Aaron Decker | Bitcoin Slots.us

Treasury Committee Report Calls for Crypto Regulation

Posted on September 19, 2018September 19, 2018 by Aaron Decker

MPs on the Treasury select committee have recently issued a report that states that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are “wild west” assets that expose investors to a litany of risks and therefore, there is an urgent need for their regulation. The report further pointed out concerns that consumers were left unprotected from the unregulated crypto market which also happens to be a conduit for criminal activities such as money laundering and illegal trade.

Apparently, the government and regulators have not been proactive in handling the arising issues that are associated with the crypto market – according to the Treasury Committee.

“Crypto-asset investors are currently afforded very little protection from the litany of risks. Namely, there are no formal mechanisms for consumer redress, nor compensation,” said the committee. “As the government and regulators decide whether the current Wild West situation is allowed to continue, or whether they are going to introduce regulation, consumers remain unprotected.”

Cryptocurrencies are currently covered by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the City regulator, and there are still no formal mechanisms for investor compensation or consumer redress, something that Nicky Morgan, a conservative MP and the chair of the committee, says is unsustainable.

“Bitcoin and other crypto-assets exist in the wild west industry of crypto-assets. This unregulated industry leaves investors facing numerous risks,” Nicky Morgan said. “Given the high price volatility, the hacking vulnerability of exchanges and the potential role in money laundering, the Treasury committee strongly believes that regulation should be introduced… It’s unsustainable for the government and regulators to bumble along issuing feeble warnings to potential investors, yet refrain from acting. At a minimum, regulation should address consumer protection and anti-money-laundering.”

The Treasury Committee believes that there should at least be some regulation to add customer protection and fight money laundering. All of these issues stem from concerns regarding the volatility of digital assets – the prices of cryptocurrencies were so volatile that while the potential gains are quite large, so are the potential losses.

“The FCA agrees with the committee’s conclusion that bitcoin and similar crypto-assets are ill-suited to retail investors, and as we have warned in the past, investors in this type of crypto-asset should be prepared to lose all their money.”

The Treasury Committee’s recommendations have been noted and echoed by a number of stakeholders in the cryptocurrency industry including CryptoUK, a self-regulatory trade association for the United Kingdom’s digital currency industry.

“As an industry, we have been calling for the introduction of proportionate regulation to improve standards and encourage growth,” said Iqbal Gandham, the chairman of CryptoUK. “Self-regulation by the industry was always intended to be a starting point – this must now be matched by government action.”

Booming Games Releases New Disco Bar 7s Slot

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Aaron Decker

The 70s were a great period that was mostly defined by great outfits and hairstyles, great dance and music, the amazing outfits, and, of course, the simple and captivating slots games that were based on various outstanding elements borrowed from the aspects of the era. In fact, slots were all the buzz back in the day with people obsessing over them thanks to the excitement they offered and the possibilities of huge wins.

Well, if you are nostalgic about the casino offerings from the 70s, then this is your lucky day. Booming Games has recently released a new slot game that will take you on a trip back in time to the dancing 70s. Titled Disco Bar 7s, the new disco title features classic designs similar to what existed in the 70s but it will certainly appeal to each and every slots machine enthusiast on the planet. There are a number of other great slot machine offerings but this is definitely among the very best of them.

Disco Bar 7s consists of 3 reels and 10 paylines which are accompanied with a 95.96 percent RTP – these, in addition to the funky tunes and fast-paced gaming that the slot game features make the game a worthy use of your precious time. Winning big is made even easier with a number of cool multipliers, and Wild and Scatters.

Uniquely Themed

Even though Disco Bar 7s is prominently themed to match the look of offerings from the 1970s, Booming Games went out of their way to make sure that the game was a treat for players. Therefore, they opted to pattern it after the classic fruit slot machines and the results speak for themselves – there is nothing like it.

Disco Bar 7s is a very colorful slot game with its bright blues and purples on the reels. However, every colorful element that is added to the game also serves other purposes by contributing to the overall functionality of the game. Players can find Disco Ball Wilds on the reels – this pays the most and doubles wins when it is part of a winning combination. Similarly, the scatters offer nice multipliers when found on the reels.

The Game Play

From the very first glance, players will notice that Booming Games’ intention with this particular offering was replicating the real casino experience. Once they start playing it becomes even more pronounced as they will feel like they are sitting at a slot machine at a real 70s casino. Furthermore, this extends to playing on the go as well – Booming Games also ensure that the game can be accessed on mobile phones and tablets. Whichever method you choose to access the games, the experience will be nearly the same thanks to some next level optimization built into the game.

eToro Brings Bitcoin to Premier League Football Clubs

Posted on August 22, 2018August 21, 2018 by Aaron Decker

Global online investment, FOREX and crypto trading platform, eToro yesterday (August 21, 2018) announced that it has entered into marketing partnerships with seven different Premier League football clubs. The partnership venture which is funded by bitcoin is the very first of its kind and will involve the following football clubs: Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., Cardiff City F.C., Crystal Palace F.C., Leicester City F.C., Newcastle United F.C., Southampton F.C., and Tottenham Hotspur.

“As a global multi-asset platform where you can purchase the world’s biggest crypto assets alongside more traditional investments, we are excited to be partnering with so many Premier League clubs and make history by being the first company ever to pay for a Premier League partnership in bitcoin,” Iqbal V. Gandham, UK Managing Director at eToro said in a statement that accompanied the announcement.

This move is considered to be another great leap forward for bitcoin and the crypto industry as a whole since it is anticipated that it will expose many more people to the idea of digital currencies. Hopefully, this will, in turn, result in new investments, most ideally through the eToro platform.

“The blockchain technology that underpins cryptocurrencies like bitcoin brings transparency, which we believe can improve the experience for everyone who loves the ‘beautiful game’, from fans being targeted by ticket touts, or a club negotiating a transfer, we believe that blockchain will revolutionize the world of football,” the managing director added.

Unfortunately, there is a bit of speculation regarding how the move by eToro to partner with soccer clubs will benefit the cryptocurrency industry – the trading platform is now among a growing number of blockchain-based companies that have either inked sponsorship deals with sports clubs or are hoping to do so in the near future. However, it is quite obvious that the money involved in this case is pretty huge and it would be a mistake not to take. Furthermore, it opens up doors for greater opportunities in the world of sports. As for how this will impact the crypto industry, we will just have to wait and see.

What It Entails

The partnerships will involve in-game advertising on digital perimeter boards as well as exposure on each of the seven cub’s social media channels through the creation of what they have termed as “unique content”. The clubs will also be working closely with eToro in a bid to find ways of harnessing cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology at each of the stadiums.

“We are pleased to welcome eToro to the club as an Official Partner, it is exciting to be working with such an innovative industry leader. Much like Leicester City, eToro is an ambitious brand with a significant global reach and we look forward to working together throughout the season,” Jonathan Gregory, Leicester City’s commercial director commented.

Goldman Sachs to Reportedly Manage Bitcoin for Its Clients

Posted on August 7, 2018August 6, 2018 by Aaron Decker

Goldman Sachs, one of the world’s leading investment banks is reportedly considering a custodial service to store bitcoin for investment funds that intend to hold cryptocurrencies, more so, bitcoin. According to a Bloomberg report that cites more than one anonymous sources familiar with the matter, the investment bank has been holding discussions about becoming one of the first mainstream financial institutions to custody crypto assets.

The custody service, if implemented, is going to be a huge gain for crypto funds and simultaneously have greater implications since it would effectively get rid of a major obstacle that has been preventing institutional investors such as endowments and pensions from comfortably adding crypto assets to their portfolios. Well, such custody services already exist, but until now, they have largely been limited to cryptocurrency startups like Coinbase – instead of Wall Street giants like Goldman Sachs, with whom many mainstream institutions prefer to work.

Response to Client Interest

According to the anonymous sources, deliberations on the issue are ongoing but a timeline for when the investment bank will roll out the services is yet to be set. They further confirmed that this is good news since the custody operation in place could also lead to other lucrative ventures including prime brokerage services.

“That means the bank would hold the newfangled securities on behalf of the funds, reducing risk for clients seeking to guard against the threat of losing their investments to rogue attacks,” the anonymous sources clarified.

As it stands, Goldman Sachs is yet to publicly confirm the claims that it is exploring the aforementioned crypto custody service. Instead, the Wall Street giant has opted to reiterate its previous plans from May this year to offer Bitcoin futures.

“In response to client interest in various digital products we are exploring how best to serve them in this space,” the investment bank’s spokesman said in an August 6 publication. “At this point, we have not reached a conclusion on the scope of our digital asset offering.”

If Goldman Sachs does indeed veer ahead with a crypto assets custody service, it will be joining JPMorgan Chase, Bank of New York Mellon, Northern Trust and Japan’s Nomura. The institution has been taking baby steps with their crypto-related offerings – it has not yet set up the full-fledged cryptocurrency trading desk it announced earlier this year – but all the same, these minor developments are huge milestones for the cryptocurrency industry.

Still, it is worth noting that Goldman Sachs remains very cautious about crypto assets despite their confirmed and rumored efforts to venture into the crypto space. In fact, the institution recently published a statement that expresses its belief that there will be further price drops across the crypto market in the short term.

Illinois Online Gaming Set For Hearings in November

Posted on August 4, 2018August 6, 2018 by Aaron Decker

As it stands, most states that chose to examine online poker legislation in early 2018 moved to abandon it, at least until their next legislative sessions kick off next year. Not Illinois though. The state is set to be the next state to fully launch its online gaming industry, a process that will begin when they create a regulatory framework for legalized sports betting.

There are high some pretty expectations following the announcement by a lawmaker who intends to push for comprehensive gaming expansion that will encompass sports betting, online casino games, online poker as well as daily fantasy sports. The lawmaker, Representative Bob Rita who is also the head of the Illinois House Subcommittee on Gaming Sales and Other Taxes, believes that by advancing the proposed regulatory framework bring “tremendous opportunities to create revenue, jobs, and economic growth” in the state.
The lawmaker will be bringing together the two House committees in the coming weeks so as to coordinate efforts for a significant gaming expansion bill that promises a number of economic opportunity initiatives. The first of these subcommittee hearings is scheduled for August 22 with the following shortly after on October 3.

“As I have said from the beginning in working on this issue, gaming expansion presents many tremendous opportunities to create revenue, jobs and economic growth in Illinois,” Rita said in a press release. “The gaming landscape has changed significantly since I took on this issue five years ago, and I want to use these hearings to understand how those changes present new opportunities for us to put the right package together as we look to meet budget needs and provide a spark for our economy.”

The primary focus of the hearings, according to WCSJ News, will be to address the possibility of not only online sports betting but also other forms of online gambling. It is hoped that the hearings will assist the lawmakers in better understanding of the issues that need to be addressed as far as sports betting is concerned. The lawmakers will be returning to the capitol in November – shortly after the mid-term election – for the fall veto session and when this comes to an end we will have a clearer picture of the future of online poker in Illinois.

Too Early To Get Their Hopes Up?

Online poker fans residing in Illinois have quite a lot to be hopeful about. This is because the desire for sports betting and daily fantasy sports in the state is strong and since these issues are certainly going to be discussed rather explicitly during the hearings, the push for online gambling is also going to be just as prominent. The inclusion of online poker and other online casino games is being considered by very many of the state’s casino simply because they have seen the benefits similar initiatives have brought to Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Nasdaq, Fiat and Crypto Firms Discuss Crypto Regulation

Posted on July 28, 2018 by Aaron Decker

The crypto industry is well on its way to mainstream adoption albeit with a few though significant setbacks such as the shakeup of the industry’s history of shady transactions and fraud. Fortunately, Nasdaq Inc. believes it has just what it takes to get clear the obstacles that have impeded progress in as far as the legitimization of cryptocurrencies is concerned.

Bloomberg reports that earlier this week Nasdaq Inc. hosted a closed-door meeting that was attended by half a dozen cryptocurrency companies and mainstream institution. These included Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss’ crypto exchange platform, Gemini. The main agenda of the meeting was a discussion pertaining to ‘how to encourage the cryptocurrency industry to do things that will improve its image and validate its potential role in global markets’. A source familiar with meeting also confirmed that the parties that attended the meeting also discussed the potential implications of future regulation of digital currencies, the necessary tools for such an initiative as well as what surveillance would be needed for such a future.

Certainly Not the Last

Nasdaq has recently announced a partnership cum collaboration with Gemini, who as mentioned earlier also attended the closed-door meeting. While both companies declined to give any comments on the meeting and what was discussed, Nasdaq did confirm that the meeting did indeed take place. Their collaboration will see Nasdaq tap Gemini’s SMARTS market Surveillance, an industry benchmark technology that is extensively used by Wall Street firms.

It has further been confirmed that the meeting was not the last of its kind and this is a clear indication that cryptocurrency startups are working harder towards achieving mainstream adoption and mollifying the anxieties of regulators. Considering how often regulatory clampdowns occur, stakeholders in the cryptocurrency industry are starting to employ more forward-thinking and proactive approaches to ensure its survival.

By ensuring that both crypto and fiat firms work together, Nasdaq believes that the legitimization of digital currencies will have lesser setbacks. To this effect, the company has already partnered with a number of cryptocurrency exchanges in a bid to foster or facilitate collaboration on some of the most significant impediments to crypto regulation.

“I think the technology is fascinating and it’s a very sound technology. It’s just a matter of making sure that the community is all-embracing it together,” Adena Friedman, the Nasdaq Chief Executive Officer said.

One of the most recent issues that will hopefully be addressed by this initiative is the move by United States regulators to classify digital assets as securities instead of utility tokens. The US crypto community is concerned that this move will result in some adverse effects on the emerging cryptocurrency sector.

Reviewing Soccer Legend Ronaldinho’s Cryptocurrency Project

Posted on July 21, 2018July 21, 2018 by Aaron Decker

The FIFA World Cup 2018 finale came and went with France working away with the highly-contested championship title for the second time. The event remains to be one of the most popular sporting tournaments in the world and while this would be certainly worth discussing, we are going to focus on how it has influenced other areas, particularly with regards to emerging technologies.

If you guessed Esports and crypto then you are in the right place. Both of these areas are getting more and more connected with the crypto market. This year’s FIFA World Cup contributed quite a lot to the crypto industry through decentralized betting offerings. Huobi, one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world also announced their Huobi Tokens (HT) and Tron (TRX) that were used to predict the winner of the FIFA World Cup 2018. If you bet on France it must have been your lucky day.

Gambling aside, bitcoin and other digital currencies were used extensively as payment methods for a number of services including travel, accommodation, food, and booze. The 2018 FIFA World Cup may be over but the connection between crypto and football is getting stronger by the minute.

Ronaldinho Soccer Coin

Ronaldinho who is arguably one of the best footballers in the world has become of the newest sports figures to venture into the cryptocurrency space. The Brazilian icon and former Barcelona player recently launched his own self-titled digital currency, Ronaldinho Soccer Coin (RSC). The cryptocurrency project is aimed at creating a football academy, hosting both amateur and global league matches, as well as the creation and operation of a soccer-first online betting platform. Moreover, the project will also attempt to develop virtual reality stadiums that will help in the analysis of the football player skills.

Ronaldinho Soccer Coin (RSC) is based on the NEO blockchain platform and was developed concurrently with the World Soccer Coin, a Malta-based company after a partnership deal. It is now in the initial coin offering (ICO) phase – the coin currently has a limited supply of 350 million, 150 million of which will be sold in privately run sales over the next few days after which the remaining 2000 million will be released to public sales at a yet-to-be-announced time.

Once it fully goes live, the RSC token will power an entire ecosystem referred to as Planet RSC that will consist of the Ronaldinho Soccer Academy, Smile Project, Ronaldinho digital stadiums and a betting marketplace among many others.

“I want to bring a smile to as many people as possible through this project. I wish as many people as possible will have a dream and hope and become happy,” Ronaldinho said about the project.

A Look into Microgaming’s Robin of Sherwood Online Slot

Posted on July 14, 2018 by Aaron Decker

Microgaming has been in the online gambling scene for quite some time and while it may seem like the age of innovation in regards to online gaming is practically over, the company still often manages to surprise their fans and slot machine enthusiasts with some additional slot games dress in various themes. The most recent addition into their pretty neat portfolio of themed online slots machines is titled “Robin of Sherwood” and it takes players to a forest in England where Robin Hood, the most famous and “noble” criminal lives.

Developed by Rabcat, Microgaming’s Robin of Sherwood online slot sees a band of merry men helping the players to trigger special wild symbols, free spins, and a Gamble Game feature. There are certainly a number of slot machines that are based on the exciting adventures of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men, but Robin of Sherwood is a total re-imagination of the story laid out in a graphically rich manner with cool features and captivating designs just like all other Microgaming offerings albeit with a touch of an amazing array of extra features.

The forest is vividly depicted and players can even see characters from Robin Hood’s story in the reels. In general, expect nothing less than the ultimate cross-over of exciting adventure and great storytelling.

“Our striking depiction of the legendary Robin of Sherwood delivers a cutting-edge gaming experience packed with thrilling features, flawless character animations, and a volley of winning opportunities. We are delighted to supply Microgaming with exclusive gaming content that hits the mark with players and operators alike,” commented Rabcat founder and chief executive Thomas Schleischitz.

Game Details

Robin of Sherwood is a 5 by 3 slot with 234 pay lines and is filled with cartoon images of the story’s characters, as well as arrows, targets, and flags. The online slot’s playing card symbols are represented in the form of colorful flags with lower-value wins being claimed when 3 or more land in any of the places adjacent reels from the left side. Robin, Friar, the Sheriff, Little John and Maid Marion return higher prizes while the arrows are a wild symbol that can act as any of the previously mentioned symbols and therefore be used to complete combinations.

The game’s Wild Turning feature is also one of the game’s best highlights – when it is triggered, players will see Robin Hood ordering his men to fire arrows into selected reels and when the arrows hit the reels they turn into Wilds. These Wilds will increase a player’s chances of winning great prizes significantly.

Furthermore, landing three or more scatter symbols will trigger the extra spins feature. This earns a player ten additional free spins.

Another special feature that players should look out for is the Gamble Game which allows players to gamble their loot and double its size – you could also lose it all, so be careful with this one. With the Gamble Game, the player gets to choose a green or red target and Robin will then try to hit either of them. If he hits the one you selected, your loot is doubled, otherwise, you lose it all. It is that simple!

Could It Be the End of the Cryptocurrency Era in India?

Posted on July 7, 2018July 7, 2018 by Aaron Decker

This year has not been particularly great for cryptocurrency users in India. This began about three months ago when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) made an announcement that it would no longer deal with or provide services to any business entities or individuals dealing with digital currencies. While some of the cryptocurrency exchanges in the country – like BTCXIndia – chose to comply with the RBI’s new regulations, a decent number of the remaining exchanges as well as the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) chose to file a petition regarding the decree at the Supreme Court.

Unfortunately, the petitions did not bear any fruit for the petitioners as, at the end of the hearing, the Supreme Court chose to back the RBI’s stance despite its flaws while at the same time declining to give the exchanges in interim relief. Many proponents of the crypto industry have pointed out that the apex court’s verdict indeed paints a bleak picture of the future of crypto in the country. This sentiment is further amplified by the fact the while the country is seemingly cracking down on the industry, its global counterparts “are currently observing the crypto space more closely and implementing better, more conducive regulation.”

Even though many disagree with the decision that was made by India’s Supreme Court, some stakeholders in the crypto industry still believe that they have a fighting chance – the general idea is that the stance is a temporary one. All the remaining petitions are scheduled to be heard on July 20 and hopefully, more conducive verdicts will be given then.

More Input from the Government May Be Necessary

The government of India has been quite enthusiastic about blockchain technology, the technology that digital currencies are based on, but the same cannot be said when it comes to where they stand as far as the actual digital currencies go. Now, it seems that one of the ways of securing the crypto industry in India would be to rally for clarity in government policy relating to cryptocurrencies.

“By laying a patchwork of laws without an overarching framework or policy, the crypto-industry today is in a uniquely uncomfortable position where it is taxed without being accorded legitimacy as an industry by the parliament. One would hope that the government attempts to take measures to accord legitimacy by legislation that attempts to balance its need for transparency, with the inherent anonymity associated with cryptocurrency trading,” Akash Karmakar, an expert from Veritas Legal said to Entrepreneur India.

Mr. Karmakar called for the government to formulate a policy that “could set out overarching principles accordingly giving legitimacy to the industry, rather than legislating for problems as they occur, and have the law trail the technology.”

There are many other options that cryptocurrency investors can use to trade but it is advisable not to panic yet. Perhaps all that is needed is for some patience as the industry recovers from this setback.

NetEnt Releases Jumanji Online Video Slot

Posted on July 3, 2018July 2, 2018 by Aaron Decker

NetEnt has announced the release of its latest slot game that brings the beloved Sony Entertainment’s classic film Jumanji to slots lovers. Jumanji, the video slot game, combines the classic board game with video slots and triggers an escape of rhinos, wild monkeys, monsoons and sticky vines. Even though the 2017 reboot of the film was hugely successful, NetENt opted to base the video slot game on the original 1995 movie that starred Robin Williams and told the story of a man trapped in a board game that comes to life as you play.

“The Jumanji movie was a great success and we know it has fans all over the world. Making a slot game true to the fantastic features of the movie has been challenging but most of all great fun. We found a way of incorporating both board game features and all the excitement into a slot game and the game has already been well received by players!” Henrik Fagerlund, NetEnt’s chief product officer at said.

What to Expect

NetEnt has outdone itself with this particular offering by bringing its own innovative twist to the universe by transforming by delivering the calamities that befell Alan Parrish (Robin Williams’ character in the movie) to the world of online slots. The five-reel slot game manages to deliver the same excitement that the movie offers and even if you have not watched the movie you will certainly notice this.

The video slot game has 4 random features, these are, a Board Game with four different Free Spins, extra dice rolls, coin wins and a Mystery Feature. The base game’s reels are set up in a 3-4-5-4-3 formation with 36 different fixed pay lines. Also included is an Auto Play feature that allows players to keep spinning with minimal effort. Jumanji starts with traditional slots, lining up J, Q, K, A or pictures of lions, crocodiles, pelicans, and rhinoceros – these are arranged in ascending order with animals being more valuable than letters. In addition to this, there are also wild slots and pictures of the board game that inspired the video slot game.

Fans of the 1995 film will instantly notice four of the slot game’s best features that include: Wild Stampede where Rhinos stampede across the screen as the reels spin, Monkey Mayhem which awards potential wins when the reels stop spinning, Sticky Vines where all symbols that are part of a win and all the Wilds from the initial spin stick to the reels while all other symbols spin again, and Monsoon Winds where a maximum of two reels are completely covered in wilds while the reels spin.

Jumanji joins many other of NetEnt’s branded games that feature in its neat portfolio of movie-themed games like Planet of the Apes, Scarface, and Aliens. Like most of NetEnt’s games, Jumanji is available for both mobile devices and computers.

Author: Aaron Decker