Scientific Games Set to Acquire Barcrest Group Limited

A hot bit of gambling news is lottery supplier Scientific Games will acquire gaming machine manufacturer and content provider Barcrest Group Limited, a subsidiary of International Game Technology (IGT), for approximately £33m in cash. The transaction is expected to occur during the 3rd quarter 2011. The deal is contingent upon obtaining UK competition approvals and specific third-party consents.

Barcrest will be integrated into Scientific Games’ gaming divisions, The Global Draw and Games Media. The acquisition will open the door to a wide range of  new lottery customers in Italy and the Czech Republic while broadening SciGames’ server-based presence in betting shops, pubs, bingo halls and gaming centers across the United Kingdom.

Barcrest’s library of online slots and mobile channels will also become the property of SciGames. SciGames will acquire great games such as CaShino, Elvis ® Top 20 and Rainbow Riches. These among others are popular today in the online casinos.

Ron Paul: A Potential President in Support of a Gamblers Rights

Well, well , well. Things could be looking up for U.S. gamblers since Ron Paul plans to enter as a candidate in the 2012 presidential race.

He's a republican. He's a congressman. He's a supporter of online gambling. The following is an excerpt from his website, ronpaul.com.

"The ban on Internet gambling infringes upon two freedoms that are important to many Americans: the ability to do with their money as they see fit, and the freedom from government interference with the Internet." 

"The proper role of the federal government is not that of a nanny, protecting citizens from any and every potential negative consequence of their actions. Although I personally believe gambling to be a dumb waste of money, American citizens should be just as free to spend their money playing online poker as they should be able to buy a used car, enter into a mortgage, or invest in a hedge fund. Risk is inherent in any economic activity, and it is not for the government to determine which risky behaviors Americans may or may not engage in."

As a gambler I think I'd better get my Ron Paul t-shirt.

Slots in the City Released

You may double take when seeing Slots in the City" for the first time in your online gambling travels. With its Sex in the Cityesque logo, Slots in the City is another notch in the belt of Quicksilver Games including Top Banana, Maxamillion, Le Posh Nosh and Kasharoo. Is it New York? Is it Vegas? Slots in the City grabs hold of the player pulling them into both worlds.

The feature making this slot unique and newsworthy is the is the tri-level random progressive jackpot. Quicksilver Games says “Not everybody has their own ‘Mr Big’. Don't we all wish we did?

Slots in the City is available for demo or real play at quicksilvergames.co.uk.

Heads of Poker Are Gonna Roll

The recent U.S. government seizure of  PokerStars, Full Tilt, Absolute Poker and UltimateBet has shaken up the online gambling world. Federal authorities in New York raised indictments against the founders and bigwigs of  these top poker sites.

The problem here was the transaction processing. Casino deposits disguised to appear as another type of merchant. Whether the transaction is a direct bank transfer or credit card transaction, there is a merchant description included. It's this data that's altered to appear as a jewelry store or anything under the sun. A large part of the recent indictment has to do with bank fraud. Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy carry the heftiest fines and jail time. Heads are gonna roll.

You can read the charges brought against them here.