Trump ‘very disappointed' after Elon Musk calls his tax bill an ‘abomination'
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The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Playfina casino review: Up to €3,500 bonus and 1,000 Free Spins
TODAY, we are taking a look at Playfina. While it is not the newest kid on the block, it definitely operates like a pro. Besides providing thousands of games, regular bonuses and a VIP club you could only dream about, Playfina features regular challenges, tournaments, and loot boxes. We took this one for a proper spin. In this Playfina casino review, we'll walk you through the good, the potential drawbacks, and everything in between, from casino offers to payments, game variety and even customer support. 🧑⚖️ The Irish Sun verdict - Rating 4.6/5 Playfina is a modern gambling site with lots to offer Irish players, starting with a generous welcome bonus and extending to big-brand game titles of all kinds. It's a fully licensed casino with proper security measures, a wide range of payment options for Irish users, and plenty of promos and tournaments to keep everyone busy. Playfina Ireland also takes responsible gambling seriously, which is a green flag for new users. All this allows us to give Playfina a solid "Sun Factor" rating, and why we list it among the ⚡ Playfina casino quick facts Playfina online casino is best known for its high monthly withdrawal limits, regular promos and multiple payment methods. Let's get to know it better: 🌐 Website 📅 Year founded 2023 📃 Licenses Curaçao Gaming License 🎰 No. of games offered 10,000+ from 82 software providers 💳 Payment methods Visa, MasterCard, Skrill, Neteller, Interac, Neosurf, Rapid Transfer, Maestro, CashtoCode, AstroPay Card, Paysafecard, MiFinity, Payz, MuchBetter, eZeeWallet 💬 Email support@ 📱 App No, but it's mobile-optimised 💰 Playfina bonuses and promotions for Irish players 4 All new Irish players are in for a welcome treat of All week long, you can claim daily deposit match bonuses and free spins . Playfina also gives you the chance to take part in the Lootbox Treasure Trail with prizes of up to €10,000 and Playfina Lottery for up to €9,000. You can also celebrate your birthday with Playfina's Birthday Bonus or elevate your gameplay with their High Roller Bonus that offers up to a 50% bonus on deposits of €1,000 or more. In addition to Playfina's Tournaments and Challenges , you can progress through over 100 levels in Playfina's Loyalty program to collect over €1m and more than 3,000 free spins along the way. The VIP Club also offers a dedicated VIP concierge, exclusive bonuses, VIP gifts, cashback systems, faster withdrawals and high roller royalties. READ MORE SUN STORIES 🎰 Playfina casino games and providers 4 If there's one casino that covers it all, from classic slots to bonus buy games, Megaways, jackpots, table games, instant wins and live dealer games, then it is Playfina Casino. With over 10,000 games from 82 top providers, it's hard not to have a great time here. You can play bangers from Betsoft, BGaming, Big Time Gaming, Push Gaming, Nolimit City, Yggdrasil Gaming, NetEnt and Pragmatic Play. The only thing you won't find here are in-house games, but you'll enjoy their selection of instant-win games. The live casino section is no less impressive, with titles like Sweet Bonanza Candyland, Lightning Roulette and Infinite Blackjack. ⭐ Top 3 highest RTP slots at Playfina 4 Here are three of the best slots to play at Playfina. There's the classic Blood Suckers game by NetEnt (98% RTP), while Jokerizer slot by Yggdrasil (98% RTP) offers a traditional game layout and a max win of up to 6,000x. One of the newest slots is Sugar Rush 1000 by Pragmatic Play (97.5% RTP) with a max win of up to 25,000x and plenty of special features. Slot name Blood Suckers Jokerizer Sugar Rush 1000 RTP 98% 98% (Jokerizer Mode) 97.5% Software provider NetEnt Yggdrasil Pragmatic Play Theme Vampires, Gothic Carnival, Fruits Candyland Reels 5x3 5x3 7x7 Paylines 25 fixed 10 fixed Cluster pays Volatility Low High High Year released 2009 2016 2024 🏦 Payment methods available at Playfina Playfina online casino provides many payment options for Irish players. You can use cards, e-wallets, bank transfers and even cryptocurrencies. The minimum deposit and withdrawal limits for most methods is €20. There are no additional fees. Deposits are instant, but the time for withdrawals varies depending on the payment method. As a player at Playfina Ireland, you'll be able to withdraw €2,000/day, €5,000/week and €20,000/month. Let's take a closer look at all the available payment methods at Playfina, including the processing time of withdrawals. Note that all withdrawals go through a pending period of up to 24 hours. Payment method Min. deposit Min. withdrawal Processing time Visa €20 €20 1-5 days MasterCard €20 €20 1-5 days Maestro €20 €20 1-5 days Skrill €20 €20 0-24 hours Neteller €20 €20 0-24 hours Paysafecard €20 €20 0-24 hours(to MyPaysafecard account) MiFinity €20 €20 0-24 hours Payz €20 €20 0-24 hours MuchBetter €20 €20 0-24 hours eZeeWallet €20 €20 0-24 hours Rapid Transfer €20 €20 1-2 days AstroPay Card €20 €20 0-24 hours CashtoCode €20 - 0-24 hours Neosurf €20 €20 0-24 hours (to MyNeosurf account) ⚠️ Responsible gambling & tools at Playfina We couldn't write a Playfina casino review without covering responsible gambling. It's as important as any other feature of this casino, as it confirms Playfina cares about its players and keeps pace with the latest regulations in the industry. Even though you won't find GAMSTOP or other similar programs at Playfina, it offers a variety of responsible gambling tools, including: Deposit, wager and loss limits Time session limit Self-exclusion tool Time-out option We wouldn't mind a few more tools like reality checks, self-assessment tests and links to responsible gambling resources, but it's still better than what is offered at many other casinos. ☎️ Playfina customer support info Playfina's customer support is top-notch. You can contact them through many channels for relatively fast answers. Here are the options: Live chat, which is accessible from the menu bar, is even available for unregistered players. Email support for when you're not in a rush or have a more specific question. Dedicated FAQ section for quick answers to common questions. The customer support at Playfina is available 24/7. We even test-drove their live chat. First, you're greeted by a bot, then you're redirected to a human agent. The support agents are responsive, friendly and eager to help. 🔒 Security, license, reputation and trustworthiness Playfina is fully regulated and holds a Curaçao licence. It clearly displays all its licensing info in the website's footer, which is another green flag. In addition, Playfina uses SSL encryption measures to keep your personal data safe. What we didn't see on their website was any proof of testing for game fairness. 👉 How to sign up at Playfina Ireland 4 One of the benefits of playing at Playfina is its simple and fast sign-up process. A few clicks, and you're in. The only condition is that you need to be 18 years or older. Let's take it step-by-step: Find the Sign Up button in the top right corner. Create a new account by providing your email and password for your casino account. Select your country and currency. Enter a bonus code if you have one. Tick all the right boxes and hit 'Create Account'. Expert's verdict about Playfina Playfina seems to have covered all their bases. First off, it stands out with an extensive game library, one of the biggest selections of bonuses in Ireland, a multilevel VIP system and numerous payment methods. However, a few improvements could be made with more responsible gambling tools, game testing certification, exclusive games and cashback offers for regular players. Playfina is fully optimised for mobile devices and even has a dedicated mobile app. Overall, Playfina is a solid choice for Irish players who are after a diverse but reliable online casino experience. 👇 FAQ about Playfina Casino We've covered everything you should know about Playfina. All that's left are a few more questions that players usually ask, and our Playfina casino review is complete. 1. Is Playfina casino IE legit? Yes, Playfina holds a licence from the Curaçao Gaming Authority , which is one of the most well-known authorities in the industry. Plus, it has earned several iGaming awards and certificates of trust since its launch. 2. How long do Playfina casino withdrawals take? All withdrawals go through a pending state of up to 24 hours . Then, it depends on the chosen payment option, with up to 24 hours for e-wallets, 3-10 days for bank transfers and 1-5 days for card payments. 3. How many games does Playfina have? Playfina boasts a collection of over 10,000 game titles from leading providers. 4. Does Playfina pay real money? Yes , if you play with real money, you'll be able to cash out real-money winnings , but you can also try their games in demo mode for free. 5. What is the highest-paying casino game at Playfina? Slots like Blood Suckers, Jokerizer and Sugar Rush 1000 have some of the highest return rates. 🔎 More casino reviews About the author James Anderson James Anderson is a Betting & Gaming Writer at The Sun. He is an expert in sports betting and online casinos, and joined the company in November 2020 to work closely with leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to curate content in all areas of sports betting. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter and Head of Live Blogs/Events at the Daily Express and Daily Star, covering football, cricket, snooker, F1 and horse racing. Responsible gambling A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chase their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry, or depressed Problem gambling – Gamble Aware – Help with gambling addiction If you have a problem with gambling, or you know someone who does, help is out there. Extern Problem Gambling is the leading provider of information, treatment, advice, and support for anyone affected by gambling harms across Ireland. Most read in Betting
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘Nobody on the right or left is gonna buy a Tesla' - the Trump spat threat to Musk's business empire
What began as Elon Musk's embrace of right-wing populism has become a defining – and potentially harmful – chapter in his business career. By endorsing Donald Trump's MAGA movement and far-right parties in Europe, Musk alienated a big portion of his original customer base, eroding Tesla's brand , sales and market share around the globe. Then came this week's rupture: a personal and public break-up with Trump that prompted threats of retaliation from a man with control over the world's most powerful government. By simultaneously burning bridges with both his customers and now the political movement he funded and amplified for months, Musk now faces a rare convergence of threats: collapsing brand loyalty, shaky revenues, and mounting legal and regulatory risk. Tesla's sales are already stumbling under the weight of partisan baggage. SpaceX, long seen as a strategic national asset, is facing new scrutiny as political winds shift. And the green shoots at X – Musk's $44 billion 'free speech' experiment – that were fuelled by Musk's proximity to the White House and the ad dollars that followed, may soon disappear. READ MORE 'Elon isn't functioning to the benefit of his shareholders,' said Ross Gerber, the chief executive officer of Tesla shareholder Gerber Kawasaki, which has been reducing its Tesla holdings over the last few years. Speaking on Bloomberg Television on Thursday while the meltdown was still going on, Gerber said Musk's behaviour is leading to the 'dismantling of the Musk empire in real time.' With enemies on both flanks, Musk finds himself at the centre of a storm fuelled by consumer revolt and political hostility. [ Donald Trump 'not interested' in talking to Elon Musk Opens in new window ] [ Trump-Musk bromance descends into a jaw-dropping feud Opens in new window ] 'Nobody on the right is gonna buy a Tesla, nobody on the left is gonna buy a Tesla. Elon is a man without a country,' said Steve Bannon, an outside adviser to Trump who has long been critical of Musk, in an interview. Bannon says he is 'in continual conversations at the most senior levels' of the Trump administration to push them to revoke Musk's security clearance and use the Defense Production Act to seize SpaceX and Starlink on grounds they are vital to US national security. Even if Trump does not take such extreme measures, there is no shortage of retaliatory options for the White House. The president could try to wield the power of agencies like the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration to inflict real harm – or even just incessant regulatory morass – on to all of Musk's businesses and the source of his wealth. In just one day, the Musk-Trump spat shaved $34 billion from his personal net worth, the second-largest loss ever in the history of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index of the 500 wealthiest people on the planet. The only bigger wealth hit: his own wipeout in November 2021. Tesla lost $153 billion of market value on Thursday, with shares reversing course on Friday after Musk began to simmer down. Musk has faced deep stretches of pain before. There are flanks of sceptics who have, over the years, called for his impending demise only to be proven wrong by the world's richest man and his cult following of fans and funders willing to throw ever-growing sums of money at his ambitions. [ Elon Musk has damaged himself and shows no signs of stopping Opens in new window ] Most famously, Tesla flirted with bankruptcy only to reverse course and become the biggest electric vehicle seller in the world. Musk's $44 billion purchase of X was widely panned as the company's debt languished on banks' books, only to see those fortunes reversed after Trump's election. 'Musk has a habit of teetering on the edge of destruction and pulling himself back just in the nick of time,' said Nancy Tengler, whose firm holds 3.5 per cent of its growth portfolio Tesla stock, in a Friday interview on Bloomberg Television. Tengler, chief executive and chief investment officer of Laffer Tengler Investments, said her firm has been adding Tesla shares in recent months but now has a 'full position.' 'He needs to dial down the rhetoric and the drama and get back to the business,' she says, as investors own Tesla stock for growth, not for 'the histrionics.' To pull off a rebound this time around, Musk is going to have to convince people to start buying his electric vehicles at a faster clip and reverse the painful sales slide in the US, Europe and around the world. He is also going to have to attract riders to his new robotaxi service in Austin as the company makes a gigantic bet on artificial intelligence, robotics and self-driving cars. Musk has lobbied lawmakers to help clear a path for driverless vehicles, something Trump initially endorsed. It is now unclear if the Trump-Musk fallout complicates the regulatory environment for autonomous vehicles and potentially slows the path forward for Tesla's robotaxi network. 'The disagreement will not help Tesla demand but could potentially (temporarily) alienate multiple sides of the political spectrum,' said Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas in a research note entitled 'Well That Escalated Quickly...' Jonas said emotions are 'running high' and that he is sticking to his long-term $410 price target on Tesla's share price but is bracing for near-term volatility and is 'prepared for the stock to give up more.' Other tests in the coming weeks may include a $5 billion debt offering of the billionaire's AI company, xAI Corp, as well as funding rounds for xAI and SpaceX. Musk recently closed a $650 million late-stage raise for his neurotechnology company Neuralink from big investors including Sequoia Capital, ARK Investment Management and Founders Fund. From a legal and regulatory perspective, there is even more at stake for Musk if the Trump administration turns on the billionaire and claws back contracts like the president threatened on Thursday. SpaceX, one of the world's most valuable start-ups with a market value of $350 billion, has received more than $22 billion in unclassified contracts from the Defense Department and Nasa since 2000, according to data from Bloomberg Government. It launches critical national security satellites for the Pentagon and the US is depending on the Musk-led company to develop a spacecraft to put American astronauts on the moon in as little as two years. Musk's vow to decommission its all-important Dragon spacecraft, which ferries cargo and people to the International Space Station for the US, sent shock waves throughout the industry. Following through with the threat, which Musk later walked back, would sever a vital part of the US space program. 'It is untenable to have a CEO of a prime defence and aerospace contractor threaten to shut down services the government has contracted with them to perform,' said Lori Garver, a former Nasa deputy administrator under former president Barack Obama. Garver says Nasa needs SpaceX, but that SpaceX's business model also depends, in part, on the US government. 'Elon has already walked back decommissioning Dragon, because they do require now, as a big part of their business plan, government contracts. But they provide a service for those contracts. So it's a symbiotic relationship,' Garver said. On a more day-to-day basis, government agencies could try to inflict pain on Musk's businesses by delaying everything from space launches to satellite service to robotaxi expansion. Investigations into publicly traded Tesla or the finances of his companies could include the SEC, as well as antitrust probes and Federal Trade Commission interest around social media moderation, data use or AI. So far, Musk and Trump may be trying to at least press pause on the public spectacle. White House officials say Trump plans to focus his attention on inflation and the economy rather than speak to Musk, and insinuated without evidence that the billionaire was agitating for a call with the president. (In a pair of posts on his social media platform Friday morning, Trump intensified his push for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower rates.) As for pulling Musk's government contracts, Trump has not yet pursued any steps to follow through with his threats, one of these people said. He is, however, thinking of getting rid of his Tesla. – Bloomberg
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Musk-Trump feud: US president says he is ‘focused on other matters'
US president Donald Trump is not interested in talking with Elon Musk , a White House official said on Friday, signalling the president and his former ally might not resolve their feud over a sweeping tax-cut Bill any time soon. The White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said no phone call between Mr Trump and the Tesla chief executive is planned for the day. Earlier, a different White House official had said the two were going to talk. In interviews with several US media outlets, Mr Trump said he was focused on other matters. 'I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem,' he told CNN. READ MORE Mr Trump may get rid of the red Tesla Model S that he bought in March after showcasing Mr Musk's electric cars on the White House lawn, the official said. [ Keith Duggan: Bromance descends into jaw-dropping feud Opens in new window ] The White House statements came one day after the two men battled openly in an extraordinary display of hostilities that marked a stark end to a close alliance. During the exchange, Mr Trump suggested he would terminate government contracts with Mr Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Tesla shares rose on Friday, managing to claw back some steep losses from the previous session when it dropped 14 per cent and lost $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the company's history. Mr Musk's high-profile allies have largely stayed silent during the feud. But one, investor James Fishback, called on Mr Musk to apologise. 'President Trump has shown grace and patience at a time when Elon's behaviour is disappointing and frankly downright disturbing,' Mr Fishback said in a statement. Mr Musk, the world's richest man, bankrolled a large part of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Mr Trump named Mr Musk to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing on Tuesday. Mr Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) a week ago, denounced Mr Trump's tax-cut and spending Bill, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities. His opposition is complicating efforts to pass the Bill in Congress where Republicans hold a slim majority. Mr Musk denounced the package as a 'disgusting abomination' that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. Just last week, Mr Trump feted him at the White House after he left his post at Doge. Musk cut only about half of 1 per cent of total spending, far short of his brash plans to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. Mr Trump's 'big, beautiful Bill' narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Non-partisan analysts say the measure would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been texting with Mr Musk and hopes the dispute is resolved quickly. 'I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it,' Mr Johnson said on CNBC. Mr Trump had initially stayed quiet while Mr Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was 'very disappointed' in Mr Musk. 'Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore,' he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Mr Trump's Truth Social and Mr Musk's X. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election,' wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Mr Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Mr Musk also asserted that Mr Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded 'Yes' to a post on X saying Mr Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Mr Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Mr Musk's SpaceX plays a critical role in the US government's space programme. When Mr Trump posted that he might cancel Mr Musk's contracts, the billionaire responded he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. Later, Mr Musk backed away from that threat. In a sign of a possible detente, Musk subsequently wrote: 'You're not wrong' in response to billionaire investor Bill Ackman saying Mr Trump and Mr Musk should make peace. A prolonged feud could make it harder for Republicans to keep control of Congress in next year's midterm elections if Mr Musk withholds financial support or other major Silicon Valley business leaders distance themselves from Trump. Mr Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for 'all politicians who betrayed the American people' to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. – Reuters
