UK gaming operators are bracing for a market share change, as the UK government to push through a new gaming bill into law adding a new point of consumption (POC) tax. While the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association promises to fight this new gaming bill in the higher courts, it isn’t all doom and gloom for the biggest gaming operators, including 888. If this bill is passed as expected, the POC will tax all UK facing operators 15% on their remote gaming gross profits beginning December 1, 2014. According to 888 Holdings’ 2013 financial reports, 41% or $163.3 million of…

iGaming Business – Advertising and marketing company CyberZ has reported that the Japanese mobile gaming market is set for further expansion after it experienced substantial growth during 2013. A report from the firm valued the Japanese mobile gaming market at 546.8 billion yen (€3.9 billion/$5.4 billion) in 2013, up from around 311.1 billion yen in the previous year. CyberZ placed the most value on native applications, which were worth a total of 317.8 billion yen in 2013, compared to smartphone browser games that were valued at 229 billion yen. Mobile gaming is now responsible for approximately 50% of the overall…

US Poker – Online poker is now regulated in three states.  Affiliate opportunities are available in Nevada and New Jersey.  The leader in affiliate programs so far is New Jersey. Becoming a regulated poker affiliate is not as easy as becoming one for an offshore site.  Unregulated sites have a potential affiliate complete a web form.  Some have a vetting process, while most will immediately give affiliates links that will track players. Regulated affiliates must go through an application process.  New Jersey affiliates must apply for a vendor’s license before being allowed to market sites.  Most operators help with this…

Poker News – It’s no secret that California is the next state most likely to legalize some sort of Internet gaming. It’s also no secret that PokerStars has been working towards integrating themselves into the future online poker market in the “Golden State.” Not surprisingly, the online poker conglomerate has been met with some opposition. Last week, over a dozen tribes, including the San Manuel and Pechanga, released a statement urging the State Legislature to “prevent unscrupulous entities” from future iPoker opportunities. “Recent news reports indicate that online poker operator, PokerStars, is in partnership negotiations with a California tribe and…

Card Player – Although it fell under the radar for the most part, Nevada’s gaming industry had an important milestone last week. February marked the first time ever that a Silver State gaming revenue report included online poker figures. The state was keeping the numbers under wraps until a third casino firm, South Point, started offering games. Station Casinos, which debuted games in spring 2013, and Caesars Entertainment, which kicked things off in late summer, are the other two. In other words, from now on the successes or failures of Nevada’s online gaming industry will be out in the open…

NJ.com – Should Congress pass legislation that would outlaw online gambling across the country — thus quashing New Jersey’s recent move to legalize internet betting? U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) are sponsoring the measure that would reimpose an interpretation of the federal Wire Act, which says betting over the internet violated the law. The U.S. Justice Department reversed course in 2011, leading Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey to legalize the practice. New Jersey instituted online gambling in November. The senators said the Justice Department’s opinion was “yet another example” of the Obama administration…