Gaming Trivia
Some Relatively Unknown Facts About Gambling
Gambling has existed in some form or the other for centuries. Indian history has references of betting games as early as 3000 BC. Even Chinese history offers evidence of gambling in 2,300 BC. With a 4,000 year old history, gambling has its share of little known facts. These make you wonder about the love people have for this form of entertainment.
Baccarat Without the Juice: An Article by WGM
Here’s an article on Baccarat by Andrew Scott, published in WGM – World Gaming Magazine (http://www.worldgamingmag.com/) – a prestigious magazine for people who love gaming.
The History and Modern Forms of Baccarat
Which is the game whose dealings end up influencing the annual turnovers of major casinos across the globe? Which game is the favourite of the ‘high rollers’ or the casino’s crème de la crème? It is the game that was once a penchant for the French royalty and has been shown in most of the Bond movies. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is Baccarat.
Some of the Best Casinos Across the Globe – Part II
Casino gaming has a long and eventful history. The industry stops for breath once in a while, but its contribution to the inflow of tourists and foreign currency as well as tax revenues cannot be overlooked. Yes, it is continuously in the spotlight of government regulations, but an increasing number of countries are embracing the opportunities the casino industry has to offer.
More recently, Macau has become the epicenter of the global casino industry. However, visiting Las Vegas still remains the dream for most casino lovers. The EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) region also has its share of magnificent and exciting casinos.
In my previous article, which you can read here, I covered some of the best casinos in the Eastern part of the world. Here, I have described some of the most exciting casinos in Las Vegas and the EMEA region. There is also one casino from Nepal that finds a mention in this article.
Some of the Best Casinos Across the Globe
Prior to the worldwide economic downturn, the global casino industry was surging ahead, seemingly unstoppable. Growth records were set between 2004 and 2008, with gross gaming revenues jumping 24% during these four years to US$358.0 billion.
Online Gaming: Time to Give it its Due!
In the first part of this article, which you can read here, we discussed the hurdles that online gaming and its legal status have witnessed worldwide. While the size of the widely popular gambling form is difficult to measure, there are a few ways in which the necessary change can be brought about. In this section, we will talk about those factors that can usher in some positive developments in this regard.
Are the Ministries Gambling with Nepal’s Future?
Nepal’s Tourism Ministry, which had backed allowing Nepalese citizens to enter local casinos sometime back, has taken a summersault and back tracked completely. So much so that the ministry now seeks to put a ban on the entry of Nepalis into casinos, as stated in a draft released by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA).
Online Gaming: The Omnipresent Phenomenon
It’s ubiquitous and yet it is an elephant in the room. Online gaming is a popular practice throughout the world, despite the national or state regulations that have plagued it for a while.
However, this element of uncertainty surrounding the legalities related to this flourishing sector isn’t a healthy sign for the industry as a whole. Not only does this make it difficult to judge the impact of this sector, it also impedes planning and strategizing for the future.
Global Gaming Trends 2011: The Clear Picture
Despite the lull in the world economy, the global casino revenues climbed 5.2% to US$117 billion in 2011, marking a 2.2% rise over the figures reported in the previous year and the strongest development in the past decade. Three factors are expected to drive the global casino industry, enabling it to register robust profits in the forthcoming years:
- Growth of personal and disposable incomes in the developing nations
- The ever expanding middle class section of the population
- Expansion of the casino sector in the promising markets
- Gradual global economic recovery
- Growing acceptance of casinos
Singapore – The Perfect Counterpart to Macau
Despite being around for merely a couple of years and with barely two casinos, the revenues of Singapore’s gaming industry are set to surpass the revenues of the Las Vegas Strip. Hard to believe, but true!
When the Singapore government, known for its stringent legal and moral conduct, issued licenses to a couple of casinos in 2010, it took the world by surprise. The initial idea was to enhance the experience of tourists and provide them with a wide range of entertainment options and services. The strategy was to boost the tourism of the island.
Rakesh Wadhwa. Ever since, I was a school boy, I knew India was on the wrong path. Socialism was just not what we needed to get ahead. Government controlled our travel; government controlled our ability to buy and sell; and government controlled our freedom to move our money. My life has focused on the inherent rights people have. When I was in college, I never understood, what the governments meant by their "socialistic attitude". If people are free to buy, sell and move their capital themselves without any restrictions by state, then the welfare of people is inevitable & hence the countries they live in will become wealthy. The government has no right whatsoever, to point a finger at me or my business. I am not a revolutionary. I just want to light up my cigarette and not get nagged about it. I believe in non-interfering attitude to attain more. 
The Bastiat Award is a journalism award, given annually by the International Policy Network, London. Bastiat Prize entries are judged on intellectual content, the persuasiveness of the language used and the type of publication in which they appear. Rakesh Wadhwa won the 3rd prize (a cash award of $1,000 and a candlestick), in 2006.
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