UNIBET Group plc announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire 100% shares of French company Solfive SAS, owner of SPS Betting France SAS.

“This strategic acquisition gives Unibet immediate access to the French market with a technical platform that is already licensed offering sports betting, poker and horse racing. We will rebrand the business quickly to Unibet.fr. The combination of Unibet’s strong brand, the efforts already made to build a significant market share for EurosportBet, and the difficult decisions taken by management to control costs give the best opportunity to be successful in a very difficult market,” says Henrik Tjärnström, CEO Unibet.

Under the trademarks EurosportBet and EurosportPoker, licensed by the company Eurosport, Solfive operates a range of gambling and betting products such as sport betting, live betting, horse racing betting, and poker through its web sites www.eurosportbet.fr and www.eurosportpoker.fr.

The initial acquisition price is specified as EUR 5.625 million (GBP 4.8 million), plus net cash adjustment of EUR 1.5 million (GBP 1.3 million). Unibet intends to rebrand the platform from Eurosportbet.fr to Unibet.fr following a short transition and plans to build on the legacy strength of the Unibet brand and historic customer base. The transaction will increase re-regulated revenues for Unibet, but under the current terms and conditions of the French licensing system, the transaction is not expected to have a significant impact on profitability for 2012.

The Solfive Group currently employs 25 people mainly within CRM, trading, IT and marketing.

“The extremely challenging terms and conditions for the French market make it very difficult for an independent operator to develop their business. We are delighted therefore to have this opportunity to work with Unibet, who have the experience, resources and brand legacy in France to succeed in this market in the long term”, says Olivier Ou Ramdane, CEO Solfive Group.

Devoted to the idea to be present where the action is, Casino Life & Business Magazine renewed the Media Partnership with the Princess Club from Regie.

In this respect we announce the events from the following period:

November 16, Miss ASE

November 24, Miss Regie

Both pageants will have very important prizes and will be supported by numerous VIP’s, Casino Life & Business Magazine being the Media Partner.

Casino Life & Business Magazine is offering a pictorial in one of its future editions to the winner of the Miss ASE pageant.

We remind you that last year Casino Life & Business Magazine offered one pictorial to the winner of the Miss Regie pageant, a beautiful student with the Airship Faculty.

On the other hand Princess Club presents the offer for the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner, a party to remember full of surprises as follows:

The 2011 edition of the so called Romanian gambling industry Awards, Casino Life & Business Magazine Awards Gala has 14 categories.

The awards are dedicated to the outstanding activity of some within the Romanian gambling/gaming field and not only, being also recognition for personalities acting in our social life.

The awards categories are as follows:

Gambling/Gaming

Romanian Manufacturer of the Year
Foreign Manufacturer of the Year Acting on the Romanian Market
Betting House of the Year
Slot Room of the Year
Casino of the Year
Opening of the Year in Gambling
Romanian Poker Player of the Year
Involvement in the Gambling Activity in the Year 2011

Non Gambling/Gaming

 Location of the Year
Involvement in the Social Life in the Year 2011
Journalist of the Year
Artist of the Year
Sportsman of the Year 
Man of the Year

Like the previous editions, since the first one four years ago, the 2011 edition of the Casino Life & Business Magazine Awards Gala Dinner will have an interesting live show full of surprises.

The final contest of the national pageant Miss Hostess Romania will be also included in the Gala live show.

There will be lots of public figures, media VIP’s and a large number of representatives from the press, the Gala being a perfect time for networking among the big names from the national gambling industry and the other invitees.

The Casino Life & Business Magazine Awards Gala Dinner will be held in Bucharest on December 15.

Those interested to make nomintions can send their answer, to all of the 14 categories, at [email protected] mentionind “for the awards”.

The organizers of the fifth edition of the important event International Gaming Awards which will be held in the luxurious rooms of the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel in London, on January 23, 2012, have summited the final list with the nominees.

Casino Life & Business Magazine was nominated in the category „Industry Publication/Portal of the Year” among other 20 “BIG” names from the gambling media from all over the world.

This nomination is as important for us as it is the second one, the one in the last edition being the first, and it shows that we are doing the right thing reaching our target not only in Romania but also abroad.

The final list of nominees was selected out of more than 500 proposals coming from 30 countries from all the continents, in 20 categories starting from operators of land-based and on-line casinos and ending with service providers.

The complete list of the nominees of the International Gaming Awards 2012 edition looks as follows:

Casino/Integrated Resort of the Year

City of Dreams, Melco Crown Entertainment
Galaxy Macau Integrated Resort
Grand Lisboa, Macau
Marina Bay Sands (MBS)
MGM Grand Macau
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS)
The Venetian Macao Resort
The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino (Las Vegas)
Wynn Macau

Casino Operator Of The Year
Europe:

Casinos Austria International
Casino Poland
Club Hotel Casino Loutraki
Czech Casinos a.s.
Gala Coral
Genting UK
Group Partouche
HIT Casino Group
Holland Casino
London Clubs International
Olympic Entertainment Group
Rank Group (Grosvenor Casinos)
Spielbank Berlin
Svenska Spel
Swiss Casinos Services AG

Casino Operator Of The Year
Americas:

Caesars Entertainment
Codere S.A.
Foxwoods Resort Casino
Great Canadian Gaming Corporation
Isle of Capri
MGM
Las Vegas Sands Corp
Thunderbird Resorts
Tropicana
Wynn Las Vegas

Casino Operator Of The Year
Australia/Asia

Crown Limited
Galaxy Entertainment
Genting Corporation
Sands Corporation
Sociedade de Jogos de Macau
Sky City, Australia
Tabcorp, Australia
Wynn Macau

Casino VIP Room of the Year

Aspinalls, London
Bellagio Club Prive
Casino Baden-Baden, Baden-Baden, Germany
Casino de Monte Carlo, Monaco
Crockfords, London
Crown Limited
Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd
Maxims Club London (The Library Room)
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Star World Hotel & Casino, Macau
The Ritz, London

Customer Experience of the Year888poker
Betfred
Carnival Cruises (Casinos on Board)
Gamesys (Jackpotjoy)
City of Dreams, Melco Crown Entertainment
Celebrity Cruises (Casinos on Board)
Tropicana Casino
Wynn Las Vegas

iGaming Software Supplier

Betsoft Gaming Ltd
Chartwell
ComTrade 
Cozy Games Limited
CTXM
Cyberarts
Digient Technologies
Dragonfish
Enetpulse
Entraction
Evolution Gaming
Greentube
GTECH G2
Hybrid Interaction Ltd
Income Access
Jadestone
Microgaming
Maxbet
MediaLive Casino
Neogames
Net Entertainment
Network Media Services
NYX Interactive
Openbet
Playtech
Pokertech inc

Industry Publication/Portal of the Year

Betting Business
CalvinAyre
Casino City Press
Casino Life
Casino International Gaming
Casino Life & Business Magazine
Casino Review
EGaming Review
Gambling Compliance
Gaming Floor
Global Gaming Business
iGaming Business
InterGaming
Isa-Guide
Jamma
Journal des casinos
Macau Business
Mobile Betting News
sitedeljuegoyazar
Soloazar
Yogonet

Mobile Operator of the Year

32Red
888
Betfair
Paddy Power
Ladbrokes
LadyLuck’s Probability
Rank
StanJames
William Hill

Online Bingo Operator of the Year

32 Red Bingo
888ladies
Bet 365  Bingo
Bwin.party ( Foxy Bingo)
Cladstone Ltd
Gala Coral (Gala Bingo)
Gamesys (Jackpotjoy)
Gaming Media Group (Bingo Joy)
Posh Bingo
Rank Interactive (Mecca Bingo)
Skybet
Spacebar Media/888(Wink Bingo)
Tombola ( Tombola Bingo)
Unibet (Maria Bingo)
Virgin Bingo
William Hill
Wink Bingo

Online Casino Operator of the Year

32Red
888casino
Bet365
Betclic
BetFred
Bodog
Bwin.party
Caesars Interactive Entertainment
Gala Coral
Guru Gaming Ltd
Ladbrokes casino
Mangas Gaming
NordicBet
Rank Interactive
Svenska Spel
Unibet
Victor Chandler
Virgin Casino
William Hill

Online Poker Operator of the Year

888Poker
Bet 365
Bwin.party
Chilli Poker
Gaming Media Group
Ladbrokes Poker
Mangas Gaming
Olympic-Online
PartyPoker
PKR Technologies Ltd
PokerStars
Sisal
Victor Chandler

Online Sportsbook Operator of the Year

188 BET
Bet 365
Betclick/Everest
Betfair
Bet Fred
Betsson
Bodog
Bwin.party
Hong Kong Jockey Club
Intralot
Galacoral
Ladbrokes
NordicBet
Paddy Power
Rank Interactive
SBO BET
Skybet
Sportingbet
Stan James
SNAI
Svenska Spel
Tabcorp
Unibet
William Hill

Payment Solutions Provider Company of the Year

Automated Currency Instruments, Inc
CQRPayments
Entropay
EuroCoin
JCM Global
Lateral Payment Solutions
MEI
Skrill (Moneybookers)
Optimal Payment Solutions
PayPoint
PaysafeCard Group
SafeCharge

Socially Responsible Operator of the Year Land Based

ALH Group
Casinos Austria
Casino Cosmopol
Caesars Entertainment
GalaCoral
Genting UK
Great Canadian Gaming Corporation
Isle of Capri
Holland Casino
MGM
Olympic Entertainment
Rank
SpielBank Berlin

Socially Responsible Operator of the Year Online

888
Bwin.party
Betfair
Betsson
Casinos Austria/Austrian Lotteries
GalaCoral
Sportingbet
Svenska Spel
William Hill Online
Mangas Gaming
PaddyPower
PKR
RAY
Skybet

Slot Manufacturer/Provider Online or Land Based

Ainsworth
Aristocrat Technologies
Atronic
Bally Technologies, Inc.
BetsoftGaming Ltd
BetStone
Casino Technology
IGT
Interblock Europe
Konami Gaming
NextGen Gaming
Novomatic
Unidesa Gaming Systems
Videobet
WMS

Slots Operator of the Year (Online)

32Red
7Red
888
BetMotion
bwin.party digital entertainment plc
Gamesys (jackpotjoy)
Redcorp, S.A
Slots
William Hill
WMS (JackpotParty)

Technology Provider/Supplier

 
Automated Currency Instruments, Inc
Bally Technologies, Inc.
Cable and Wireless
Cammegh
Chartwell
ComTrade
Continent 8 Technologies
Computrad Europe
Cozy Games
Dragonfish
EGT
Evolution Gaming
Future Logic
Gaming Laboratories International, LLC
Gaming Partners International
Gaming Standards Association
GEO Networks
Greentube
GTECH G2
IGT
Interblock
Isis Gaming Inc
Intralot Interactive
Maxymiser
Playtech plc
TCS John Huxley
Tiltbuster
The Rainmaker Group

Traditional Casino Equipment SupplierAbbiati
Bally Technologies, Inc.
Cammegh
Gaming Partners International
Martin Williams Casino Equipment
Matsui
Shuffle Master
Signs4U
Stylgame srl
TCS John Huxley

Traditional Casino Equipment SupplierAbbiati
Bally Technologies, Inc.
Cammegh
Gaming Partners International
Martin Williams Casino Equipment
Matsui
Shuffle Master
Signs4U
Stylgame srl
TCS John Huxley

Casino Life & Business Magazine is very honored to be next to the most important names of the international gambling and gaming industry.

We have to stress that Casino Life & Business Magazine has been selected, for the second time like the only Romanian Media Partner of this important international event.

Heinz, 22, became the first German to win poker’s most prestigious title, coming out on top of a field of more than 6,800 players from 85 countries at the World Series Of Poker (WSOP), winning $8.7 million which is the third highest payout for a poker champion in history .

Heinz, who has played full-time poker for about four years, was also given a World Series Of Poker gold and diamond bracelet after his win in the final championship round at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

“This is the happiest day of my life, obviously. I really am speechless right now. I could not imagine this would ever happen to me,” he said after his victory, said Heinz.

Heinz, of Cologne, had entered the final round of the tournament on Sunday with a lower chip stack than all but two of his eight opponents, but ended the night as chip leader.

When play resumed on Tuesday, only three players remained but the American Ben Lamb, winner of the 2011 World Series of Poker ‘Player of the Year’ race, was eliminated in the opening moments of the final table’s last stages.

That left Heinz to battle Czech player Martin Staszko, who had the least live poker experience of the final trio, in a six-hour duel.

“The final hand was dealt when Heinz bested Staszko holding ace-king. Neither player made a pair, which meant Heinz’s ace-high played as the winning hand,” the statement said.

Staszko came away with $5.4 million for second place while Lamb, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, netted $4 million for third.

Pius Heiz is a member of the Team PokerStars Pro.

PokerStars.com is celebrating its 10^th anniversary and for this special moment there will be lots of promotions and tournaments with prizes of more than 10 million dollars all together including 100 dream holidays in Bahamas at PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

For this special occasion, PokerStars is launching a large variety of events and promotions – most of them between December 1 and 18 – cash tournaments and tournaments with stakes starting from small till very high.

“It is amazing that 10 years are already passed! I’m very proud about my association with PokerStars and I’m sure that in December, the celebration of the 10^th anniversary will be something absolutely unique! There are going to be tons of cash in prizes for all kind of tournaments, lots of other prizes and a 10 million dollars Sunday Million event”, declared Daniel Negreanu, member of the Team PokerStars Pro.

The celebration starts today!

For more details about the 10^th anniversary and the events in connection with this celebration visit www.PokerStars.com/ten .

As per our new Media Partnerships we present you the program of this week.

- Wednesday, November 2, Zebbra Club will host a Karaoke & Party night by Mc Nino & Razvan Kid.
          details you can find at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102729393174312

- Thurstday, November 3, Club 24 will host a special night with Karaoke & Party night by Mc Nino & Razvan Kid.
         details you can find at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=310978552249236

Our magazine, Casino Life & Business Magazine is present at the place of the action in order to inform its readers with the latest news.

The 5th edition of the International Gaming Awards Gala which will be held in London on January 23, 2012 has a new Sponsor.

We are talking about the well known company SHUFFLE MASTER, like Silver Sponsor of the prestigious event held in the luxurious Sheraton Park Lane Hotel.

SHUFFLE MASTER is providing state-of-the-art equipment in five categories: Utility products, which include automatic card shufflers and roulette chip sorters; Proprietary Table Games, which includes live games, side bets and progressives; Electronic Table Systems, which include various e-Table game platforms; Electronic Gaming Machines, which include video slot machines and in order to keep up to date with online trends, the latest iGaming feature showcases Shuffle Master’s table games, social gaming, and mobile applications.

Casino Life & Business Magazine is proud that, at the fifth edition of the International Gaming Awards was selected, for the second time, the only Media Partner from Romania.

Is there a chance for the casinos in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan?

Asian gaming experts are saying that these locations will soon be welcoming gamblers to their own intergrated resorts with mega casinos in the next two years.

After the financial success of Macau and Singapore it is expected that many of the East Asia countries to legalise casino gambling .

The huge amounts of money generated in Macau and Singapore has inspired the Asian nations to be involved in other Las Vegas style grand operation resorts in the next few years.

It is expected that soon one can find new location in the paradise of the Philippines, locations integarted with casinos. 

Now is the moment when casinos are most likely to be legalised in countries currently not involved in legalised gambling.

Nationals from Japan or South Koreea  ans so on who want to gamble are currently forced to try their luck in other countries.

Sheldon Anderson, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands, which currently operates in Macau and Singapore, predicts that either Japan or South Korea will allow integrated casino resorts next year.

By the end of the year, residents of the Taiwanese island of Matsu will vote on a proposal to legalize casino gambling.

Bet365 has reached 6 million players.

In the Press Release given by the company with this occasion, Bet365 is stressing that the players are coming from 200 countries from all over the world, which is not bad for a company which started like a small bookie firm.

Bet365 started the activity in a small location in Stoke-on-Trent being owned by Denis Coates.
Denise developed a sport betting platform and built up a sales team in order to start up, in March 2001, the on-line business.

The business started with a 15.000 pounds loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland against the assets of the family business, a land based betting house started by Peter Coates back in the 1974.
Denise Coates also run the family betting house since 1995.

Today Bet365 has 1700 employees.

Bet365 is well known all over the world because of its offer of betting in more or less all the sports existing on Earth.

In order to keep the good work and diversity they have started to provide on-line live casino games like roulette, sic bo, baccarat and blackjack.