An American preacher from Calgary, Alberta unusually chose poker as the subject of praise for his weekly sermon.

John Van Sloten, pastor of New Hope Christian Reformed Church, extolled the virtues of the game to a full congregation.

Already known in the area for sermons that tie pop culture and religion, his most recent offering focussed on the heady delights of Texas Hold ‘em poker, according to online-pokernews.com.

A recreational player himself, the pastor with a penchant for poker sent out a message about how the game could be directed towards one’s faith as it brought an adrenaline rush in a highly energised game.

He went on to claim that God loves nothing more than having his creations feel abuzz about religious service and ritual.

However, the pastor was not urging his flock to play too much. He said that poker should only be played in moderation and for recreational purposes.

One website has clocked on to the huge popularity of online gaming by offering a new facility on which sites to visit.

The online gambling industry is worth a staggering £42 billion a year and analysts believe that this could rise over the next year to more than £60 billion.

Official statistics also show that on average gamblers spend £44 during a typical session on an internet casino in Britain.

With that kind of money involved, there is huge competition for trade and Internet Casinos website aims to give players the advice they need to locate the right casino for them.

Calvin Bowman, Internet Casinos spokesman, said: “As well as the free cash bonuses offered by many internet casinos, the majority have taken to offering all sorts of further incentives and prizes just for playing them.

“We offer a place where potential players can visit, free from annoying pop-ups and advertisements, and make informed decisions about the best places to play.”

The Isle of Man (IoM) government has announced new online casino regulations designed to further enhance the regulatory framework of remote gambling jurisdiction.

The changes that have come into force relate to the Online Gaming Regulation Act 2001 (OGRA) concerning the three areas of software testing, disaster recovery provision and advertising and marketing, according to onlinegamingnews.

Bill Mummery, head of e-gaming development for the Isle of Man government, said: “The island has seen significant progress in recent years in attracting leaders from key sectors.

“These legislative changes, produced with the support of Berwin Leighton-Paisner, the London based international law firm, will increase the competitive advantage for the island’s economy and its operators.”

With regard to software testing, the changes will reduce the cost and complexity of compliance for licence holders by simplifying the software approval process.

Changes to ‘disaster recovery’ regulations will now mean that online gaming operators will be able to use the world-class telecoms infrastructure and IT skills available on the Isle of Man should disaster recovery be needed.

New advertising and marketing regulations will also enable operators to manage and control all such activities from the Island in support of their clients.

Las Vegas is to host an online casino marketing conference between July 23rd and July 25th.

The event will focus on helping online operators to “ignite your online gaming business” and will be organised by Bodog.com.

It will be the third annual event and attendees will get the opportunity to learn about and discuss key issues for online marketers such as customer acquisition, retention and loyalty, according to onlinecasinonews.

The organiser believe this year’s event will have a even stronger line-up of speakers than in previous years and there will also be seminars with lessons on how to foster growth in the online gaming world.

Calvin Ayre, Bodog.com CEO, said: “Our goal is to make each Bodog conference better than last year, and this year’s event is already shaping up to be the most exhilarating yet.

“And if you thought last year’s Bodog party was good, wait until you see what we have planned for you this July!”

The future success of online gambling in the UK will depend on taxation decisions made by the Treasury, according to a leading industry spokesman.

Peter Dean, chairman of the British Gambling Commission, told the Financial Times that he believed a favourable taxation rate was crucial to entice offshore-based operators back to the UK

Doing so would stimulate the UK gambling business in Dean’s opinion and stop the wave of online casinos that currently base themselves in Gibraltar or the Caribbean.

The UK has been making a conscious effort to lure business back to its shores since the British Gambling Act of 2005.

Dean said: “The tax rate must support the new Gambling Act. If foreign online casinos are deterred from entering the UK, many casino fans will be forced to play at sites outside the government’s regulation.

“The responsibility to ensure safe and secure gambling at online casinos for British casino players lies with the Treasury and the government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport.”

The World Poker Tour (WPT) has added another venue to its line-up – the Foxwoods Resort Casino.

It means that the Foxwoods Poker Classic will join the WPT, which runs from March 27th to April 9th, and will be the second stop on the Tour, according to onlinecasinonews.

It is believed that the tournament will draw over 4,000 entries and amass a prize pool of around $5 million, smashing the former record of $3.8 million.

It is hoped that the event can compete with the WPF final held each November, and most recently had 6,000 entries and a prize pool well in excess of $12 million.

Kathy Raymond, director of poker as Foxwoods, said: “We’re thrilled that the Foxwoods Poker Classic is the second WPT event hosted by Foxwoods for season four.

“It really raises the bar for the event and takes it from a regional tournament to a national one.

“This gives Foxwoods yet another chance to host one of the world’s most prestigious poker events and enables our players to compete against the best of the best.”

Following an explosion in the popularity of poker in Europe, America’s number one poker magazine Bluff is crossing the pond for the first time.

The move was formally announced at Lyceum Media’s ‘Fire & Ice’ party on January 25th, according to onlinecasinonews.

With a readership of 250,000 in the US and an equally interested audience across Europe ready for some top quality poker news, Bluff magazine looks set to recreate its success in its new market.

Philip Conneller, Bluff features editor, said: “With Bluff’s winning blend of entertainment and information, we are confident that we can replicate the success achieved in the US – for our readers and our advertisers. The time is right – it’s too-good an opportunity to miss.”

Bluff’s first European issue comes out on March 1st and the cover story is focussed on the world pro Phil Helmuth. There will also be an interview with the British celebrity poker player and former EastEnders actor Michael Greco.

Editor in chief, Michael Casello, said: “The poker lifestyle in Europe is a different animal to that in the US. Bluff Europe reflects that. Where poker goes, we will follow.”

Revenues from online casinos will have reached $24.5 billion by 2010, double the current amount, according to a consultancy firm.

US company Christiansen Capital Advisors says that much of the increase will be down to the unstoppable popularity of online poker, according to onlinecasinonews.

Online poker is enjoying an impressive ascent to power partly through television coverage and mainly down to its place as the number one gambling game to be involved in.

In fact, poker is currently the US’s most popular televised game after American football and car racing.

And when you bear in mind the presence of huge companies such as Playtech in the poker world, which is investing 40 per cent of it resources into developing future poker products, then sky’s the limit for the future of online gambling.

This year the World Poker Tour (WPT) will stop at the famous Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

In total WPT will give away more than $250 million in prize money during the upcoming fifth season, according to onlinepoker-news.

The Mandalay Bay is one of the larger hotels on the famous Vegas strip and houses 3,644 rooms as well as a poker room that contains ten tables which run for 24 hours a day.

WPT CEO Steve Lipscomb was pleased at landing the Mandalay Bay to combine with the other premium venues on the Tour including the Bellagio and the Mirage and said the company had “scored a trifecta with…the best Las Vegas has to offer”.

Beginning in May with the Mirage Poker Showdown, the WPT Tour will conclude at the end of April with the World Championships at the Bellagio.

The Bellagio starred in the hit film Ocean’s Eleven where Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney, organises the ultimate heist to clear the famous casino’s vaults.

Kieran Walsh, a young business student from Cork in Ireland, had a big win earlier in January at the Irish Poker Championships.

Proving that the luck of the Irish is not just an old wives tale, Kieran took home the massive first prize of €150,000.

He emerged victorious after three days of play in a 500-man, three-day No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em event.

Each player had to stake a €1,000 buy-in and the €500,000 prize pool was distributed amongst the tournament winners.

The event was held at the City West Hotel in Dublin and all top three players were home grown with Damian Kavanagh taking the €70,000 second prize and Dave Masters finishing third with €30,000.

Barney Boatman, the Hendon “Mobster”, represented the English and finished fourth with €18,000 while a number of other Brits rounded out the final table.