The UK Gambling Commission has just received word that Gala Coral is planning on taking its online gambling operations offline. The company has recently announced that it simply cannot compete with existing offshore gambling operators and have decided to bite the bullet.

This will mean that the last major UK gambling operator has finally left the market. Ladbrokes, William Hill and now Gala Coral will have now left the country for greener pastures. This comes as a huge disappointment to the UK Gambling Commission; however, it seems to be the motivation that the government needs in order to ensure that the government passes its new laws concerning the taxation of offshore operators.

Local reports indicate that, because the UK government does not tax offshore operators, the country is missing out on over £300 million gambling tax revenue. Because a portion of these profits go to social programs, the country as a whole is losing out.

The new legislation aimed at taxing offshore operators will receive a second hearing on March 30, 2012. With the news of Gala Coral leaving the country, it is likely that the bill will receive a great deal of support.

The Genting Poker Tour is one of the most exciting events in the UK poker world, attracting a wide range of players from across the country. The tour hits a number of stops around England and Ireland, offering players a chance to compete for amazing cash prizes.

When it comes to behind the scenes action, however, the biggest winners are those that partner up with poker tournament operators. As such, one of the most profitable deals a card manufacturer can take part in is one with a casino operator like Genting.

Genting has announced that Fournier will be the official supplier of cards for the upcoming tournament, an exciting deal for both parties. Fournier was a front-runner for the position, as the company already supplies cards to Genting’s land-based casinos, offering them a competitive edge.

Fournier has proven itself to be a trustworthy brand over the years. Genting reports that the cards they’ve used have never been faulty or defective. In large tournaments, this is very important, as marked cards can lead to cheating.

The next leg of the Genting Poker Tour will take place on March 25 at London’s Fox Poker Club. The tour will also hit stops in Edinburgh, Sheffield and Stoke.

Today, PokerStars has released a new mobile poker application, available for a wide range of smartphone and tablet computer devices. It is the first real-money application of its kind, making PokerStars somewhat of a revolutionary in the mobile gaming market.

Zynga and other online gaming operators have previously launched mobile poker applications; however, none of them offer players the ability to play for real cash prizes. As such, PokerStars’ app is the first real-money mobile poker application, providing players with the ability to win real money while playing games on their mobile phones.

Several different games will be available on the application, including Texas Hold’Em and Omaha. Pot Limit, No Limit and Hi Lo variations will all be available to users. Players will also be able to take part in tournaments.

Players can also access some of PokerStars most useful online features, including hand histories and multitabling. As such, PokerStars had made it so its mobile application is no different from its mobile application. Of course, there are still some features that have been left out, but as it stands, the new mobile application is a great mobile substitute for online play.

Simon Cowell’s new television gameshow ‘Black or Red’ has come under fire recently for glamourizing the activity of gambling. The UK Gambling Commission has thus requested that a few changes be made to the game’s format.

‘Red or Black’ premiered last year on primetime television. Competitors gained the chance to play the game live on television by purchasing lottery tickets for just £1. Once one the show, the competitors witnessed stunts and situations and were required to guess the outcome: either Red or Black.

Over the course of the show’s first season four people walked away with the £1 million grand prize, a fact which caused the UK gambling commission to worry. Participants were not required to do or risk very much in order to win these generous prizes, casting an unrealistic light on the world of gambling.

As such, the UK Gambling Commission has requested that the show change its format before beginning to film the next series. The commission hopes that the show’s producers will require players to show some degree of skill in order to win prizes; otherwise, legal action may be taken.

Rank Group is on a mission to become the biggest casino operator in Europe. Its recent £250 million bid for Gala Casinos has demonstrated just how serious the operator is about acquiring the established UK casino brand.

Rank Group recently issued a statement about the process. The document cleared up any questions that employees and the general public might have about the potential acquisition:

“Rank confirms that it is in discussions with Gala Coral Group about a potential acquisition of Gala’s casino business”, the statement said. “The terms of any such acquisition have not yet been finalized and there is no certainty that any transaction will occur”.

Should the acquisition be successful, Rank Group would own nearly 60 casinos across Europe. According to a source, Rank plans on revamping the image of Gala Casinos, making the brand more appealing to female gamers and those in the 20s.

This deal could potentially change the face of land-based gambling in the United Kingdom, as the merging of the two companies could create a new perspective on the industry. We will keep you updated with any further developments as they occur.

The UK’s online gambling market is expected to see a great deal of changes this year. The introduction of a new tax will see profits decline for UK-based companies that have recently moved offshore, analysts to caution investors against putting too much faith in gambling stocks this year.

Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfair are three companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Over the course of the past few years, however, all three have moved to offshore locations to avoid paying steep gambling taxes to the government. While the move initially helped to improve their profits, the UK Gambling Commission has found a way to close the loophole by requiring offshore operators to obtain new licenses.

This is likely to have a detrimental effect on these companies and their profits, and the turmoil is likely to travel down into the pockets of investors. With profits expected to wane as a result of the new taxes, investors are have been warned against working with gambling stocks.

Already, prices are beginning to drop, as Ladbrokes has seen a 2p decline and William Hill has dropped by at least 4p. Things aren’t looking good for UK gambling stocks this year, since the year has already gotten off to a bad start.

Operators across Europe are working hard to get into America’s online gambling market. Ever since the Department of Justice announced that the Wire Act would no longer apply to most forms of online gambling, gaming companies have been scrambling to become a part of America’s online gambling world.

Ladbrokes is the latest company to attempt to enter the American gambling market. The UK-based operator recently spent £2 million on a 65% stake in Stadium Technology Group. The company is responsible for the IT departments in some of Las Vegas’ biggest casinos, including Treasure Island and the Golden Nugget.

Working with an American company seems to be safest bet for international operators. By entering the market on their own, they could face isolation and even legal repercussions. Companies like PlayTech and IGT have also gone this route.

This puts Ladbrokes in the perfect position to enter the American online gambling market. Las Vegas is one of the states that is closest to offering online gambling, and Ladbrokes will be in the ideal place at the right time.

The London Olympics are expected to be the busiest games to date. As such, the International Olympics Committee is expecting there to be a great deal of suspicious gambling activity. In order to fight the possibility of match-fixing, the IOC has announced that it will be teaming up with operators like Betfair to crack down on the crime.

As part of their agreement, Betfair will provide the Olympics Committee with any information on suspicious gambling activity. The company’s team of integrity experts will keep a close eye on all wagers being placed on the games. If they notice anything suspicious, they will be able to alert the IOC.

During the 2008 Beijing Games, Betfair also worked with the IOC. The two parties worked together to crack down on illegal betting, and saw a great deal of success.

Betfair anticipates that criminals will attempt to take part in betting crimes this year, as most bookmakers are offing odds on every gold medal event. This creates plenty of opportunity for crime to take place, but the company is positive that its strategy for fighting match-fixing will be effective during the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The UK Government is none-too-pleased with the amount of gambling ads that air on television each week. Tessa Munt, a Liberal Democrat, has recently made her concerns known, asking Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene.

She recently presented her case to Prime Minister Cameron, presenting statistics which demonstrate just how saturated the UK television market is with gambling advertisements. Munt stated that in just one week, 36 hours of gambling advertisements aired. This means that almost 20% of what is being broadcasted on television is gambling ads.

David Cameron seemed to agree with her point-of-view. He called the advertising tactics of gambling operators “aggressive”, stating that it may be irresponsible of them to bombard the television-watching public with so many advertisements about gambling.

Gambling operators would have to disagree, however. Popular gambling operator Paddy Power claimed that its tactics were more ‘entertaining’ than ‘aggressive’, but the government still seems quite shocked with the amount of ads being shown by gaming operators.

What this means for the casino marketing industry remains to be seen. Some believe that it may result in a cap on the number of advertisements a casino may show, while others believe that the government simply will not intervene.

It seems like gambling operators are doing whatever they can to keep up with the times. Victor Chandler, one of the most established names in the UK’s gambling market, has decided to give itself a little 21st Century makeover with a new name, BetVictor.

The company decided to undergo a rebranding in order to appeal across the entire European Gambling market. While ‘Victor Chandler’ is a recognizable name in the UK market, it does not appeal to players across the continent. The operator feels that this name would ensure consistency across the market.

“As a company we are always innovating and moving forward, as well as extending our brand across new territories”, says CEO Victor Chandler.

BetVictor’s rebranding also comes with a makeover of its website. The new BetVictor.com offers up an improved user experience, allowing players to quickly and easily access the information that they are looking for. The design has also been updated with a more modernized look.