The opening of group stage matches is set to get underway in one of the world’s most popular soccer (or football) leagues, the UEFA Champions League. In Europe soccer clubs have to earn the right to advance through the different leagues. Good play brings promotion into the better leagues, while bad play brings demotion. It is not an easy system, and those who go on to play and win at the Premier and Champion level are considered to be some of the best soccer teams on the planet. As mentioned before the group play stage is ready to start in the middle of September. With it brings exciting soccer action, and possibly even more exciting gambling action.

Online sports gambling sites and casinos are ready to release their odds for the teams they think will have the best chance at capturing the Champions title. Soccer fans in Europe are crazy about their support of their teams and are just as dedicated to picking their favorites to win in the gambling parlors. Gambling on soccer tournaments and teams has become so popular that some online gambling sites have bought advertising and sponsorship rights with the teams.

Back to the upcoming tournaments, several online sports gambling sites are predicting Barcelona’s team to take the championship at 3 to 1 odds. Barcelona made it to the semi-finals last year, and they have shown significant improvement. Their in country rivals from Real Madrid are next in the odds at 11 to 2. English teams (and rivals) Chelsea and Manchester United come in third and fourth at 6 to 1 and 8 to 1 respectively. Last year’s champ InterMilan is pulling 14 to 1 odds to repeat as the trophy grabbers.

Many of the online sportsbooking sites are offering comparable odds. This is one of the most exciting times of the year for online sports gambling sites. With the 2010 World Cup in South Africa being the most heavily wagered World Cups in history they are expecting to ride the wave of excitement.

At the turn of the twentieth century there was a major push for women’s rights in the United States. In the 1950’s and 60’s it was civil rights for African American and other minority groups based on race. In the 1980’s and ’90’s there was a movement for handicapped and disabled citizens. Now, in the twenty-first century the time has finally come for equality based on sexuality. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community see themselves as a minority group and expected to be protected from discrimination. Many companies in the United States are finally coming around on the idea. The casino community, particularly in Connecticut, agrees.

The Foxwoods Casino and the MGM Grand at Foxwoods announced at the end of last month that the LGBT community is a minority group among its employees and deserve progressive civil rights. Foxwoods has long admitted that a large part of their market comes from the LGBT community in Connecticut and surrounding states, but this announcement does more than ask people to come gamble. It tells them they have no bias when it comes to hiring and employee benefits. “Foxwoods has truly emerged as an LGBT ally,” said, president and founder of the Connecticut Alliance for Business Opportunities, Dena Castricone.

The Foxwoods Casino has made changes to its hiring polices and will include same sex couples under their benefits packages. This is a big step as few companies in the United States are willing to recognize same sex couples, and same sex marriage is a political hot box.

The Pequot Tribe who operates the Foxwoods Casino is proud to be ahead of the charge on LGBT civil rights. “Our Pequot culture has endured a lot of discrimination over the centuries so we understand the importance of being able to embrace all the freedoms Americans treasure,” said a spokeswoman for the Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprises. They are proud to say that everyone is equal and they care for all their employees without prejudice. Good for them!

In the good old bad old days of Las Vegas it was not uncommon for there to be bribes and cut backs passed back and forth. These bribes could bring anything from an “influential” investor to a blind eye from a commissioner. Thankfully, the days of that being the norm are long behind the city, which is more corporate than anything else now. However, in an attempt to keep the news juicy, and prominent casino in Australia has picked up where the gangsters left off. Several staff members of the Crown Casino have been accused of asking for and accepting bribes.

The idea behind the scheme was to collect bribes or longer working hours from employees who were hoping to gain positions, promotions, or favorable visa status. Most of those who paid the bribes were foreign workers and students who were hoping to get a favorable job so they may gain a permanent Australian work visa. “A few months ago we became aware there were allegations that some of our staff were being exploited,” said Crown Casino Spokesperson Gary O’Neill. He added, “Crown spends a huge amount of money and time recruiting and training its staff who come from a very broad section of the Melbourne community, both culturally and ethnically, and we will not stand for even one of them being exploited and we are treating the matter very, very seriously.”

Currently twelve Crown Casino staff members have been affected by the bribery scam. Three or four Crown Casino staff members including one that has been fired due to allegations are believed to be behind the illegal conduct. One foreign student brought the scam to the attention of authorities when he was asked to work more than the twenty hours permitted on his student visa. The dismissed staff member denies the allegations, and claimed that he had no idea why he was asked to leave. This scandal could bring months of legal proceedings for both the workers and the casino.

Las Vegas Sands is one of the world’s largest casino resort empires. Of course, most of its exposure is in Las Vegas, with Strip casino resorts like The Palazzo and the Venetian. They also operate the Sands Expo Center. However, they have not become one of the most recognizable names in the casino world by owning a few resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. They own interests all across the globe. Most recently Las Vegas Sands opened the mega casino resort Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. They also have three casino resorts in Macau, the Sands Macau, the Venetian Macao and the Four Season Resort Macao.

It is the Chinese properties that have helped Las Vegas Sands through the rough economic climate in the United States. The Economy in China and throughout Asia has been booming. This has brought the gamblers out to the casinos in Macau. (That and it is the only place in China casinos are permitted.) Several big name casino resort companies have erected casino resorts in Macau, making it feel like the Las Vegas of Asia. What keeps them buzzing is not just the Asian gambler, but the number of high rollers who come into the VIP rooms that casinos offer. The high stakes gambler in the Asian market is dedicated to finding the best gaming action and then spending their money.

This has prompted Las Vegas Sands to construct another casino resort in Macau. Unfortunately, plans for the property have experienced delay after delay. Macau has gone through a series of belt tightening measures in an attempt to not let casino gambling get carried away. They have also limited the amount of foreign labor into the region. This is one of the biggest reasons why Las Vegas Sands, which was ready to resume construction had to put it off again. There just aren’t enough people to build the 6,000 room casino hotel. The project is expected to open its first phase about sixteen months after they can acquire enough workers.

When the government of Singapore voted to allow casino gambling into their country the idea was to bring in more cash. Singapore has always been a desirable place to do business. The island city-state has also been one of the highest rated places to live. However, lawmakers looked at their sources of revenue and decided they could bring in more. They wanted to give their tourism industry a boost. They looked to casinos, but these weren’t just casinos. Singapore wanted to create environments where the casino would be part of the attraction. They gave out to licenses and two very different casino companies set up two very different casino resorts.

Las Vegas Sands Corporation built the Marina Bay Sands. The Marina Bay Sands Casino resort is a huge three tower complex that includes, theatres, museums, restaurants, and a park that spans across the towers. Of course, it is run by one of the largest casino resort companies in the world, so gambling is a centerpiece, but it offers many other forms of entertainment as well as a great deal of convention and meeting space. Genting Group created Resorts World. Again, there is a casino. However, this is also a luxury hotel, restaurants, the world’s largest audio animatronics show, and a Universal Studios theme park.

So far it seems that Singapore’s plan has worked. The highly anticipated and publicized grand openings of these two casino resorts this year, has brought an influx of visitors to Singapore. Reports are stating that the gross domestic product for Singapore has grown 17.9 percent in the first six months of 2010. July alone saw close to 1 million visitors to Singapore. This is the highest Singapore has ever seen in one month.

This stream of growth is expected to continue. Casino revenue in Singapore is predicted to climb 15 percent this year. This could fuel the economy with almost $2 billion. Singapore’s plan seems to be working. They have created an environment where casino gambling is hot, but a small part of the draw for tourists.

All major cities have their own famous eating establishments. Not the posh, high brow restaurants, but the locals place. New York City has Nathan’s Hot Dogs. Philadelphia has two cheesteak places, Pat’s and Geno’s. Los Angeles has Pink’s Hot Dogs. These places started out as corner stands and have turned into the place to be for locals and tourists. They are usually surrounded by long lines of customers waiting for their “usual.” Atlantic City has a place just like this, the White House Sub Shop. This dining icon has been in operation on the corner of Mississippi and Arctic Avenues since 1946. It was first started by Anthony Basile along side is aunt and uncle. Today it sits among the glitzy casino resorts, and is just (if not more popular)

The White House Sub Shop has recently made a big announcement. They will be opening up a second location. The new location will be inside another Atlantic City landmark, the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino. “We are all excited to have this opportunity to bring this venue in to share with our guests and give them a taste of Atlantic City’s history and world-famous subs,” commented Chief Executive Officer for Trump Entertainment Resorts, Mark Juliano.

The current owner of the White House Sub Shop, Mary (Sacco) Conley admitted that they sub shop has been approached multiple times to open a location inside various Atlantic City casinos. She said this time the timing felt right. “the opportunity to open our second location at Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino seems a natural fit–pairing two Atlantic City icons together in one location,” she added. She should know all about the White House Sub Shop her husband and co-owner is a member of the original founding family. The Trump Taj Mahal location will reflect the original with it’s casual, local atmosphere. The menu will be the same. Locals and tourists alike should be very happy.

The former Casino Magic Bay St. Louis in Mississippi is now the Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis. Penn National Gaming has added the St. Louis casino to its list of Hollywood brand casinos. The Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis offers not only fun and exciting casino action but a luxury hotel, top notch entertainment, meeting space, dining, and championship golf. It’s location near the Gulf Coast of Mississippi means that the Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis can offer all of this year round, in the beautiful weather of the southeast United States. The casino has recently announced some changes to its executive staff which includes a promotion and an addition.

Both Pam Ladner and Maria Salter have been promoted. Ms. Ladner will be taking on the role of Financial Controller. Her new position will make her responsible for Accounts Payable, Revenue Audit, Receiving and the General Ledger. Ms. Ladner has been with the casino company for seventeen years and started as a Staff Accountant. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Alabama. Her most recent position was a Senior Financial Analyst.

Maria Salter will be the Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis’ new Human Resources Manager. Not only will she be in charge of hiring and training, but Employee Relations, Wardrobe, and Compensation and Benefits. Ms. Salter has been with the company for eight years. She began as a valet runner and has since been promoted several times, most recently as the Employee Relations Manager. She has had the honor of serving with the United States Air Force, and is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Business Administration.

The Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis is also adding Rashad Wilson to its staff. Mr. Wilson will be the Director of Planning and Analysis. Mr. Wilson has of Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Morehouse College and is currently acquiring his masters from the University of Southern Mississippi. He has been involved in the casino industry having previously worked for the Biloxi Grand Casino.

Keep the money rolling. That is, obviously, the name of the game when operating a casino. Not only with players who want to spend and win money, but within the casino company itself. After all, the employees want to be paid. One of the leaders in both gaming cash access services and payment processing in the United States is Global Payments Inc. They offer services that include cash access, check cashing, credit and debt card cash advances, ATM services, electronic check transaction, and many others. Global Payments has recently announced they will be providing their products to six casinos in the United States.

The casinos listed are the Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester, Washington and Worley, Idaho’s Coeur D’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, as well as California’s Blue Lake Casino & Hotel in Blue Lake, Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, Lucky Chances Casino in Colma, and Sycuan Casino & Resort in El Cajon. Global Payments will be offering their best products which include, LightSpeed products, VTP preferred, PlayerCash, and ATM services. VIP LightSpeed is a platform that provides a wide range of cash processing programs that are PC based. Not only do they help with the processing and the transactions, but have proven to be help limit the risk associated with this side of the casino industry.

“We are very excited to partner with these gaming establishments and to provide our suite of products through our technology-leading software,” commented Senior Vice President for Global Payments, Dean DeCristoforo. He added, “As product performance levels continue to deliver outstanding results to our customers, we are able to continue expanding the market share of our LightSpeed products nationwide.” The systems offered by Global Payments are becoming very popular in casinos within the United States.

Global Payments has become an nationwide leader of payment processing and cash accessing systems in the United States, Casinos are enjoying they strong reputation and solid commitment to customer support. Their range of products and services are top notch, and speak for themselves.

One of the most successful online sports gambling companies in the world is Bodog. Everyone in the industry has heard of it. Since its inception in 1994, the Antigua based company has built not only an impressive online customer base, but a reputable name in the corporate world. They have moved beyond just online gambling. Bodog Entertainment has branched into other industries and formed Bodog Music; publishing houses that include online magazines Bodog NAtion and Bodog Beat; Bodog TV, and others. They have also moved into the sporting sponsorships. Not to long ago, Bodog Europe penned a deal to be the betting partner for the Fulham Football Club. This gave the online gambling company even more exposure, and the right to offer wagering on the club.

The deal between the online gambling company and the Fulham Football Club allowed Bodog to set up five booths at the soccer team’s stadium, and gave Bodog a significant presence on the team’s website. The deal has also allowed the online gambling company to do something they have never done before, take a cash bet. Last month Bodog Europe took its first cash bet in a match between Fulham and the world famous football club, Manchester United. The cash wagers were accepted at the Craven Cottage on the evening of the match.

“The Bodog brand has been taking online bets for 15 years but this is the first time any licensee has offered the service beyond the internet,” stated Chief Executive Officer of Bodog Europe, Patrik Selin. He continued, “We will continue to have a presence at Craven Cottage for all Fulham’s home matches but will also look to develop the concept at our upcoming sponsorships beyond football in the very near future.”

The online gambling company has looked back to move ahead into the future. Not only will they be accepting the cash bets at Craven COttage, they will have an increased presence in the stadium which includes roaming staff who will be able to take wagers in corporate areas.

Online gambling is not only on the ground and running, it’s sprinting and gaining speed. The online world is now fully mobile. Devices like SmartPhones, BlackBerries, Droids, and iPhones, are taking the internet off the computer and into the palms of hands. Naturally, online gaming had to follow. Many online gambling sites now have some form of their product that allows their customers to place wagers, make deposits, and collect winnings from their mobile device. Some casinos have games designed specifically with the mobile casino player in mind. Mobile casinos are definitely the wave of the future. With the iPhone the most popular mobile device of its kind, online casinos and gambling sites are looking to play to these customers.

In the United Kingdom there is a fad of watching casino play online in a television format. One of the most popular sites of this genre is NetPlay TV. NetPlayTV is the United Kingdoms largest interactive television gaming company. There is a big reason why, they know what their players and viewers want. The proved this recently by announcing they will be releasing an app for the iPhone. NetPlay TV will be the firs real money casino to have an app designed specifically for the iPhone. Many online casino companies have mobile sites that can be viewed by the iPhone, but NetPlay TV’s is iPhone browser based, bringing even more excitement to iPhone users. “These groundbreaking moves in the mobile space show NetPlay TV’s commitment to becoming the leading live gaming operator in the market, giving our customers access via telephone, web or mobile,” said Executive Chairman for NetPlay TV, Martin Higginson.

The app for the mobile casino can, obviously be found at Apple’s Application Stores. The app will allow NetPlay TV players to interact in real time with the SuperCasino’s Live Roulette program on channel 5 and the AutoWheel game on Sky866. Players will be able to place bets along side with interacting with presenters of the games by way of messaging.