This was the highest accolade of the awards ceremony and it confirms the standing of the Ho’s as a prevailing entrepreneurial force in Greater China. Other awards included the Socially Responsible operator of the Year, the Casino Operator of the Year and Sportsbook of the Year. The City of Dreams Casino in Macau took the award for the most significant in Casino Interior Design.

It is a well known fact that the gambling industry donates hugely to charitable causes and we see social responsibility as a running theme at many online sites too. Whether they are casino, poker, sports betting or bingo operators! The fact that those less fortunate than ourselves benefit from these industry players, speaks volumes for their broader appeal.

In more news on the “Ho” front, tabloids have been zoning in on the family as they scramble to grab a share in Stanly Ho’s fortune. The Chinese billionaire gambling tycoon, an 89 year old, is actually not deceased as far as we know. A recent serious health scare saw the former ballroom dancer become more vulnerable than ever before and now he is wheelchair bound. He controls 30% of the casino market in Macau and his sector of this industry is valued at $23.5 billion. Effectively Ho monopolises much of this industry and has done so for close to 40 years.

This Empire shows no evidence of losing its hold, with Macau visitors increasing year-on-year. However, the octogenarian has four wives and seventeen children, so, his ill health has thrust something of a power struggle into the limelight. Lawyers have confirmed that Ho’s wealth will be distributed equally amongst all his wives and children, however, recent rumours also confirm that certain members of his family have been attempting to take over his casino concerns and manage affairs without consent. As far as the media can tell the power struggle is between fourth wife Angela Leong On Kei and eldest daughter Pansy.

Obviously media speculation will continue to be rife for as long as Ho’s health continues to fail. His lawyers have a tough battle on their hands and when money making potential as large as this is at stake, it is stunning what people will do. It is believed that family members will continue to compete for whatever additional portions of his fortune or control they can get their hands on. What a dreadful thing to see, when you are still alive to see it take place!

The new bets can be very funny and you can place a bet on what the sex of the heir to the throne will be or if there is life on Mars. In 1989, a Welshman went to his betting shop and bet on a whole new set of bets. He wanted to bet on his predictions of events that would happen before 2000. These bets were made at Ladbrokes. He placed five bets, one on Cliff Richard Lord made Lord at 4-1, 3-1 on the fact that the rock band U2 would still exist, another 5-1 on Eastenders still on the air, and so on for “Close”. He got a probability of 8-1 and then he went home and waited for the new millennium. When he returned to Ladbrokes, he was £ 194,400 richer – this is the largest new bet ever won in history!

Poker players are not real gamers, according to some experts who speak of poker as a game of skill. The poker player Johnny Moss – a legend – made a bet at 15-1 with a man in a bar saying that he had never lost a fight. Mr. Moss ended up in the local hospital and lost his bet. This shows that poker players are not really good punters after all!

Another young British – Ashley Revell – wanted to bet on everything he had at the roulette in Las Vegas. He sold everything he had and brought together $ 136,000. He also emptied his poker bankroll. This was his great adventure and even though the casinos tried to discourage him, he made his bet. Guess what? He won, he came home in the UK after doubling his money through a red 7.

One of the stupidest players in history was a live blackjack player. This was in 1995, he had lost everything, his wife threw him out of the house and all that remained was $ 400 social security. He went to live in Las Vegas. He won a million dollars! But unfortunately he lost everything, including his $ 400!

William Lee Bergstrom wanted to win, or die. Thus, in 1980, he entered the casino Binion’s Horseshoe. Here a player can place a single bet on a game without limits. He put $ 777,000 on a Craps table, Do not Pass Line, and doubled his money. He doubled again and again but like many gamblers did not stop playing while he won and lost everything.

Thus, the operators have to file applications and, after that, the file has to be approved by the Independent Administrative Authority, created for this and named ARJEL.

An applicant who wishes to market games, online bet, circle games, bet sports and bet race horses must apply for an accreditation by category. Two types of categories are available: gambling or betting and every application have to be presented to the ARJEL. The decision to accept or refuse the accreditation is taken by the college. The accreditation is delivered by the ARJEL for a period of five years and it is possible to renew it. The ARJEL delivered only certificates to applicants who have the technical, economic and financial capacities to provide sustainably its business and the applicant has also to be able to struggle against laundering business, terrorist financing, the needs regarding public security and they have to give a hand against compulsive gambling or pathological players. The applicant has to respect the safeguard public order.

In addition, and beyond the cost of acquiring a license, the approved operators are subject to be taxed on the bet and not on the benefits of the year. Regarding bet sport, online or offline, tax rises 8.5% (5.7% go to the French government, 1.8% go to the Social Security and 1% goes to amateur sport and professional athletes).Also regarding horse race bet online or offline, the taxation is more consistent. The taxation in this area reaches a total of 15.5% (Government tax: 5.7%, Social Security Tax: 1.8%, fee to the horse industry: 8%). Finally, in the context of online poker, the taxation is smaller and reaches only 2% (Government Tax: 1.8% Social Security Tax: 0.2%).

Recently, the ARJEL wanted to stop French players to play on the illegal website and to be effective, the authority ask the Internet provider to prohibit any illegal website. It means that if a French player wants to play poker on an illegal website, it won’t be able to navigate on it because the provider won’t give him an access to the website.

Today, a lot of European countries are following the initiative of the French government such as Holland and Italy. In United States of America, the situation is different because online gambling it is not allow but the government is thinking about it and to oblige online website to refuse American player to play online, the American government told to them that the companies that have respected the American law, would be considered to apply for a licence. Only these one, the rest of the companies which are not respecting the laws, won’t have access at the American market.

Did you know that players of slots account for between 70% and 80% of all the revenue a land based or online casino makes? These are some pretty dramatic numbers; but this well loved game is so popular that these statistics are also very understandable. Slots come in thousands of different varieties and the brilliant thing about playing slots at online casinos is you can play your favorite game whenever you feel like it.

Picture this, it is 10pm at night, you have had your bath, you are ready for bed and all of a sudden it pops into your head “I feel so lucky right now”. Always trust your instinct, but who wants to get dressed and go out to a casino when it is cold and raining outside. Right, so, simply get online, register with one of the other great sites which offer this game and play the Clover Rollover. The reason why we say this is, this massive Progressive Jackpot game has got over £2.2 million in prize money available right now.

This particular slots game is more widely available at online bingo sites operated by Virtue Fusion software. It is however classified as a casino game because it is a slots game and it has already been won twice at Mecca Bingo. The first time the payout was £1.2 million for a £5 stake and the second time it was won, the prize was £1.5 million, and it is a classic example of how a slots game can turn one lucky player into a millionaire.

Clover Rollover is obviously not the only slots game which can be played for millions in prize money, and progressive jackpot slots feature at all online casinos. Take the William Hill Casino Club for example; they offer classic single line slots, classic multiline slots and video multi spin slots. If you are playing for the PJP you have to place a maximum bet in order to win and this can sometimes work out to be quite expensive. So the best thing to do is look out for the biggest prize at the best value for money.

Progressive slots games come in all shapes and sizes as well as different themes and most online casinos will provide instruction son how best to play and what the size of the jackpot prize is. These prizes are traditionally seeded with a specific amount of money to get them started and the Clover Rollover; as we are using this as an example, is seeded with £100 000! Thereafter a specific amount of money from every wager made on the game is set aside for a rollover and every night at midnight the prize money rolls over.

Clover Rollover is a five reel, five pay line slots game and this is why it is possible to win the PJP with just a £5 stake. The maximum bet is £1, so you bet £1 on each line to win the lot. If you fancy a spin on this game you can also find it at Tea and Bingo, Ladbrokes and Bet 365. Why not try your arm; this could be the best fiver you ever spend?!