You are standing at the game table. Your hand is looking quite bad. You think… should I bluff, should I drop… it is a hard call, and the stake, however big or small, matters. A dilemma you can only solve yourself. Either bad or good. Win or loose? It’s all up to you. The decision is all yours, in the game. Destiny or game knowledge, luck or misfortune, a lot of factors independent of yourself. At the gambling table, life is all about deciding. The adrenaline, focus, initiative, courage, madness, all these are part of the fascinating phenomena that is the game.

The casino is a shorter version of destiny, say the gamblers. A place in which reality strikes you harder and more often than anywhere else. Whether it’s poker, slot-machines, dices or roulette, regardless what and how you are playing, in a casino you are sure to live the feeling of thrill, pleasure, joy and sadness at least once. Life is all about choice. You choose a certain path, make a certain call considering your hand. Some prove right, some wrong. It’s the same in a casino.

This is not an invitation to a casino. The choice is yours. But life is worth living. And from a certain point of view, a casino can be the place to assess whether you are ready for more or not. It is a place in which one visit is enough for you to realize if you are capable of making fast decisions, containing your emotions, your reactions, if you can take losing or savor success, keep a straight line and so on. A casino is a place where, if only for one time only, you can see what living life on fast forward is like. And all this because, with good and bad, a casino is a shorter version of destiny.

The world of casino has always seemed surrounded by mystery, glamour and originality to those watching from the outside tempted by it, but never daring to enter. From behind the closed doors of casinos amazing stories surfaced, telling of fabulous wins, huge losses, tricks, game tactics, odd player habits or spectacular show-downs.

Players and viewers alike told stories which never cease to amaze profanes. Such stories have inspired movie scripts or books, consolidating a place for casinos in history. Americans, for example, can enjoy reading about the gambling experiences of famous players on a dedicated site. The site is called www.gamblingstories.net and is open to everyone who has a story to share. There are also sites which rank the most famous players in the world as well as the best stories. The first two places in such a ranking are taken by two amazing stories. One tells of the origin of “the dead-man’s hand“, which came from Wild Bill who was shot in the head while playing poker. His last hand contained two aces and two eights, of spades and clubs. The second-best story was of a marathon-game between Johnny Moss and Nick Dandalos, “The Greek“. The contest was held in 1949, in the Binions Horseshoe casino in Las Vegas and went on for 5 months during which the players only paused for sleep.

Moss finally went on to win 4 mil- lion Dollars. Also present in the top is former US president Richard Nixon, which allegedly fi- nanced his first presidential elec- tion campaign with money won at poker. He spoke in his autobiog- raphy about his passion for the game: “I noticed that those who get a good hand tend to speak very low and very little; when they get a bad hand though, they speak loudly and blow their cov- er.“ He is not the only celebrity present in the world of gambling. The likes of writers, scientists, politicians, artists, businessmen have all gave in to the charms of gambling at a certain point of their lives. Einstein, Mark Twain, Fiodor Dostoievski make only for a few examples, but the list is very large.

Things haven’t evolved that much in our country however, al- though it is quite possible that gambling will enjoy a lot more at- tention and visibility in the near future. The high-rollers or VIP players still try to avoid the public eye, due to the local impression of casinos, as a place of vice and doom. Sadly, the art of gambling, the pleasure of playing and the entertainment itself are not the el- ements which describe the im- age of casinos, but money, opu- lence and displaying a certain status. Ms. Carmen Joita, Mar- keting & PR Manager at the Hilton Grand Casino spoke to us about this misconception: “A friend from Cluj was in town for a business meeting, after which we would spend some time before he left. I invited him to visit me at the Casino. He never played be- fore, he was actually afraid to play and I noticed he became a little nervous while I gave him a tour around the casino and showed him the games at the Grand Casino. My intention was to prove him that a casino can be regarded as a means of enter- tainment, of spending quality time rather than a sure way to his fourth try he got a pair of aces, which was good, because at least he could have won back the stake. He kept the two aces and he pressed start. The surprise was that he got two more aces and a jack and the machine displayed a win of 2000 RON. He went on to play and got a few two pairs and even a full house. He left with prof- it and also did acknowledge that he had a great time.“

Although not very consistent, Romanian casino folklore has its highpoints. In an interview for “Romania Libera“, Andrei Firi- mescu, marketing manager at the Casino Palace told of an Israeli player which won 75,000 Euro in three hands, a few years ago. He bet a large amount on two roulette tables, and his decision to leave one bet for the next wheel proved very inspired. Oth- ers apply the Martingale method hoping to win at roulette, which says you should constantly dou- ble the amount lost, obviously re- quiring a lot of money. Some would try anything in order to win, including taking care of the small- est details: if his usual seat at the table is free, if the atmosphere is right to allow him to concentrate, if he has his favorite drink, if the dealer is nice and so on.

Whether incredibly tranquil or highly volcanic, all players are alike when standing at the game table. They say that here, every- thing relies on psychology and fine knowledge of the human spir- it. Everyone plays a role, and ges- tures, attitude or voice can tell the story of a bad hand or a pair of aces. Daniel Negreanu, the fa- mous poker player also known as “Kid Poker“, emphasized the fol- lowing while speaking about his initiation in the game: “Year after year, I was gathering information about the players, about the way the reacted in tense situations.

And perhaps most important, I was learning to control my own emotional status to the highest ex- tent possible.“ A lot of casino visi- tors have also noticed the unwrit- ten rules of such places, de- signed specifically to allow the customers to disconnect from the outside world. Time seems to freeze in a casino, there are no watches, while the beautiful girls, the appealing food, plentiful liquor and the chill-out music keep the players busy, determining them not to leave the game table. The dealers also comply with a casino ritual, providing the way they should interact with customers, their posture, way of walking, when to smile, what is and what isn’t confidential. Each detail in- side the casino is finely tuned, like a Swiss watch. All you have to do is visit such a place and you will be convinced. There is a lot to be discovered, analyzed, and if you do get the taste of entertainment and adrenaline rushing through your veins, then surely you will have a lot to speak about.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST STEP INTO THE GAMBLING WORLD AND HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

It happened 16 years ago. I was in England back then and I was browsing a newspaper when I noticed an add: “We are looking for bright, interesting and attractive people.” I called and they hired me. I followed training and that’s how it all began.

WHICH ARE YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS?

It’s hard to say. Maybe that in the last 5 years I have been involved in top level management, or that in the US I have brought poker to a company and we managed to make 2 million $ from texas hold’em poker in the company’s second year of existence. And there’s of course my success here, in Romania, in terms of the position on the market, which is due to the approach.

WHAT DO YOU THINK COMES FIRST FOR THE PLAYERS – MONEY OR PASSION AND ADRENALINE?

I think it’s always about the money, it should be that way. This is why they all start playing, but after a while money comes in second, after the adrenaline and the feeling you get from the game. In the beginning, it was only a job for me. However, it is a job which requires a lot from one, and if you have been doing it for a while, you can’t help not being interested in everything about it. It becomes your life.

IS TEXAS HOLD’EM POKER YOUR FAVORITE GAME?

I can say it is now. Last year I enjoyed playing craps. In a certain period I was so obsessed with becoming evermore better that I put a lot of effort in it. People don’t play it nowadays, it is considered old-fashioned.

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A LUCKY PLAYER?

I am not a big player first of all. I gamble from time to time, but nothing serious. The reason I don’t play, even on lottery, is because I am not lucky. I consider my self a lucky person only in my private life, regarding my wife and children.

WHAT IS TERRY SMITH’S POSITION CURRENTLY?

I am a poker director. I take care of organizing texas hold’em tournaments here at the Platinum Casino, of promotions for Las Vegas and World Series, of our collaboration with the Draculaholdem website, which attracts people to play here, in the casino. Recently we have recorded a TV show here and it has been very successful. We also bring players from other countries and vary the size of the pots on a daily basis, in order to broaden the dynamics of this sector.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE AND WHAT DO YOU HATE ABOUT THIS JOB?

I hate the fact that money matters so much and that it can affect people’s lives. Apart from that, the job is fantastic. As my mother used to say, I work and play at the same time. Each day is a new game for me. Another wonderful thing about this job is that you build a lifetime career, because gambling will never disappear.

HAS EVERYTHING WORKED RIGHT FOR YOU OR HAVE YOU ALSO HAD FAILURES?

You cannot succeed without failures. You must learn from mistakes. That is what I did, especially since everything in this business moves very fast. The fact that I am a manager at the age of 35, which I think isn’t bad at all, goes to prove it.

HAVE YOU EVER FELT ADDICTED TO THIS WORLD, OR THAT YOU CANNOT ESCAPE BECOMING ADDICTED?

It is impossible to prevent becoming addicted. There are very few which enter this environment and remain shortly. Everybody arrives here thinking it will only be a year, until they graduate, or as a second job, but 99% end up staying for 15-20 years in the field.

IS GAMBLING GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

Gambling is an excellent source of entertainment, if you stay at that. You can go grab a beer, see a movie or take a walk in the park, but why not go to a casino? If you also decide to gamble a fixed amount of money, then it can be a great means of entertainment.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ON THE GAMBLING MARKET IN ROMANIA?

The market is huge here. The fact that on every street you see an electronic casino tells a lot. Bucharest is one of the biggest European cities and it has a considerable number of casinos, many of which are very large. I often go with my colleagues to other casinos in order to see what the others are doing, if they are bringing anything new, if there is anything special there.

DO YOU KNOW ANY ROMANIAN PLAYERS?

Yes. Just a few months ago I attended a large poker championship in Europe and I met a few Romanian players there. Some of them are famous in Europe for their poker skills.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THIS YEAR?

We hope to organize a very big tournament here, in Romania. For the time being the law does not allow for such, so we are trying to discuss with the authorized people about changing this situation. It would be very nice to hold a tournament bringing 300 – 400 players.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CASINO MAGAZINE?

It is very good, a necessary magazine in which you can find the information you need. We must present the world of gambling to as many people as possible, through more and more media channels.

Industry of gambling continues to develop at the world-wide level with revenues of 245 billion dollars and the top undertakers govern the whole activity.

Billionaire is the new and correct fiscal term that characterizes the moguls of the gaming industry.Sheldon Adelson is on the top of the list and he is the holder of a 28 billion dollars fortune. In fact, Adelson is not on the top; he endeavored and managed to reach the top. Son of a taxi driver and he, himself, a street corner newspaper seller, Sheldon gave the finishing stroke in 1994, when he sold the Comdex business (the greatest IT exhibition in USA) and other ancillary exhibitions to Softbank Corporation for the amount of 860 billion dollars.

Adelson bought, with the money earned, Sands Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Frank Sinatra’s favorite place. Afterwards, the businesses developed and in a short period of time, he managed to create a gambling empire: Palazzo resort, The Venetian (Macao), and in addition, other six new casinos in Macao. Adelson, as any feared businessman, has also rivals, among them Kirk Kerkorian and William Boyd are to be mentioned. Kirk Kerkorian (with a 18 billion dollars fortune) holds half of the hotels in Las Vegas, after what last year, he bought Mandalay Resort Group for the amount of 7,9 billion dollars. Ex-pilot in World War II, in the sixties, Kirk sold a plane for the amount of 104 billion dollars, money that he invested, in time, in Las Vegas. His four greatest projects, the International (currently Las Vegas Hilton), Bally’s, MGM Grand and CityCenter, a casino, hotel and shopping complex are on his business agenda.

The four that shocked the Gibraltar

Anurag Dikshit, Ruth Parasol, Russell DeLeon, Vikrant Bhargava have earth-shaken the online gaming world, being the newest billionaire magnates quartet (their sum-up fortune rising at 8 billion dollars). Having a pronounced business sense, those four became well-known in 1997, when the company Party Gaming was launched on the market. Nowadays, this company is among the world-wide leaders in the online gambling industry and it develops four major types of online gambling: poker, casino, bingo and backgammon.

Stanley Ho (4,8 billion dollars), the Macao king, controls casinos, dog races and sports betting and his assets list outclasses any man’s fantasies. Stanley also controls helicopter and ferryboat transportation, for the gamblers traveling on the route Hong-Kong-Macao. Although the American competition becomes more and more severe, the octogenarian Ho is one of the most loved moguls in Macao and 15 of 18 casinos are still part of his fortune.

The Americans love Donald Trump (2,7 billion dollars) but this attitude did not help his business. Trump, holds four casinos, including the imposing Trump Taj Mahal in Atlanta City. Trump quitted from his manager position of the Trump Entertainment trust, but he is still in charge with advertising projects. The great success in real estate and television made Trump to succeed in marketing, by extending the Trump brand to other fields of activity. Thus, the American designed a series of success products, such as the clothing collection for men, Donald J. Trump, the Trump Ice mineral water, the book “How to Get Rich” or “The Hair Style”, the Trump vodka or the Trump magazine. Steve Wynn, the founder of the Mirage and Bellagio resorts, and holder of 1,9 billion dollars fortune, succeeds Trump. The most luxurious and the most expensive casino in Las Vegas is his own brand. The sales reached the amount of 140 million dollars within a month as of the date of the Wynn Las Vegas opening. Steve proposes himself to invest 700 million dollars in Macao too, as it became the world-wide centre of the gambling.

William Boyd is on the most wanted list of the gambling magnates due to the merger of the companies Boyd Gaming Coast Casinos which brought earnings of 1,3 billion dollars. His father, Sam (who died in 1993) came in Las Vegas in 1941, with only 80 dollars in his pockets, and he span the Wheel of Fortune for the tourists. In 1974, together with his son, William, he set up a company with various devices for gambling. At present, Boyd holds casinos in six American states, but the Borgata casino, in Atlanta City, which building expenses were not less than 1,1 billion dollars, subclasses all the others, by its luxury and variety. The American dream was fully embodied by Phil Ruffin too, who managed to create a great empire: hotels, casinos, shopping and spa centers, dog races, real estate investments and projects, which brought earnings of 1,6 billion dollars. He had not succeeded in maintaining his place among the billionaires if he were not a frequent gambler at the real estate and oil stocks.

Spread across seven thousand square meters, it is considered the Heaven of gambling, the place where every gambler wants to come back again and again.

With 55 playing tables, the Imperial Palace is known to keep its promise “There is always room for you!“, and this is true whatever your game may be Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Big Six, Pai Gow Poker, Three-card Poker or “Let it Ride“ Poker.

The Imperial Palace also offers free lessons, one hour each, to the novices of gambling who are willing to feel the thrills of a casino game. The School of Gambling is open Mondays to Fridays (except for legal holidays) and the “classes“ are Blackjack, Craps and Roulette. The courses are not held in a classroom, but in the casino, at the gambling table, preparing today’s students to become tomorrow’s gamblers.

The Imperial Palace Casino has been hosting the “Legends“ In Concert for over 20 years, a show in which carefully selected artists perform, imitating famous stars of music, both from the past and contemporary, in terms of voice, attitude, gestures, appearance and clothing.

The Terry Ryan orchestra has an important role in the show, accompanying the performers, as well as the dancing band, entitled the “Legend“ Dancers. On show in 2008 at “Legends“ in Concert are Barry White (performed by J. Carrol), Bruce Springsteen (M. Ryan), Bette Midler (S. Rae Parker), Tom Jones (S. McCoy), Dolly Parton (S. Anderson) and of course, Elvis Presley (M. Lewis). It is good to know that the ticket prices for the “Legends“ shows are quite a bargain. For less than 50 dollars you can buy a VIP ticket, including a drink on the house!

One of the main attractions in Las Vegas, also belonging to the Imperial Palace Casino, is The Auto Collection, the biggest classic cars showroom in the world. Open daily, from 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM, the showroom has over 250 vehicles on display from the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, all in great shape, still running, and the majority is for sale.

Visitors can admire and even buy here some of the most famous vehicles of all time, such as a 1932 RollsRoyce Phantom II Continental Figoni, a Falaschi Pillarless Berline or a 1928 MercedesBenz S Tourer, as well as cars formerly owned by celebrities, such as famous TV star Johnny Carson’s 1939 Chrysler Royal Sedan, and “Eleanor“, the Ford Mustang Fastback used in the movie “Gone in Sixty Seconds“.

Known as the “one-armed bandit“, this gambling device can be a slot machine, fruit machine or poker machine, depending on the game type.

It was called the “one-armed bandit“ especially in early times, due to its handle and as a hint of its ability to leave you penniless. The first “bandit“ was invented in 1887 by Charles Augustus Fey, in San Francisco, based on the game of poker. It was only later that the ten card were replaced by five symbols: the horseshoe, the diamond, the spade, the club and… Liberty Bell (a sacred American symbol).

A few years later, in 1891, Sittman & Pit of New York made a gambling device which can be considered the precursor of the current slot machine, which was also based on fiftycard poker. Its success was so arge that in no time every bar in New York had a slot machine. Back then the devices were not fitted with payout systems, so the owner of the bar was the one setting the prizes. Thus, for a pair of kings you would have usually received a free beer, and for a royal flush, spirits and cigars. It was in the bar owners interest to prevent winning, and so two cards, the 10 of spades and the Jack of clubs were dropped, lowering the chances of a royal flush to half.

Despite all this, more and more Americans were attracted to play, with the real “boom“ occurring in the 40’s, when Bugsy Siegal introduced the slot machines in his casino at the Hotel Flamingo in Vegas. Initially intended as means of passing time for the wives and girlfriends of “real“ players, the slot machines went on to gather a great number of enthusiasts. Currently, slot machine player make up for 70% of casino revenues, and are also available on the internet. Returning to the history, it is necessary to mention that it was the year 1964 when Bally Technologies Inc. of Las Vegas first started to manufacture the electro-mechanical devices, known as Money Honey. These new slot machines had the advantage of offering up to five hundred coins to potential winners. The extraordinary development of technology and information allowed a rapid transformation of the device size. Such progress provided a great diversity of casino and network games, using popular subjects as Walt Disney stories, adventure themes, holidays and others, with astounding and exotic graphics and real life sounds.

The devices have evolved spectacularly, reaching so many different versions that one could play for a whole month without repeating a single game. Playing slot machines is extremely fun and easy, allowing you to arrange the symbols on the cylinders in a winning formation, by the simple press of a “Play” button or turning of a lever.

The game was invented by Cheung Leung in an attempt to save his city.

The legend has it that during the Hang dynasty, a town in ancient China was about to vanish. There were turbulent times, the citizens refused to pay for the war fund, the army was lacking supplies, and the city was in great danger.

It was then that Chang Leung invented a game which “made“ enough money for the army as well as for the whole town to be saved.

Furthermore, in the years which followed, the game of keno raised funds in order to build a world-renowned building: the Great Chinese Wall.

The game fever took the world by surprise, from the big cities to the villages where the game was delivered by white “traveler“ pigeons, and was known as “white pigeon game“. As most of the gambling games, the game of keno crossed the ocean and arrived to the new world, together with the Chinese immigrants working on the railway.

Known as the “Chinese lottery“, although the game was highly popular with the immigrants, it was ruled out by the law which forbidden gambling. In 1931, when the USA legalized most of the gambling, the game became “keno, horse races“, thus suggesting the idea of betting. After the American government ruled in favor of the taxation of gambling, the game became simply Keno.

But what is keno? It is a lottery game, somewhat like bingo, which can be played for pleasure or winnings. The premises of a keno game consist of a big wheel with 80 numbered balls.

The gamblers must choose between one to fifteen numbers, and for keno microgaming up to fifteen numbers. Once the bets are placed, the wheel starts turning (or the computer chooses the numbers) and the winners are displayed on the screen. The prize depends on the number of gamblers and numbers guessed.

Whether visiting Germany, Monaco, China or the exotic Bahamas, each destination greets you with a casino promising to offer an unforgettable experience. Eccentric and luxurious, they are bound to startle your curiosity and mood for betting from the second you enter

Baden-Baden Casino, Baden-Baden, Germany

Games: 113 slot machines and 24 poker, blackjack, baccarat and roulette tables. Each newly-built casino desperately tries to be better than the last, by adding hotel rooms, stores and pools in a display that sometimes proves of tasteless opulence. Build in 1924 at the bottom of the hills surrounding the Black Forrest, the castle impresses by the luxury of the white marble stone faÁade, which is only matched by the interior decorated with classical sculptures, astonishing wall paintings and gold-plated chandeliers. Unlike other casinos, it has a closing hour, allowing one to lick his wounds n financially or from any other point of view – by bathing in the same thermal waters as the Romans did, 2000 years ago. Should you wish to keep your winnings behind bulletproof glass, you must choose the presidential suite of the Brenner hotel, located nearby.

Monte Carlo Casino, Monte Carlo, Monaco

Games: Five rooms with 316 slot machines and 35 tables for English and continental roulette, blackjack, dices and punto banco. The Principality of Monaco has always been linked with wealth and pretentious titles of nobility, and the Monte Carlo casino is an example of sophistication. Established in 1878, the casino is rich in gold and marble stone, which have always been associated with wealth. It shouldnít surprise anyone that the black tie dress code is mandatory in the private gambling rooms.

Mandarin Oriental, Macao, China

Games: 59 slot machines and 11 game tables for baccarat, blackack and roulette. 60 kilometers South-West of Honk Kong, inside the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Macao, China becomes modern, trendy and cool. This luxurious location has hundreds of rooms and apartments as well as plenty high class bars and restaurants, and most important, hosts two independent casinos, which although are not the largest n Macao, display an opulence beyond any doubt. If losing money snít enough to give you an adrenaline rush, you can try a ride with he hang glider or bungee-jumping off the Macao Tower.

Atlantis, Paradise Island, Nassau, The Bahamas

Games: Open non-stop, 850 slot machines, a sport bets hall and 78 tables for baccarat, blackjack, dices, roulette and poker. Located in a luxuriant, Caribbean scenery, Atlantis attempts to justify its association with Platoís lost civilization. The leitmotif of the casino is underwater life, with spectacular glass sculptures placed in a lagoon with a surface of 7 acres. If you get bored of gambling, you can also scuba-dive, snorkel, swim with the dolphins or jump off a 20-meter, nearly vertical slide. Could you spear 25,000 dollars from casino winnings for a night at the Bridge Suite? (ranked second in the top of most expensive hotel rooms).

The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Games: Open non-stop, 2500 slot machines, a sport bets hall and over 100 tables for every game you can imagine. The Venetian resort is the epitome of the modern Vegas casino, where no expense can be deemed to big, all with the purpose of making you forget one thing: all such expenses are, in fact, your losses. Opened in a flashy manner in 1999 it was sure to attract investors, given Las Vegasí history. The marble with which it was plated, the frescos, the roulettes with gondolas, all contributed to the creation of a huge Italian adventure in the arid American desert. In April 2006, a poker room was opened: 1000 square meters dedicated to poker players.

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Playing poker with Angelina Jolie, sitting at the same game table with Jack Nicholson or maybe… Napoleon or Winston Churchill. Being treated like a VIP in the worldís most luxurious casinos and having Bill Gates’ billions for the spending at the game table. All this is possible in virtual gambling, an fabulous alternative for those which, due to various reasons, can’t go to the real casinos in Las Vegas, Monte Carlo or Macao.

It all started from an idea. Five years ago, Myke Gormack, a slot machine software writer imagined a scenario where from the office, or from your home couch, you could access the internet and play poker, roulette or any other game in a virtual casino. His idea was presented on a forum of gambling enthusiasts in Detroit, immediately reached the ears of the large corporations, and there was only one step until it became reality. The world of online gambling changed since; the experiences became more and more spectacular. Europa Casino, Vegas Red, Del Rio Casino or Titan Poker.com are just a few of the portals which transformed the game into a 3D experience, which in some cases is incredibly realistic. The truly spectacular development of the internet during the last years, determined the offer to be more nicheoriented, with popular portals as Europa Casino, as well as special offers dedicated to those looking for exceptional treatment and are willing to pay extra for 3D sensations which are cooler than real life. GAMBLING IN ANOTHER DIMENSION It all started with Second Life, concur online gambling market analysts. Together with the virtual world which attracted over 5 million users worldwide, Second Life has seen tens of casinos opening, in which the lindens (official currency of Second Life) traveled at lightning speed between pockets. There were times in which hundreds of users simultaneously played in a single Casino, such as VirtualWorld of Money Land. The builders of such casinos gathered important amounts of money; international media presented the story of 16-year old from Glasgow who managed to withdraw over 235,000 Euro in exchange for the linden won in Second Life. Noticing the huge impact of 3D gambling, American authorities forced the software company to close the casino and forbid virtual reality gambling. Nevertheless, the cat was out of the bag. Beginning with 2006, 3D game portals experienced a boom, and gambling reached another dimension. Portals emerged which allowed you to choose your appearance in the parallel world, designate any location, and have aliens, Angelina Jolie, or even Snow White as a gaming partner. It went so far as for an additional fee, you could order the environment you want to gamble in, and invite your friends. “There are tens, maybe hundreds of such gaming system available on the internet. It is interesting that in order to avoid unwanted visits by authorities, most of these portals are available in a peer-to-peer format. That is to say, once you decide to play, you download software and install it in order to access the server and play what you want, with whom you want, in any world you choose to. Only the money is real“ said journalist Joe Benhood, from Poker News. He believes 3D games to be the future of the industry. “I think this is the future. Classic portals have begun to age, and with internet available everywhere, online gambling will become, during the next 10 years, the casino’s main source of revenue“ added the columnist.