TradeFight, which claims to be the first social gambling platform to offer players the chance to challenge each other and bet on real financial data, has gone live. The platform will offer three games based on live feeds from the financial markets. The Trade Fight game allows players to challenge each other in a head-to-head contest, with players given five minutes to trade in a live market with $1,000 in virtual cash. The winner is the player left with the highest sum at the end of the contest Speed Trade is based on market movements in the next 30 seconds,…

Anglotopia – When you try to compare Britain and the US in terms of a single aspect of culture – in this case, gambling – there’s a danger that Britain is going to come across as the fusty, grubby, make-do-and-mend Blackpool to the US’s thrusting, glamorous Las Vegas. Think of the two countries’ movie industries, for example. Pick a year at random – say, 2004. America offered the world “Million Dollar Baby”. Britain responded with “Sex Lives Of The Potato Men”. One – nil to the US. Now think about, say, card games. The US has the World Series Of…

Card Player – Las Vegas Sands owner Sheldon Adelson had an opinion piece posted on the Las Vegas Review-Journal website just a couple of days ago. In it, he further elaborates on his anti-Internet poker stance. The whole situation is a mess and very difficult to untangle, as some think Adelson is being hypocritical while he has accused supporters of online poker, some of who are his competitors, to be hypocrites themselves. First off, he thinks that online gambling would be dangerous for minors and other individuals who might have gambling addictions or develop gambling addictions. Secondly, he says that…

iGaming Business – The UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has banned a television advert from Scandinavian online casino operator Mr Green after ruling it was misleading for not making clear what the claim in the advertisement referred to. The advert featured a voice-over that said: “Mr Green. Mr Green. Where will he take you today? From Arctic Siberia to outer space. Medieval forest to sunny Miami. Do battle in imperial Rome when you play Victorious.” At the same time, on-screen small text stated: “Offer valid for 30 days. Must wager 35x bonus to withdraw winnings. Other T&C’s apply. No deposit…

Poker Fuse – Full Tilt Poker has entered a deal with YouTube to launch a sponsored poker channel. The channel hosts a selection of poker content from shows such as High Stakes Poker, the Million Dollar Cash Game, and Poker After Dark. Most videos are full length episodes, and there are plans to add content from live events to create a comprehensive source of entertainment for poker fans. The page includes live streaming tweets from Full Tilt and banner advertising for Full Tilt Poker. To access the channel, users must input their date of birth to confirm they are legally…

iGaming Business – The Norwegian Gambling Authority has reached an agreement with YouTube for the video-sharing website to block all adverts from online gambling operators that are not licensed to operate in the Nordic country. The announcement comes after a year-long investigation by the regulatory body into videos and promotional material being placed on YouTube by such online gambling operators to target players in Norway. The organisation submitted a list of 122 examples of such material that had been placed on YouTube by marketers for companies that are not licensed in Norway. The Authority argued that as adverts were in…