UK Player Scoops £4.5 million at Bet Victor Casino

 

One lucky player has scooped an amazing £4.5 million from Bet Victor Casino this week after an initial wager of just £5.00. The player, known only as Sandro, was trying his luck on the progressive jackpot slot game Mega Fortune when he instantly turned his £5 into £150. In less than 17 minutes, that £150 had transformed into £4.5 million when he hit the progressive jackpot! 

The eloquent winner described the moment he realised he had hit the jackpot: “A number of strong emotions went off in my mind and heart, like a high speed train crashing into you, like a comet that picks you up and flies you around the whole universe in a single second.” He also had some words of gratitude for Bet Victor, “A huge thank you to Bet Victor for this unique and indescribable experience”.

Sandro began playing at Bet Victor after reading reviews of the online casino on various betting forums, like the review and news resource Gamble.co.uk. These sites can be invaluable for those looking for a new casino experience as they provide impartial and honest reviews from experienced casino players and gaming writers.

If you would like to read a review of Bet Victor Casino and see just what inspired Sandro to play there, click here. Plus, we’d like to wish Sandro our heartiest congratulations on his fantastic win, and we hope he has found his feet again!

Leeds Super Casino License Provisionally Granted

Leeds Council is one step closer to issuing their "super" casino license after issuing Global Gaming Ventures (GGV) with a provisional statement last week. This has surprised many who saw the only other remaining bidder, Leeds United Football Club, as a shoo-in for the license. However, the bid from the London based firm GGV was chosen based on it being the one which would “be likely to results in the greatest benefit to the city” (according to a press release from Leeds Council).

GGV proposed to open the casino on the first floor of the upcoming £130 million Victoria Gate development which is due for completion in 2016. A provisional statement has been provided at this stage as Leeds Council cannot issue a full license whilst the premises are not constructed. Once the property is complete, it is expected the full license will be granted.

The statement was granted based on several assurances made by GGV, which include the following: 

• An upfront payment to Leeds Council of £1 million 
• An annual payment to Leeds Council of £450,000 or 4% of net gaming, whichever is greater Employment of at least 205 full time staff (with 90% being Leeds City residents), 10 apprentices and 15 individuals Not In Education, Employment or Training (NEETS) 
• Agreement to set up and fund a Leeds Responsible Gambling Forum Agreement to set up an Impact Committee to monitor the impact of the casino 
• Conformation that their marketing and advertising campaigns will not target the most deprived and vulnerable in the city 

A representative of Leeds Council said, “We received two strong proposals which were both duly considered. Importantly, GGV has committed to provide significant funds for a council run social inclusion fund and a range of measures that will help to ensure that any potential harmful effects are managed and mitigated against.”

GGV Chief Executive Graham Hyde has said they are “thrilled to win the competition and be coming to Leeds”. Naturally however, not everyone was happy with the news. A spokesperson for Leeds United said they were “obviously disappointed” and that they had put together a bid which was “very professional and proposed how the greatest benefit to the city could be achieved”.

Construction is expected to begin on the development in 2014. Although given the tempestuous road the license has travelled so far, who knows if there will be more speed bumps before Destination Super Casino is finally reached?

You can read more about this story here. 

Changes to UK Gambling Legislation Announced in Queen's Speech

The Queens Speech, which Her Majesty gave yesterday (Wednesday May 8th), has confirmed what many gambling companies were expecting – that all gambling companies will now need to hold a UK Gambling license if they plan on advertising to or accepting players from the UK market. 

Until recently, gambling companies have been able to operate in the UK under a license from an approved overseas jurisdiction (such as the Government of Gibraltar, for example). However, the new Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill will now require all casinos, sportsbooks and poker sites that operate in the UK to have a UK Gambling license. This is to provide UK consumers with increased protection and to provide increasing levels of support against illegal activity.

As well as being subject to much more stringent regulations, operators will also be expected to contribute to education, research and treatment of gambling related problems in Britain, plus will be obliged to inform the Gambling Commission of any suspicious UK betting patterns. The bill was not directly referenced in the Queen’s Speech; however it was referred to in the attached briefing notes after the line “other measures laid out before you”.

So, what does this mean for current online casino, sportsbook and poker operators who have a license from another jurisdiction? What about those with the more expensive “top tier” licenses which are whitelisted by the UK Gambling Commission and have previously been acceptable? Whilst it is too early to say what the implications of this bill will be, it is undoubtedly going to ruffle a few feathers across the gambling industry today.

Stay tuned for more on this story as it comes. In the meantime, if you’d like to read more about jurisdictions and licencing, visit Gamble.co.uk.