Thursday, September 9, 2010

Australian Casino Wars: Casino Strike Action!, by Greg Tingle - 9th September 2010

War Of The Worlds Slot

Australian and international pundits... you want casino and gambling action and news? Here it is maties. The world famous Australian Casino Wars continue to generate heat and excitement around the world. It's not only the main two players in Australia - James Packer owned Crown Casino and Tabcorp owned Star City Casino, but now almost certain strike action from the staff is on the cards. Rampant rumours suggest that another "strike" or two is also possible, but that may be jumping the gun! Media Man and Gambling911 don the bullet proof vests and grab the baton and plastic handcuffs. It's lights, cameras, action, strike!...

Crown Casino Workers To Strike; Rumours - Star City Casino And Others May Follow Trend...

Australian land based casinos can still operate in times of strike action, which is a very good thing for the powers that be at Crown Casino (and potentially a number of others).

Crown Limited is one of the biggest employers of Melbourne - ites - (for the moment). Let us also not forget that Crown are also a major supporter of our friend (and maybe yours) Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest.

Multiple thousands of workers at Crown Casino will likely be on strike during this year's Spring Racing Carnival as part of a significant industrial campaign for better pay, and perhaps conditions.

Crown staff will vote on the possible strike action in the coming weeks after Fair Work Australia approved the ballot. Insiders are hoping they don't get the equivalent of a hung Parliament, which was the state of Australia's senate for roughly 2 weeks, before Julia Gillard was reappointed the Prime Ministership.

Staffers are seeking out a 13.5% pay rise over three years and have flat out rejected Crown's 11% offer.

The LHMU (Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union) state secretary Jess 'Witty' (Media Man tag) Walsh said Crown Limited had posted a sizable $300 million profit and could afford the increase.

She advised any strike action would involve dealers, food and beverage staff and gaming staff.

"Members should be voting over the next few weeks, so the industrial action would occur in early October - it probably lines up with the spring racing carnival. Experienced, properly-trained staff are vital to ensuring gaming and alcohol are served responsibly at Crown. But Crown has sent a clear message it does not value the loyalty, dedication and experience of its staff. It only cares about one thing: making more money, whatever the cost to the community or its own staff. It has told staff it cannot afford a fair wage increase and needs to make changes that could cost experienced dealers almost $5000 a year, despite its $300 million profit."

Crown chief executive David 'Cashed Up' (Media Man tag) Courtney said talk of strike action was not unusual towards the end of long negotiations (the previous enterprise agreement ceased on 30th June).

He tipped Crown's 11% offer was equal to that accepted by staff at Burswood Casino in Perth, Western Australia, and more than the 9% accepted by staff at Sydney's Star City Casino.

He said Crown was hopeful of avoiding strike action.

If there was strike action the casino would continue to operate, Courtney said.

Tabcorp is tight lipped on the speculation and tip offs that another strike may hit their Star City Casino in 'Sin City' Sydney. Reef Casino and Lasseters in Australia's top end region would not disclose or confirm if they were about to suffer "strike action" (one kind or another), and no, we are not talking about aggressive boat people or the Australian or foreign Navy vessels, aircraft carriers or the like.

Insider rumors tip that they may be another kind of "strike", but that may be just heat coming from the readership of the likes of the very loud Media Man, Casino News Media and Gambling911.

A Media Man spokesperson said "Regarding the talk of another kind of strike in the Australian casino sector, don't look too deep into it. Our journalist and correspondent friends are known for talking things up, mind you, stranger things have happened in the past like the casino shaft man, Ferrari thief man, and even a couple of bomb threats a few years back, so I guess anything is possible. We think the hard working staff might just get the pay increase, and hopefully it won't negatively effect the share price. Mr Packer's operation is still pretty much head and shoulders about the competition so it should still be fair winds, and let us not forget the Packer and Warnie X factor, so Crown will keep powering for the foreseeable future in any event."

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Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters, what's your view on the casino wars and potential strike action? Is other "strike action" on the cards? Keep checking daily for updates. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

Crown Limited Share Price: $8.320

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.

*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited

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Saturday, September 4, 2010

Virgin Casino Premieres Brand New Online Slot Game - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(TM)

Virgin Casino Premieres Brand New Online Slot Game - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(TM) Win a Luxury 10-Night Break to New Zealand With Virgin Casino

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 09/03/10 - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company - Virgin Games, is proud to announce that it is one of the first online casinos to introduce Microgaming's eagerly awaited five reel cinematic online slot game, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The game, which promises to be one of the biggest launched this year, offers players a massive 243 ways to win and will be one of the most graphically rich, innovative and exciting online slot games to date.

To celebrate the launch of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Virgin Casino is offering a fantastic prize for one very lucky customer and a partner of their choice - a luxury 10 night break to New Zealand. The winner will be flown to New Zealand where they will stay in the 5(i) Rees Hotel which has amazing views of both Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkable Mountains. This picturesque setting is the perfect place to relax before the exciting Lord of the Rings mini tours begin. For every GBP 50 wagered customers will receive a ticket for the prize draw.

In the online slot game, players follow the Hobbit "Frodo Baggins" as he sets out to ensure the destruction of the Dark Lord Sauron. The five reel online slot will have unrivalled game graphics and include beloved characters from the film, such as Frodo, Aragorn, Saruman and the deadly Black Riders; along with some of the film's iconic footage, featuring Ringwraiths during the attack at Weathertop, Balrog in the Mines of Moria, and Uruk-hai in the woods of Middle-earth.

Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "This is truly a fantastic game and we are incredibly proud to be one of the first casinos to launch what is sure to become one of the biggest online gaming hits of the year. At the beginning of the year we stated our vision for Virgin Casino was to offer more choice to our customers and expand on the titles we offered. We are now doing this in spades."

Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 200 games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Games seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. A growing selection of games can be found at Virgin Games from a number of producers including Microgaming, WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming.

© 2010 New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.

Notes to editors:

About Virgin Games:

Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:

- Virgin Casino: offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over GBP 2,500,000

- Virgin Poker: part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry

- Virgin Bingo: part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.

*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -(Sept. 2, 2010) - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, has today announced that it is launching nine new games in September from four leading games producers – Microgaming, WagerWorks, Virtue Fusion and Ash Gaming. Amongst the new games are some big titles, including, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ and Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword.

Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.

Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."

Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.

Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.

Notes to editors:

About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:

• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.

*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory

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Virgin Casino Introduces Major New Games in September

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -(Sept. 2, 2010) - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, has today announced that it is launching nine new games in September from four leading games producers – Microgaming, WagerWorks, Virtue Fusion and Ash Gaming. Amongst the new games are some big titles, including, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ and Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword.

Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.

Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."

Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.

Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.

Notes to editors:

About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:

• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.

*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory

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Virgin Casino Introduces Major New Games in September

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -(Sept. 2, 2010) - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, has today announced that it is launching nine new games in September from four leading games producers – Microgaming, WagerWorks, Virtue Fusion and Ash Gaming. Amongst the new games are some big titles, including, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ and Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword.

Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.

Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."

Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.

Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.

Notes to editors:

About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:

• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.

*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory

Profiles

Virgin Casino

Virgin Games

Virgin

Virgin New Games

Richard Branson

Website Network

Media Man International

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Media Man Brand

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