A new concept in Casino games will soon be available to UK players when the first full 3D Online Casino opens its doors. The internet site, which is expected to open for business later this year, will allow players to gamble in Roulette, Blackjack, Video Poker and slots in a whole new entertaining way.

This 3D Online Casino will give its users the opportunity to create their own avatar with a unique appearance, dress code and even personality, which will allow them to interact with other players.

The 2008 edition of the South American Gaming Suppliers Expo (SAGSE), which took place in the capital of Argentina last week, has been claimed to be a total success, full of luxury and that left every participant satisfied, remarking its status as the main Latin-American event on the matter.

With an important amount of public and a great share of expositors, SAGSE Buenos Aires closed its 16th edition last Friday. It received gaming suppliers from all over the world.

It was revealed this week that during 2007 Canadians spent five times more money on bets than they did 15 years before. The report prepared by Statistics Canada shows that residents of the Prairie Provinces were the ones that spent the most on wagers. On average, each Canadian spent $524 on gaming.

Profits from casinos, lotteries, slot machines and lotto rose to $13.6 billion in 2007, $10.9 billion more than in 1992 and $3 million more than in 2006. The highest bets were registered in Alberta, $890 per capita, followed by Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

MGM Mirage will double the number of gaming tables for high-rollers in its Macau casino by the end of the year in order to make the most of the increasing number of players who spend more than 124,000 dollars per visit.

CEO Terrence Lanni said in a press conference held this week that the company will increase the number of VIP tables from 70 to 150. Macao obtained almost 70 per cent of its gaming profits from VIP Players, defined as those who spend more than 124,000 dollars per trip.

Gambling operations in Macau generated profits of more than 7.0 billion dollars during the first semester of the year, as informed by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (GICB) this week.

Gaming profits, which reach the 99 per cent of the whole gambling sector, totalized 7.4 billion dollars. VIP baccarat play obtained earnings for 5.1 million, which represents almost 70 per cent of the total gaming profits. New casinos like the Sands’ Venetian Macao, which opened last year, also helped to increase gains.

Three online casinos in Argentina, formoapuestas.com.ar, vcapuestas.com.ar and ar.888.com are at risk of being shut down by the police. This is due to the fact that in Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, online gambling is prohibited. It has been a while since the Argentinian government is looking for a way to change the law, as the high percentage generated by these companies would be given to it and so would greatly help with the country’s economy.

A casino in the French city of Cannes held this weekend the opening ceremony of an outdoor gaming area, the first of its kind in Europe. The 800-square meter area offers poker, blackjack and roulette tables and guests are allowed to smoke.

“We took advantage of a 2007 law which authorizes games to become outdoors activities. However, we had to fight the opposition of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to several regulations,” Richard Frischer, the director of the Palm Beach Casino, commented.

The online casino site 888 never seizes to surprise us with its continuous expansion of a wide variety of casino games. It signed a deal a month ago with Cryptologic and is already doing business with Dynamite Idea, a major online casino operator.

Gabi Campos, the Senior Vice-President of 888, regarding the strategic move, says: “The amount of new customers that has arisen from games such as bingo and sports book is expanding continuously. Therefore we expand our repertoire among these activities in order to build brand loyalty in our casino.”

The renowned Cirque du Soleil revealed this week that it will present its first permanent show at the Venetian Macau. The performance is part of the strategy of casino operators to attract a new and broader segment of the public to the Chinese enclave, especially through high-level entertainment like this.

In the last few years, Macau has aimed to reinvent itself with luxurious casinos and gaming venues built by foreign investors, such as the Venetian Macao, the Wynn Macao and the MGM Grand Macao.

On the 15th of ths month, the Gran Casino of Castellon (Spain) will open its doors to the public. Yesterday, directives of different media and press visited the casino and got to know the special features of it and how it worked.

Over 20 million euros were invested in order to bring the Gran Casino to life, and also about 255 job vacancies directly related to the casino were created, especially thought to be occupied by women, young students and unemployed. Another 300 indirect job vacancies were also created.