Trusted Reviews – Mobile games dominated the handheld gaming market during 2013, accounting for the majority of sales. A new combined report from IDC and App Annie has discovered that mobile games accounted for 75 per cent of the handheld gaming market last year. Despite significant growth for the Nintendo 3DS and a strong software line-up for the handheld, it was still totally outmatched by the spending on mobile platforms. Overall, spending in the Android Google Play Store increased in Q4 2014 by four times when compared to the same period the year before. iOS App Store spending also increased,…

Global Post – The sign on the window promises “fun and games.” But inside the slot-machine arcade, it looks more like compulsion and mundane clerical work. Behind the colorfully painted plate-glass window, it’s impossible to tell if it’s 3 in the morning or the afternoon. Apart from the faint strains of light rock music and an overriding mechanical hum, it’s as silent as an intensive-care unit. The two shabby patrons are so intent on their screens that they may as well be wired them. Presiding over the fun is 28-year-old Ayesha, a bleached-blonde German of Turkish origin who declined to…

Press of Atlantic City – Wednesday was a long day for Atlantic City resident Michelle Olson. With several hours to go before the Golden Nugget opened the doors for its emergency job fair, Olson claimed the first spot in line at 3 a.m. in the hope of landing a job as a front desk attendant. As she watched the crowd grow from dozens to hundreds and beyond, she remained hopeful that she would land a position, saying she believed God was on her side. The job fair kicked off at 10 a.m. Wednesday and drew 1,300 people to the Marina…

Philly.com – New Jersey casino regulators approved a multi-state slots system designed to result in larger jackpots. The state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement said Wednesday it has authorized a wide-area progressive slots jackpot system involving New Jersey and other jurisdictions. It said “several states” have indicated an interest in participating, but listed only one: South Dakota, which is still considering its own regulations for multi-state slots. The launch of the system depends on how quickly other states approve their own regulations, the division said. The goal is to create larger jackpots that will be more appealing to players – some…

The Guardian – Amid criticism bookmaker vows to link executive pay to targets tackling issue and set up a board committee to investigate policy Ladbrokes will seek to calm the row over the lucrative fixed-odds gambling machines in high-street bookies this week with a vow to link executive pay to targets on tackling problem gambling. The bookmaker also plans to set up a board committee to investigate responsible gambling policies as it responds to widespread criticism of machines dubbed the “crack cocaine of gambling” by campaigners. Ladbrokes has written to the minister responsible for gambling, Helen Grant, and industry stakeholders…

South China Morning Post – Singapore announced steep increases in alcohol, gambling and tobacco taxes as it pledged billions of dollars in health care subsidies for its growing ranks of elderly citizens. Alcohol taxes will rise 25 per cent, while duties on tobacco will jump 10 per cent. Betting duties from the state-linked betting firm Singapore Pools will rise to 30 per cent from 25 per cent of gross bets from July. In his budget speech on Friday, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam also unveiled a S$9 billion (HK$55 billion) package to provide life-long health care for the elderly. Under the…