From Vegas Inc Critics of online gaming say a new generation of problem gamblers is likely to emerge with Internet poker being so readily available. But two presenters at this week’s 15th International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking at Caesars Palace say computer programs are being used to educate online gamblers and force them to think twice before making wagers they can’t afford. In a session on responsible gambling and new technologies, Mark Griffiths, a professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University in Great Britain, and Andreas Holmstrom, CEO of Sweden-based Playscan, discussed strategies to communicate with players…

A few years ago, declining a FarmVille request on Facebook or not knowing of Restaurant Story was akin to committing social harakiri. That no longer seems to be the case. Figures from metrics tracking firm SuperData, which were out recently, reveal that social gaming is on the decline. Their data shows that the total number of monthly active social gamers have dropped below 200 million for the first time in over a year, down by 10 million users in March in comparison to February. It even noted that revenues from social gaming had fallen. Almost on cue, Electronic Arts (EA)…

from iGaming Business Playtech has expanded its mobile bingo offering with the launch of eight new slot titles. The new games are mini-embedded in the bingo pages on mobile and are also available in full screen mode across the HTML5 and native offering. “As our mobile Bingo is growing exponentially, it has become a key focus in our product development this year,” said Rhys Owen, Head of Bingo at Playtech. “With the launch of the HTML5 solution along with Native iOS and Android operating systems, we have begun rolling out the product to our customer base. Using an HTML5 template…

From Chicago Tribune Buried more than 400 pages into the 524-page gambling expansion bill that would bring a casino to Chicago are directions for splitting some of the state’s take to create new ways to pay for the pork-barrel projects politicians covet. Money from the new casinos and slot machines at horse racing tracks would be steered to a new “depressed communities economic development fund,” a “Latino community economic development fund,” grants to the State Fairgrounds and county fairs, funding for equine research, soil and water conservation, cooperative extension services and an annual grant to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Other…

From Dutch News Social media site Facebook has agreed to stop adverts for gambling sites targeting its Dutch users, according to the Dutch gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit. Facebook has agreed to ‘conform to Dutch legislation which states it is not allowed to encourage illegal gambling’, the authority said in a statement. This is an important step in combating illegal gambling and discouraging youngsters from taking up the habit, said spokesman Paul Tang. ‘Facebook is a low threshold social network with easy access to youngsters,’ he said. ‘By taking this step, the organisation is showing it takes its social responsibilities seriously.’ The…

New Jersey casino gaming is not exactly booming, but Atlantic City online gambling may offer some hope. For six consecutive years, revenue there has been on a steady decline. Its newest casino, the $2.4 billion Revel, just exited from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. And to top it all off, last fall the city, along with the rest of the New Jersey coastline, was slammed by Hurricane Sandy, from which the region is still trying to recover. Prognosis for AC is good, according to Wall Street analysts  Last week the East Coast Gaming Congress was held, and it was there that a…