barcelona. The trip will include a return flight from London, 3 nights at a 4 star hotel, $500 spending money, and 2 tickets to a meal and flamenco show.

The third trip which will be won next week, is a trip to Amsterdam. The trip includes a return flight from London, 3 nights at a 4 star hotel, $500 spending money, and a Canal cruise of the city!

The last European trip will be won in the last week of August, and will be to Monaco. This trip will include a return flight from London, 3 nights at a 4 star hotel, $500 spending money, and helicopter transfers between Nice airport and Monaco.

Saving the best for last, the Kenya Safari Trip. Worth a total of $10,000, this holiday package for two includes return flights from London Heathrow to Nairobi, return flights from Nairobi to Masai Mara, and14 nights in total at two different four star hotels.

Win one of these trips this month at InterCasino!

Underage gambling is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem in the UK. Over the past decade is has become easier for underage gamblers to assume fake identities in order to wager on sporting events. Up until recently, the problem has been ignored, but now William Hill online casino is looking for a way to combat the issue.

In 2009, a study conducted by the UK Gambling Commission indicated that 98% of bookmakers across the UK allow underage individuals to place bets on various sporting events. The Association of British Bookmakers called the statistics embarrassing and are looking for ways to ensure that the percentage decreases significantly over the course of the next year.

William Hill ensures that 8100 of its employees have undergone extensive training, including workshops that inform them how to deal with a situation when they encounter an underage gambler. By October, William Hill will train an additional 2000, ensuring that its entire staffed has obtained sufficient training on how to deal with the issue.