Keeping up with its “several games a month” policy, online gambling developer Microgaming announced the release of new games onto its Viper and Flash platforms in November.

The first one is a sports-themed 5-reel, 243 Ways To Win video slot dubbed “Break Away“. Its Ice Hockey theme will attract all the fans of the game, and reward them with a multitude of prizes thanks to special features such as Wilds, Scatters and Bonuses.

Another title to join Microgaming&s massive portfolio in November is “Octopays“, a colorful ocean-themed slot that features iconography that includes sunken ships, rusty anchors and hidden treasures, as well as a mythical sea monster – Kraken, which may bring free spins, bonuses and a guide to other rewards.

And while these two games will be available on Microgaming’s Viper and Flash platforms, the third one, a 5-reel, 15-line Wild West-themed slot “Western Frontier” will go live only on the Flash platform.

In this game, players stand a chance at getting a two-stage Cowboy and Indian free games bonus feature. In the Indian stage, they can win on wild symbols and collect them to increase the multiplier and free spins for the Cowboy stage. Also, they can double or quadruple all their winnings in the gamble feature.

A cooperation agreement closed between the Italian Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies (AAMS) and France’s ARJEL became fruitful this week when the two online gambling regulators held a meeting in Rome, where they defined the terms of their collaboration.

The themes discussed were the transmission and sharing of market data as well as effective player protection procedures, problem gambling prevention, the fight against fraud and the prohibition of gambling by minors.

The goal of this project is to pool resources that&ll address challenges in the online gambling sector and thereby promote administrative cooperation between regulators.

An online casino and a sports betting operation has been launched by Bodog88 into the Vietnamese market, the company announced this week.

It was added that the operations support traditional and simplified Chinese, Thai, English and now Vietnamese language, and that a poker product will be added by the end of this year.

Commenting on the launch into the new market, Robert Gustafsson, managing director of Bodog88 said: “Vietnam has been overlooked by many online gaming companies, which is surprising for a number of reasons, not least a population of over 90 million. But, equally crucially, they are sports mad and love to bet in the same way the Chinese gamers love casino, with European soccer betting being at the top of the list.

“Vietnam, like so many countries in Asia, also has a rapidly growing economy and, having first mover advantage in these countries will be, I feel, extremely beneficial to Bodog88,” he concluded, adding that his company now plans to consolidate and boost its current product offering in the markets it covers at the moment.

A new CEO has been appointed by Argentinean online games developer Leander Games. The man to occupy the position is a former Gaming Technology Solutions (GTS) exec Steven Matsell.

The successful company founded by Ramiro Atucha and Daniel Schultz in 2008, prior to the new appointment entered a game distribution agreement with GTS; it now hopes to build a revenue boost under Matsell’s leadership, basing it on its Remote Gaming Server “LeGa” which provides faster distribution of its gaming portfolio across Internet and mobile devices.

According to Ramiro Atucha, business development director and former chief executive officer at Leander Games, “I had the chance of working closely with Steven through our partnership with GTS. His experience, professionalism and knowledge of the industry will be key to take our company to the next level. His involvement will also allow me to focus on what I enjoy most, continuing to grow and extending the business relationships I&ve been building for the past three years”.

It was added by Daniel Schultz, chairman of Leander Games: “We are thrilled to welcome Steven Matsell onboard. Steven has a wealth of experience in rolling out gaming propositions and the perfect industry pedigree to facilitate further success for Leander. His appointment signals a dynamic new phase for the company.”

Two classic casino games have been launched by BetSoft Gaming for mobile environment: mobile Roulette and Blackjack.

Regarding the new launch, Anthony Locke, BetSoft’s head of product development said: “Our mobile versions of Roulette and Blackjack are 100 percent compatible with the new iPhone 5 and iOS 6.

“As new devices and software come to the market, BetSoft will be developing games to be easily accessible and compatible with those new technologies.”

He also added that scheduled for release for mobile client are the company&s top games such as TheSlotfather, Three Wishes and 7th Heaven, which will be coming in the next few weeks.

It seems that the US media have reason to look forward to the legalization of online poker in the country, as in that event they&d be looking at some massive advertising returns.

At this point, online gambling is observed as the potential next boom for the advertising industry, as according to the numbers published by the respected online gambling consultancy H2 Gambling Capital, around $3.5 to $4 billion could be invested in marketing over the next five years.

This is more than General Motors spent on US advertising in 2011, said H2 Gambling Capital&s Simon Holliday, adding that by 2017 the US online poker business could be a bigger advertising booster than the insurance sector.

Furthermore, Holliday estimated that the gross value of the online-gambling market will reach $1 billion in 2014, exceeding $13 billion over a decade.

He asserted: “Driving players to their sites is the biggest single cost of these companies. It is probable that 25 to 30 percent of company net revenues will be spent on advertising and marketing budgets in the initial years, as there is a land grab,” opining that online gambling advertising will be mostly beneficial for digital media and agencies.

Giving his own opinion on the matter, Mitch Garber, an experienced online gambling executive who heads up Caesars Entertainment’s interactive division, said: “Five years ago, the combined spend of all onsite-based gaming companies in online advertising was very small, limited to SEO for attracting visitors to book hotel rooms online and to come to the website. It’s changing dramatically. … There’s no question that as an industry we’ll be spending more time and money on interactive advertising.”

He also opined that television is the most successful medium for attracting players, but that his company will also do magazine, TV and billboard advertising.

Young adults are the demographics most attracted to the internet sector, as most online gamblers are in their 20s, while the average land casino gambler is over 50, said one ad agency executive, predicting that major land casino operators could double their marketing budgets in order to achieve success in a legalized online gambling market in the States.

Still, he pointed to the fact that since agencies must purchase licenses in states in which they’re supporting casino advertising, online gambling activities will be very time-consuming and expensive – licenses for one casino client have already cost his agency around $500,000, he said.

Predicting the outcome in the event of online gambling legalization, John Schadler, founder and managing partner at Las Vegas-based agency SK&G said: “There will be a rush at the inception of the online sites to gain market share and notoriety. … That requires initial branding efforts and initial media spend at a pretty strong level.

“It becomes an exercise in brand awareness. We’re inventing a category,” he concluded.

In the past five years, Turkey’s Telecommunications Directorate and the National Lottery have cooperated on the shutdown of 139 illegal online gambling websites, it was reported this week.

In the same period, complaints were filed against another 457 websites, which only witnesses of the flourishing of the pastime ever since terrestrial gambling houses were banned in 1997.

Due to such a high number of illegal online gambling venues, the National Lottery came up with a special section – the Games of Hazard Department, which serves to fight illegal gambling online and inhibit related advertising and marketing efforts. The Telecommunications authorities have joined the cause by introducing ISP blocking, it was added.

A blast superstorm adequately dubbed Hurricane Sandy as it has already killed 43 people when it crossed the Caribbean, is expected to hit the eastern coast of the United States any moment, and New Jersey governor Chris Christie has ordered the evacuation of all Atlantic City casinos and the state’s barrier islands, as well as the closure of state parks by the afternoon on Oct. 28.

Other neighboring states& governors made similar moves, declaring states of emergency and urging coastal residents to move inland. In New York City, they are considering whether to shut down public transportation, and many airlines have already announced potential cancellations and waiving change fees for passengers who want to reschedule their flights.

Hurricane Sandy is expected to reach the coastline on Tuesday and to first hit the area around Delaware. A big threat is the fact that it can run into two major winter weather systems, and create one huge storm.

This week a Finnish punter hit it big at Vera&John Casino, winning over Euro 40,000… in a single spin!

Namely, the lucky punter was playing the Gonzo&s Quest slot when he decided to raise his stake to Euro 50 per spin – and what a great decision it turned out to be, considering that he hit it big almost immediately.

Commenting on his big win, and explaining what he plans to do with the money, the punter identified as Mr. P said: “It&s of course pretty hard to describe how I&m feeling; I am very excited and still can&t believe it.

“The first thing I will do is pay off my loans and then it&s time for an amazing holiday. The rest I will save and keep for a rainy day.”

Finnplay (formerly Digient) has made a gaming platform deal with a Belgian operator Mirage Games allowing them to integrate various third party game verticals such as Play&nGO games while responding rapidly to local market requirements.

Chief executive officer of Mirage Games Raymond Vanhoenacker said that the Belgian licensed operator will be the first-to-market in Belgium with a mobile offering, a key differentiator for the company.