21 February 2007 GPWA Times Newsletter

GPWA Affiliate Program pages redesigned
We launched our completely revised affiliate program detail pages this week complete with screen shots of each gaming site offered by affiliate programs. We've also included links to the pages in Online.CasinoCity.com for each of these brands. Those pages provide additional information about each site including popularity, geographic player restrictions, deposit methods and more.

GPWA serves up 125th "Approved Portal" seal
Interest in the GPWA approved portal seal program remains high. This week, we awarded our 125th seal and applications continue to flow in. The seal program was launched just over two months ago in an effort to establish credibility for deserving sites. If you operate a portal Web site and have not yet applied for the seal, we encourage you to apply now.

GPWA has "The Buzz"
With all the industry rumors floating around right now, we've been doing a lot of thinking about how to report the latest buzz without compromising our journalistic credibility. And we think we have the answer. Meet "The Buzz," a new fictitious GPWA member that we will use to let you know about rumors. Now you can count on the GPWA both for the latest buzz and for solid reporting you can trust.

GPWA is excited to announce four new sponsors. Each sponsor is pleased to be helping our industry grow as a new member of the GPWA community!
Hollywood Poker | PartnerLogic | Betfred | 24hPoker

Online casinos beware: Brick and mortar on the way
When The Sands announced it would open an Internet casino targeting the U.K. market, European gaming companies cried foul. How could an American company open an online casino and target Europeans when the U.S. was prosecuting executives of regulated European Internet gaming companies that allowed U.S. players? But the Sands represents a much larger threat to traditional Internet gambling companies: Brick and mortar gaming companies entering the online space.

Thank you giftcards.com
Reporter Ryan McLane (McLane39) gets some instant gratification when he discovers he's able to deposit into Full Tilt using a gift card from giftcards.com.

Doyle's Room pointing U.S. players to Full Tilt
The Doyle Brunson Poker Network announced this week that it would stop allowing U.S. players to play real-money games on its sites, effective March 1, 2007. The Internet poker room, however, will allow existing players to transfer their money and "action points" to Full Tilt Poker accounts.

NETeller to lay off 250
NETeller plans to layoff more than 250 employees worldwide as part of a reorganization following its recent withdrawal from the U.S. marketplace. The layoffs will hit NETeller's Calgary offices hardest. This location, which was primarily used to support U.S. customers, is expected to lose about 220 workers, the company said in a statement Friday.

VIP Lounge Casino gets eCOGRA certification
The VIP Lounge Casino has received the "Play It Safe" seal from the eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance organization (www.eCOGRA.org). eCOGRA is the independent standards authority of the online gaming industry. The VIP Lounge Casino is an exclusive, invitation-only casino that is opened to Jackpot Factory's top players.