If you had the pleasure to attend this year’s Casino Affiliate Conference in Amsterdam, you would have surely recognized the heavy presence of the Microgaming software brand on the exhibition floor. For those who were not in attendance, let’s just say that Microgaming was the subject of many an affiliate conversation - and continues to be on the leading online casino portals and internet betting news/information sites.

There is no denying the fact that Microgaming is one of the pioneer software developers, having powered some of the very first and most successful online casinos and poker rooms since the nineties. Over the years, Microgaming has received numerous “Best Software” awards from online journals, magazines and other respected industry bodies.

And God knows what the bulk of U.S. online gamblers would have done if Microgaming decided to back out of the U.S. market at the same time as Playtech and Cryptologic. It certainly would have been a huge mess. My point is that Microgaming certainly deserves some credit for hanging in there as long as they did.

And now to my other point: As much respect and credit Microgaming has with players and the online gaming sector at large, including the thousands of affiliates who promote and play at their online casino licensees, the unanimous sentiment with affiliates and players is that Microgaming still needs to do some serious damage control regarding the Grand Prive debacle if they want to keep their golden reputation, if you will.

For all you players who didn’t hear already and who therefore have not been affected by these events, Grand Prive was a licensed group of online casinos who went bankrupt shortly after Microgaming pulled out of the U.S. market. That, in turn, has resulted in many players being left in the dark and owed their due finances. And thus far, Microgaming hasn’t stepped in like they did before to help these players get paid out. Once again, another case for regulation in the U.S. - but that’s another story.

So, while Microgaming isn’t directly responsible for the failures of the Grand Prive group of online casinos (although Grand Prive might beg to differ), considering their status in the gaming industry (which is essentially at the top of the food chain), not to mention their financial stability, pressure is definitely mounting on Microgaming to rectify the matter and pay these players their rightful earnings. The ball is in your court, Microgaming.

In a recent article here at OCS, we brought light to the fact that after several top-shelf online casino software developers closed their doors to the U.S. market; i.e., Cryptologic, Playtech and the more recent closing of Microgaming, all of the U.S. traffic has begun to funnel to the only other reputable, offshore regulated software suppliers who are permitting their online casino licensees to continue taking bets from U.S. citizens.

In our last article, we discussed the ever-expanding family of Real Time Gaming powered online casinos. The other software developer taking in the lion’s share of U.S. traffic and steadily building up a prodigious progressive jackpot network is the popular Vegas Technology software platform (formerly known as Odds On back in the early days of online gambling).

Most recently, Vegas Technology was responsible for divvying out one of the larger jackpot wins to a single player. Worth over $225,000, this particular jackpot was hit at a very auspicious time - none other than Easter Sunday. There will certainly be some people who question the act of gambling on Easter Sunday, but for the lucky U.S. player who nabbed the jackpot, spinning the reels on Easter was the best decision they could have made.

It was Vegas Technology’s Mega Money Mine online slot that broke this weekend. The ever-so-fortunate player, Jackie, who goes by the screen name of DallasWorks, said she is still amazed, especially considering the size of her winnings. It’s more common to see $50,000 or $75,000 jackpots being won. A $225,000 jackpot is much less frequent - and to be on the receiving end makes it even more hard-to-believe.

Since the jackpot was hit on Vegas Technology’s wide area progressive jackpot network - meaning that several online casino contribute to the same jackpot - it isn’t known which licensee was home to the jackpot. But that will be sorted out soon enough. Most likely, it’s one of Vegas Technology’s more popular and established properties, which can be read about on our Vegas Technology Casinos page.

As pressure continues to mount on Antigua’s Directorate of Offshore Gaming (once the largest regulator of online casinos), the Caribbean nation has announced plans to tighten regulation protocols. An announcement made by Antigua and Barbuda’s Director of Gaming, Kaye McDonald, confirms the new approach to regulation and compliance - an approach that places online casino operators under the same oversight that befalls Antigua’s financial institutions no less.

A testament to the benefits of universal regulatory standards (tell that to the European Union), Antigua’s announcement is no doubt in response to growing concern from UK gaming officials who first left Antigua off the infamous whitelist, thus preventing any Antiguan licensed betting operator from advertising in UK media outlets. Of course, after expressing great shock from not being included, Antigua beseeched UK officials to reconsider and the Caribbean island was later white-listed, albeit with a little reservation.

However, following the recent financial scandal inside Stanford International Bank (see news article, “Antigua on the Edge of UK Online Casino Whitelist”), reservation has turned into high speculation as some UK officials call for Antigua to impose more transparency on its gaming licensees if it seeks to remain on the UK whitelist.

This is obviously very important for Antigua, who has lost a considerable amount of business since the passing of the UIGEA in the U.S. As mentioned, Antigua’s Gaming Director, Kaye McDonald, has already made the formal announcement that changes in regulatory protocol and compliance are on the way, primarily focusing on money laundering prevention, licensee accountability and transparency, and safeguarding all players and vulnerable persons. Furthermore, McDonald specifically said this compliance will include “white listing criteria mandated in the UK”.

Now, if that’s not a good case for universal regulation standards, I don’t know what is. Thanks to the UK Gambling Commission - the world’s preeminent online gambling regulator - higher standards of compliance are being met. Those jurisdictions which do not uphold these standards will simply fade away. Now, if only the European Union would take note, not to mention the U.S. itself, which apparently is expected to come around very soon.

Now that Democrat Senator and Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Barney Frank, has publicly released the legislation he and countless other pro-online gambling activists hope will repeal the UIGEA and foster online gambling regulation, the prospects of just how likely the legislation stands a chance of passing, not to mention the support or lack thereof needed for it to pass, is becoming more clear.

Senator Frank is no stranger to controversy and opposition. Before even finishing his latest draft, opponents and naysayers were voicing their opinions. Just last month in the D.C. politics news site, “The Hill”, an article expressed pessimism that Frank’s legislation would not see the light of day. Not going so far to argue that Frank’s legislation is flawed or unenforceable, the article said the legislation faced a “tough course to passage” because it is being introduced as a stadalone bill, rather than an attachment to a greater bill.

And while this argument may have some merit, perhaps Senator Frank wants to take a much higher road than his nemesis colleagues who were able to get the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed as an attachment to a Port Security bill back in 2005. Or, perhaps Frank knows he has the support, even from conservatives, needed to get the bill passed.

This is indeed what some insiders and analysts believe, such as former U.S. Senator, Alfonse D’Amato. Although he is the Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance (one of the largest and strongest lobbying forces for the legalization of online poker), thus giving him good reason to be biasly optimistic, D’Amato has some good points to make. He recently chimed in his own two cents on “The Hill”, stating that Frank’s legislation will draw support from both sides of the camp who are equally disappointed with the failings of the UIGEA.

Because the UIGEA is costing taxpayers billions of unearned revenue, and is driving off billions more in capital and jobs by chasing off online gambling operators, and all the while does nothing to effectively enforce an online gambling ban, some politicians are comparing it to the failings of prohibition in the 1920’s. Furthermore, the UIGEA does not effectively protect the underage and potentially problematic online gamblers. Frank’s legislation, however, offers viable solutions to protecting children. In similar fashion to how the UK is currently successfully regulating online gambling, Frank’s legislation sets forth strict guidelines that hold betting operators accountable.

Online casino gamblers shouldn’t get too excited just yet. Even if the bill does receive Congressional approval, individual State’s will have the choice of regulating or not. In other words, the U.S. facing online gambling landscape may soon become a virtual extension of Las Vegas. Depending on one’s residence, the act of internet betting may become an increasingly difficult thing to do.

The chairman of the House committee that oversees internet gambling said Friday that he has strong support for legislation that would open the door for 17 casinos, slot machines at racetracks and Indian gaming in Texas.

Rep. Edmund Kuempel, R-Seguin, said the bill, which would let voters decide whether to allow gambling in Texas, probably won’t be firmed up in his committee until next week. But he said the measure that lawmakers are negotiating merges the interests of oft-competing resort casino developers and racetrack operators – as well as Indian tribes whose casinos were shuttered in 2001.

He’ll face a tough battle reaching 100 votes in the House, the number needed to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. Speaker Joe Straus, who comes from a racetrack family, has said he’ll stay out of all gaming issues.

“We’re within 10 percent in the House,” Kuempel said. “Unless we know we have those votes, it won’t come to the floor.”

Even if the bill makes it out of the House, its passage in the Senate looks unlikely. It would need a two-thirds vote there, too, and Rich Parsons, a spokesman for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, said Dewhurst is “personally opposed to the expansion of gambling in Texas.”

Kuempel stressed that the details of the bill could change in the next week. But he said lawmakers on the Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee have a framework now that would allow up to 17 resort casinos: three on Indian reservations; two on the South Texas barrier islands; one in the Port Arthur area; three at Class 1 racetracks; two at Class 2 racetracks; and six others spread out across the rest of the state.

Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie is a Class 1 track, meaning it would qualify to bid on a casino.

The measure would also allow slot machines at racetracks and other forms of gaming on Indian reservations.

City Council members unanimously voted to support Minneola’s request for the county to place the issue of gambling on a county-wide ballot for a special election.

Officials said, however, the stance did not necessarily support the online gambling idea, only the idea of letting Lake County voters decide whether to bring a pari-mutual facility and card room to Minneola.

“On the city council, we have a representative form of government we use for day-to-day issues,” Councilman Keith Mullins said. “But on a big issue like this, I think it’s best to go to the people directly.”

In an e-mail after the meeting, Councilman Ray Goodgame said he supports the idea of having voters weigh in on the issue because of the proposition’s importance not just for Minneola, but for everyone in the area.

Goodgame’s only concern is the cost of a special election to do so.

Minneola Mayor Dave Yeager was present at the meeting to talk about what he feels the pari-mutual gambling facility and card room would bring to the community. He asked the council to urge the County to put the idea to a vote.

“If they say yes, that’s great and if they say no, then I’ll respect that. But at least we’ll know what people really want,” Yeager said.

Yeager first presented the idea for a Central Florida adult-themed destination complex to Minneola’s council last month after brainstorming ways to boost the city’s economy.

The complex would include a high-end five-star resort hotel and shopping area, a 3,000-seat multifunctional entertainment facility, more than 150,000 square feet of convention space, an ice skating rink and a horse racing track with a card room for Texas Hold ‘Em poker and other games.

The facility would be located at the Hills of Minneola site near the new Turnpike interchange.

Clermont’s resolution asks county commissioners to consider a countywide election to determine whether residents would support such a gambling venue.

According to the supervisor of elections office, a county-wide election could cost as much as $375,000.

A Powerball ticket sold in East Missoula won a $1 million prize in Wednesday’s Montana Lottery drawings.

The ticket, sold at Ole’s convenience store, matched the five white balls and the Power Play number at online casinos.

Meanwhile, a ticket sold at a Holiday Stationstore on Grand Avenue in Billings won $10,000 in the Powerball drawing, lottery officials said.

The winning numbers drawn:

Montana Cash: 08, 16, 17, 26, 31.

Wild Card: 04, 08, 16, 23, 29. Wild Card Queen of Clubs.

Hot Lotto: 17, 19, 20, 31, 32 Hot Ball 15. Hot Lotto Sizzler Three.

Powerball: 16, 22, 26, 27, 59. Powerball 05. Power Play 02.

Tonight’s estimated jackpots are: Montana Cash, $30,000; Wild Card, $115,000; Hot Lotto, $3.45 million; and Powerball, $31 million.