Backgammon News

World Series of Backgammon to Have €160,000 - Season II Event with Gus Hansen as Commentator
July 20, 2007 - World Series of Backgammon Enterprises announced today that Gus Hansen has joined John Clark as co-commentator and host Jessie Cantrell to complete the new World Series of Backgammon (WSOB) presentation team.

Gus Hansen is a professional poker and backgammon player, widely regarded as the best dual discipline player in the world and winner of the 2007 Aussie Millions poker and 4-time WPT title winner. John Clark, an experienced backgammon and poker commentator, is an acclaimed backgammon player who has been ranked UK #1 for much of the past decade. Jessie Cantrell is the well known anchor of the Black20 News, the popular broadband entertainment network.

Jessie will be reporting for World Series of Backgammon, which is being televised across Europe on Eurosport 1 & 2. The dynamic trio will be following the action at three live events on the WSOB tour: the UK Masters from London, November 2007, the Nordic Open from Copenhagen, March 2008 and the Riviera Cup from Cannes in July 2008, before presenting the grand finale of series at the WSOB Championship, also from Cannes, creating four Champions from the second season.

Filming for the preview show starts in Cannes this week at the Partouche Gammon Tour’s Riviera and Nations Cup and will kick start the series which begins broadcasting on Eurosport 1 this September.

This year a new format for the World Series of Backgammon promises more prize money, more opportunities for players to get involved and even more chances to qualify:

• Eight top players from the three live events and eight online qualifiers will win EUR 10,000 seats for the WSOB Championship.
• The WSOB Championship finale will be held immediately following the conclusion of the 2008 Riviera Cup in Cannes and will see players compete in shootout-style, three-point matches, contrasting greatly with the longer match format to be used in the three WSOB championship events, the UK Masters, the TrueMoneyGames Nordic Open and the Riviera Cup.
• A number of online partners will announce a number of multi-entry level satellite events over the coming months to find eight of the Internet’s top players who will each win EUR10,000 seats, qualifying directly to the season-ending finale
• Online partners will also announce qualifying events for each of three live WSOB events to run throughout the year
• Live qualifying events will be held for Round 1 of the WSOB, the UK Masters at Casino at the Empire, Leicester Square, from September to November 2007.

Andy Bell, Producer for the WSOB, said: “Both the presentation and production teams are excited about bringing the story and tension of match-play backgammon back to the screens of millions of backgammon and poker players across Europe. The Series promises to be full of intriguing, skilful play, colourful personalities and I think a few surprises. Notably the new WSOB format is both innovative and challenging, connecting three of the world’s most prestigious events. We are confident that the growing gaming audience will find the content stimulating and educational.”

Player International Ltd Plan $2million Backgammon Event
London, England - January 31, 2007 - The first million-dollar backgammon tournament in history, organized by Player International Ltd of the UK, is being heralded as a complete success by the global backgammon community!

Andreas Märtens of Germany, a former billiards player who switched to backgammon, won $600,400 last Friday afternoon at the Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas by defeating Lasse Hjorth Madsen of Denmark 23-22 in the final match of the 128-player tournament.

Both finalists secured seats in the event with qualifier packages won in online tournaments offered for as low as $2.50 - a package included the entry fees plus hotel and travel expenses.

The event drew most of the world's top experts including the legendary Paul Magriel "X-22", a famous author and former World Champion, Nack Ballard, the #1 ranked player in the world, 25 of the top "32 Giants of Backgammon" and some 10 former World Champions.

Märtens received half of the $1,200,800 prize pool along with a backgammon-themed timepiece worth over $20,000 custom-made by sponsor Marc Rouah of Time-Wise SA, a bespoke watchmaker from Geneva, Switzerland.

Lasse Hjorth Madsen took home $144,096 for second place and 10 other players that made it to money rounds received prizes of between $24,000 and $120,000 from the remaining $456,304 in the pot. The event was filmed for post-production of an upcoming series to be aired on TV channels in over a dozen countries.

"It was by far the most glorious time for the game of backgammon. Nobody has ever seen so many giants of this wonderful game under one roof. We are honoured to receive so much praise from the players attending.

Player International is now focused on the preparations for its proposed $2million event where this time the winner will take home $1million at the end of 2007.

Stephen Pearson, managing director of Player International stated "Compliments are pouring in from people around the world, the emails and telephone calls are non-stop, and this is the shot in the arm our game needed, from here on anything can happen. I would like to personally thank and salute players everywhere and I must commend Susana Major and Michael Strato of the Player International Team for their tireless assistance in accomplishing this gargantuan feat."

Coverage on this event can be seen online at www.GammonLife.com including photos of the first public appearance by Stephanie Kardos of Canada, Miss Gammon 2007. More articles and photos will soon appear in other backgammon publications around the world.

Million Dollar Backgammon Championship gathers momentum
Organisers of what is arguably the biggest event on the backgammon calendar report that the response from the international player community has been substantial, with only a few seats left in million dollar Backgammon Group tournament.

Scheduled for the luxurious Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, the tournament runs January 21 through 25.

A spokesperson for The Backgammon Group said: "The quality of players in the field is very high. It will be intriguing to see how the online qualifiers get on against the more traditional world champions."

The guaranteed winner's check for the event is $500 000, a prize that this year's world championship tops last year's by a factor of five, with the remaining $500 000 allocated to other finishers in the main and consolation events.

The field will include a maximum of 128 online casino qualifiers, together with players who paid buy-ins directly into the tournament.

Last years world champion from Holland, Philip Vischjager, will be in the same seat this year. Nack Ballard from the US and the world's number one elect has also confirmed that he will be playing in this year's tournament.

Safe Port Act 2006 - Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006
On 30 September 2006, the United States Congress passed The Safe Port Act. That measure also contained certain provisions known as the ‘Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006’ that will affect the processing of payments between US customers and online gaming companies that are publicly traded and licensed and regulated in respected jurisdictions.

The Act is expected to be signed into law by President Bush within the next two weeks. If signed into law, it will immediately make unlawful the receipt by a gambling business of proceeds or monies in connection with unlawful internet gambling. The Act does not clarify the definition of unlawful gambling. However, as the first piece of Federal legislation dealing explicitly with internet gaming, it does make clear that the US government intends to stop the flow of funds from Americans to online gaming operators through criminal sanction. The Act also asserts that, under US law, a wager must be permitted under the laws both of the customer’s place of residence and that of the operator.

Fortunately, backgammon is not considered gambling in the US. The definite answer from US law makers is that it is a game of skill together with chess and bridge. This was last put to trial in the landmark Barr vs. The State of Oregon case in 1982 when backgammon tournament director and writer Ted Barr won his case as innocent of promoting gambling as "backgammon is not a game of chance but a game of skill," concluded Judge Stephen S. Walker.

Elad Natanson, president of TC.ADS, co providers of Play65, the largest online backgammon server, agrees. “This is obviously something we have looked into very carefully, and have consulted on with a number of legal advisors. The consistent reply is that backgammon is not gambling, defined as a game of skill rather than one of chance. As such we have the support of all major credit cards and online money transfer services for online players to deposit and withdraw funds.”

Backgammon was successfully defended as a game of skill in Portland, Oregon (1981). Tournament director and writer Ted Barr was charged with promoting gambling. Barr enlisted the help of among others, former World Champion Paul Magriel. The main point of the issue was the effect of the dice of the game. "Even after rolling, you may have as many as 30 or more options. Judge Stephen S. Walker agreed. He found Barr innocent of promoting gambling, concluding that "backgammon is not a game of chance but a game of skill." The Alabama Supreme Court (1976) also decided that backgammon was a game of skill.

Eurosport will broadcast World Series of Backgammon
Eurosport will air eight episodes of 60 minutes each this autumn, reaching up to 100 million households. The World Series of Backgammon now captures the Riviera Cup and the Nations' Cup, but will probably consist of 6 events in 2007. The series is being sponsored by Partygammon.com, the new backgammon room from Partygaming.

The series will be presented by Kara Scott, a Canadian presenter who introduced the action for the pilot series, High Stakes Backgammon, produced last year. Commentary is led by Britain’s John Clark, one of the world’s most respected players, with guest commentary and insights to be provided by a number of the game’s leading competitors.

Poker has boomed from its successful televised tournaments offering staggering cash prizes. However, backgammon is set to become the game of the future due to the unlimited restrictions of skill games versus casino games. With the growth of the World Poker Tour, the European Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker, online poker has experienced an interest, unparalleled in recent history. It is expected that backgammon will become as popular in the next future.

Philip Vischjager new World Champion
The world championship backgammon has come to an end and faces a Dutch winner, Philip Vischjager. Unfortunately the championship division had the lowest number of participants in many years, only 212. The intermediate and beginner's flight had 76 and 48 participants.

The event was held like every year since 1979 at the Fairmont Monte Carlo (formerly known as Grand Hotel). It was officially the 31st World Championship, even though the tournament was first organized in 1967 in Las Vegas. Every participant in the championship division had to pay a buy-in of €900, and the total prize pool became €240 000, and a first prize of €75 000.

The final became a very close match between the Italian Luigi Villa and Dutchman Philip Vischjager. Villa was the more experienced player, as he already won the title once back in 1979. As a newcomer to the World Championship, Vischjager made a very good impression throughout the tournament and therefore the chances to win were about even.
In the 25 point match the score got tied at 23-23 after a 23-21 lead for Villa. At that point it could go either way really. In the next game Vischjager took the lead and cubed to Villa who passed it. The next game was really close but in the end Vischjager was the one to end the match and became the new World Champion of Backgammon.

The event is televised by IEC in Sports and they will soon broadcast a four hour show of the championship.

Click here to see the results of the World Championship Backgammon 2006.

Monte Carlo 2006
July 11th, 2006 (Monte Carlo) – The 31st World Backgammon Championship has begun today at the Fairmont Monte Carlo with the first round of matches and will run until Sunday July 16th when the World Champion will get his share of a prize pool over to € 240’000 during the Final match starting at 2pm.

For the 31st edition of the Championship, 335 players are taking part in the main Event which includes the Championship (Expert), Intermediate and Beginner flights. Among the 211 experts who will battle it out in the Championship flight, former World Champions and Backgammon legends such as Paul Magriel, Mike Svobodny, Luigi Villa have all made it to Monte Carlo for the best, most prestigious Backgammon event of the year and the ultimate title of World Champion.

The Fairmont Monte Carlo, ideally located in the heart of the Principality on the outstanding seafront the 4 star deluxe Hotel has hosted the event for over 30 years, giving it a unique charm and prestige. With a gala dinner at the Sporting Club on Wednesday night and a closing awards ceremony on Sunday at 9pm at the Fairmont with many distinguished special guests attending.

The Championship will also be televised. IEC in Sports (www.iec.se ), the well-established Swedish-based TV distribution agency will produce and distribute worldwide a four hour Highlight Show of the Event to capture and share the excitement, emotions and best moments of the ultimate World Backgammon Tournament.

As proud sponsors of the Event and to spice up the competition, world class online Backgammon server TrueMoneygames (www.truemoneygames.com ) is bringing many additions to the Tournament.

With its latest technology, TMG has the capability to broadcast the World Championship live on the internet and will be transmitting key matches of the Tournament, including semi-finals and finals on its software with automated real time match analysis by SNOWIE (www.bgsnowie.com ), the unique world class Backgammon software powered by Artificial Intelligence (www.snowiegroup.com ).

Following a series of online qualifier tournaments on its software, TrueMoneygames (TMG) has sent 11 players to Monte Carlo offering them a full entry package to the tournament, bringing newcomers to the circuit and boost general interest for this fascinating game.

With the popularity of Backgammon and online Backgammon increasing rapidly over the last few years with over one million online players, internet gambling experts to see one of the world’s oldest and best known games as “the next big thing” after Poker.

And TrueMoneygames is bringing it to you live online… and on television. So don’t miss it!

PartyGammon.com to Stage First Ever US$1 Million Backgammon Tournament
11 July 2006
Offering the largest guaranteed prize pool in the history of backgammon, PartyGammon.com today announced that it will stage the PartyGammon.com Million at the famous Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in The Bahamas, on January 21st-25th , 2007. Half of the field of 128 players will be filled by online qualifiers and the other half from players who directly buy-in to the tournament.

The location will be familiar to long-time backgammon enthusiasts because it was the venue where the World Championships of Backgammon was at its pinnacle of popularity between 1975 and 1978, when the legendary Paul Magriel reigned as the leading champion. That event has now moved to Monte Carlo, but the US$500,000 guaranteed first prize of the PartyGammon.com Million is estimated to exceed this year's World Championship top prize five times over!

Anticipated to become the game's most glamorous event, many of the globe's top champions and international celebrities will attend the PartyGammon.com Million, designed to complement the flourishing new era of popularity in the game. The PartyGammon.com Million will be filmed for television and then distributed to key television networks around the world.

"The PartyGammon.com Million is a milestone in the game of backgammon. It takes the game to a new level," said PartyGammon.com spokesman Warren Lush. "For veteran players and champions, there will finally be a tournament worthy of their talents and with prize money to match. For new players, they are coming to the game just as it makes a huge leap onto the worldwide stage with this US$1 million televised event."

PartyGammon.com, the newest offering in the PartyGaming Plc's growing suite of online games, burst on the scene in June and has quickly moved to become the favorite of online backgammon players. The PartyGammon.com Million will set the new world standard for backgammon tournaments.

Sixty-four players will qualify through online tournaments on PartyGammon.com. Online qualifiers will begin on July 10 2006. Those wishing to fill the other 64 spots by buying-in for the US$10,000 entry fee are advised to reserve and pay for their seat as soon as possible - all seats to the event will either be pre-sold or won online. For more information go to: http://www.PartyGammon.com.

The tournament's first prize is a mouth-watering US$500,000 while the remaining half million dollars will be distributed to other finishers in the main and consolation event.

But there will be far more in store for all the participants. Players will arrive on January 21 2007 to a lavish Welcome Cocktail Party, followed by an exciting exhibition match between two former World Champions. The following morning guests will attend a motivating lecture by a top player, who will also answer questions on game strategy. Beside the Main Event, there will be plenty of side action. The Grand Finale on January 25 2007 will be followed by a Gala Dinner and the Awards Ceremony.

Even for those going home without prize money, the experience will still be memorable because of the glorious setting. Atlantis Paradise Island is a luxurious, exotic and renowned resort which features a 34-acre waterscape, the world's largest outdoor aquarium, 11 exhibit lagoons with over 200 species of tropical fish, cascading waterfalls with a rope suspension bridge, Predator Lagoon with sharks, barracudas and stingrays, including a 100-foot viewing tunnel, and a lazy river ride for rafting. Atlantis Paradise Island is one of the Bahamas' most spectacular resorts, filled with activities sure to thrill and delight everyone.

Playing Backgammon Helps to Protect your Brain
Limassol, Cyprus, 05/26/2006 - Recent research shows that playing backgammon, whether it is online backgammon or the board game, can help protect brain deterioration, and also prevent various brain related deceases.

A recent survey, conducted by 1on1backgammon.com, and which was concluded mid May 2006, has found that players of online backgammon feel considerable improvement in their mental and cognitive skills. One regular player added a note to his questionnaire stating that "since I started playing backgammon, I'm much sharper as a lawyer."

Scientists have been trying to figure out the link between playing mind games such as backgammon and maintaining a healthy brain function. Various studies serve to show that people who are intellectually active are less likely to have mental deterioration as they age. These studies prove that without continuing exercise to the brain, the thinking functions do not maintain their strength.

The Backgammon-brain connection is concise and appears in a recent study in the journal Neurology, back in December 2004. The study demonstrated that playing backgammon and other intellectually stimulating activities helps prevent symptoms of Alzheimer disease.

In another study, published June 2003 in the NY times, 469 people aged 75 and older were tested for various types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Those who participated at least twice a week in playing backgammon games were significantly less likely to develop dementia.

The studies and survey that we depicted in the article all serve to show the same basic connection between playing backgammon and improving your brain function. Even though backgammon is beneficial for your health, the main reason most people state as their prime cause for participating in backgammon games is the fun they derive out of it. This has been aparant throughout backgammon thousands of years of history and will continue on in the future.

World Online Backgammon Championships
TrueMoneygames is the official sponsor of the 2nd World Online Backgammon Championship. This exciting online event will begin on 23rd May - 25th June, with guaranteed prize money of up to $20,000. Plus, the winner will take the Online World Championship title and also win a free package worth $4,500 to the Backgammon World Championships in Monte Carlo from 10th-16th July. This package will include player’s flight, tournament registration fee and hotel accommodation.

Last year
Sunday, May 2nd 2004 at 20.00 GMT was an exciting moment for TrueMoneygames (TMG) and the online backgammon community. 643 players from all over the world joined TMG's First Online Backgammon World Championship, hoping to get their hands on the money at stake.

It took 6 hours of at times nerve-racking and intense playing before the winner was ultimately determined.
The final match was gripping 9-pointer. More than 150 players watched as player Wongowitz (United Kingdom) defeated Gianni (Italy) 9-7 and took home a very handsome prize of $5,000. Gianni was not disappointed either, leaving the table with a very sweet $1,600.

And the prizes didn't stop there. The semi-finalists received $700 each for their success, and TMG didn't overlook the quarter-finalists either. All four were given $300 to toast their victory with.

Don't forget - this year the winners will be sharing $20,000 in prize money. Plus, the winner will receive a package to the Backgammon World Championships in Monte Carlo, including flight, tournament registration and hotel.

Cop Allegedly Robs Bank, Plays Backgammon
PATRAS, Greece - A 23-year-old policeman was arrested in southern Greece after allegedly robbing a bank and then visiting a nearby coffee shop to play a game of backgammon, authorities said Wednesday.

The officer, who was not named, was arrested Tuesday in Kato Achayia, near the southern port city of Patras, after allegedly snatching just over US$6,500. Wearing a crash helmet, he allegedly threatened staff at a branch of the private Alpha Bank with his police handgun.

"He left his car outside the bank, and a girl was in the vehicle waiting for him," local police chief Dimitris Tsiouvaras said. "Then they went for coffee."

The suspect told police he had robbed the bank to pay off credit card debts, Tsiouvaras said.

SPILL GROUP and GameAccount Launch GammonTournaments.com
HILVERSUM, Netherlands-- May 11, 2006 -- SPILL GROUP and skill game provider GameAccount have joined forces to launch the next generation in online Backgammon. GameAccount's browser-based GammonTournaments.com requires minimal download effort, which unlike other online backgammon games, can be played immediately. Furthermore, GammonTournaments.com has been designed to appeal to the broadest range of players, from recreational newcomers to the more serious experienced player. The site's target demographic is both men and women. The multiplayer games will offer several options, including 'MoneyPlay' and 'MatchPlay' scoring formats. GameAccount also offers single players the opportunity to play against revolutionary "playerbots" of all skill levels.

Backgammon is a hugely popular global parlour game that has migrated successfully online. Hundreds of thousands of people enjoy a game of virtual Backgammon and are willing to pay to take their chances at winning money prizes. The idea of creating GammonTournaments.com came naturally to the SPILL GROUP and GameAccount - who have empowered players to stake up to as much as EUR 250, potentially pocketing nearly twice as much in winnings.

GameAccount's Backgammon games are designed to maximize speed in order to meet players' needs for fast results. GammonTournament's games are classified as skill games and will therefore be distributed across all Spill Group's portals.

Players can compete worldwide, owing to the fact that the GameAccount technology platform can seamlessly handle all multi-currency and multilingual features required by the SPILL GROUP. Another convenient advantage is GammonTournaments.com ability to offer several reputable and secure payment methods for customers.

"Choosing GameAccount as partner for setting up GammonTournaments.com was relatively easy, because we continue to work together very successfully. GameAccount is well known for their ability to provide high quality skill games and we are delighted to expand our cooperation," said Reinout te brake, Marketing & Business Development Director of SPILL GROUP.

About Spill Group

The Dutch holding company SPILL GROUP was founded in 2001 and has subsidiaries in Europe and Asia. Its aim is to become the biggest source of the best games for PC and mobile devices. Currently, the company develops and runs more than thirty gaming portals in eight European countries as well as China, Malaysia and India. 1.5 million unique visitors a day look for gaming enjoyment on the SPILL GROUP portals. The portfolio contains 3.000 online games of all genres - skill games, casual games and fun games. The portals are kept simple and are specifically designed for every country. Those wanting to play a game do not need to register, but can start right away.

For more information on Spill Group, please visit www.spillgroup.com

The Dutch holding company SPILL GROUP was founded in 2001 and has subsidiaries in Europe and Asia. Its aim is to become the biggest source of the best games for PC and mobile devices. Currently, the company develops and runs more than thirty gaming portals in eight European countries as well as China, Malaysia and India. 1.5 million unique visitors a day look for gaming enjoyment on the SPILL GROUP portals. The portfolio contains 3.000 online games of all genres - skill games, casual games and fun games. The portals are kept simple and are specifically designed for every country. Those wanting to play a game do not need to register, but can start right away.

PartyGaming Launches Backgammonroom
PartyGaming will launch their backgammonroom somewhere in May or June as announced during the presentation of the first quarterly results of 2006. "The launch of backgammon... is imminent and should provide an additional revenue stream for the group as well as broaden the appeal of our Party-branded platform," said finance director Martin Weigold.
The following was stated in their official press release:

“The launch of backgammon, the first of our two new games this year, is imminent and should provide an additional revenue stream for the Group as well as broaden the appeal of our Party-branded platform.”

Is Backgammon A Gamble?
As backgammon gains market share in the online gaming field, questions continue to circulate as to the games ‘not gambling’ status.

Defined as a game of skill, rather than a game of chance, backgammon has enjoyed the luxury of operating with relative freedom compared to gaming cousin poker. However, as the games popularity grows, with plans to rival the online poker phenomenon, the natural parallel between the two sports has led some to question if indeed backgammon is a gamble.
It is no coincidence that many, if not most, poker players are also keen backgammon players as seen in the 2003 Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic, where a staggering four out of six finalists were experienced backgammon professionals. Backgammon requires talent and strategy, the ability to read your opponent, and a quick mind to read the game in order to win big money. The skills and aptitudes therefore that are required of a poker player are even more essential to be a successful backgammon winner. Like poker, backgammon is also enjoying a resurgence in popularity as new players discover, and even rediscover, a classic game through the convenience of online play.

But is it a game of skill or chance? The definite answer from US law makers is that it is a game of skill together with chess and bridge. This was last put to trial in the landmark Barr vs. The State of Oregon case in 1982 when backgammon tournament director and writer Ted Barr won his case as innocent of promoting gambling as "backgammon is not a game of chance but a game of skill," concluded Judge Stephen S. Walker.

Elad Natanson, president of TC.ADS, co providers of Play65, the largest online backgammon server, agrees. “This is obviously something we have looked into very carefully, and have consulted on with a number of legal advisors. The consistent reply is that backgammon is not gambling, defined as a game of skill rather than one of chance. As such we have the support of all major credit cards and online money transfer services for online players to deposit and withdraw funds.”

With the number of online gamers growing on a daily basis, while payment options to service this market are shrinking there really could be no looking back for backgammon as the safest gamble on the Internet.

Backgammon Growth Hits New Highs
October 22, 2005 -- Reflecting the phenomenal growth that has been seen in the online backgammon industry in the past six months, backgammon server Play65 has announced a new player record with a staggering 450,000 players now registered to the provider’s online game.

Already the world’s largest online backgammon community, these new figures indicate that the server is the chosen play site for over an estimated 80 per cent of the market share.

At the same time, Play65 also has a further record setting 5,600 users playing online at peak hours.

“We are obviously delighted by this development in the market, and are proud to be host to a new generation of backgammon players,” observed Elad Natanson, CEO of TC.ADS, providers of Play65. “We envision a continued growth pattern for backgammon, with player number increasing at an un-paralleled rate. As the leading server, we therefore have several new games and player advantages scheduled for launch in the coming months including Swing Tournaments, an exclusive Play65 initiative styled on poker game play to increase the game options we offer our players.”

In a further development, Play65 has successfully launched its multi-currency accounts platform giving players the increased option of depositing in Euros, UK pounds and/or US dollars. Free of the restrictions that effect gambling games such as poker, backgammon, which is recognised as a game of skill, has always been able to offer players a wide selection of deposit methods from Paypal and Neteller to Western Union transfers and credit card transactions. “This new move is simply an extension of that" explained Natanson. “Our players come from across the globe, so the facilities to allow users to deposit and withdraw in the currency of their choice was an obvious advance for us. I believe we are the first backgammon or poker server to make this move, and will continue to search for new avenues to increase the service we offer to our players.”