Online poker players, sports bettors, and all sorts of “digital nomads” have been traipsing the globe since laptops became a thing. However, the question of where to live can be pretty overwhelming for most.
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The world’s first and only relocation company for online poker players and sports bettors, Poker Refugees, has helped 500 players move to 25+ different countries in the years since Black Friday. They know a thing or two about the pros and cons of where to live for online poker and why.

Although there is no one-size-fits all answer, below are some of the more popular destinations. (All countries on the list have access to e-wallets Skrill/Neteller for depositing/withdrawing unless otherwise noted.)

Australia
If time zones aren’t an issue for you, head down under! Australia has an ultra high standard of living and many of the things a player could be looking for:

Developed infrastructure, stable, safe country full of amenities and great food
Travel Visas up to 6 months
Diverse selection of cities, lifestyles, climates
Casinos and live poker events
Friendly locals
English-speaking
Cons: High cost-of-living and far from North America & Europe
Costa Rica
While some offshore gaming sites were ejected from Costa Rica in the Black Friday fallout, poker players themselves set their sights on the land of pura vida. And for good reasons – some being:

Direct 2-3 hour flights from the US
Arguably the best Internet in Central America
Extensive rental market for furnished rentals
Westernized culture and amenities; English spoken
Ranked as the happiest country with the best climate in the world, also the #1 ecotourism destination on earth
Bank accounts in USD with online wire transfers
Cons: More expensive than its neighbors and poker has a bad reputation as a result of Black Friday.
Malta
Few people outside the gaming industry could probably find Malta on a map, yet the island nation is a gambler’s paradise with low taxes and a regulated environment. More benefits:

Mild climate year-round
Internet is fast and cheap
English widely spoken
Low cost of living compared to Western Europe
Ocean views, boating and water sports
Pubs and nightlife
Portomaso Casino & EPT Malta
Cons: Small & isolated in the Mediterranean, 90-day max visa for non-EU citizens, hard to open a bank account
Mexico
Just over the border from California, Rosarito/Tijuana is an attractive place for those who want to eat, sleep and play poker. People also love Playa del Carmen. Highlights of playing poker from Mexico:

Huge country with beaches, cities & mountains
Direct flights from the US, Canada and Europe
English spoken in border and tourist towns
Playa del Carmen

Cancun is the biggest airport in Latin America
Tropical weather, white sand beaches & a lively party scene where everything seems open 24/7
No car needed – walk everywhere
About 100 poker “refugees” living here year-round
The cost of living can be quite low
Round-the-clock delivery services
Cons: Forex conversion fees to Pesos. The weather and Internet can be fickle. Rental prices skyrocket during high season. Gaming legislation is possible in the near future that could impact online pros.
Thailand
Online gambling isn’t actually legal in Thailand and e-wallets are restricted. Regardless, Thailand has long been attracting poker players for these reasons and more:

It’s really cheap
Thai food
Surprisingly fast internet
Full moon parties
City, beaches, mountains, islands - it’s all here
International online poker community
Cheap international flights in and out of multiple airports
Cons: Strict laws and monarchy. It’s hard to get a long-term travel visa. Beware of tsunamis.
United Kingdom
Famous for being one of the rare countries that doesn’t tax gambling winnings. If you can afford the cost of living, it’s a great place to be because...

Cheap and plentiful international flights; Heathrow is one of the busiest hubs in the world
First-world living, global superpower with something for everyone
Tourist Visas for up to six months
Culture! Never get bored
It's relatively safe around these parts
EPT London, casinos
Multi-currency bank accounts & PokerStars debit cards
Cons: It’s prohibitively expensive and the average weather conditions are less-than-ideal

In contrast to efforts to ban online poker nationwide, a lawmaker from Texas is pushing a bill to legalize it in America.
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Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) re-introduced his proposal, dubbed “The Internet Poker Freedom Act,” on Thursday, just days after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced his legislation aiming to “restore” America’s 1961 Wire Act and ban most forms of Internet gaming.

Graham’s proposal is backed by billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson.

“Poker is an all-American game," Barton said in a statement. “It’s a game that I learned as a teen and continue to play today. Just like millions of other players I enjoy the strategy and skill involved. I continue to be supportive of the Americans who play poker online.”

He added that his bill “is needed now more than ever.”

“I believe H.R. 2888, the Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2015, creates a federal standard and provides players proper protections. At the same time, it includes safeguards for children and problem gamblers,” he said, addressing concerns some opponents have.

Barton indicated several months ago that he was planning another online poker push on Capitol Hill, despite his efforts in the past not panning out.

Despite a drop in online poker revenues, regulated online gaming as a whole is on the rise in New Jersey.

The state's regulatory authority, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE), reported in a press release on its site that online gaming revenues in the state increased by 19.1 percent from $10,469,933 in May 2014 to $12,474,586 in May 2015. This increase is even higher at 25.1 percent when backing out $497,728 in revenue from discontinued operations in May 2014.
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The increases in online gaming were due to a mix-change between online casino revenues and online poker revenues. PartTimePoker reported that online casino revenue in May 2015 represented 84.56 percent of the total mix when compared with 79.40 percent in May 2014.

Although total online revenues are up due to the casino-heavy mix, things are not looking up for online poker. Regulated online poker revenue in New Jersey of $1,928,105 during May 2015 was down by 2.9 percent from the $1,985,289 reported in April 2015. This isn't a significantly big month-to-month drop as online revenues typically begin to decline in May when the weather gets nicer and potential players spend more of their free time away from their computers.

However, online poker revenues are still not looking great when compared to the $2,273,657 reported May 2014. This represents a much bigger 15.2 percent year-over-year drop.

Land-based casinos have also experienced a welcomed increase in revenues. In May 2015, currently operators reported $208,605,859 in total land-based revenues, representing a 4.4 percent increase from the $199,908,822 reported in May 2014. Land-based revenues as a whole, however, declined by 10.2 percent once taking into account $32,490,381 in revenue from discontinued operations. This should not be viewed as a negative trend for the state since apples to apples, the existing casinos' revenues are growing.

June 21 is here and Father's Day is upon us: a time to appreciate fatherhood and family altogether. As is the case with days such as today, online casinos have geared up with different offers and activities in order to let players mark this special day with a good game.
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The Gift of Free Spins

It is common knowledge that parents love slot machines. Why not open them to the splendid world of video slots? Show them how they can visit a casino without ever leaving home. Free spins are truly a gift to be cherished, and in honor of this special day, online casinos have went out with special offers to our dearest.

Freeroll at Miami Club Casino

The folks over at Miami Club Casino appreciate Father's Day, seeing that they've got two special offers lined up for the occasion. Until Monday, June 22, players at Miami Club Casino will be able to receive a 120% match bonus up to $240 by using the coupon DAD2015.

Miami Club Casino members will also be privy to take part in a $500 freeroll playing Fire Hawk from WGS. Built on 5 reels and 25 lines, Fire Hawk brings to life the enchanting world of the Native Americans with wilds, scatters and free spins to make for bigger winning chances and combinations.

Aladdin's Wishes Free Spins

Over at SlotoCash and Uptown Aces online casinos, players will be granted with no less than 25 mobile free spins on RTG's popular Aladdin's Wishes slot. Players need to use the code FATHERSPINS in order to claim their offer. The offer applies for mobile only.

Featuring a lovely oriental theme, Aladdin's Wishes brings the magical story from the Arabian Nights to life with colorful graphics, fitting music and a cast consisting of the story's stars. Three magic lamps activate the bonus round in which players can win their prize up to 100 times.

Don't linger, show dad just how much you love him with a bag full of free spins - he deserves it!

GTA fan theorists are suggesting there’s a very good chance that this Wednesday Rockstar will finally open the casino in GTA Online.

Last week Rockstar announced the Ill-Gotten Gains Part 1 DLC would be released this week for GTA Online, with the new vehicles and weapons designed specifically for high-rollers.

On Friday eyebrows were raised when Rockstar confirmed the release date as Wednesday June 10. GTA Online DLC is usually put live on a Tuesday.

The interesting point here is that Vinewood Racetrack in GTA Online – the racetrack that includes the casino – is based on the real-world Hollywood Park Racetrack.

And the Hollywood Park Racetrack was opened on June 10, 1938.

Fans have been calling for the opening of the casino for a long time. It’s one of many buildings that remained off limits to players despite being a significant presence on the map of Los Santos. It even has an “opening soon” banner out front.

Where some locations have opened up months and years after the game first launched – Bolingbroke Penitentiary as part of the recent Heists update, for example – the casino remains out of bounds.

Rockstar has never said it would open the casino, and to do so now would require a lot of work adding the necessary mini-games.

But what better way to spend your ill-gotten gains from Heists than hitting the poker table until 6 in the morning?

Of course it might be coincidence or it just might be Rockstar trolling the community for laughs. But you can bet there’s going to be a lot of players racing over to the Casino in a couple of days’ times.

Major League Baseball is in full swing and teams are around the 70+ game mark with only a few weeks left before the start of the postseason. Tonight there are a number of games that punters have the chance to bet on, and the competition will be fierce as they try to improve their position on the league table.
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Tuesday Night Games

There are seven games tonight across the AL and the NL beginning at 00:05 GMT. Games include: Brave vs Nationals, Reds vs Pirates, Orioles vs Red Sox, Tigers vs Indians, Phillies vs Yankees, Cardinals vs Marlins and the Blue Jays vs Rays. It is the Toronto Blue Jays vs the Tampa Bay Rays that has our attention as the first place and third place teams in the AL East go head to head.

The Jays and the Rays began their three game series last night at Tropicana Field in Florida. Much to the dismay of the home team fans, the Jays hammered the Rays 8-5, improving their record to 38-34, while the Rays are still in first place at 40-32. If the Jays can win another game and the second place Yankees lose to the Phillies tonight, they will take over second spot, and if they can win all three games of this series, they will take over first place in the division.

For Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons, the win signified his 500th Major League win and when asked about the feat he replied, "That shows I've been around a long time."

Live In-Play and Pre-Game Betting

Prior to the beginning of tonight's game, bet365 Sports has the Rays as outright favorites even though they lost the series opener. The Rays are at 1.62 to win, while the Jays need to make up some ground at 2.40. There are dozens of additional props available and bet365 is also offering live in-play lines throughout all 9 innings of MLB action.

Live In-Play is an interactive way to bet on the top sports in the world and it transforms MLB games into some of the best sports betting action available.