Australian and International Gambling News, by Greg Tingle - 1st March 2010

G'day punters, and other interested parties (like casino tycoons and Australian political parties).

What a massive week for casino news just passed, and judging upon earlier indicators, this week out to give it a run for its money.

Having said that, Media Man is still waiting for the Australian Productivity Gambling Report... Prime Minster Rudd and Senator Stephen Conroy, it looks like you're late again! Our readership and that of our publishing and broadcasting friends and associates want to know the facts. Aren't we important enough to make the VIP list.

On the 26th of last month the Australian Productivity Commission apparently handed in its final report, yet it could be as late as June before it is made public! The government does not have to release the report for 25 sitting days. If the commission sticks to its draft recommendations, and the News Limited understands it is likely to hold close to them, Clubs Australia predicts the measures would result in a conservative 30 per cent drop in revenue. That would mean $2 billion and 11,500 jobs gone in NSW alone, clubs say.

The Aussie government had another bad PR week. Rudd was forced to demote Peter "Burning The Midnight Oil" Garrett over an environmental stuff up, and this has appeared to take a lot of heat and attention away from Senator Conroy and the proposed internet filter, at least for the time being.


Politics and iGaming Politics

Australians encouraged to fight online fraud

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today encouraged Australians to fight online fraud during National Consumer Fraud Week. The Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce's Online Offensive - Fighting Fraud Online - will run throughout the week to increase awareness of online consumer fraud. Don't supposed this may be directed at punters checking out igaming websites!

On that subject, clean bill of health by the way to Virgin Games, PartyCasino, Noble Casino, BetUS and Captain Cooks. Party now has the ECOGRA approved label for what its worth. If you blinked and missed it, Virgin Casino - Virgin Games is not available for Australian or U.S players at the moment, however Virgin are interested in expanding their gaming and igaming services to a number of counties that their CEO considers currently in the "grey area". As covered in detail by Gambling911 and eGaming Review, Virgin also plans to expand its virtual world project in conjunction with Game Domain International - AWOMO (A World Of My Own). Virgin's big cheese says they are aiming to become a "total gaming destination". Last month PartyCasino won the Casino News Media Online Casino Of The Month award and Virgin Casino scored second place.


Kevin "Bloody" Rudd VS Tony "The Bruiser" Abbott; Punters tipping Julie Gillard to replace Rudd within 6 months and that Senator Stephen Conroy won't last in his position. Centrebet is offering $4 on Julia Gillard replacing Kev in the hot seat by the next election.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is rattled over his government's failings and his own political mortality, federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.

Mr Rudd made an on-air apology during a television interview yesterday for the government's home insulation scheme and for his own delay over an election promise to reform the public hospital system.

The most recent poll of NSW voters in The Sun-Herald indicates that, on a two-party preferred basis, both sides of politics have 50 per cent of the vote - a drop of almost three percentage points on Labor's election-winning 52.7 per cent in 2007.

Mr Rudd said the government took a "whacking" in the polls and expects Labor to take "an even bigger whacking" with voters in the future.

Mr Abbott today accused the Mr Rudd of "getting a headline" with his "I'm sorry routine" but noted that the government's failings had affected Mr Rudd.

"I think he looked just rattled," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney.

"I think the problem is that the Prime Minister is rattled by intimations of political mortality.

"I think he's shocked by the scale of his government's own ineptitude. I think that's what got him rattled."


The Idiots Guide to iGaming politics and What It Means To Punters In Practical Terms

Numerous gaming and igaming laws are confusing and often controdict each other. Even the USDOJ (United States Department of Justice) and the EU (European Union) can't agree on many aspects.

United States - some states of the U.S are more igaming and gaming friendly than others. There's been numerous poker and online poker cases in the courts over the years and often the judge throws the case out of court or the online poker players win. The Poker Players Alliance, Poker News Daily and iGaming Business - CAP have been doing a very solid job of covering the weekly saga of politics mixed with gambling, as have our friends at Gambling911.

Australians can play casino games and poker at PartyCasino, Noble Casino, PKR, PokerStars, BetUS. Aussies can't current play at Virgin Casino, nor can Americans.

Special "anti filter devices" are predicted to hit the American and Australian blackmarket (pubs and hotels et al) within months, and insiders say the Aussie "blacklist" and proposed internet filter was the undisputed catalyst for the development. "Demand is sky high and people will pay considerably for the convenience and benefits", said a reliable source who has chosen not to be identified.

Punters and gaming entrepreneurs, we recommend you get up to speed with the financial ins, outs and all round offerings from a bush tucker bag of online casinos, credit cards and the like. Little birdie tell us that VISA, American Express and many others will soon not touch anything online gambling related with 10 foot barge pole. Next thing online casino owners will have to hand deliver bags full of cash to their hard working affiliate partners!


Betfair Tax Breaks

The Tasmanian Government has offered tax breaks to keep the gambling agency Betfair in the state.

Labor has revealed that before it went into caretaker mode, it made an agreement with the company half-owned by James Packer.

The deal would see Betfair keep its call centre and 130 jobs in Hobart for the next 10 years.

The Premier, David Bartlett says the agreement will cost taxpayers about $2 million over the next two years, but he says the deal will save jobs, and quickly pay for itself.

"In the short-term, yes there will be a revenue decrease," he says.

"But that revenue decrease will be more than offset by 130 jobs on site, and increased transaction rates, over the life of the next five to 10 years."

The agreement will not be formally approved until parliament returns after the March 20 state election.


Australian Horse Racing

Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey has dropped the bombshell that all 10 rides of Danny Nikolic remain under investigation.

While many thought the far-reaching investigation solely revolved around the charges brought on Friday, Bailey said stewards had not concluded their probe.

Bailey said stewards would this week focus on the charges against Nikolic and former bookmaker Neville Clements, which centre on their refusal to provide certain items to the investigation.

"We'll cross one bridge at a time," Bailey said.

"The investigation (into the 10 rides) is ongoing. Until such time as we get all the evidence ... then we will hand down some decisions."

As the investigation intensified, the fallout saw:

AUSTRALIAN Jockeys' Association reaffirm its opposition to betting exchanges.

NIKOLIC'S elder brother, John, relinquish his trainer's licence in Queensland.

VICTORIA'S first integrity commissioner, Sal Perna, who starts in his new job today, likely to be asked to inquire into several aspects of the investigation.

BAILEY decline to comment on any correlation between phone records and horses being laid to lose on Betfair.

AJA chairman Ross Inglis said the innuendo surrounding Nikolic and New South Wales jockey John Keating only strengthened the association's view that betting exchanges had no place in racing.

Inglis said even when a jockey was 100 per cent innocent, the implication of someone laying a horse the jockey rode remained.

"We were opposed from day one and we remain opposed," Inglis said.

He said the AJA was "very annoyed" that innuendo hovered over Nikolic concerning the 10-rides, given the exhaustive nature of the investigation.

John Nikolic , embroiled in a Queensland Racing inquiry, said attempts to link his brother to his probe had forced him to get out of the industry.

John Nikolic and Keating are involved in an inquiry into the run of beaten favourite Baby Bonus at Sunshine Coast in January.

"I'm pretty much over this crap," Nikolic said.

"I sold my stables the other day and I'll be sending a letter to Queensland Racing on Monday to let them know I'll be relinquishing my licence.

"I was just training as a hobby, racing a few horses with friends.

"When it's no longer enjoyable and I'm getting negative publicity and it's impacting on my family, it's time to get out."

It is believed Perna will be asked to look at all aspects of the Nikolic case, particularly how it found its way into the media.

Bailey said the investigation into Nikolic's rides would continue once Thursday's inquiry - which will be open to the media - concluded.

He said stewards were obliged to ask questions, regardless of who was involved, until they were satisfied they had all the answers.

Bailey declined to comment on whether any trainer was unhappy with any of the 10 Nikolic rides in question.

Nikolic faces a charge of refusing to give stewards his mobile phone and also leaving the area of the jockeys' room at Flemington to phone Clements on New Year's Day.

Clements, who is not a licensed person, must answer a charge of not providing stewards his " complete and original phone records" for a five-month period.

Magic Millions - Media, advertising and racing tycoon John Singleton has been in discussions with long time friend and associate, Gerry Harvey, as to whether Magic Millions should remain on the Gold Coast or to send the annual main even further south to Melbourne.


Problem Gamblers - Women More Than Men Become Problems

University of Queensland researcher Dr Timothy Lee says women now make up 64 per cent of the nation's poker machine users.

He says strategies to combat problem gambling should be tailored to include the habits of female gamblers.

"They tend to prefer some simple type of gambling and they are easily addicted," he said.

"They also have some tendency to hide their gambling activities and behaviour."


Erica Baxter in line for ARIA award

Casino King James Packer's wife Erica Baxter, along with actor Toni Collette and the late Belinda Emmett, are all in the running for an ARIA award nomination this year.

The three are among those eligible for nomination in the Best Female category. All three artists had full-length albums that were released in Australia in the past 12 months. Comon' Erica, go for the jackpot! John Singleton's most vocally talented daughter, Sally Bell has written a ripper song about race horses and her SONY BMG agreement is understood to be going fantastic. The Singleton's have been spotted at Sydney's Piano Bar on more than one occasion.


New South Wales Deaf Poker Championship

No, its not a bad joke. Poker has become extremely popular with the deaf.

Sokong Kim, founding member of Deaf Poker Australia, organised the first Australian Deaf Poker Championship in August, 2009, and he said the response was overwhelming.

“We attracted 88 players from across Australia in the first ever championship,” Mr Kim said.

“The atmosphere was excellent and the Australian Poker League was impressed.”

Mr Kim hopes for a similar response at the state championship. Players must have some form of hearing loss and understand Australian Sign Language (Auslan) to compete.

“We also welcome interpreters, workers, and all people with deaf family members,” Mr Kim said.

“The idea is to make it a charity event and gather together a range of people who make up the deaf community through poker.”

Players who progress to the final table will win a seat in the monthly regional Australian Poker League tournament.

The overall winner receives a seat at the Australian Poker League Pro Open and elects a deaf organisation to receive the proceeds.

For more information contact Burwood RSL or Deaf Poker Australia.


Media Man "Art Of War" Tactics And Wrestling - UFC - Casino connection

As discussion heats up in Australia and the U.S about further regulating the igaming and gaming industry, virtual land grabs (domain name purchases) and land development (website development) remains the order of the day. This week sees the Media Man group re launch Poker News Media, Virtual Worlds Media and Wrestling News Media. Wrestling you say? Yes, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair both have major gaming and igaming deals, and Kevin Nash (once known as Vinnie Vegas) also has gaming on his official website. Flair's still pushing for his NC Education deal to be expanded across America... Wooooo! Historically its been proved that there is considerable cross over audience between wrestling and casinos. Pity fans can't bet on matches (since the "winner" is predetermined... some might argue the odd horse race and boxing match is also). Over a decade ago World Wrestling Entertainment actually purchased a casino in Vegas, but went on later sell it for a profit (cop that Donald Trump). UFC also enjoys a strong association in the casino sector with Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta owning the Station Casinos operation, based in Summerlin, Nevada. In addition, the UFC is one of the most popular sports in the world for taking sports bets. Closer to home, North Sydney's NextGen Gaming is rumored to be working on an Andre The Giant online slot game. If anyone can topple Party's and Virgin's King Kong slot it would be Andre.


Financial Markets

CWN - CROWN LIMITED $8.0200

TAH - TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED $6.8300

CIL - CENTREBET INTERNATIONAL LIMITED $1.4600


Australians Remain In World's Top Ten Gambling Nations

Australians spend about $18 billion a year on gambling, and almost a third of that flows to state revenue. The United States is understood to be the current leading spenders on gambling and in recent years China via the Macau connection have been raking it in. No doubt Australia's James Packer wouldn't mind to make the Guinness World Records List for most profitable casino group with his Crown-Melco City Of Dreams Macau.

The late news... City Of Dreams is not interested in selling to Harrah's Entertainment (or anyone else) for the foreseeable future.

Till next time, keep it fun, stay legal, and bet with your head, not over it. Still time to decide it you want your coffee and internet filtered or non-filtered. Make your vote count! Aussie Election possible within 6 months. Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi, Oi.

*The writer is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company

*The writer owns shares in Crown Casino

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Betfair Announces 10-year commitment to Tasmania - 22nd February 2010

Another milestone in the Betfair Australia story was reached today as the company announced an in-principle agreement with the Tasmanian Government to keep its operations there for a further 10 years.

“Today's announcement is an important step towards providing long-term certainty for Betfair in Australia and its Tasmanian workforce,” said Betfair Australia's CEO, Andrew Twaits.

“We were under a lot of pressure to prove ourselves as a company here in Australia, and we've well and truly done that. In the last four years, we've helped to reshape the wagering landscape in areas of integrity, harm minimisation and industry funding for racing and sports. Importantly, we've also encouraged a better deal for punters.

“This agreement is a big step forward for the future of racing, not only in Tasmania, but right across Australia. Our contribution to both racing and sports has been significant and we look forward to continuing our commitment right across the country.”

The new agreement is subject to various conditions including approval by the Tasmanian Gaming Commission and legislation being passed by the new parliament to reduce the tax on betting exchanges to 5% of gross revenue.

Betfair Australia commenced operations at its Hobart headquarters in February 2006 after it became the first betting exchange to be licensed in Australia. Today the business employs 135 staff, matches more than 1 million bets a day and has 135,000 Australian and New Zealand customers.

The company has also contributed more than $5m in product fees directly to racing and sports as well as nearly $8m in sponsorships. In Tasmania Betfair has contributed in excess of $20m to the local economy.

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Betfair tax breaks - 22nd February 2010

The Tasmanian Government has offered tax breaks to keep the gambling agency Betfair in the state.

Labor has revealed that before it went into caretaker mode, it made an agreement with the company half-owned by James Packer.

The deal would see Betfair keep its call centre and 130 jobs in Hobart for the next 10 years.

The Premier, David Bartlett says the agreement will cost taxpayers about $2 million over the next two years, but he says the deal will save jobs, and quickly pay for itself.

"In the short-term, yes there will be a revenue decrease," he says.

"But that revenue decrease will be more than offset by 130 jobs on site, and increased transaction rates, over the life of the next five to 10 years."

The agreement will not be formally approved until parliament returns after the March 20 state election.

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Australian Gambling: James Packer Vows to Help Jobless, by Greg Tingle - 22nd February 2010

Australian casino king and major media player, James Packer, has vowed to help ease plight of Australia's jobless.

Entitled the Australian Employment Covenant, the Rudd government-backed initiative aims to find 50,000 jobs for indigenous Australians. As the project rolls out Australia will get to know it as Generation One.

In an extremely rare interview, Linda Silmalis of News Limited's The Sunday Telegraph was able to secure a telephone interview with Mr Packer.

The casino comeback king wouldn't be pushed on politics (recently enjoying a spot of golf with Sen. Stephen Conroy might do that to a man), but he opened right up when it came to social and community matters, with a focus on getting Indigenous Australians sustainable employment.

The Packer empire includes Australia's Crown Casino, Burswood Entertainment Centre, City Of Dreams, Macau and Altira Macau. Mr Packer also has a share in pay TV operator, Foxtel.

Crown Casino is strongly indicating it will employ a significant number of indigenous Australian and Team Packer is also communicating with corporate Australia on how they can be part of this historic project.

Packer is collaborating with Aussie mining king Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest. A bush tucker bag of other great Aussie's are also assisting including but not limited to News Limited chairman Rupert Murdoch, Seven Network boss Kerry Stokes, and of course wife, Erica Baxter. Murdoch did some historic campaigning for Indigenous Australia whilst editor of Adelaide's The News circa 1959, later being showcased in modern classic, 'Black and White'.

There's considerable resources at hand, and by Packer speak, this is a hand up, not a hand out. However, to kick-start things Kerry Stokes and Packer are both putting in $2 million for a start.

In the telephone interview with Linda Silmalis of The Sunday Telegraph, "Kerry and I are each putting in $2 million to the project and we're doing it because we believe in Andrew's vision.

"It is not another welfare program. Both the Covenant and Generation One are about getting actual outcomes. We have actually got some bona fides in this area - Crown is already up to 75 jobs. We want to get it up into the hundreds.

"The goal is to work with people in businesses to try to get training and job placements.

"When someone gets training within a specific business, it makes it far more likely they will get a home in that business."

"I think with anyone, when they have a child, it opens up a new dimension to your life".

"I got to spend a year in the Northern Territory as a jackeroo and that gave me exposure to the way some Aboriginal communities are that others never get.

"I got to see good things and some not so good things. I always had a desire to do something, but I needed the right opportunity, and Andrew's vision and infectious enthusiasm made it easy for me to become involved.

"Andrew and I went to see Kerry Stokes, and we said, 'We'd love you to do this with us', and he agreed.

"At the casino, we are training people in hospitality, in security, areas where it will lead to jobs. I think corporate Australia wants to do more and it will become easier as more people become involved.

"It is a good concept and I think it will become easier as time goes on."

Media Man applauds the Packer - Forrest and friends collaboration that clearly demonstrates a far reaching way of demonstrating one's real wealth. We are also hopeful that both the Labor and Liberal party pick up on some of Mr Packer's wisdom when it comes to matters such as the internet and censorship. Mr Packer famously said "Internet is like electricity", something Media Man and Gambling911 management and readers are well aware of, as is Senator Conroy. As of this writing Sen Conroy has remained silent on mentions of himself in comparisons with award winning documentary, 'Casino Jack and the United States of Money'.

On a lighter note Sen. Conroy has turned out to be quite the sportsman, not only a keen golfer, but a passionate snowboarder, even getting a trip away to enjoy the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Let's just hope that Conroy's recent collaborations with Team Packer and friends help produce some gold for many parties, starting with both indigenous Australia and internet gaming fans and entrepreneurs. Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi!

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited

*Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. http://www.mediamanint.com

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Cyber attacks against Australia 'will continue' - 12th February 2010

An activist group that temporarily blocked access to key Australian government websites plans to continue its cyber attacks, the BBC has learned.

The group, known as Anonymous, was protesting against the Australian government's proposals to apply filters to the internet in the country.

A man claiming to be a representative of the group said that around 500 people were involved in the attack.

The method they are using is known as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS).

DDoS is illegal in many countries including the United Kingdom. There is no indication that the attack was carried out from within Britain. DDoS attacks typically call on machines in many different nations, making them hard to trace.

The sites were intermittently blocked on 10 and 11 February. The action has been condemned by various bodies including the Systems Administrators Guild of Australia (SAGE-AU) and Electronic Frontiers Australia.

"All it takes is a few people to basically send junk traffic to their websites which is causing them to be offline," the man, calling himself Coldblood, told BBC News.
"The people who are currently attacking (the government websites) are planning to keep doing it. It will probably keep happening until either they get bored or it gets sorted out."

The sites are currently back online but the domains of individual politicians, including that of Stephen Conroy (minister for broadband, communications and the digital economy), were among those targeted.

Web filters

Anonymous is protesting against Australia's plan to apply a country-wide filter to block certain content in 2011.

The Australian government has said that trials have shown the filtering technology to be 100% effective in preventing access to designated sites.

The banned sites would be selected by an independent classifications body guided by public complaints, Senator Conroy has said.

He said the aim of the filter is to make the internet a safer place for Australian children.

Speaking to the BBC, Coldblood said that the activists did not support the creation of illegal content but that banning it would not tackle the issue.

"If something is illegal which is done on the internet the government should try and prosecute them," he said.

"If they ban it it will just appear somewhere again. What they really need to do is go after the people who are making this content."

The group consists of "a few thousand people" based all over the world Coldblood said.

They staged cyber attacks on Iran following the election protests and have publicly protested against the Scientology movement.

This was sparked after the Church of Scientology requested the removal of a clip from YouTube featuring Hollywood actor Tom Cruise.

"One of our main missions is against censorship on the internet," said Coldblood.

The group had not had any direct contact with the Australian government, he added.

SAGE-AU said the attack was "the wrong way to express disagreement with the proposed law."

"The impact of DOS attacks is frequently felt less by government agencies than by system administrators, many of them SAGE-AU members, who are responsible for managing websites and servers," continues a statement on its website.

YouTube in Australia

Senator Conroy has also contacted Google requesting that the company begins to filter YouTube content in the country.

Google says that while it complies with the laws of the individual countries in which it has a presence, it would only investigate and consider removing content after receiving a "valid legal request" about something already posted on the site.

"We first check that the request meets both the letter and spirit of the law, and we will seek to narrow it if the request is overly broad," said a spokesperson.

"YouTube is a platform for free expression. We have clear policies about what is allowed and not allowed on the site." (Credit: BBC)

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Minister in 'secret' snow meeting with mogul - Sunday Herald Sun - 13 February 2010

Minister meets billionaire Kerry Stokes in the USA

Stokes owns Channel 7

Later announced huge benefits for networks

COMMUNICATIONS Minister Stephen Conroy held a secret meeting and went snow-skiing with Seven's billionaire owner Kerry Stokes at a ritzy American resort only weeks before handing over a $250 million gift to Australia's free-to-air TV networks.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal that Senator Conroy - a skiing and snowboarding fanatic - met Mr Stokes in Vail, Colorado, in January, while the Government was considering pleas from the free-to-air industry to cut their licence fees.

*Read the article here

Australia Internet Censorship Issue at Breaking Point, by Greg Tingle - 11th February 2010

Special contributor to the Gambling911.com website, Greg Tingle, looks at the continuing uproar over censorship attempts in Australia as they apply to the Internet and ultimately online gambling websites, some of which appeared on a much publicized "black list" some months ago.

Was it Hollywood's Elvira who said "All is fair in love and war"? Whatever the case that seems to be the mindset of "Anonymous" who is blasting Australian government websites in protest to the proposed Australian Internet filter also with its bastard cousin, the ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) "blacklist".

Welcome "Operational Titstorm".

It's fair to say that some Aussies are bloody pissed off that their endless stream of "vice" such as porn, gaming and other "questionable material" may be cut off thank to the intenet filter cum post Australian election time.

As we know know too well, often when a a government tries to smother and cover up a news story the story becomes bigger. This is a classic example. It's now a red hot international news item and the more Senator Stephen Conroy and his team try to smother it, the more fuel gets added to the fire! The news story is up there with China's "Great Wall Of China" censorship matters, along with human rights, freedom of information, freedom of speech, Hillary Clinton and friends.

One needs little imagination to see that some parallels can be drawn to what will happen in Australian when certain things become illegal... they will go underground, likely get more popular and sought after, however some consumer protection will be lost.

In the igaming industry I would recommend that people stick to brands they know and trust, be it PartyGaming, BetUS, Betfair, Virgin Games and I understand that both Playtech and Microgaming powered online casinos currently have a clean bill of health.

If you're an Aussie reading this, my "spies" tell me that in approx 6 months Australians won't be able to access popular porn sites RedTube and YouPorn (unless they have some sort of whiz bang anti censorship - anti filter device)... something that could well end up on the black market (i.e: pubs and clubs, "mates rates" and items that "fell off the back of a truck"). Over a decade ago when pay TV was introduced to Australians one used to be able to purchase a device to plug into the standard pay TV equipment and get pay TV for free! This allowed consumers to get more variety of channels, unscrambled (and for free)... things could very well end up going in a similar direction for Australian internet users based on recent developments.

News just in... The Australian government is trying to pursue Google to voluntarily censor YouTube videos in Australia. Google have refused the government's request thus far.

Media Man thanks and praises American and Canadian news media and igaming media news websites for bringing the news to the people and we applaud Gambling911 in their fearless commitment to educating and informing the masses on internet censorship and other important matters pertaining to the igaming, betting and political arena.

Australian government spooks and contractors are trying to get the defaced websites back on the air as of the time of writing.

Greg Tingle, Media Man International

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WWE News: Fox News - Linda McMahon's Senate opponent trying to use the "Eugene" character against McMahon

Fox News picked up the story of former WWE CEO Linda McMahon's Republican opponent in the Connecticut Senate race looking to use WWE's "Eugene" character against McMahon.

Rob Simmons, who is running against McMahon for the Republican nomination, is trying to draw attention to WWE's use of the "mentally retarded" Eugene character while media attention is on U.S. president Barack Obama's White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, for recently using the word "retards" in a derogatory manner.

Simmons says he wants McMahon to account for the storyline where "Eugene" was destroyed by Triple H in a steel cage match in September 2004.

At the time, WWE defended the character by saying he was designed to be a "hero" encouraging "other people with disabilities to strive to achieve their dreams."

Caldwell's Analysis: Simmons can chase this angle all he wants by looking through the history of racist, sexist, jingoistic, homophobic, and insensitive characters that have come through the WWE pipeline to find some sort of "negative visual" for the general public to attach to McMahon, but this is maybe #5 on important issues McMahon needs to be held accountable for from her time as WWE CEO. #1 is the record of occupational health issues in WWE and pro wrestling with an industry-wide epidemic of wrestlers dying young, steroid abuse, pain pill addiction, independent contractor status when wrestlers are treated like employees, no formal regulatory body protecting wrestlers, and no regularly-scheduled off-season. (Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)

US will not back away from Internet freedom push - 26th January 2010

WASHINGTON — The United States said Monday it will not back away from an Internet freedom push that has raised hackles in China amid a dispute between Beijing and Web giant Google over cyberattacks.

"We are aware that China has a different position with respect to restricting information," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.

"We think this is inconsistent with the information environment and prerequisites of the 21st century," Crowley told reporters.

"So we will continue to promote the free flow of information, unfettered access to information, the ability to have virtual freedom of association.

"These are all, we believe, fundamental tenets of the environment that we live in, and we will not back away from advocating that this should be something that all countries should promote," Crowley said.

The spokesman also recalled that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a major policy speech on Internet freedom last week in which she talked about "being able to surf the Internet without restrictions."

Beijing lashed out at Clinton's speech last week, saying it was "harmful" to relations, and a Chinese spokesman on Monday denied any state involvement in the cyberattacks which Google said originated in China.

The Internet giant has said that following the cyberattacks on the email accounts of Chinese human rights activists it is no longer willing to censor Web search results in China even it that means it has to leave the country.

A spokesman for China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Monday that the "accusation that the Chinese government participated in (any) cyberattack, either in an explicit or inexplicit way, is groundless and aims to denigrate China."

"China's policy on Internet safety is transparent and consistent," the spokesman told state news agency Xinhua, saying the country with the world's largest online community was itself the "biggest victim" of hacking.

The White House said last week that President Barack Obama was "troubled" by the Chinese-based cyberattacks on Google and other US companies and was seeking official answers.

The Google row, which erupted almost two weeks ago, has threatened to damage Sino-US ties, which are already dogged by trade and currency issues, US arms sales to Taiwan and climate change.

Greens join net blackout protest - 25th January 2010

The Australian Greens will join more than 500 other websites in fading their webpage to black in protest against the federal government's proposed internet filter.

The government's plan will not protect children, will do nothing to crack down on criminal activity online, and sets a dangerous precedent of centralised net censorship, Greens communications spokesman Scott Ludlum said in a statement on Monday.

"Communications Minister Stephen Conroy should start paying attention to the almost universal condemnation of this scheme and pursue alternatives rather than pushing ahead with the mandatory filter," Senator Ludlum said.

A website, www.internetblackout.com.au, has been specially set up for the week-long event, dubbed The Great Australian Internet Blackout.

Casino Jack and the United States of Money

GENRE: Documentary
DIRECTOR: Alex Gibney
RUNNING TIME: 2:00
RELEASE DATE: Opens 23rd January 2010

"Casino Jack" is a rollicking circus of corruption, from high rollers in Indian casinos, hookers in Saipan, a murdered Greek tycoon, Cold War spy novels, plush trips to paradise . . . and the United States Congress. These are among the intriguing clues that add up to the epic mystery behind one of the greatest attempted heists in American history.

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WWE News: Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon dodges tough WWE-related questions during TV interview - 17th January 2010

During a TV interview on WFSB in Connecticut that aired this morning, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon stuck to her regular defenses promoting WWE's TV-PG programming, recent institution of the Wellness Policy, and paying for medical costs for pro wrestlers in response to being grilled about her executive decisions in WWE.

McMahon was asked several questions about her role in WWE based on how she created wealth to run for Senator in Connecticut and whether McMahon overlooked health issues ongoing in her company while making money off wrestlers.

During the interview, McMahon set up each WWE-related response with a preface on how she believes WWE is a great, family-friendly product. McMahon challenged reporter Brian Lockhart to check the Wellness Policy on WWE's website for details on the policy, but she would not address WWE's handling of health issues prior to the Wellness Policy's creation in 2005.

"We have had drug testing policies in place for many, many years. Maintaining the health and wellness of the performers in the ring is paramount to us," McMahon said.

McMahon was also grilled on wrestlers assuming risk and WWE not assuming much risk by classifying wrestlers as independent contracts. McMahon again defended the issue by saying wrestlers acknowledge their risk as wrestlers.

"The performers in WWE are independent contractors. They sign that waiver. Even given the waiver, we protect them," she said. "Any injury - surgery or rehab - WWE covers that and covers all their rehab."

McMahon's only true admission in the interview was acknowledging WWE has pushed the envelope on TV in the past, which came after she shot a glare toward reporter Brian Lockhart for bringing up Triple H's infamous simulated sex with the storyline corpse of Katie Vick.

"Yes, I think there are times when we have (pushed the envelope). That's what happens you write television 52 weeks per year. It's fiction," she said.

There wasn't enough time at this point in the segment to follow up on WWE appealing to a younger demographic that may not understand that pro wrestling is "fictional" and how she responds to that.

The final WWE-related note from the interview was Linda McMahon suggesting her husband, WWE CEO Vince McMahon, could be on the campaign trail down the line.

"He is fully supportive of this race, as is my family, and he is cheering me on for this campaign," McMahon said. "He might campaign down the road."

Links: Watch Part 1 of the Video on WFSB Ch. 3 and Part 2 and Part 3.

(Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)

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PartyGaming News: Danske Spil chooses PartyGaming to launch online games in Denmark

11th January 2010

PartyGaming, the world’s leading listed online gaming company, today announces an exclusive, five-year agreement to provide an online gaming platform for poker and casino games in Denmark for Danske Spil A/S (‘Danske Spil’).

Controlled by the Danish Government, The Danske Spil Group is one of the largest betting and gaming organisations in Europe with DKK 10,955 million of turnover in 2008. Offering a variety of gaming products in Denmark including the national lottery, numbers games, instant games as well as gambling on machines, Danske Spil has also established a large online gaming business and already has over 500,000 registered online customers.

In 2009 the Danish Government published draft legislation for a partially liberalised gaming market in Denmark that is expected to become law in 2011. If adopted, poker and casino will be among the games subjected to open competition in the Danish market. Whilst Danske Spil has strengthened its position in a number of online gaming categories such as bingo, sports betting and casual games with strong growth in the number of players and revenues, it recognised the need to join forces with a leading online gaming company in order to achieve its potential.

Over the past seven months, Danske Spil has screened the market for providers of services and potential online partners that specialise in poker and casino games. As part of its selection criteria, Danske Spil was determined to find a supplier that matched its own high standards for product quality, security and ethical requirements. PartyGaming passed all of these pre-requisites and is set to create a new strategic alliance with Danske Spil in Denmark. It is expected that the commercial terms between both companies will be finalised within the next few weeks.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of PartyGaming said:

“This is a landmark B2B deal for PartyGaming and validates our strategy to become a leading provider of B2B services to both corporates and governments around the world. Danske Spil is widely recognised as one of Europe’s leading gambling businesses, one that is pre-eminent in the Danish market. We are delighted that Danske Spil has recognised our expertise and high standards of business practice and we look forward to building a significant and profitable enterprise as soon as the newly regulated Danish online gaming market opens.”

H.C. Madsen, CEO at Danske Spil, said:

"With some of the world’s leading products in online poker and casino as well as a large international customer base, PartyGaming is definitely a strong business partner for Danske Spil. Combining this with Danske Spil’s unique and strong position in the Danish market with more than 500,000 Danish online customers will guarantee that together we will deliver a highly attractive customer experience to players in Denmark."

Editor’s Notes

About PartyGaming:
PartyGaming Plc is the world’s leading listed online gaming company. The Group is a constituent of the FTSE 250 share index with its shares listed on The London Stock Exchange under the ticker: PRTY. In the year to 31 December 2008, PartyGaming’s Continuing operations generated revenues of $472.9m and Clean EBITDA of $144.2m.

PartyGaming’s principal brands are www.PartyPoker.com, one of the world’s largest online poker rooms, www.PartyCasino.com, the world’s largest online casino, www.PartyBingo.com, www.PartyGammon.com, www.PartyBets.com, www.PartyMarkets.com, www.FoxyBingo.com, www.GetMinted.com, www.Gamebookers.com and www.WorldPokerTour.com. None of the Group’s sites accept real money customers located in the US.

PartyGaming is regulated and licensed by the Government of Gibraltar and by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission and it is also certified as a responsible gaming operator by GamCare, the leading UK authority on the provision of advice, practical help, support and counselling in addressing the social impact of gambling.

PartyGaming’s shares are also a constituent member of the FTSE4Good Index Series, which enables investors to identify companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards.

About Danske Spil
Danske Spil is a company group comprising of Danske Spil A/S and the subsidiary company Dansk Automatspil A/S. Danske Spil A/S has 270 employees.

In the 2008 financial year, the Danske Spil Group recorded a turnover of DKK 10,955 million, DKK 8,757million in Danske Spil and DKK 2,198 million in Dansk Automatspil. Group profits were DKK 1,543 million and a total of DKK 1,610 million, including guarantee payment from the State of DKK 100 million, was distributed to stakeholders. Danske Spil’s total contribution to Danish society in 2008, comprising profit for the year and government taxes, was DKK 2,795 million.

The Board has 15 members, five of whom are employee representatives and ten of whom are appointed by the following government ministries as well as organisations distributing the pools and lottery funds: The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Taxation and the Ministry of Education. The Danish Sports Federation (DIF), the Danish Gymnastics and Sports Association (DGI), the Danish Football Association (DBU), the Outdoor Council, the Danish Company Sports Association (DFIF) and the Danish Youth Council (DUF). The chairman of the Board is appointed by the Minister of Taxation.

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Australia's Casino Canberra proposal rejected by Labor ACT Treasury, by Greg Tingle - 10th January 2010

Casino Canberra in the nations capital is being denied entry to the gaming sector as the ACT Labor Government's Labor Clubs grabbed the majority of the almost $100 million profit made by pokies in the ACT last financial year.

The situation is leading to claims of a conflict of interest since Labor club poker machines made $14.21 million profit in 2008-09, just one-seventh of the $98.6 million profit made by all pokies in the ACT over the 12 months.

In a submission to the Australian Productivity Commission's gambling inquiry, Casino Canberra put forward a proposal to install 200 machines in the casino and estimated that they would contribute $3-4 million dollars to the ACT economy annually, in addition of $235 million contributed since it opened. However in a separate submission the ACT Treasury has once again rejected the casino's plans.

The Treasury submission argued granting the casino machines did not fit the ACT community gaming model. "When the Canberra casino licence was offered for sale by tender in the early 1990s, it was made clear at that time that gaming machines would not be permitted as part of the development," the submission said.

Media Man International, Gambling911, Crown Casino - Crown Limited, PartyGaming and Tabcorp are amongst the parties taking a keen interest in the case and Media Man representatives were heard joking that the situation might provide more good fodder for the film producer doing a feature on Australian casinos relationship with the Labor party in "Casino Jack" style.

Australia has some of the biggest and most passionate gamblers in the world, both in an traditional and online capacity, and many companies are looking for a piece of the action.

The online casino, sports betting and bingo sector is expected to grow this year, however as of this writing Casino Canberra is not satisfied with their current involvement.

Media Man reminds the public to bet responsibly and that measures such as playing with a friend or setting bet limits can be employed to keep the experience enjoyable.

*The writer holds shares in Crown Casino
*The writer is the founder and director of Media Man, primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company
*The writer is a special features contributor for Gambling911

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Odds of coalition election win widen - 22nd December 2009

Punters have turned on Tony Abbott, with the odds of the coalition winning the next federal election widening after a recent plunge on Labor to retain office.

The coalition's standing in betting markets had improved when Mr Abbott was installed as Liberal leader in favour of Malcolm Turnbull earlier this month.

However, the odds of a coalition victory have since lengthened from $4.30 to $4.40 as punters looked to take advantage of a better price for Labor.

Labor remains the overwhelming favourite at $1.19, in from $1.23.

Centrebet analyst Neil Evans said the heavily backed ALP had eased from $1.16 to $1.23 after the first real big wave of money came for the opposition when Mr Abbott was installed as leader.

One Sydney punter unloaded almost $20,000 across four bets from $5.00 down to $4.35 before the opposition levelled out at $4.00.

"But in the last week, smart punters have hopped back on Labor, including bets of $10,000 at $1.23, $10,000 at $1.22 and $2,500 from a tough punter at $1.22," Mr Evans said.

"Most of the money is coming from Sydney clients, and it seems they were just waiting for Labor to get out to a more backable price before they stormed in."

The movement in the market is another sharp reminder that while Mr Abbott is popular and admired in some quarters, he is not the leader to cut into Labor's margin at the ballot box, Mr Evans said.

However, Mr Abbott remains the clear favourite to be opposition leader at the next election at $1.14, with Joe Hockey at long odds of $4.95, and "any other" at $7.50.

Almost $150,000 has been placed on the federal election with Centrebet with Labor holding 80 per cent of all monies.

The news is not so good for the NSW Labor government, which is scheduled to go to the polls in March 2011.

The Barry O'Farrell-led coalition has tightened to its shortest price - $1.15 - to win office at the next state poll, with the embattled Labor government under Kristina Kenneally at $4.90.

Bets are running at a ratio of 10:1 in the coalition's favour.

Mr Evans said a prominent member of the Sydney media set recently bet $15,000 on the coalition at $1.19.

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Tension over TOTE sale - 4th December 2009

Tempers have flared as a Government Business Enterprise committee probes the failed sale of TOTE Tasmania.

The Treasurer, Michael Aird, has been accused of wasting money and letting down the racing industry.

The Government took TOTE off the market yesterday, after eight months without a decent offer.

The aborted sale process cost $3 million and the Opposition's racing spokesman, Jeremy Rockliff, says the Treasurer's lost the industry's confidence.
"You should resign," he said.

The Greens' Kim Booth says it is a conflict for the Treasurer to also be the Racing Minister.

"You've effectively stuffed up two portfolio responsibilities."

The Government gives the racing industry $27 million a year.

The Treasurer, Michael Aird, says it was on its knees when Labor came to power but stakes have risen considerably.

"We are the envy of other states," he said.

He insists there was a good market to sell TOTE when it was first listed.

The opposition parties have accepted an offer from the Treasurer to be privately briefed on the aborted sale.

Mr Aird says some parts of the sale are commercial-in-confidence but the parties should hear an independent opinion from a financial advisor.

"I think the best thing I can do, in relation to this discussion is offer a confidential briefing for both the political parties from Deloitte's, with the Probity Advisor in tow, to ensure that you understand Deloitte's assessment of the process," he said.

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Government delays new ban on Internet gambling - 27th November 2009

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve are giving U.S. financial institutions an additional six months to comply with regulations designed to ban Internet gambling.

The two agencies said Friday that the new rules, which were to take effect on Dec. 1, would be delayed until June 1 of next year.

A key Democratic opponent of the ban on online gambling praised the action and said it would give Congress time to overturn a law passed in 2006 when Republicans controlled Congress.
The delayed rules would curb online gambling by prohibiting financial institutions from accepting payments from credit cards, checks or electronic fund transfers to settle online wagers.

The financial industry complained that the new rules would be difficult to enforce because they did not offer a clear definition of what constitutes Internet gambling. They had sought a 12-month delay in implementing provisions of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that Congress had passed in 2006.

The Bush administration issued regulations to enforce the law in November 2008 and had set Dec. 1, 2009, as the date financial institutions would have to begin complying.

However, in a joint notice Friday, Treasury and the Fed said that several members of Congress had sought a delay, arguing that there was considerable support for new legislation to clarify the current laws.

The two agencies said groups seeking a delay had provided sufficient reasons to justify a limited six-month postponement of the rules. Financial organizations including the American Bankers Association had sent the agencies letters supporting a petition filed by gambling industry associations seeking a delay.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., praised Friday's announcement. He is sponsoring legislation that would roll back the 2006 law that bans financial institutions from handling transactions made to and from Internet gambling sites.

"This will give us a chance to act in an unhurried manner on my legislation to undo this regulatory excess by the Bush administration and to undo this ill-advised law," Frank said in a statement.

Frank's legislation would allow the Treasury Department to license and regulate online gambling companies that service American customers. Frank argues that online gambling should be legal as a matter of personal liberty and that the federal government could collect increased tax revenues if Internet gambling is regulated.

In September, a U.S. appeals court in Philadelphia upheld the 2006 law, rejecting a challenge from an association of offshore bookies that the federal prohibition was too vague and violated privacy rights.

U.S. bettors have been estimated to supply at least half the revenue of the $16 billion Internet gambling industry, which is largely hosted overseas.

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High Stakes For Online Gamblers, By Jeremy Herb - Newsweek - 20th November 2009

Between online gambling and the countless ESPN reruns of the World Series of Poker, poker has become a mainstream "sport." More than 6,000 people paid $10,000 to enter this year's World Series main event, and gambling experts say 10 to 15 million Americans wager $100 billion on all forms of Internet gaming annually. The online gambling industry—made up of offshore companies—earns somewhere between $6 and $10 billion in the U.S. each year. But it's a poker game of politics, not cards, that will decide the fate of online gambling in the U.S.

The battle rests on a bill that was passed in the final hours of the 2006 Republican-controlled Congress, when Sen. Bill Frist tacked it onto a port security bill. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) forbids banks from accepting illegal Internet gambling transactions. In essence, it prevents would-be players from using their debit or credit cards—a standard for online payments—for Internet gambling. Those who support Internet gambling, led by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, are making a final plea to the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve to push back the law for one year, giving them time to repeal it. In response, Sen. John Kyl and Rep. Spencer Bachus wrote a letter to Timothy Geithner and Ben Bernanke urging them to enforce the Dec. 1 deadline. The Treasury and Fed have yet to make a decision, according to a Federal Reserve official.

he problem with UIGEA is it raised more questions than it answered. The law does not make it illegal for people to gamble online, as it focuses on bank transactions. But it failed to define what's considered "illegal Internet gambling." The Treasury and Fed, which are instructing banks on how to enforce the law, did not define illegal gambling either. "The role of financial institutions is not to be policemen of the government," says Mary Dunn, senior vice president of the Credit Union National Association. The finance industry says the law is an unfair burden and also wants it delayed. But if the law goes into effect Dec. 1, all financial institutions must demonstrate they can block online transactions.

The new law won't prosecute individual players, but the risk for gamblers is that online casinos will pull out of the U.S. market. Last week, Golden Casino announced it would no longer take deposits from American players on Dec. 1, according to a gambling trade site. PartyGaming, a publicly traded company, left the U.S. in 2006 when UIGEA passed. The company paid a $105 million nonprosecution fine to the Justice Department, which took UIGEA's passage as a "Congressional mandate" to prosecute illegal online gambling.

The Justice Department believes all Internet gambling is illegal based on the 1960s Wire Act, which was designed to stop bookies from using telephones and passed long before the Internet as we know it existed. The gambling industry disputes this, arguing the Wire Act only applies to sports-betting, not games like poker or roulette. In 2002, the Fifth Circuit Court ruled the Wire Act only applied to sports-betting, but that didn't sway any opinions at Justice. Several offshore executives of online casinos and "e-wallet" payment processors have been arrested in the past few years. In June, the Justice Department froze $33 million in payments to American players from four online casinos.

If Frank gets his online gambling bill passed, however, the Wire Act dispute would disappear. Frank's bill, along with companion legislation from Rep. Jim McDermott, would legalize and tax online casinos, though online sports-betting would remain outlawed. Online gambling could generate up to $42 billion in tax revenue over the next decade, according to a Joint Committee on Taxation report. Spurred on by efforts from lobbyists and advocacy groups, Frank has vowed to overturn what he says is an "outrageous" law. His plans have been sidetracked by finance reform, however, which has eaten up most of the Financial Services Committee's time this year.

The morality debate over Internet gambling doesn't stray far from regular gambling, with a few exceptions. Opponents say the convenience of the Internet gives gambling addicts easy access to the lure of slots and cards, and encourages underage playing. Gambling advocates argue regulated sites will be more difficult for underage players because they will have stricter age verification, and that players should have the same rights online they already have in a casino. But another argument that's also being made is poker should be legalized online because it's a skill game-not a game of chance-and therefore it doesn't fall under UIGEA or the Wire Act. Sen. Robert Menendez has also introduced separate legislation that carves out an exception for poker. "People have been playing this great skill game that's been around for a long time," says Howard Lederer, a professional poker player and member of the Poker Players Alliance. "We're playing against each other, not the house."

Even if the UIGEA is enacted, it's unlikely online gambling would disappear completely. There are ways for American players to circumvent bank regulations, including setting up a foreign bank account. "We're all holding our breath and hoping the petition will be accepted," Lederer says, but that isn't the industry's only option. Online poker could be legalized through the courts on the argument that the Wire Act doesn't apply to poker. The industry is waiting to see what happens Dec. 1 before taking any action, he says. But if they do head to court, Lederer likes the odds. (Credit: Newsweek)

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Ventura to host 'Monday Night Raw' wrestling event - 17th November 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former Gov. Jesse Ventura will return to his old World Wrestling Entertainment stomping grounds next week, stepping inside the ropes once again to host "Monday Night Raw," the company's flagship television show, WWE officials announced late Monday.

Nicknamed "The Body," Ventura was known in the ring for outlandish statements, take-no-prisoners attitude and flamboyant costumes featuring bright, bushy feather boas. Ventura largely distanced himself from his former wrestling persona while serving as governor, though he agreed to serve as a special guest referee for WWE's SummerSlam pay-per-view in 1999, which was held in Minneapolis.

Ventura was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004.

"Raw" will be broadcast live on USA Network from the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., starting at 7 p.m. Central time.

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Shorten smackdown, by James Jeffrey - The Australian - 20th November 2009

There were so many parliamentary manoeuvres Sports Minister Kate Ellis might have used to defeat wrestler (and actor) Hulk Hogan, not least the Julia Gillard-favoured "mammoth backflip" and the fabled half-Wilson.

In the end, though, she trounced him with a little help from young cancer sufferer Mark Dunn and raised funds for the Make A Wish Foundation in the process. Good show all round. Strewth was especially taken with Bill Shorten who, attending in his capacity as Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services, gave us this invaluable insight: "In the heart of every politician lurks the soul of a frustrated wrestler. We all see ourselves as the good guys, and our opponents as the heels. We dream of flying off the top turnbuckle to demolish our opponents with a well-timed bodyslam, or ending a difficult interview by putting that pesky journalist in a figure-four leg-lock. In our ideal world, the Speaker would introduce question time with a cry of `Are you ready to rumble?'" (Credit: The Australia)

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Anurag Dikshit’s Sale of Party Gaming Stock Receives Mixed Reaction, by Dan Cypra - 25th October 2009

One of the major poker headlines this week was the news that Party Gaming Cofounder Anurag Dikshit would divest himself of nearly 114 million shares of the company’s stock, which is traded in London under the symbol “PRTY.” Now, the industry has had a chance to react.

The internet gambling think tank sported mixed reactions to the news, as Dikshit’s departure meant that a man who admitted to violating U.S. law in a New York courtroom one year ago would no longer hold any interest in the company. Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily, “The thing to take away is that this is probably good overall for Party Gaming. When you have one of their founders pleading guilty, if and when things start to get normalized in the U.S. and Party Gaming comes into the market, they need to clear it off the books. The fact that he’s exiting the company is good for its future.”

When internet gambling will be legalized and regulated in the United States is anyone’s guess. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced HR 2267 in May as one solution. The bill outlines a framework for the explicit legalization of the industry and, although the measure is up to 62 cosponsors, it has not yet been scheduled for markup in the House Financial Services Committee.

On how members of Congress and others outside of the industry would react to Dikshit’s exit, Brennan explained, “If Dikshit leaving Party Gaming can be a benefit to that company, I would say that it does the same broadly for the industry.” Financial analyst Nick Batram told Bloomberg that Dikshit’s departure meant that Party Gaming “may also find it easier to raise funds from institutional investors rather than the founders for large sports gambling acquisitions.” The Wire Act of 1961 has historically been interpreted to mean that online wagering on sports is not permitted in the U.S.

Dikshit will purportedly turn over the proceeds of his sale, which will likely total more than ₤188 million, to his charitable foundation. On the TwoPlusTwo online poker forums, posters questioned Dikshit’s charitable motives: “If he donated to an established charity that could not be mistaken for a front, then that would be impressive,” one skeptic noted. Some have speculated that tax benefits are the real reason behind his actions. Brennan told Poker News Daily, “He wants to get out of the business and focus on his charitable endeavors.”

The sale of two-thirds of Dikshit’s stake sent shares of Party Gaming plummeting. Trading above 284 pence on October 19th, the stock dove to 240 pence in 24 hours, a dip of 15%. PRTY closed trading on Friday on the London Stock Exchange fetching 243 pence, 135 pence above its asking price one year ago.

An article in the Financial Times summed up the reaction from most of the industry: “The truth, however, is that while the distancing of Mr Dikshit can’t be bad for Party Gaming, it is still frustratingly unclear what the odds are on a successful return to the U.S. market.” In five weeks, the financial services industry in the United States must fall into full compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The impact of the December 1st deadline remains to be seen, but the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) recently authored a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke asking for the UIGEA’s regulations to be delayed by one year.

Party Gaming Cofounders Ruth Parasol and Russ DeLeon, a husband and wife team, have not yet announced their intentions to sell stock or formulate a plea agreement with the U.S. Government. (Credit: Poker News Daily)

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Schwarzenegger may take axe to TVs - 18th October 2009

LARGE-SCREEN television sets could be banned within weeks in California in an attempt to cut the state's rising energy bill.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger supported controversial proposals by California's energy commission to impose strict energy consumption limits on TVs with screens more than 101 centimetres wide.

The commission claimed the estimated 35 million television sets and related gadgets in the state accounted for about 10 per cent of household energy consumption.

Large LCD or plasma screen sets use up to three times as much power as traditional models.

Manufacturers were reported to have said little to sway the commission's opinion.

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Political insiders launch attacks on Linda

The following news has just been released by Jodi Latina, Director of New Media, Linda McMahon for Senate 2010.

It seems hard to believe that it's been less than a month since Linda announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate. Since then, support for her campaign has been growing at a remarkable rate. Connecticut voters know Linda is the one Republican candidate in this race who can beat Chris Dodd and make Washington work for ordinary people instead of the special interests.

As is often the case when a political outsider begins shaking up the system, the career political insiders are fighting for their survival. That's no surprise. Their careers depend on protecting the status quo. What is shocking, however, is that Linda's political opponents -- just about all of whom are part of the political establishment -- are launching negative personal attacks so early.

It appears her primary opponents are so concerned about her candidacy that they are engaging in a seemingly coordinated negative attack on her. What are they afraid of?

Several weeks ago, they attacked Linda for not voting in a few recent elections. But then the Hartford Courant reported that the very politicians attacking Linda had also missed numerous elections. In fact, her most vocal opponent himself missed at least 11 local elections! The difference is that Linda was honest from the outset, putting her record on Linda2010.com for all to see. She acknowledged her missed votes were inexcusable, and she took complete personal responsibility -- unlike the career insiders who did their best to cover up their records.

It's sad really.

Now the political insiders are at it again. They are claiming Linda is not a real Republican because, as CEO of a nonpartisan, publicly traded company, she gave political contributions to Democrats as well as Republicans. The fact is Linda is a fiscally conservative Republican, and as CEO of WWE, she gave $70,700 in federal contributions to Republicans, $34,100 to Democrats and $2000 to Independents, since 1980.

Linda has helped elect far more Republicans than Democrats, but they didn't bother to tell you that. Linda has helped Republican mayors, Governor Rell, Republican Members of Congress, Republican Town Committees, the Connecticut Republican Party and the list goes on... Linda has it all posted online for everyone to see.

Linda refuses to play the old game in which politicians divert attention from their own records with non-stop negative attacks. The career political insiders started going this negative so early because they're obviously terrified of Linda's candidacy.

So much for Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment...

Linda's support is growing in leaps and bounds because she's a different kind of candidate who isn't beholden to special interests and isn't afraid to be open and honest -- even when the truth is inconvenient. She's not taking a penny of special interest money, because the only interest groups she cares about are ordinary people.

Thank you for supporting Linda. Spread the word on Twitter; tell your friends through Facebook.

Together we will take Washington back from the special interests and put people back in control.

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James Packer's Double Bay to double pay - 25th September 2009

NSW casino control authorities have knocked on the head rumours that James Packer has plans to build a casino in the ritzy and prestigious Sydney harbourside suburb of Double Bay.

Double Bay businesses have been abuzz in recent weeks with talk that casino magnate Packer has been talking about acquiring the old Ritz Hotel with a view to fixing it up and putting a casino on the site at a future date.

But the State Government was quick to scotch the rumours.

A spokeswoman said yesterday that legislation prohibited establishment of a second casino in NSW for at least 10 years, adding NSW "is a one-casino state". She said there was "one licence to be had" and Tabcorp had recently renewed it.

Tabcorp has a 12-year licence on Star City. It was renewed in October, 2007 and has another 10 years to run until its expiry.

According to the Casino Control Act of 1992, the business of gambling in NSW will be kept in check with licensing restrictions preventing the operation of a second casino.

Like his father, Packer has long had designs on getting a casino licence in NSW.

But the licensing restrictions mean that he will either have to apply for the existing licence now held by Tabcorp or lobby the Government to make a second licence available.

Kerry Packer and a consortium spent a small fortune bidding for the first casino licence but lost out to the Showboat group in 1994. It is a dream James still hopes to realise, say sources.

In the meantime, the Government has approved expansion plans for Star City - but poker-machine numbers will remain unchanged. (Credit: News Limited, Wires, Google News)

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Linda McMahon to run for Senate in Connecticut

TheHill.com reports that Linda McMahon is about to announce her plans to run for Senate in Connecticut. National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ed Patru, who Linda has reportedly hired, is quoted as saying: "[Linda] is taking into consideration a number of factors, including resources and the time commitment it would take to win...She plays to win, so if she gets in, she's in all the way. She has the capacity to bring considerable resources to the race, and she has an established record."

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Tax doubts hamper bidders for Tote Tasmania - 8th September 2009

Uncertainty regarding a tax exemption for Tote Tasmania on betting pool arrangements in mainland states has left bidders such as Tabcorp unable to value the company accurately. The Tasmanian government was hoping to have the sale finalised by early this month, but the process has hit a roadblock as betting pool tax exemptions remain unresolved. The Victorian government, led by Victorian Racing Minister Rob Hulls, has granted an extension until January 31 for the matter to be determined.

References: Australian Financial Review, Fairfax Media, Wires, Tabcorp, Tasmanian Government, Victorian Racing

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The Great British Lobby - The Telegraph

A technology group advised by David Blunkett, the former Home Secretary, is one of several British companies spending millions of pounds lobbying American politicians in a bid to shape legislation in the US.

UC Group, an online payment services group, has spent some $5.23m (£3.2m) on lobbying fees in recent years, one of several companies deploying millions to influence gambling legislation in the US.

Sportingbet, PartyGaming and Pokerstars have all hired high profile lobbying firms in the US to represent their interests as they prepare for the likely opening-up of the US online gaming market.

UC Group acts for 10 gaming companies, offering back-office and anti-money laundering operations and hopes to profit from any opening of the market. The group has worked to promote Senator Barney Frank's efforts to overturn the ban on online gaming.

The size of the company's lobbying expenses - which stretch to $2.31m since last September - are particularly eye-catching given it made just £3m in pre-tax profits last year.

Kobus Paulsen, UC Group's chief executive, suggested it was part of the group's long-term strategy. "We are certain that our efforts will yield an open market for non-US based gaming operators," he said.

Ruth Parasol and Russell De Leon, the PartyGaming founders, have spent up to £929,000 on lobbying fees since last September to influence online gaming legislation in the US.

It remains unclear whether any of those fees have been channelled towards lobbying over issues related to their potential prosecution for allegedly breaking US laws banning internet gambling.

Anurag Diskit, another founder, stunned the gaming industry in April this year by pleading guilty to breaking US laws and agreeing to pay a $300m fine. Ms Parasol, Mr De Leon and a third founder, Vikrant Bhargava, have yet to settle with the US Department of Justice.

Lobbying records for Sportingbet, the online gaming firm that also faces potential charges, show the company has paid $60,000 over the last year in relation to the "settlement of potential criminal charges related to online gambling". (Credit: The Telegraph)

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One tribe proposing legalization of Internet poker in California, by Jim Miller - The Press Enterprise - 12th August 2009

SACRAMENTO - The Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Banning is at the forefront of an effort to craft legislation legalizing online poker in California.

The influential Inland tribe, which runs a successful casino off Interstate 10, has collaborated with some Southern California card clubs on a proposal to create a "tribal intrastate Internet poker consortium." It aims to make California the first state with online poker that complies with federal law.

"This would be a game for Californians, run by Californians," said Patrick Dorinson, a spokesman for the tribe. Participating tribes, card clubs and the cash-strapped state would share in the revenue, but an exact split hasn't been determined, he said.

There are an estimated 2,300 online poker sites generating $4 billion in revenue. An estimated 1 million Californians play online poker.

The sites avoid 2006 federal restrictions on online poker by operating outside the U.S. Under some legal interpretations, federal law would allow online poker when players are in the same state as computer servers hosting the games.

No bill has emerged and there is no author for the proposal so far. Any measure would be considered during the final four weeks of the legislative year after lawmakers return Monday from their summer recess.

Already, though, the idea has received a cool reception by some other tribes with casinos.

The California Tribal Business Alliance, which includes several wealthy tribes with casinos, this week announced its opposition to the idea.

In a letter, the group called the online card game proposal "ill-conceived" and warned that it could lead to "the wholesale expansion of non-Indian, off-reservation gambling in California" by potentially bringing casino-style machines to card rooms.

"It's way too complicated to rush something through at the end of session," said Alison Harvey, the alliance's executive director.

In the Inland area, the Morongo tribe belongs to the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, which includes several tribes with casinos in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The normally tightknit group has taken no position on the online card game proposal. Two nearby group members with large casinos -- the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians near San Bernardino and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in the Coachella Valley -- also are neutral.

Morongo officials have been briefing tribal leaders from around the state in recent days. No other tribes have endorsed the proposal, Dorinson said.

The two legislators whose districts include the Morongo reservation and casino have not been approached about the tribe's proposal.

State Sen. John J. Benoit, R-Bermuda Dunes, questioned if there would be enough time to consider online poker legislation before lawmakers adjourn their regular session Sept. 11. Prison reform and water are expected to dominate the end-of-session agenda.

"I'm all ears. But it certainly would be an uphill battle to get it done in the time frame they're talking about," Benoit said.

Federal legislation

The online poker proposal has been in the works for several months. Talk of its introduction as a bill comes as the U.S. Senate prepares to consider related legislation.

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez introduced a measure last week to regulate online poker and other games. In a news release, the senator's office said the legislation could raise up to $3 billion in revenue while protecting players from unscrupulous offshore poker sites.

"Pulling Internet poker out of the shadows and into the light of the law, we have the opportunity to help our economy while protecting our families," Menendez said in a statement.

Dorinson said the California proposal would ensure that revenue from online poker played here would help the state.

At least one online poker group is skeptical about the idea.

John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, said the California proposal would give a monopoly to just a few entities. California, he said, instead should license a variety of online poker sites or host its own games. The players alliance is funded by the Canada-based Interactive Gaming Council, which represents online poker sites.

The Schwarzenegger administration does not have a position on online poker, a spokeswoman said.

Last summer, the Legislature considered a bill that would have legalized online poker. It stalled after major opposition from some tribes and tribal organizations, including the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations.

Political fights

Underlying the latest proposal is the recent acrimony between some of the groups involved.

In 2004, tribal casinos defeated a ballot measure pushed by card clubs and horse tracks that would have ended the tribes' monopoly on slot machines.

In 2007 and 2008, some members of the tribal business alliance spent millions in an unsuccessful campaign to overturn 2006 casino-expansion agreements between the state and the Morongo tribe, along with several others.

Last year, the tribes joined forces to push through legislation to ban devices in some nontribal bingo halls run by various charities. Critics called the devices illegal slot machines. But opponents of the bill said it hurt the charities' fundraising. (Credit: The Press Enterprise)

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Breaking News! Online Poker Bill Introduced in U.S. Senate

New Bill Is Separate from Barney Frank's Similar Online Gambling Bill, with a Higher-Profile Position in the Senate

August 6, 2009 (CAP Newswire) -- New Jersey Democrat Robert Menendez has just introduced into the U.S. Senate a brand new piece of legislation designed to legalize and regulate Internet poker.

"To amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for the licensing by the Secretary of the Treasury of Internet poker and other games that are predominantly of skill, to provide for consumer protections on the Internet, to enforce the tax code, and for other purposes," the bill begins.

The bill would establish a new legal regulatory framework for Internet poker in the United States, and also put in place certain consumer protections such as age restrictions. Officially entitled S.8309, the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, it was introduced today.

No matter what success this bill meets with, it represents another huge milestone in the nationwide struggle to reclassify poker from gambling to a game of skill. This movement seeks to enable online poker to be not only legalized but also change the way it is regarded in popular culture.

That movement has gained a lot of transaction over the past year, with smaller court victories in states such as Colorado, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, and with Representative Barney Frank’s recent efforts to legalize and regulate certain sectors of online gambling with his own legislation (which is separate from this bill).

Home to the original U.S. gaming resort destination, Atlantic City, New Jersey has long had its own internal struggles regarding the legality of gaming, and has recently clashed with the federal government on this basis. So it makes sense that the author of this new legislation is is from New Jersey — and a Democrat, the party that is apparently more open to the idea of fully legalized online gambling. (Although it technically has bipartisan support, the vast majority of supporters of Barney Frank’s recent pro-Internet gambling efforts have been Democrats.)

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) not only supports the new bill, but has provided a copy of it at its website. Check it out here. (Credit: CAP)

Greg Tingle comment...

This online poker bill is most welcome news, and has been a long time coming.

Down under in Australia poker and I dare say, online poker, is already a strong part of our popular culture, just as are kangaroos, meat pies and Holden cars, and having a punt on the (horse) races and a bit of a spin on the pokies. By the way, Sportingbet is introducing V8Bet, so punters can be on the V8 Supercar racing, (Holden and Ford).

Some may not like this, and some will, but there's strong rumblings that sports betting might try to significantly ride off the back of this poker bill, as there could be legal arguments that there certainly are elements of skill (knowledge etc) in picking sports bet winners. A similar scenario of sorts with the game known as "Spot The Ball", which has long been a part of British culture, with numerous British newspapers running Spot The Ball competitions. Property listing companies such as Play4Property.com are taking the Spot The Ball game internationally, which isn't that hard to do with the internet as an medium of media, backed up by traditional media, journalism, marketing et al.

Friends, the rules have changed, and will continue to, in regards to online poker, online games of skill, online gambling, and the way business is conducted between people, corporations, media companies et al.

A few apt quotes from some gentlemen with some good ideas and track record of success, getting things done, and changing the world, and the rules of play!

James Packer - "Internet is like electricity"

Rupert Murdoch - "Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow"

Charles Darwin - "In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed"

My tip, look to California to plug into online poker, online sports betting, and quite likely, online gambling as a whole. They have been pro active and early adopters on other social issues such as the environment, poverty and health.

You can bet that Harrah's Entertainment and their chain of hotel - casino - resorts will be watching this space, as will Macau's Cotai Strip, and even Parliament House down under in Canberra, Australia.

In this space, I'm sure glad to be a journalist, media agent and website portal developer, rather than an owner of a casino or online casino. The online poker and online casino happenings are most certainly extremely newsworthy items to cover. It's of course part of the larger civil liberties and freedom of speech - censorship debate. We should have the right to do what we like in our homes, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Also remember, sometimes the law is an ass, so just because something is legal or illegal, doesn't mean it is necessarily right or wrong. It just means its (current) law, some of which get changed for the better, some not.

As always, know your limits, bet with your head, not over it. If the gambling, or poker playing stops being enjoyable, its likely time to stop. Have fun, whether poker, pokies, spot the ball, or some other game tickles your fancy.

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