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2006/12/07
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New Jersey moved forward Friday with its plans to offer Internet gambling, issuing regulations on how the new online bets are to be handled.
The rules offered by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement include techniques to verify that players are within New Jersey’s geographic boundaries, include a 15 percent tax on casinos’ online winnings and add cautions for people at risk of becoming compulsive gamblers.
The state still has not set a date when Atlantic City’s 12 casinos may begin offering Internet bets, but such gambling is expected to start before the end of the year.
“New Jersey has once again proven to be in the forefront of casino gaming with the development of Internet wagering regulations for all casino games,” said David Rebuck, the division’s director.
The rules also allow New Jersey to make agreements with other states or countries to offer Internet gambling as long as it is legal in both places. Nevada and Delaware also have legalized Internet gambling, and other states are expected to follow suit soon.
Online games will mark the biggest expansion of gambling in New Jersey since the state’s first casino opened in 1978.
Rebuck said the state studied gambling regulations in other jurisdictions that permit online wagering — Nevada; Alderney, part of the British Channel Islands; France; Spain; Italy; and Denmark — and adopted some of their best practices.
NJ issues regulations for Internet gambling - The Trentonian
The rules offered by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement include techniques to verify that players are within New Jersey’s geographic boundaries, include a 15 percent tax on casinos’ online winnings and add cautions for people at risk of becoming compulsive gamblers.
The state still has not set a date when Atlantic City’s 12 casinos may begin offering Internet bets, but such gambling is expected to start before the end of the year.
“New Jersey has once again proven to be in the forefront of casino gaming with the development of Internet wagering regulations for all casino games,” said David Rebuck, the division’s director.
The rules also allow New Jersey to make agreements with other states or countries to offer Internet gambling as long as it is legal in both places. Nevada and Delaware also have legalized Internet gambling, and other states are expected to follow suit soon.
Online games will mark the biggest expansion of gambling in New Jersey since the state’s first casino opened in 1978.
Rebuck said the state studied gambling regulations in other jurisdictions that permit online wagering — Nevada; Alderney, part of the British Channel Islands; France; Spain; Italy; and Denmark — and adopted some of their best practices.
NJ issues regulations for Internet gambling - The Trentonian
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2006/12/07
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Just over a month ago the Provincial Government of Ontario announced it had selected the provider of its proposed online gambling offering scheduled to be launched this year sometime. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation selected SPIELO G2’s BOSS MEDIA to supply services to the new online gambling site. The corporation plans to convert its PlayOLG.ca site from its current status as an information only site to a real-money gambling offering.
With estimates of $375m in profits for the province over its first five years in business it is proposed as a lucrative new revenue source. The SPIELO G2 contract is for five years with two separate options to renew for three year and two year agreements. Other bid on the OLG contract including Montreal based Amaya Gaming and OpenBet. The corporation is still looking for other operators for its online poker and bingo software as well as for third party gaming content.
The bad news for the OLG is the recent turn of events that may jeopardize the launch of the corporation’s online gambling offering with the removal of the company’s CEO Paul Godfrey. The subsequent resignation of the entire board of directors has left the gambling industry in a confused state.
Finance Minister Charles Sousa stated that Godfrey had “led a significant turnaround” in OLG’s fortunes. Godfrey said during a press conference following the dismissal that he hadn’t been given, “any reason for this decision. Nor do I think there’s a particularly good one. I was fired.”
Ontario’s Premier Kathleen Wynne, is not a proponent of gambling as a revenue source and may not embark on the expansion plans the previous administration was working on. Godfrey commented that he understands that Wynne might want to install someone else adding his “main concern is that the momentum created could falter.” Ontario is deep in debt and the OLG expansion plans were considered part of the financial recovery the province needs.
Ontario's Online Gambling Launch in Jeopardy
With estimates of $375m in profits for the province over its first five years in business it is proposed as a lucrative new revenue source. The SPIELO G2 contract is for five years with two separate options to renew for three year and two year agreements. Other bid on the OLG contract including Montreal based Amaya Gaming and OpenBet. The corporation is still looking for other operators for its online poker and bingo software as well as for third party gaming content.
The bad news for the OLG is the recent turn of events that may jeopardize the launch of the corporation’s online gambling offering with the removal of the company’s CEO Paul Godfrey. The subsequent resignation of the entire board of directors has left the gambling industry in a confused state.
Finance Minister Charles Sousa stated that Godfrey had “led a significant turnaround” in OLG’s fortunes. Godfrey said during a press conference following the dismissal that he hadn’t been given, “any reason for this decision. Nor do I think there’s a particularly good one. I was fired.”
Ontario’s Premier Kathleen Wynne, is not a proponent of gambling as a revenue source and may not embark on the expansion plans the previous administration was working on. Godfrey commented that he understands that Wynne might want to install someone else adding his “main concern is that the momentum created could falter.” Ontario is deep in debt and the OLG expansion plans were considered part of the financial recovery the province needs.
Ontario's Online Gambling Launch in Jeopardy
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2006/12/07
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Christoph Waltz was left shaken after his television interview was interrupted by gunfire.
The Django Unchained actor was being interviewed for France's Le Grand Journal at the Cannes Film Festival when gunfire was heard and he was quickly rushed to safety.
He told the Daily Mail: "I was on a panel at the Studio Canal platform off the beach when a man produced a gun. I think it was a pistol and he fired but luckily for me they were blanks.
"Then he shouted he had a grenade and again luckily for me there was no grenade.
"The police have him. They tackled him to the ground. I don't know who he was or where he came from or what his problem was."
The man was arrested at the scene and police found he was carrying a fake grenade and a knife.
A police source said: "It really appears to be a crazy guy."
No injuries were reported and the telecast resumed a few minutes later.
Actress Robin Wright revealed she heard the commotion but was unsure of what had happened.
She said: "I saw ambulances and police but I didn't know what they were for. It held traffic up but I didn't know the details till I heard it from Christoph."
The Django Unchained actor was being interviewed for France's Le Grand Journal at the Cannes Film Festival when gunfire was heard and he was quickly rushed to safety.
He told the Daily Mail: "I was on a panel at the Studio Canal platform off the beach when a man produced a gun. I think it was a pistol and he fired but luckily for me they were blanks.
"Then he shouted he had a grenade and again luckily for me there was no grenade.
"The police have him. They tackled him to the ground. I don't know who he was or where he came from or what his problem was."
The man was arrested at the scene and police found he was carrying a fake grenade and a knife.
A police source said: "It really appears to be a crazy guy."
No injuries were reported and the telecast resumed a few minutes later.
Actress Robin Wright revealed she heard the commotion but was unsure of what had happened.
She said: "I saw ambulances and police but I didn't know what they were for. It held traffic up but I didn't know the details till I heard it from Christoph."
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2006/12/07
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29893
Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won Eurovision before an international TV audience of around 125 million, securing the coveted crown of euro-pop with a folksy ballad backed by flutes and drums.
The barefoot 20-year-old stole the show as predicted by bookmakers with "Only Teardrops" in a final that saw 26 countries battle it out in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the top prize in glitzy European pop music.
"I could feel the fans and all the energy in the arena. ... It's a once in a lifetime experience. I'm just the happiest girl in the world," de Forest said after the event. She said she was proud to win in Sweden as her late father was Swedish and a Eurovision fan.
Denmark, which has won the contest twice before - most recently in 2000 with the Olsen Brothers' "Fly on the Wings of Love" - was clearly in the lead even after just half of the votes were cast.
The show's host, Swedish comedian Petra Mede, went ahead and announced the country's win before the final votes were read out, with the red and white Danish flag flashing on her gown in a classic over-the-top Eurovision moment.
Azerbaijan took second place in the competition with "Hold Me", followed by third place for Ukraine with "Gravity".
"How many times can we win and lose? How many times can we break the rules between us? Only teardrops?" the Danish performer sang, beaming ear-to-ear as she repeated her winning song to the audience against a fiery backdrop. Denmark's victory means the contest will move just across the bridge between Sweden and Denmark next year, keeping the contest in the Nordics for a second year running after Loreen won last year's contest in Azerbaijan with her dance track "Euphoria".
"It's nice to give the prize to someone else. I have had such a fantastic year," Loreen told Reuters.
Singers from Russia to Romania competed as Eurovision returned to the homeland of ABBA, the Swedish band it propelled to global superstardom.
There was no shortage of ABBA nostalgia Saturday night.
Former ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus composed the opening act together with Swedish DJ Avicii, and the Swedish singer Sarah Dawn Finer belted out the ABBA classic "The Winner Takes It All" before votes were revealed.
Though Sweden opted to tighten the budget for this year's show after Azerbaijan spent lavishly last year, pop fans around the world still got their usual three-hour dose of heavy-duty kitsch.
Famed as much for the costumes and characters on stage as its - sometimes - catchy tunes, Eurovision's line-up included a 2.4 metre (7 foot 10 inch) tall Ukrainian who carried singer Zlata Ognevich, and a lesbian kiss in Finland's "Marry Me", which drew media controversy.
Spirit of unity
Eurovision was started in the 1950s to help foster a spirit of unity after World War Two.
In an attempt to ensure that musical quality takes precedence over geographically motivated bloc voting from television viewers, professional judges now account for 50% of a performer's score.
The other half comes from the number of telephone and SMS votes each contestant receives, with fans unable to vote for their own country's entry.
Eurovision fans crowded into downtown Malmo's squares and parks on an unusually hot sunny day ahead of the contest, with music blaring and boats cruising the canals.
"It's the festival feel, the fun, the unity - everyone's out to have a bit of fun," said Eurovision fan David Sherrit, who flew in from Britain for the show.
"The music is quite awful, but we really come here because it's great fun and you can have a laugh at yourself and each other."
In its nearly six-decade history, Eurovision has been a launching pad for the likes of Celine Dion, Julio Iglesias and Olivia Newton-John. ABBA won the contest with "Waterloo" in 1974.
The barefoot 20-year-old stole the show as predicted by bookmakers with "Only Teardrops" in a final that saw 26 countries battle it out in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the top prize in glitzy European pop music.
"I could feel the fans and all the energy in the arena. ... It's a once in a lifetime experience. I'm just the happiest girl in the world," de Forest said after the event. She said she was proud to win in Sweden as her late father was Swedish and a Eurovision fan.
Denmark, which has won the contest twice before - most recently in 2000 with the Olsen Brothers' "Fly on the Wings of Love" - was clearly in the lead even after just half of the votes were cast.
The show's host, Swedish comedian Petra Mede, went ahead and announced the country's win before the final votes were read out, with the red and white Danish flag flashing on her gown in a classic over-the-top Eurovision moment.
Azerbaijan took second place in the competition with "Hold Me", followed by third place for Ukraine with "Gravity".
"How many times can we win and lose? How many times can we break the rules between us? Only teardrops?" the Danish performer sang, beaming ear-to-ear as she repeated her winning song to the audience against a fiery backdrop. Denmark's victory means the contest will move just across the bridge between Sweden and Denmark next year, keeping the contest in the Nordics for a second year running after Loreen won last year's contest in Azerbaijan with her dance track "Euphoria".
"It's nice to give the prize to someone else. I have had such a fantastic year," Loreen told Reuters.
Singers from Russia to Romania competed as Eurovision returned to the homeland of ABBA, the Swedish band it propelled to global superstardom.
There was no shortage of ABBA nostalgia Saturday night.
Former ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus composed the opening act together with Swedish DJ Avicii, and the Swedish singer Sarah Dawn Finer belted out the ABBA classic "The Winner Takes It All" before votes were revealed.
Though Sweden opted to tighten the budget for this year's show after Azerbaijan spent lavishly last year, pop fans around the world still got their usual three-hour dose of heavy-duty kitsch.
Famed as much for the costumes and characters on stage as its - sometimes - catchy tunes, Eurovision's line-up included a 2.4 metre (7 foot 10 inch) tall Ukrainian who carried singer Zlata Ognevich, and a lesbian kiss in Finland's "Marry Me", which drew media controversy.
Spirit of unity
Eurovision was started in the 1950s to help foster a spirit of unity after World War Two.
In an attempt to ensure that musical quality takes precedence over geographically motivated bloc voting from television viewers, professional judges now account for 50% of a performer's score.
The other half comes from the number of telephone and SMS votes each contestant receives, with fans unable to vote for their own country's entry.
Eurovision fans crowded into downtown Malmo's squares and parks on an unusually hot sunny day ahead of the contest, with music blaring and boats cruising the canals.
"It's the festival feel, the fun, the unity - everyone's out to have a bit of fun," said Eurovision fan David Sherrit, who flew in from Britain for the show.
"The music is quite awful, but we really come here because it's great fun and you can have a laugh at yourself and each other."
In its nearly six-decade history, Eurovision has been a launching pad for the likes of Celine Dion, Julio Iglesias and Olivia Newton-John. ABBA won the contest with "Waterloo" in 1974.
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2006/12/07
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29893
Respect for the law when it comes to sports match fixing is something that some players and officials don’t have. That may change as the authorities of India arrest former Indian cricket test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two other players on suspicion of spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League.
India's cricket board has suspended Sreesanth and his Rajasthan Royals companions Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila. "All information required to bring the persons involved to book will be collected and strictest action will be taken, if found guilty," the Cricket board secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a statement, adding "The BCCI has zero tolerance to corruption. We will offer all cooperation to the Delhi police and all other authorities in their investigations in this matter."
Recently the cricket board banned one cricketer for life and imposed lesser punishments to four others following similar allegations of corruption in India’s cricket tournaments.
Jagdale went on to explain, "The BCCI engages the services of the anti-corruption wing of the ICC to educate and monitor players and support staff in prevention of corruption of any form in the game," he continued, "It is wholly unfortunate that despite such education, best playing conditions and terms of engagement offered, some players seem to be indulging in such activity."
India recently started to discuss legalizing internet wagers in order to curtail the illegal activity. India’s sports ministry recently revived a three-year-old study entitled ‘Regulating sports betting in India: A Vice to be Tamed’ Former officials did not feel the report relevant at the time, while the current minister is looking at regulation as having a twofold affect. The need for revenue generation and regulation are now considered motivating factors to move forward on regulated gambling in India. Currently gambling is for the most part illegal in India with the exception of horse racing and a few land based casinos. Match fixing is a serious crime that must be addressed for the benefit of punters and the public.
Online Gambling Regulation Reviewed in India
India's cricket board has suspended Sreesanth and his Rajasthan Royals companions Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila. "All information required to bring the persons involved to book will be collected and strictest action will be taken, if found guilty," the Cricket board secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a statement, adding "The BCCI has zero tolerance to corruption. We will offer all cooperation to the Delhi police and all other authorities in their investigations in this matter."
Recently the cricket board banned one cricketer for life and imposed lesser punishments to four others following similar allegations of corruption in India’s cricket tournaments.
Jagdale went on to explain, "The BCCI engages the services of the anti-corruption wing of the ICC to educate and monitor players and support staff in prevention of corruption of any form in the game," he continued, "It is wholly unfortunate that despite such education, best playing conditions and terms of engagement offered, some players seem to be indulging in such activity."
India recently started to discuss legalizing internet wagers in order to curtail the illegal activity. India’s sports ministry recently revived a three-year-old study entitled ‘Regulating sports betting in India: A Vice to be Tamed’ Former officials did not feel the report relevant at the time, while the current minister is looking at regulation as having a twofold affect. The need for revenue generation and regulation are now considered motivating factors to move forward on regulated gambling in India. Currently gambling is for the most part illegal in India with the exception of horse racing and a few land based casinos. Match fixing is a serious crime that must be addressed for the benefit of punters and the public.
Online Gambling Regulation Reviewed in India
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2006/12/07
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29893
Online gambling in the Garden State took one step closer to becoming a reality with this week’s announcement from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement that regulations governing NJ’s online gambling industry will be published on June 3rd.
The DGE is the primary regulator for online gambling activity in New Jersey. The bill that brought legal, regulated gambling to the state also granted the DGE sweeping powers with regards to the licensing process, the types of games that can be offered and the manner in which games must be operated.
A draft of the regulations the DGE has developed will be available as part of the official state record on June 3rd. Following the publishing of the regulations is a comment period that runs through August 2nd. During this period anyone can leave their feedback on the regulations, although the DGE is not required to address all (or any) comments. Comments are generally made public at the end of the comment period.
How NJ online gambling will work
New Jersey will operate in a very similar fashion to Nevada when it comes to online gambling. While the regulations governing online gambling in New Jersey clock in at over 70 pages, the basics of regulation can be boiled down to just a few key ideas:
All of the rules that apply to live gambling apply to online gambling unless otherwise stated.
Players will be able to deposit by credit card, debit card and casino account transfer. As is also the case with Nevada’s Ultimate Poker, players will have the option to deposit into their online account at the physical cashier’s cage in the casino
Casinos will be obligated to keep extensive records on all gameplay and account transactions. And they’re obligated to make that information readily available to relevant agencies upon demand.
Remember, this is still a draft in some sense, and therefore subject to change. The comment process is the primary route for individuals interested in providing their input for improving the regulations.
Will NJ form networks with other states?
The regulations in their current form do permit New Jersey to compact with other states. But generating a list of potential partners isn’t a simple exercise. People are naturally inclined to think of a neighboring state like Pennsylvania, but with the intense competition between the two states for land-based gambling dollars, such a partnership might prove difficult to forge.
A more likely situation is that New Jersey will develop relationships with states that have some interest in limited forms of online gambling (perhaps just poker, or just slot games) but little interest in developing the regulatory framework to support such activity. Think of states like Vermont or possibly even Texas.
New Jersey capable of going it alone
With a population of nearly nine million, New Jersey is considered to be a state that could support multiple online poker sites.
While these sites wouldn’t necessarily be on the scale of a PokerStars, the consensus is that New Jersey could play host to two or three thriving online poker sites, especially if players from the surrounding region relocate for the purposes of playing online poker.
New Jersey Will Release Internet Gambling Regulations in Early June
The DGE is the primary regulator for online gambling activity in New Jersey. The bill that brought legal, regulated gambling to the state also granted the DGE sweeping powers with regards to the licensing process, the types of games that can be offered and the manner in which games must be operated.
A draft of the regulations the DGE has developed will be available as part of the official state record on June 3rd. Following the publishing of the regulations is a comment period that runs through August 2nd. During this period anyone can leave their feedback on the regulations, although the DGE is not required to address all (or any) comments. Comments are generally made public at the end of the comment period.
How NJ online gambling will work
New Jersey will operate in a very similar fashion to Nevada when it comes to online gambling. While the regulations governing online gambling in New Jersey clock in at over 70 pages, the basics of regulation can be boiled down to just a few key ideas:
All of the rules that apply to live gambling apply to online gambling unless otherwise stated.
Players will be able to deposit by credit card, debit card and casino account transfer. As is also the case with Nevada’s Ultimate Poker, players will have the option to deposit into their online account at the physical cashier’s cage in the casino
Casinos will be obligated to keep extensive records on all gameplay and account transactions. And they’re obligated to make that information readily available to relevant agencies upon demand.
Remember, this is still a draft in some sense, and therefore subject to change. The comment process is the primary route for individuals interested in providing their input for improving the regulations.
Will NJ form networks with other states?
The regulations in their current form do permit New Jersey to compact with other states. But generating a list of potential partners isn’t a simple exercise. People are naturally inclined to think of a neighboring state like Pennsylvania, but with the intense competition between the two states for land-based gambling dollars, such a partnership might prove difficult to forge.
A more likely situation is that New Jersey will develop relationships with states that have some interest in limited forms of online gambling (perhaps just poker, or just slot games) but little interest in developing the regulatory framework to support such activity. Think of states like Vermont or possibly even Texas.
New Jersey capable of going it alone
With a population of nearly nine million, New Jersey is considered to be a state that could support multiple online poker sites.
While these sites wouldn’t necessarily be on the scale of a PokerStars, the consensus is that New Jersey could play host to two or three thriving online poker sites, especially if players from the surrounding region relocate for the purposes of playing online poker.
New Jersey Will Release Internet Gambling Regulations in Early June
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Rachel Hunter says it "wasn't a hard decision" to rejoin the judging panel for this year's New Zealand's Got Talent.
The supermodel was speaking on TV ONE's Breakfast this morning, live from London, about coming back to New Zealand for the show.
She will be taking up the mantel again with Opshop frontman Jason Kerrison. Choreographer Cris Judd will complete the three-person judging panel when filming begins in July. "It wasn't a hard decision," Hunter said.
"There was so much success with that show, we had great winners, and even the other contestants, they were just as successful as well.
"It's a fun show, and I'm fortunate enough to be at home as well, which is something I get really excited about, spending time at home too."
Hunter said new judge Cris was "a really awesome guy" with an "incredible career" record.
"I think especially that we have such variety, as far as acts are concerned, I think it just gives a lot more guts as far as having someone there to judge the dance, because that's important," she said.
"It all comes down to having that charismatic feel as to who are the acts that stand out, and having someone that really knows dance is, I think, really important to the people who are coming."
New Zealand's Got Talent will be competing against other Kiwi talent shows this year, but Hunter said it would not have an impact on the strength of the contestants or the public's interest in the show. "I'm astounded a little bit by that, because anyone who puts these shows down, and puts them against each other, is pretty pathetic, because as far as I'm concerned you're putting New Zealanders down," she said.
"This is a great opportunity for New Zealanders to show that we do have incredible talent, and we should back our own talent.
"I think that they're very different shows, this is a variety show, you have jugglers, you have dancers, you have musicians, it's huge. The other show clearly has singers, so I think that New Zealand needs to back the talent that's on there and stop pitting these shows against each other, because, as I said, it's pathetic, and we should be supporting the talent of New Zealand.
"It isn't about who's better than the other one, and I think if we can take overseas shows we certainly should be supporting our own shows."
She said she was looking forward to seeing the acts perform for this year's show, and hoped there would be "a few more animals" making an appearance.
The former model and mother-of-two said she was also keen to get back to New Zealand and "just be a normal adult back at home".
"I think that's been special, being able to go and see my grandmother and mum, and in between shows just being able to live as a New Zealander, it's been really, really, really important to me," she said.
"And I thank the show for letting me come down and do that.
"My kids love coming down there, as I've said loads of times, and to come as an adult, it's pretty fantastic."
Open auditions for NZGT continue around the country with the Toyota Talent Tour. For dates and locations click here.
The supermodel was speaking on TV ONE's Breakfast this morning, live from London, about coming back to New Zealand for the show.
She will be taking up the mantel again with Opshop frontman Jason Kerrison. Choreographer Cris Judd will complete the three-person judging panel when filming begins in July. "It wasn't a hard decision," Hunter said.
"There was so much success with that show, we had great winners, and even the other contestants, they were just as successful as well.
"It's a fun show, and I'm fortunate enough to be at home as well, which is something I get really excited about, spending time at home too."
Hunter said new judge Cris was "a really awesome guy" with an "incredible career" record.
"I think especially that we have such variety, as far as acts are concerned, I think it just gives a lot more guts as far as having someone there to judge the dance, because that's important," she said.
"It all comes down to having that charismatic feel as to who are the acts that stand out, and having someone that really knows dance is, I think, really important to the people who are coming."
New Zealand's Got Talent will be competing against other Kiwi talent shows this year, but Hunter said it would not have an impact on the strength of the contestants or the public's interest in the show. "I'm astounded a little bit by that, because anyone who puts these shows down, and puts them against each other, is pretty pathetic, because as far as I'm concerned you're putting New Zealanders down," she said.
"This is a great opportunity for New Zealanders to show that we do have incredible talent, and we should back our own talent.
"I think that they're very different shows, this is a variety show, you have jugglers, you have dancers, you have musicians, it's huge. The other show clearly has singers, so I think that New Zealand needs to back the talent that's on there and stop pitting these shows against each other, because, as I said, it's pathetic, and we should be supporting the talent of New Zealand.
"It isn't about who's better than the other one, and I think if we can take overseas shows we certainly should be supporting our own shows."
She said she was looking forward to seeing the acts perform for this year's show, and hoped there would be "a few more animals" making an appearance.
The former model and mother-of-two said she was also keen to get back to New Zealand and "just be a normal adult back at home".
"I think that's been special, being able to go and see my grandmother and mum, and in between shows just being able to live as a New Zealander, it's been really, really, really important to me," she said.
"And I thank the show for letting me come down and do that.
"My kids love coming down there, as I've said loads of times, and to come as an adult, it's pretty fantastic."
Open auditions for NZGT continue around the country with the Toyota Talent Tour. For dates and locations click here.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Manne wrote:
Online gambling in the Garden State took one step closer to becoming a reality with this week’s announcement from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement that regulations governing NJ’s online gambling industry will be published on June 3rd.
The DGE is the primary regulator for online gambling activity in New Jersey. The bill that brought legal, regulated gambling to the state also granted the DGE sweeping powers with regards to the licensing process, the types of games that can be offered and the manner in which games must be operated.
A draft of the regulations the DGE has developed will be available as part of the official state record on June 3rd. Following the publishing of the regulations is a comment period that runs through August 2nd. During this period anyone can leave their feedback on the regulations, although the DGE is not required to address all (or any) comments. Comments are generally made public at the end of the comment period.
How NJ online gambling will work
New Jersey will operate in a very similar fashion to Nevada when it comes to online gambling. While the regulations governing online gambling in New Jersey clock in at over 70 pages, the basics of regulation can be boiled down to just a few key ideas:
All of the rules that apply to live gambling apply to online gambling unless otherwise stated.
Players will be able to deposit by credit card, debit card and casino account transfer. As is also the case with Nevada’s Ultimate Poker, players will have the option to deposit into their online account at the physical cashier’s cage in the casino
Casinos will be obligated to keep extensive records on all gameplay and account transactions. And they’re obligated to make that information readily available to relevant agencies upon demand.
Remember, this is still a draft in some sense, and therefore subject to change. The comment process is the primary route for individuals interested in providing their input for improving the regulations.
Will NJ form networks with other states?
The regulations in their current form do permit New Jersey to compact with other states. But generating a list of potential partners isn’t a simple exercise. People are naturally inclined to think of a neighboring state like Pennsylvania, but with the intense competition between the two states for land-based gambling dollars, such a partnership might prove difficult to forge.
A more likely situation is that New Jersey will develop relationships with states that have some interest in limited forms of online gambling (perhaps just poker, or just slot games) but little interest in developing the regulatory framework to support such activity. Think of states like Vermont or possibly even Texas.
New Jersey capable of going it alone
With a population of nearly nine million, New Jersey is considered to be a state that could support multiple online poker sites.
While these sites wouldn’t necessarily be on the scale of a PokerStars, the consensus is that New Jersey could play host to two or three thriving online poker sites, especially if players from the surrounding region relocate for the purposes of playing online poker.
New Jersey Will Release Internet Gambling Regulations in Early June
I hope they are preparing something nice.
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2006/12/11
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1758
Bureaucrats can say the darnedest things.
Gov. Christie’s administration has put together a set of proposed online gaming rules that will be published in June by the Division of Gaming Enforcement, launching a 60-day public comment period.
We’re supportive of the online gaming movement. New Jersey has largely botched its handling of Atlantic City’s growing competition from neighboring states, so there’s little point in the state compounding those mistakes by turning a blind eye to the realities of internet gambling.
That said, some of the language used in the proposed rules reads like nothing more than a painful exercise in desperately wishful thinking — or just plain old nonsensical public-relations spin.
For example, the new rules are “anticipated to have a positive social impact on the way the public participates in gaming in New Jersey,” according to the administration.
What does that even mean? The citizenry is going to bond over its new online gaming capability? Ordinary dinner parties may now turn into internet gambling fests?
Or are we talking about broader social issues? Maybe officials are planning to use the additional tax revenue toward lifting residents out of poverty. Or maybe not.
Of course at the same time the administration also notes in the same document that effects of the expanded gaming should be “intensely studied in the years to come.”
So, to sum up, the administration says it thinks this will all be good, but it may not be, and we really won’t know for years, so let’s all keep an eye on it.
Meanwhile, regarding the future of Atlantic City, officials seem to have some unusually high hopes for the potential of “effective” marketing and promotional efforts helping to offset the possibility that more online gambling options will cut into visits to the casinos. The apparent hope is that internet gaming operations themselves will provide the marketing opportunity to attract more customers to the seashore. “In this scenario,” the document reads, “internet gaming may become a boon to the Atlantic City casino workforces.” That should read, “in this highly unlikely, dream-case scenario.”
The state has tried countless advertising gimmicks to promote Atlantic City as a tourist destination, without much success in recent years, as the casinos continue to struggle mightily. The likelihood that the marketing outlet provided by the online gaming will magically change all that is slim at best.
But in the end, officials have to say something to promote the idea. The simple existence of more gambling in the state could have some residual positive impact on Atlantic City. The state should cash in with more overall gaming tax revenue, which is what this is all about anyway.
There is no turning back the clock on gambling in the state and beyond, as much as some New Jerseyans would like that. Online gaming is a prominent and unavoidable part of the landscape, and the state will do well to get on board now. But there’s no reason to pretend that this is anything more than a logical extension of the brand in the quest for more tax money.
www-mycentraljersey-com/article/20130521/NJOPINION0101/305210016/Support-online-gaming-right-reasons
Gov. Christie’s administration has put together a set of proposed online gaming rules that will be published in June by the Division of Gaming Enforcement, launching a 60-day public comment period.
We’re supportive of the online gaming movement. New Jersey has largely botched its handling of Atlantic City’s growing competition from neighboring states, so there’s little point in the state compounding those mistakes by turning a blind eye to the realities of internet gambling.
That said, some of the language used in the proposed rules reads like nothing more than a painful exercise in desperately wishful thinking — or just plain old nonsensical public-relations spin.
For example, the new rules are “anticipated to have a positive social impact on the way the public participates in gaming in New Jersey,” according to the administration.
What does that even mean? The citizenry is going to bond over its new online gaming capability? Ordinary dinner parties may now turn into internet gambling fests?
Or are we talking about broader social issues? Maybe officials are planning to use the additional tax revenue toward lifting residents out of poverty. Or maybe not.
Of course at the same time the administration also notes in the same document that effects of the expanded gaming should be “intensely studied in the years to come.”
So, to sum up, the administration says it thinks this will all be good, but it may not be, and we really won’t know for years, so let’s all keep an eye on it.
Meanwhile, regarding the future of Atlantic City, officials seem to have some unusually high hopes for the potential of “effective” marketing and promotional efforts helping to offset the possibility that more online gambling options will cut into visits to the casinos. The apparent hope is that internet gaming operations themselves will provide the marketing opportunity to attract more customers to the seashore. “In this scenario,” the document reads, “internet gaming may become a boon to the Atlantic City casino workforces.” That should read, “in this highly unlikely, dream-case scenario.”
The state has tried countless advertising gimmicks to promote Atlantic City as a tourist destination, without much success in recent years, as the casinos continue to struggle mightily. The likelihood that the marketing outlet provided by the online gaming will magically change all that is slim at best.
But in the end, officials have to say something to promote the idea. The simple existence of more gambling in the state could have some residual positive impact on Atlantic City. The state should cash in with more overall gaming tax revenue, which is what this is all about anyway.
There is no turning back the clock on gambling in the state and beyond, as much as some New Jerseyans would like that. Online gaming is a prominent and unavoidable part of the landscape, and the state will do well to get on board now. But there’s no reason to pretend that this is anything more than a logical extension of the brand in the quest for more tax money.
www-mycentraljersey-com/article/20130521/NJOPINION0101/305210016/Support-online-gaming-right-reasons
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2006/12/07
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The raid on Mt Gox assets was the first serious shut down of a BitCoin exchange by the US Federal Government.
In March, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the Department of the Treasury issued a new definition that brings BitCoin fully into the regulators’ grasp;
“a person is an exchanger and a money transmitter if the person accepts such de-centralized convertible virtual currency from one person and transmits it to another person as part of the acceptance and transfer of currency, funds, or other value that substitutes for currency.”
The new definition now makes dealers in BitCoin subject to “18 USC § 1960 – Prohibition of unlicensed money transmitting businesses.” If BitCoin sites allow US players and transmit or receive BitCoin payments, they may be breaking US law and should get legal advice.
Being based overseas is no escape, as the law applies even to foreign companies if they allow US customers access to their services.
US Govt Brings BitCoin Out of the Shadows | Pokerfuse Online Poker News
In March, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the Department of the Treasury issued a new definition that brings BitCoin fully into the regulators’ grasp;
“a person is an exchanger and a money transmitter if the person accepts such de-centralized convertible virtual currency from one person and transmits it to another person as part of the acceptance and transfer of currency, funds, or other value that substitutes for currency.”
The new definition now makes dealers in BitCoin subject to “18 USC § 1960 – Prohibition of unlicensed money transmitting businesses.” If BitCoin sites allow US players and transmit or receive BitCoin payments, they may be breaking US law and should get legal advice.
Being based overseas is no escape, as the law applies even to foreign companies if they allow US customers access to their services.
US Govt Brings BitCoin Out of the Shadows | Pokerfuse Online Poker News
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2006/12/07
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29893
Kirk Kerkorian, nicknamed “the smiling cobra,” was one of Sin Citys’ early developers and helped build some of Las Vegas’ most iconic hotels, such as Caeser’s Palace and the MGM Grand. Now, however, the 95 year old billionaire has gone missing and according to his ex-wife Lisa Bonder Kerkorian, 47, is being held captive by his lawyers.
American businessman Kerkor Kerkorian is the CEO of Tracinda Corporation, and saw his wealth rise to $16 billion in 2008, before a stock market recession saw his his net worth reduced to around $3 billion. Kerkorian has been married three times with his last marriage to Lisa Bonder lasting just 28 days back in 1999. Now, the ex-tennis star is convinced Kirk Kerkorian has been prevented from seeing his 15-year-old daughter, Kira, for over five years with all attempted communications thwarted by his advisers at Tracinda Corporation.
Ironically, Kira isn’t even Kerkorian’s biological daughter but he raised her as his own up until 5 years ago and still gives her $100,000 a month in child support. In attempting to explain the bizarre rumour now circulating about the 95 year-old billionaire, it has been suggested in the New York Post that her mother is concerned about what will happen after Kirk Kerkorian dies and his child support obligations expire.
Nevertheless, apparently Kerkorian has not been seen in public or at any of his favourite restaurants for several months, including the Polo Lounge restaurant at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Meanwhile, Tracinda Corporation representatives have vehemently denied claims of keeping Kirk Kerkorian hostage, and released a statement to TMZ, explaining that “there are no facts to support Bonder’s claims and therefore no merit whatsoever to the allegations she has made.”
American businessman Kerkor Kerkorian is the CEO of Tracinda Corporation, and saw his wealth rise to $16 billion in 2008, before a stock market recession saw his his net worth reduced to around $3 billion. Kerkorian has been married three times with his last marriage to Lisa Bonder lasting just 28 days back in 1999. Now, the ex-tennis star is convinced Kirk Kerkorian has been prevented from seeing his 15-year-old daughter, Kira, for over five years with all attempted communications thwarted by his advisers at Tracinda Corporation.
Ironically, Kira isn’t even Kerkorian’s biological daughter but he raised her as his own up until 5 years ago and still gives her $100,000 a month in child support. In attempting to explain the bizarre rumour now circulating about the 95 year-old billionaire, it has been suggested in the New York Post that her mother is concerned about what will happen after Kirk Kerkorian dies and his child support obligations expire.
Nevertheless, apparently Kerkorian has not been seen in public or at any of his favourite restaurants for several months, including the Polo Lounge restaurant at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Meanwhile, Tracinda Corporation representatives have vehemently denied claims of keeping Kirk Kerkorian hostage, and released a statement to TMZ, explaining that “there are no facts to support Bonder’s claims and therefore no merit whatsoever to the allegations she has made.”
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Online gaming licenses would be available to the state’s three fully licensed casinos and its eventual slot parlor licensee under a fiscal 2014 budget amendment that Senate Republicans plan to propose this week.
Under the amendment, online gaming revenue would be taxed at 20 percent and licensees would pay an initial fee of not less than $300,000 and an annual renewal fee of not less than $150,000.
The proposal also specifies that licensees could not offer any online game in conflict with the state Lottery, that players be 21 or older to place wagers or collect winnings, and that players be physically located in Massachusetts to place wagers or collect winnings, with certain exceptions.
In the years leading up to the legalization of casinos in Massachusetts, casinos were seen as threatening the viability of the state Lottery. Now, more analysts are looking at online gambling as a potential threat to both casinos and the Lottery.
The amendment is among a series of proposals sponsored by the four-member Senate GOP caucus to boost the economy and revenue and save money, according to Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr. Heading into budget debate that is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Tarr says the $33.9 billion spending plan recommended by Senate Democrats fails to reform public subsidy and welfare programs - the subject of several GOP amendments.
Senate Republicans also plan to press for passage of amendments to create a tax credit for companies that increase jobs, requiring state agencies to cut spending by 1 percent, and providing tuition and fee waivers to certain military veterans and active duty service members.
While formal action on the budget doesn’t begin until the gavel comes down at 10 a.m. Wednesday, the debate over scores of amendments has started at the State House. Senate Democrats met privately for a caucus in Senate President Therese Murray’s office Tuesday afternoon. The gathering drew a flock of lobbyists eager to get a word in with senators or their aides as they passed in and out of the caucus.
Senate GOP backing online gaming license proposal - Salem, Massachusetts - Salem Gazette
Under the amendment, online gaming revenue would be taxed at 20 percent and licensees would pay an initial fee of not less than $300,000 and an annual renewal fee of not less than $150,000.
The proposal also specifies that licensees could not offer any online game in conflict with the state Lottery, that players be 21 or older to place wagers or collect winnings, and that players be physically located in Massachusetts to place wagers or collect winnings, with certain exceptions.
In the years leading up to the legalization of casinos in Massachusetts, casinos were seen as threatening the viability of the state Lottery. Now, more analysts are looking at online gambling as a potential threat to both casinos and the Lottery.
The amendment is among a series of proposals sponsored by the four-member Senate GOP caucus to boost the economy and revenue and save money, according to Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr. Heading into budget debate that is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Tarr says the $33.9 billion spending plan recommended by Senate Democrats fails to reform public subsidy and welfare programs - the subject of several GOP amendments.
Senate Republicans also plan to press for passage of amendments to create a tax credit for companies that increase jobs, requiring state agencies to cut spending by 1 percent, and providing tuition and fee waivers to certain military veterans and active duty service members.
While formal action on the budget doesn’t begin until the gavel comes down at 10 a.m. Wednesday, the debate over scores of amendments has started at the State House. Senate Democrats met privately for a caucus in Senate President Therese Murray’s office Tuesday afternoon. The gathering drew a flock of lobbyists eager to get a word in with senators or their aides as they passed in and out of the caucus.
Senate GOP backing online gaming license proposal - Salem, Massachusetts - Salem Gazette
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GAMBLING advertising should have restrictions similar to those imposed on the alcohol and tobacco industries, a Sunshine Coast academic says.
Counselling lecturer and former Relationships Australia program leader Neil Mellor says a phenomenal growth has occurred in internet gambling and sports betting.
This has been prompted by the "widespread promotion of gambling associated with sporting events and public recreational events".
Mr Mellor said the risk was that the growth "sanitises and normalises gambling so people think it's a normal pastime".
"It has the effect of suggesting this is usual practice," he said.
"People forget they can lose money. They then get into a situation where they have to try and get it back." Doing this, from the comfort of your own lounge with your credit card, is much easier than in a pub or club with pokie machines.
"You are one step removed," Mr Mellor said.
"When you are running down your credit card or betting account, you don't get the sense you have spent a lot of money.
"The restrictions are minimal in terms of betting online.
"There is low accountability. You are easily caught in a psychological space where your impulse control is severely diminished."
The Sunshine Coast has an unhealthy love for gambling, spending $11 million at the 88 licensed poker machine venues in March.
Mr Mellor said it was time the Government did something.
"Federal advertising restrictions are central to setting the tone, but the state needs to have a position as well," he said.
He said the Queensland Government was failing to do enough to warn about the dangers of gambling.
Attorney-General, Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie, disagreed. He said last night the best way to deal with the issue was with a consistent, national framework. The federal Coalition would impose a live betting blackout if the television indistry did not take action.
Time to get tough on spread of gambling, says uni expert | Sunshine Coast Daily
Counselling lecturer and former Relationships Australia program leader Neil Mellor says a phenomenal growth has occurred in internet gambling and sports betting.
This has been prompted by the "widespread promotion of gambling associated with sporting events and public recreational events".
Mr Mellor said the risk was that the growth "sanitises and normalises gambling so people think it's a normal pastime".
"It has the effect of suggesting this is usual practice," he said.
"People forget they can lose money. They then get into a situation where they have to try and get it back." Doing this, from the comfort of your own lounge with your credit card, is much easier than in a pub or club with pokie machines.
"You are one step removed," Mr Mellor said.
"When you are running down your credit card or betting account, you don't get the sense you have spent a lot of money.
"The restrictions are minimal in terms of betting online.
"There is low accountability. You are easily caught in a psychological space where your impulse control is severely diminished."
The Sunshine Coast has an unhealthy love for gambling, spending $11 million at the 88 licensed poker machine venues in March.
Mr Mellor said it was time the Government did something.
"Federal advertising restrictions are central to setting the tone, but the state needs to have a position as well," he said.
He said the Queensland Government was failing to do enough to warn about the dangers of gambling.
Attorney-General, Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie, disagreed. He said last night the best way to deal with the issue was with a consistent, national framework. The federal Coalition would impose a live betting blackout if the television indistry did not take action.
Time to get tough on spread of gambling, says uni expert | Sunshine Coast Daily
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2006/12/07
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Unreleased recordings from the first ever recording session by punk pioneers The Clash are to finally see the light of day.
The tracks - along with other early studio sessions and unseen footage from shows at the start of their career - will come out later this year.
They will be part of a box set, Sound System, which draws together all their albums, rarities and tracks which did not feature on LPs.
The band made their first recordings at Beaconsfield Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, in 1976 with Julien Temple, the director who had befriended the band and went on to make The Sex Pistols movie The Great Rock And Roll Swindle.
Although the version of White Riot from the session went on to appear on the band's debut album, the versions of London's Burning and 1977 have not been released.
All five songs from their demo for label Polydor at the company's studio in Stratford Place, just off London's Oxford Street, are also included in the box set - three of which have never before been released.
Previously unseen footage from a 1977 show at Sussex University, archive material provided by Temple, is also included in the package which will come out on September 9.
Alongside the discs, there will be a book, reprints of the band's Armagideon Times fanzines, plus badges and stickers and the group's promos for their singles.
The artwork has been designed by bass player Paul Simonon, who now works largely as an artist although he returned to music to play with Damon Albarn's The Good, The Bad And The Queen and then touring alongside Clash guitarist Mick Jones for Gorillaz live shows.
Explaining the idea behind the box set, Simonon said: "It was really just to make a nice box - like a work of art."
"And then put something in it," added Jones.
The band disintegrated in the early 1980s although frontman Joe Strummer and Simonon soldiered on for one further poorly received album - Cut The Crap - after Jones was sacked, which is not included in the box set. Strummer died in December 2002.
A new best of album, The Clash Hits Back, will also come out on September 9.
The tracks - along with other early studio sessions and unseen footage from shows at the start of their career - will come out later this year.
They will be part of a box set, Sound System, which draws together all their albums, rarities and tracks which did not feature on LPs.
The band made their first recordings at Beaconsfield Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, in 1976 with Julien Temple, the director who had befriended the band and went on to make The Sex Pistols movie The Great Rock And Roll Swindle.
Although the version of White Riot from the session went on to appear on the band's debut album, the versions of London's Burning and 1977 have not been released.
All five songs from their demo for label Polydor at the company's studio in Stratford Place, just off London's Oxford Street, are also included in the box set - three of which have never before been released.
Previously unseen footage from a 1977 show at Sussex University, archive material provided by Temple, is also included in the package which will come out on September 9.
Alongside the discs, there will be a book, reprints of the band's Armagideon Times fanzines, plus badges and stickers and the group's promos for their singles.
The artwork has been designed by bass player Paul Simonon, who now works largely as an artist although he returned to music to play with Damon Albarn's The Good, The Bad And The Queen and then touring alongside Clash guitarist Mick Jones for Gorillaz live shows.
Explaining the idea behind the box set, Simonon said: "It was really just to make a nice box - like a work of art."
"And then put something in it," added Jones.
The band disintegrated in the early 1980s although frontman Joe Strummer and Simonon soldiered on for one further poorly received album - Cut The Crap - after Jones was sacked, which is not included in the box set. Strummer died in December 2002.
A new best of album, The Clash Hits Back, will also come out on September 9.
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2006/12/07
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29893
Isle of Man—It takes an hour by plane and almost three by ferry to reach this island-country smack in the middle of the Irish Sea. Here, on top of a bluff with magnificent views, is a modern building shaped like a Victorian-era hotel that was once on the site.
It is the headquarters for PokerStars, the largest online poker company in the world by a wide margin. And it is from this unusual perch the company is playing a difficult hand: just two years after being shut down in the U.S., and with its founder living here with a warrant out for his arrest, it wants to return to the U.S. Until a year ago, the U.S. Justice Department considered online gambling illegal, but PokerStars, arguing against that interpretation of the law, kept taking bets until the government filed a civil action against it. Now, the legal landscape has taken a surprising shift, and states like Nevada and New Jersey have passed laws allowing some forms of online gambling. PokerStars, which reached a $731 million settlement with the government but admitted no wrongdoing, wants back in.
"Normally, companies who have founders who are under indictments don't go applying for gambling licenses," said Nelson Rose, a gambling law professor at Whittier Law School, in Costa Mesa, Calif.
To some extent, analysts say, the PokerStars homecoming bid reflects the difficulties many states will face as they open their doors to a long-banned business, itself a groundbreaking development. A good number of PokerStars' online competitors have had their own legal issues, or operate in countries that don't license online casinos. "There aren't pure companies," said Clive Hawkswood, the chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association, a trade group for online gambling.
PokerStars says its business is legal, citing several legal theories and other countries that license it. Its 66-year-year-old founder, Isai Scheinberg, declined to be interviewed, but through the company denies the Justice Department's charges against him, which are for money laundering, bank fraud and illegal gambling operations. The U.S. has been seeking his arrest for two years, but doesn't have jurisdiction on this 220-square mile island. Not surprisingly, such legal entanglements haven't helped the company. Citing the Justice Department's actions, the American Gaming Association is fighting PokerStars' licensing efforts, saying it ran a "criminal enterprise." Rival casinos, meanwhile, have pressed states—and convinced Nevada—to impose five-year bans on so-called "bad actor" companies. And the company has been recently stymied in its efforts to buy a New Jersey casino, needed for a license there.
Still, PokerStars said it remains confident it will get a seat at the U.S. table. And based on its sheer size, few analysts are willing to rule it out. Almost a quarter of a million people played in one of its annual tournaments this year, and millions more tune in to watch its live televised events. According to Pokerscout.com., which tracks industry data, PokerStars controls 54% of player market share. That is seven times its nearest competitor.
PokerStars can spend millions on advertising, and last year it hired a well-respected tennis pro, Rafael Nadal, as its global spokesman. In a rare move, it also recently invited a reporter for The Wall Street Journal to visit its operations on this island and in London. "We have to begin to explain that we're a completely normal company," said Guy Templer, PokerStars' head of business development. "We're not a backroom shop on a rock in the sea." The company is well stocked with strong legal and lobbying teams. In the U.S. the former Democratic congressman Richard Gephardt is helping it push for congressional legislation to legalize Internet poker nationwide, for which he is paid $600,000 a year, according to public filings. In an interview, Mr. Gephardt said he has "always been very impressed" by the company's operations and "how they comply with regulations and the law."
From here on the Isle of Man, a rocky outpost of 86,000 people that is known mostly as a tax haven, the company is a mystery even to some players, including one flown here by the company who says he noticed that Mr. Scheinberg's photograph in Google's information box is of someone else (PokerStars says it doesn't considering fixing that a priority). Despite a global staff of 1,500 and annual revenue over $1 billion, PokerStars also doesn't put its name on its headquarters. That reflects a prior lease agreement but also a corporate ethos of being "modest but confident," says a company spokesman.
Warwick Bartlett, a local gambling consultant here, says he got a taste of that modesty when he says a PokerStars executive asked him to not publicize a sizable donation it made to the local library. (The company said it didn't disclose the donation, but an estimate has been publicized.) "They're very secretive," he said. "If you're going to win licenses and influence people, then you have to be more available." Less than 12 years old, the brand was launched, in an unfortunate happenstance, on Sept. 11, 2001. (Like some companies, PokerStars is actually a brand, run by several linked corporations.) The son of Holocaust survivors raised in Lithuania, Mr. Scheinberg got the idea to create poker tournament software when he was an IBM software engineer playing in poker clubs in Toronto, PokerStars says. He recruited his son, Mark, a college dropout backpacking in Latin America at the time, who is now the company's 39-year-old CEO.
It takes only pennies to play on its site, but early on, PokerStars promoted a convincing message that online playing could lead to jackpot winnings. It did so by enrolling its own online players to play—and often win—more traditional world poker events. Ultimately, its own special events became alluring as well, including its annual "Turbo Championship of Online Poker," which offered $24 million in prize money this year.
It is the headquarters for PokerStars, the largest online poker company in the world by a wide margin. And it is from this unusual perch the company is playing a difficult hand: just two years after being shut down in the U.S., and with its founder living here with a warrant out for his arrest, it wants to return to the U.S. Until a year ago, the U.S. Justice Department considered online gambling illegal, but PokerStars, arguing against that interpretation of the law, kept taking bets until the government filed a civil action against it. Now, the legal landscape has taken a surprising shift, and states like Nevada and New Jersey have passed laws allowing some forms of online gambling. PokerStars, which reached a $731 million settlement with the government but admitted no wrongdoing, wants back in.
"Normally, companies who have founders who are under indictments don't go applying for gambling licenses," said Nelson Rose, a gambling law professor at Whittier Law School, in Costa Mesa, Calif.
To some extent, analysts say, the PokerStars homecoming bid reflects the difficulties many states will face as they open their doors to a long-banned business, itself a groundbreaking development. A good number of PokerStars' online competitors have had their own legal issues, or operate in countries that don't license online casinos. "There aren't pure companies," said Clive Hawkswood, the chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association, a trade group for online gambling.
PokerStars says its business is legal, citing several legal theories and other countries that license it. Its 66-year-year-old founder, Isai Scheinberg, declined to be interviewed, but through the company denies the Justice Department's charges against him, which are for money laundering, bank fraud and illegal gambling operations. The U.S. has been seeking his arrest for two years, but doesn't have jurisdiction on this 220-square mile island. Not surprisingly, such legal entanglements haven't helped the company. Citing the Justice Department's actions, the American Gaming Association is fighting PokerStars' licensing efforts, saying it ran a "criminal enterprise." Rival casinos, meanwhile, have pressed states—and convinced Nevada—to impose five-year bans on so-called "bad actor" companies. And the company has been recently stymied in its efforts to buy a New Jersey casino, needed for a license there.
Still, PokerStars said it remains confident it will get a seat at the U.S. table. And based on its sheer size, few analysts are willing to rule it out. Almost a quarter of a million people played in one of its annual tournaments this year, and millions more tune in to watch its live televised events. According to Pokerscout.com., which tracks industry data, PokerStars controls 54% of player market share. That is seven times its nearest competitor.
PokerStars can spend millions on advertising, and last year it hired a well-respected tennis pro, Rafael Nadal, as its global spokesman. In a rare move, it also recently invited a reporter for The Wall Street Journal to visit its operations on this island and in London. "We have to begin to explain that we're a completely normal company," said Guy Templer, PokerStars' head of business development. "We're not a backroom shop on a rock in the sea." The company is well stocked with strong legal and lobbying teams. In the U.S. the former Democratic congressman Richard Gephardt is helping it push for congressional legislation to legalize Internet poker nationwide, for which he is paid $600,000 a year, according to public filings. In an interview, Mr. Gephardt said he has "always been very impressed" by the company's operations and "how they comply with regulations and the law."
From here on the Isle of Man, a rocky outpost of 86,000 people that is known mostly as a tax haven, the company is a mystery even to some players, including one flown here by the company who says he noticed that Mr. Scheinberg's photograph in Google's information box is of someone else (PokerStars says it doesn't considering fixing that a priority). Despite a global staff of 1,500 and annual revenue over $1 billion, PokerStars also doesn't put its name on its headquarters. That reflects a prior lease agreement but also a corporate ethos of being "modest but confident," says a company spokesman.
Warwick Bartlett, a local gambling consultant here, says he got a taste of that modesty when he says a PokerStars executive asked him to not publicize a sizable donation it made to the local library. (The company said it didn't disclose the donation, but an estimate has been publicized.) "They're very secretive," he said. "If you're going to win licenses and influence people, then you have to be more available." Less than 12 years old, the brand was launched, in an unfortunate happenstance, on Sept. 11, 2001. (Like some companies, PokerStars is actually a brand, run by several linked corporations.) The son of Holocaust survivors raised in Lithuania, Mr. Scheinberg got the idea to create poker tournament software when he was an IBM software engineer playing in poker clubs in Toronto, PokerStars says. He recruited his son, Mark, a college dropout backpacking in Latin America at the time, who is now the company's 39-year-old CEO.
It takes only pennies to play on its site, but early on, PokerStars promoted a convincing message that online playing could lead to jackpot winnings. It did so by enrolling its own online players to play—and often win—more traditional world poker events. Ultimately, its own special events became alluring as well, including its annual "Turbo Championship of Online Poker," which offered $24 million in prize money this year.
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2006/12/07
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29893
Online casino gambling has become a potentially big player in the U.S., with three states passing—and others considering—laws allowing some form of it. The only problem: how should regulators deal with firms that have come under scrutiny or operate in so-called gray markets?
888 Holdings PLC
888.LN +1.33% Based in Gibraltar but owned in large part by its Israeli founders, 888 has big ambitions in the U.S. with partnership deals already with casino companies and a slot machines maker. With backing from investment firm Avenue Capital Group, it plans to spend more than $100 million to market its own brands. This year it became licensed in Nevada.
Yet like most big online competitors, 888 has long relied on markets where online gambling hasn't been legalized. It says that around 40% of its revenue comes from gray markets. But it maintains its activities are legal for several reasons, including the fact that its computer servers, where it says bets occur, are in licensed jurisdictions.
Bwin. Party Digital Entertainment PLC
Based in Gibraltar, Bwin. Party came out of a merger of two brands. One, PartyGaming, was the biggest online poker company in the U.S. until it voluntarily left the country in 2006, after a congressional law cracked down on the industry.
Now, with partnerships with casino and social-games companies, Bwin. Party has applied for a Nevada license. In 2009, PartyGaming agreed to forfeit $105 million to and signed a nonprosecution agreement with the U.S. Justice Department that said its online gambling sites and some of its financial transactions violated U.S. criminal laws. The company said any violation of the law was unintentional and that it "has moved on considerably since then."
Playtech Ltd.
PTEC.LN +0.23% The firm is an important behind-the-scenes player in online gambling, providing gambling services for more than 100 brand companies across the globe. It has aggressive plans to become involved in the U.S.
One potential stumbling block: its founder and largest shareholder, Teddy Sagi, was convicted in 1996 in Israel of securities fraud. Last year, Nevada regulators, as part of its review over a U.K. firm's application for a casino license, raised questions about a joint venture it had with Playtech at the time. In the end, the regulators approved the application but said they would reserve judgment on Playtech.
A Playtech spokesman said Mr. Sagi's conviction hasn't stopped it from receiving approval in other jurisdictions and that it is conducting its business with "the highest level of legal and ethical compliance." Through a spokesman for him, Mr. Sagi declined to comment.
Online Gambling Firms Set Ambitions on U.S. - WSJ-com
888 Holdings PLC
888.LN +1.33% Based in Gibraltar but owned in large part by its Israeli founders, 888 has big ambitions in the U.S. with partnership deals already with casino companies and a slot machines maker. With backing from investment firm Avenue Capital Group, it plans to spend more than $100 million to market its own brands. This year it became licensed in Nevada.
Yet like most big online competitors, 888 has long relied on markets where online gambling hasn't been legalized. It says that around 40% of its revenue comes from gray markets. But it maintains its activities are legal for several reasons, including the fact that its computer servers, where it says bets occur, are in licensed jurisdictions.
Bwin. Party Digital Entertainment PLC
Based in Gibraltar, Bwin. Party came out of a merger of two brands. One, PartyGaming, was the biggest online poker company in the U.S. until it voluntarily left the country in 2006, after a congressional law cracked down on the industry.
Now, with partnerships with casino and social-games companies, Bwin. Party has applied for a Nevada license. In 2009, PartyGaming agreed to forfeit $105 million to and signed a nonprosecution agreement with the U.S. Justice Department that said its online gambling sites and some of its financial transactions violated U.S. criminal laws. The company said any violation of the law was unintentional and that it "has moved on considerably since then."
Playtech Ltd.
PTEC.LN +0.23% The firm is an important behind-the-scenes player in online gambling, providing gambling services for more than 100 brand companies across the globe. It has aggressive plans to become involved in the U.S.
One potential stumbling block: its founder and largest shareholder, Teddy Sagi, was convicted in 1996 in Israel of securities fraud. Last year, Nevada regulators, as part of its review over a U.K. firm's application for a casino license, raised questions about a joint venture it had with Playtech at the time. In the end, the regulators approved the application but said they would reserve judgment on Playtech.
A Playtech spokesman said Mr. Sagi's conviction hasn't stopped it from receiving approval in other jurisdictions and that it is conducting its business with "the highest level of legal and ethical compliance." Through a spokesman for him, Mr. Sagi declined to comment.
Online Gambling Firms Set Ambitions on U.S. - WSJ-com
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2006/12/07
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CANADIAN chanteuse Martha Wainwright was pretty chuffed when a magazine described her as ``part Patti Smith, part Leonard Cohen'', given that they are two of her musical idols.
``But the quote also uses the word `glowering', which I had to look up,'' Wainwright admitted with a laugh.
``At first I thought it said `glowing', but of course it means snarling. And I think that was partially right.
``I was very influenced by Patti Smith, which was probably a rebellion against my mother and my aunt [folk duo Kate and Anna McGarrigle], who had beautiful singing voices. Their music is the gold standard for me, but as a young woman I started to go away from that and listen to women like Patti Smith or Marianne Faithfull -- people with a little more edge.
``And Leonard is obviously a living god. My biggest dream in life was to be his backing singer. So of course he asked me about three or four years ago and I said no, because I couldn't go out on tour for three years and be someone's backing singer. But my dream came true, which is pretty great.''
Wainwright, 37, has always seemed destined to live out her musical dreams -- she is the daughter of US folk singer Loudon Wainwright III and the late Canadian Music Hall of Famer Kate McGarrigle; niece of Anna McGarrigle; and younger sister of cabaret-pop star Rufus Wainwright. But having a famous family has sometimes been more of a hinderance than a help.
``Everything I have I owe to my family, both good and bad,'' Wainwright said.
``Especially at the beginning of my career, it was difficult to get attention while being surrounded by such talented people.
``You get so tired of every interview being about your family. But then you get used to it, and then it becomes the norm, and then I realised that it is my story. It's easier sometimes to completely embrace it and use it, rather than push it away.
``That was also the lesson that I learned when I lost my mother. I spent a lot of time pushing her away as a teenager and as a young adult, thinking that we would have so much time together. And then you regret not keeping them closer to you.''
Kate McGarrigle's death from cancer in early 2010 had a huge impact on Wainwright's latest album, Come Home To Mama. McGarrigle passed away just three months after Wainwright gave birth to her first child, son Arcangelo, leaving Wainwright lurching between emotional extremes.
``I think the main focus of the album is the loss of my mother -- the desperation and anger about that, and a general malaise,'' she said.
``It's also [about] the difficulty of marriage too, which I think a lot of people can identify with. Relationships aren't easy.
``I didn't use new motherhood as a major theme, it was more of an angry album. But that being said, I wanted to at least pay some tribute to the joy that has come out of all this sadness.
``There's one song in particular that is about motherhood. It's called Everything Wrong, and it's me apologising in advance for how much I'm going to screw up.''
On her upcoming Australian tour Wainwright will perform all 10 tracks from Come Home To Mama -- including Proserpina, the last song her mother wrote -- plus material from her previous albums I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too and Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, a Paris, her acclaimed tribute to Edith Piaf.
The Australian shows are being billed as ``an evening of strength and vulnerability'', which Wainwright feels is a fitting description.
``I've probably become less vulnerable on stage as time has gone by,'' she said.
``But I certainly think that it's very important to draw the audience in rather than trying to go grab them, and one way of doing that is to be vulnerable.
``That's something my mother used to talk about actually, and that's something to cherish.''
Martha Wainwright performs at Hobart's Theatre Royal from 8pm on June 13, as part of Dark Mofo. Tickets have sold out.
``But the quote also uses the word `glowering', which I had to look up,'' Wainwright admitted with a laugh.
``At first I thought it said `glowing', but of course it means snarling. And I think that was partially right.
``I was very influenced by Patti Smith, which was probably a rebellion against my mother and my aunt [folk duo Kate and Anna McGarrigle], who had beautiful singing voices. Their music is the gold standard for me, but as a young woman I started to go away from that and listen to women like Patti Smith or Marianne Faithfull -- people with a little more edge.
``And Leonard is obviously a living god. My biggest dream in life was to be his backing singer. So of course he asked me about three or four years ago and I said no, because I couldn't go out on tour for three years and be someone's backing singer. But my dream came true, which is pretty great.''
Wainwright, 37, has always seemed destined to live out her musical dreams -- she is the daughter of US folk singer Loudon Wainwright III and the late Canadian Music Hall of Famer Kate McGarrigle; niece of Anna McGarrigle; and younger sister of cabaret-pop star Rufus Wainwright. But having a famous family has sometimes been more of a hinderance than a help.
``Everything I have I owe to my family, both good and bad,'' Wainwright said.
``Especially at the beginning of my career, it was difficult to get attention while being surrounded by such talented people.
``You get so tired of every interview being about your family. But then you get used to it, and then it becomes the norm, and then I realised that it is my story. It's easier sometimes to completely embrace it and use it, rather than push it away.
``That was also the lesson that I learned when I lost my mother. I spent a lot of time pushing her away as a teenager and as a young adult, thinking that we would have so much time together. And then you regret not keeping them closer to you.''
Kate McGarrigle's death from cancer in early 2010 had a huge impact on Wainwright's latest album, Come Home To Mama. McGarrigle passed away just three months after Wainwright gave birth to her first child, son Arcangelo, leaving Wainwright lurching between emotional extremes.
``I think the main focus of the album is the loss of my mother -- the desperation and anger about that, and a general malaise,'' she said.
``It's also [about] the difficulty of marriage too, which I think a lot of people can identify with. Relationships aren't easy.
``I didn't use new motherhood as a major theme, it was more of an angry album. But that being said, I wanted to at least pay some tribute to the joy that has come out of all this sadness.
``There's one song in particular that is about motherhood. It's called Everything Wrong, and it's me apologising in advance for how much I'm going to screw up.''
On her upcoming Australian tour Wainwright will perform all 10 tracks from Come Home To Mama -- including Proserpina, the last song her mother wrote -- plus material from her previous albums I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too and Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, a Paris, her acclaimed tribute to Edith Piaf.
The Australian shows are being billed as ``an evening of strength and vulnerability'', which Wainwright feels is a fitting description.
``I've probably become less vulnerable on stage as time has gone by,'' she said.
``But I certainly think that it's very important to draw the audience in rather than trying to go grab them, and one way of doing that is to be vulnerable.
``That's something my mother used to talk about actually, and that's something to cherish.''
Martha Wainwright performs at Hobart's Theatre Royal from 8pm on June 13, as part of Dark Mofo. Tickets have sold out.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Online gambling in the United States continues to be an uphill battle. Every week, it seems as though new states enter in to this debate and either begin issuing new legislation to offer the gaming options online or legislation is created to block internet options from taking place in individual states.
New Hampshire and Nevada are two states that have been introducing new bills and new online poker software that have kept the fight for federal laws alive. Below is a small update concerning the recent going’s on with casino and online poker options in these particular states.
New Hampshire
The state of New Hampshire was working on a bill that would allow for expanded options at the current gambling facility in the state but this bill was recently shut down. This past week, the State House decided to shut the bill down after the bill was recommended to not be passed.
The bill could still be brought back to life but many feel this is unlikely. If moved forward and passed, the bill would have brought additional table games and slot options to the state. It’s not known yet if the state’s legislature will bring in any type of online poker option down the road.
Nevada
Better news comes out of the state of Nevada. Online poker is alive and well and by summer, more options are expected to release. Caesars Entertainment Corporation will be launching a new poker site based on the World Series of Poker and 888 Holdings will be providing the software for this venture.
Another option that should be available soon is the Treasure Island offering. Treasure Island Casino will also be debuting a new real money online gambling option in the near future. A recent report by CardPlayer, states that a spokesperson for the company spoke with the news site and stated that Treasure Island plans on offering their site by the end of summer.
It will be interesting to see as the weeks go by if the sites actually are up and ready to go and if any more sites are ready to launch. Nevada is certainly paving the way for online poker sites in the US.
More Legal Online Gambling Updates in the USA
New Hampshire and Nevada are two states that have been introducing new bills and new online poker software that have kept the fight for federal laws alive. Below is a small update concerning the recent going’s on with casino and online poker options in these particular states.
New Hampshire
The state of New Hampshire was working on a bill that would allow for expanded options at the current gambling facility in the state but this bill was recently shut down. This past week, the State House decided to shut the bill down after the bill was recommended to not be passed.
The bill could still be brought back to life but many feel this is unlikely. If moved forward and passed, the bill would have brought additional table games and slot options to the state. It’s not known yet if the state’s legislature will bring in any type of online poker option down the road.
Nevada
Better news comes out of the state of Nevada. Online poker is alive and well and by summer, more options are expected to release. Caesars Entertainment Corporation will be launching a new poker site based on the World Series of Poker and 888 Holdings will be providing the software for this venture.
Another option that should be available soon is the Treasure Island offering. Treasure Island Casino will also be debuting a new real money online gambling option in the near future. A recent report by CardPlayer, states that a spokesperson for the company spoke with the news site and stated that Treasure Island plans on offering their site by the end of summer.
It will be interesting to see as the weeks go by if the sites actually are up and ready to go and if any more sites are ready to launch. Nevada is certainly paving the way for online poker sites in the US.
More Legal Online Gambling Updates in the USA
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Despite the fact that gambling in India is highly restricted, surveys have revealed that almost forty percent of Indian internet users’ visit online gambling sites. These sites focus mainly on gambling associated with lottery, cricket and horse race betting.
A recent article in the Times of India said that match fixing has created a credibility crisis in the sport of cricket. Jitendra Singh, the Sports Minister recently said he has been forced to hang his head in shame due to the IPL spot-fixing scandal. He says the introduction of better laws governing gambling could have prevented the current situation.
The face of India is changing with a more affluent middle class developing along with access to high speed internet the is more access to online gambling web locations. "It is very shameful. As a young person, as a sports fan, as the Sports Minister of the country, my head hangs in shame today," the Minister told the news agency adding, "There should be some mechanism so that it doesn't happen again. And it is not only about cricket. We are talking about cricket because of this expose but there are other sports as well,"
The government has been doing its best to get to the bottom of the match fixing scandal that is rocking the foundations of sport organizations in India. The latest scandal has witnessed three Rajasthan Royals cricketers arrested on corruption charges with more details emerging each day exposing the extent of the racketeering going on. Police continue to raid bookies in all parts of the country in efforts to deter further criminal activity.
Jitendra explained, "We are in touch with the Home Ministry and the Law Ministry to work out the law. We will consult the Attorney General before moving forward," he added, "It is necessary that there is a law or a deterrent. There is no guarantee that this is not happening in other sports. Who knows it might have started in other sports as well,"
Online Gambling More Accessible in India
A recent article in the Times of India said that match fixing has created a credibility crisis in the sport of cricket. Jitendra Singh, the Sports Minister recently said he has been forced to hang his head in shame due to the IPL spot-fixing scandal. He says the introduction of better laws governing gambling could have prevented the current situation.
The face of India is changing with a more affluent middle class developing along with access to high speed internet the is more access to online gambling web locations. "It is very shameful. As a young person, as a sports fan, as the Sports Minister of the country, my head hangs in shame today," the Minister told the news agency adding, "There should be some mechanism so that it doesn't happen again. And it is not only about cricket. We are talking about cricket because of this expose but there are other sports as well,"
The government has been doing its best to get to the bottom of the match fixing scandal that is rocking the foundations of sport organizations in India. The latest scandal has witnessed three Rajasthan Royals cricketers arrested on corruption charges with more details emerging each day exposing the extent of the racketeering going on. Police continue to raid bookies in all parts of the country in efforts to deter further criminal activity.
Jitendra explained, "We are in touch with the Home Ministry and the Law Ministry to work out the law. We will consult the Attorney General before moving forward," he added, "It is necessary that there is a law or a deterrent. There is no guarantee that this is not happening in other sports. Who knows it might have started in other sports as well,"
Online Gambling More Accessible in India
Join:
2006/12/07
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While Facebook’s software package for Android enjoyed half a million downloads in its first ten days after release, it took Facebook Home twice as long to reach the one million landmark showing that the app has not been greeted with much enthusiasm.
Also, while Facebook Home has been installed almost a million times, Facebook has over a billion users which shows a very low conversion rate. The app has also received poor reviews with just a 2 star rating from over 16 thousand reviews on Google Play.
Facebook recently released an upgrade for Home and it is optimistic that it will address some of the more serious complaints. As well as bug fixes the new version does not block side-loading, a process for transferring the app to non-supported devices from supported devices.