The Fifth Annual International Symposium on Internet Gambling Law and Management, sponsored by Mary Ann Liebert publishers (www.liebertpub.com) and presented by Bioconferences International, (www.bioconferences.com) will be held Nov. 25-27, 2001 at the Shelbourne hotel in Dublin, Ireland.
The conference will feature sessions on the burgeoning Asian and Latin American markets; new entrants into the field from land-based gaming and other industries; new jurisdictions such as Jersey, Isle of Man, Alderney, Channel Islands, Malta and Gibraltar; new laws and regulations in Antigua, St. Kitts, New Zealand and other jurisdictions; the latest in Internet gaming technology; the growth in Internet lotteries around the world; major developments with sportsbooks and Internet casinos.
The Annual International Internet Gaming Innovator Awards will be presented at a luncheon on Nov. 26 at the conference. Past recipients have included Antigua, Bally Gaming Systems, Casino Promote, Elot, Inland Entertainment, Microgaming, National Center for Responsible Gaming, Plus Lotto, Starnet, William Hill, and You Bet.
The conference also features sponsorships and exhibits by various software, telecommunications, marketing, and other vendors serving the Internet gaming industry.
The Biggest Casino On the Net
Dozens of gambling sites claim to be the “biggest” or “largest” on the Web, but who truly deserves this title? We searched around and came up with a short list of legitimate contenders:
Casino on Net – A million downloads
Since its launch in 1996, Casino on Net says it’s processed “well over a million downloads.” It’s easy to see where Casino on Net gets its players: the company spends more money advertising than any other online casino site. In fact, they’re one of the biggest advertisers on the Web.
In January’s AdRelevance report by Jupiter Media Metrix, Casino on Net ranked number 9 on the list of the Top 15 Advertisers on the Internet, ahead of Microsoft and Lycos. AdRelevance estimates that Casino on Net registered 387 million ad impressions in January alone. Advertising like that doesn’t come cheap and it’s clear that Casino on Net has strong financial backing.
Casino on Net is operated by Cassava Enterprises LTD, a registered company located in Antigua.
InterCasino – 280 million games played
InterCasino claims to be the “world’s first — and largest — online casino.” Licensed by the Government of Antigua in July 1996, InterCasino accepted its first real-money wager in November 1996. Since then they say they have welcomed “more than 275,000 players.”
Here are more impressive figures: Since 1996 “more than 280 million games have been played and $2.6 billion paid out to Singapore Online Casino player accounts.” Clearly the “2.6 billion” refers to “handle” and not actual winnings cashed out, but it’s still a number that few online casinos can match.
InterCasino software and e-cash systems are supplied by CryptoLogic. CryptoLogic (CRYP) is publicly traded on NASDAQ.
Golden Palace, Gaming Club, Lasseters – Heavy traffic in February
Traffic is another rough indicator of the size of an online casino. According to PC Data Online, Golden Palace received more traffic in February 2001 than any other online casino: 2,559,000 unique visitors. Microgaming’s Gaming Club, established in 1996, registered 2,337,000 visitors, while Lasseters, the Australian government regulated casino, boasted 2,337,000 visitors. In a recent press release, Peter Bridge, Managing Director for Lasseters Holdings, said that Lasseters had a database of 95,000 players.
