Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Select your timezone:
Efforts to legalize it likely to draw federal scrutiny
The District of Columbia is not thrilled that its residents are traveling to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to gamble in casinos. Starved for cash, like states across the country, the district wants some of the millions in revenue that gambling generates each year. So district officials want residents to gamble closer to home - inside their homes, actually. Or in cafes, restaurants, and bars. By year end, the district hopes to introduce an Internet gambling hub that would allow Washington residents to play blackjack, poker, and other casino-style games.
It’s an idea gaining currency around the country: virtual gambling as part of the antidote to local budget woes.
The District of Columbia is the first to legalize it, while Iowa is studying it, and bills are pending in Massachusetts, California, and other states.
But the states may run into trouble with the Justice Department, which has been cracking down on all forms of Internet gambling. And their efforts have given rise to critics who say legalized online gambling will promote addictive wagering and lead to personal debt troubles.
“States had looked at this haphazardly and not very energetically until the Great Recession hit, but now they’re desperate for money,’’ said I. Nelson Rose, a professor at Whittier Law School who specializes in gambling issues.
When it comes to taxing gambling, he said, “the thing they have left is the Internet.’’
The moves by the District of Columbia and the states have put them into a murky legal area with a potentially big obstacle. The Justice Department in recent years has vigorously pursued operators of offshore Internet casinos, shutting down their sites and arresting their executives when they travel to the United States.
The agency’s position has been that these operations violate federal laws including the Wire Act of 1961, which prohibits wagering over telecommunications systems that cross state or national borders. But legal experts say the law sent a mixed message. It seems to carve out an explicit exception for states to run online gambling operations.
But in the bill’s legislative history, it says it is not meant to amend existing law on the subject, which can be taken to mean that the Wire Act prohibitions still apply, said Mark Hichar, a lawyer who specializes in gambling law at Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge in Boston.
Arthur Terzakis, staff director of the Committee on Governmental Organization, a legislative policy committee in the California state Senate, said the 2006 law “gives states the right to do this.’’
Illinois, which passed a law two years ago allowing it to put its lottery online, asked the Justice Department about its plan but has not heard one way or another, suggesting it can move ahead, said John Cullerton, president of the State Senate.
He said Illinois had budgeted to gain some $200 million in revenue from moving the lottery online.
“We’ll be selling to new players, not the same old players,’’ he said. “That means more roads and bridges.’’
Officials in other states sympathize with the logic.
“We need money,’’ said Matt Fitzgerald, legislative director for Michael Rush, a Democratic state senator from Boston, who last month introduced a bill to allow the Massachusetts lottery to test an expansion into other “games of chance,’’ but not poker.
It’s not all about revenue. In Iowa, which is running a budget surplus, lawmakers say they want to legalize online poker to create a regulated forum for a popular activity.
“A number of Iowans are doing it and may not even realize it’s illegal,’’ said Jeff Danielson, a Democrat and the president pro tempore of the state Senate. “We want a regulated environment that’s safe and protects consumers.’’
The District of Columbia is not thrilled that its residents are traveling to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to gamble in casinos. Starved for cash, like states across the country, the district wants some of the millions in revenue that gambling generates each year. So district officials want residents to gamble closer to home - inside their homes, actually. Or in cafes, restaurants, and bars. By year end, the district hopes to introduce an Internet gambling hub that would allow Washington residents to play blackjack, poker, and other casino-style games.
It’s an idea gaining currency around the country: virtual gambling as part of the antidote to local budget woes.
The District of Columbia is the first to legalize it, while Iowa is studying it, and bills are pending in Massachusetts, California, and other states.
But the states may run into trouble with the Justice Department, which has been cracking down on all forms of Internet gambling. And their efforts have given rise to critics who say legalized online gambling will promote addictive wagering and lead to personal debt troubles.
“States had looked at this haphazardly and not very energetically until the Great Recession hit, but now they’re desperate for money,’’ said I. Nelson Rose, a professor at Whittier Law School who specializes in gambling issues.
When it comes to taxing gambling, he said, “the thing they have left is the Internet.’’
The moves by the District of Columbia and the states have put them into a murky legal area with a potentially big obstacle. The Justice Department in recent years has vigorously pursued operators of offshore Internet casinos, shutting down their sites and arresting their executives when they travel to the United States.
The agency’s position has been that these operations violate federal laws including the Wire Act of 1961, which prohibits wagering over telecommunications systems that cross state or national borders. But legal experts say the law sent a mixed message. It seems to carve out an explicit exception for states to run online gambling operations.
But in the bill’s legislative history, it says it is not meant to amend existing law on the subject, which can be taken to mean that the Wire Act prohibitions still apply, said Mark Hichar, a lawyer who specializes in gambling law at Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge in Boston.
Arthur Terzakis, staff director of the Committee on Governmental Organization, a legislative policy committee in the California state Senate, said the 2006 law “gives states the right to do this.’’
Illinois, which passed a law two years ago allowing it to put its lottery online, asked the Justice Department about its plan but has not heard one way or another, suggesting it can move ahead, said John Cullerton, president of the State Senate.
He said Illinois had budgeted to gain some $200 million in revenue from moving the lottery online.
“We’ll be selling to new players, not the same old players,’’ he said. “That means more roads and bridges.’’
Officials in other states sympathize with the logic.
“We need money,’’ said Matt Fitzgerald, legislative director for Michael Rush, a Democratic state senator from Boston, who last month introduced a bill to allow the Massachusetts lottery to test an expansion into other “games of chance,’’ but not poker.
It’s not all about revenue. In Iowa, which is running a budget surplus, lawmakers say they want to legalize online poker to create a regulated forum for a popular activity.
“A number of Iowans are doing it and may not even realize it’s illegal,’’ said Jeff Danielson, a Democrat and the president pro tempore of the state Senate. “We want a regulated environment that’s safe and protects consumers.’’
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Where in the world has Mike Myers been hiding these days? He could just be enjoying his life as a newlywed to longtime girlfriend Kelly Tisdale or possibly gearing up for the next Austin Powers release. Really? Yes, really, nine years after the release of Goldmember, Mike Myers is gearing up for Austin Powers 4.
After so many years of Mike Myers remaining behind the scenes as part of the Shrek franchise, it looks like he’s headed back to the big screen after it was announced today by Hitfix that he closed the deal to help make Austin Powers 4 a reality and will hopefully be responsible for writing the script as he did in the previous three.
According to HitFlix, the director for the film has not been determined as of yet but hopefully it will be Jay Roach, the director who worked with Myers on the previous releases and was the one who helped bring that 60’s vibe to the screen.
So when can we expect to see the fumbling British spy again? It’s too early to say at this point but one thing you can count on is another top grossing film with the success of the other three having added up to a total of $67.6 million claims Reuters. So, yeah baby, bring it on!
After so many years of Mike Myers remaining behind the scenes as part of the Shrek franchise, it looks like he’s headed back to the big screen after it was announced today by Hitfix that he closed the deal to help make Austin Powers 4 a reality and will hopefully be responsible for writing the script as he did in the previous three.
According to HitFlix, the director for the film has not been determined as of yet but hopefully it will be Jay Roach, the director who worked with Myers on the previous releases and was the one who helped bring that 60’s vibe to the screen.
So when can we expect to see the fumbling British spy again? It’s too early to say at this point but one thing you can count on is another top grossing film with the success of the other three having added up to a total of $67.6 million claims Reuters. So, yeah baby, bring it on!
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Caesars Entertainment, one of the world’s largest casino groups, is stepping up a lobbying campaign aimed at legalising online poker to fix a “bizarre” regulatory framework that allows US-based gamblers to play yet bars US companies from operating the games.
Gary Loveman, chief executive of Las Vegas-based Caesars, said in a Financial Times video interview that there was “a will” in the US Congress to change the law, which would allow US companies to operate online poker sites.
He said: “I can’t think of another example where there is something an American can buy that no American entity can provide”.
Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, and Barney Frank, the former chairman of the House Financial Services committee, are among congressional leaders known to back a change in the law.
Mr Loveman insisted it was in the interests of the US government to approve a new regulatory framework.
The lobbying push by a company that owns an international network of casinos, including Caesars Palace, the Rio, and the Paris in Las Vegas, comes four months after an FBI-led crackdown against illegal poker sites.
Executives from three international online poker companies – Full Tilt, PokerStars and Absolute Poker – were arrested in the US and charged with bank fraud and money-laundering.
The three companies targeted US players but were based outside the country: the sites have since been closed to US players.
Mr Loveman said: “The authorities cracked down on the illegal offshore providers, but that’s left a vacuum for people like us to be able to legally offer this service.
“I do believe there is a will in Congress to correct this …. we ought to clean up the regulatory and policing environment and that’s what we’re seeking.
“First, it creates the appropriate legal and enforcement environment where the game is being provided fairly by regulated entities that are known to the American authorities.
“Second, there’s a lot of job creation associated with this; we could provide thousands of American jobs if given the right to do so and there [also] would be the benefit of tax revenues.”
European online poker operators fled the US in 2006 when Congress banned online gambling transactions. The void was filled by PokerStars and Full Tilt, which took bets from US consumers and then moved into the European market.
Several European operators are eyeing the US market, notably Bwin. party, the world’s largest listed online gambling company, which was formed this year by the merger of PartyGaming and Bwin.
After initially opposing legalisation of online poker, most of the big Las Vegas-based casino operators now favour it.
Steve Wynn, the gaming mogul who reshaped Las Vegas in the 1980s, ushering in the era of vast, resort casinos, briefly formed an alliance with PokerStars to push for legalisation. The alliance was dissolved following the arrest in April of PokerStars executives.
Gary Loveman, chief executive of Las Vegas-based Caesars, said in a Financial Times video interview that there was “a will” in the US Congress to change the law, which would allow US companies to operate online poker sites.
He said: “I can’t think of another example where there is something an American can buy that no American entity can provide”.
Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, and Barney Frank, the former chairman of the House Financial Services committee, are among congressional leaders known to back a change in the law.
Mr Loveman insisted it was in the interests of the US government to approve a new regulatory framework.
The lobbying push by a company that owns an international network of casinos, including Caesars Palace, the Rio, and the Paris in Las Vegas, comes four months after an FBI-led crackdown against illegal poker sites.
Executives from three international online poker companies – Full Tilt, PokerStars and Absolute Poker – were arrested in the US and charged with bank fraud and money-laundering.
The three companies targeted US players but were based outside the country: the sites have since been closed to US players.
Mr Loveman said: “The authorities cracked down on the illegal offshore providers, but that’s left a vacuum for people like us to be able to legally offer this service.
“I do believe there is a will in Congress to correct this …. we ought to clean up the regulatory and policing environment and that’s what we’re seeking.
“First, it creates the appropriate legal and enforcement environment where the game is being provided fairly by regulated entities that are known to the American authorities.
“Second, there’s a lot of job creation associated with this; we could provide thousands of American jobs if given the right to do so and there [also] would be the benefit of tax revenues.”
European online poker operators fled the US in 2006 when Congress banned online gambling transactions. The void was filled by PokerStars and Full Tilt, which took bets from US consumers and then moved into the European market.
Several European operators are eyeing the US market, notably Bwin. party, the world’s largest listed online gambling company, which was formed this year by the merger of PartyGaming and Bwin.
After initially opposing legalisation of online poker, most of the big Las Vegas-based casino operators now favour it.
Steve Wynn, the gaming mogul who reshaped Las Vegas in the 1980s, ushering in the era of vast, resort casinos, briefly formed an alliance with PokerStars to push for legalisation. The alliance was dissolved following the arrest in April of PokerStars executives.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Of late the UK and the US have been in the forefront of online gambling news. In the UK the government is planning to revamp the gambling laws to bring the offshore operators into the tax net. In the US various states and representative bodies are trying to usher in a regulated online gambling regime. There has been some news on both fronts this week.
In the UK, Ralph Topping, the chief executive of the leading online gambling operator William Hill has lashed out at the British government for the proposed changes to the licensing and taxation of Internet gambling. In an interview to the Chronicle newspaper in Gibraltar Topping said that the government is "stepping on a minefield". The changes include offshore online gambling operators wishing to access the UK market would have to obtain a secondary license and pay taxes in UK. Topping described this as unfair. He said, "If politicians act holistically, people might think that was a reasonable approach, but if they salami slice things, they're in danger of making huge mistakes and getting into legal territory they wouldn't enjoy." William Hill had shifted its online gambling operations to Gibraltar two years ago in order to avoid the high UK taxation, which was making it uncompetitive in the market. Since then Gibraltar has become the hub for online gambling activity in Europe and William Hill will not be returning to the UK. Topping indicated that instead of leveling the field by taxing offshore operators, the UK government will have to match the taxation levels of other jurisdictions.
IN the US the bid by the Washington DC council to legalize online gambling will be delayed further as per reports in the Associated Press news agency. In the last hearing the council had taken a view that the public had not been given sufficient opportunity to consider the recently passed law to introduce intrastate online gambling. Therefore the council had instructed the DC Lottery to put its implementation plans on hold and to initiate a public consultation process. Accordingly the DC Lottery chief Buddy Roogow had set up a plan for wide presentations across the city wards. But the Washington DC residents do not want these presentations to be held in summer. Therefore there will be further delay in the entire process. The presentations will now be held from mid-September running into October.
Meanwhile in the US it has been reported that the American Gaming Association (AGA) has spent $641,621.09 lobbying the federal government in Q2 of 2011 on issues of online gambling. The Associated Press news agency reported that amount was somewhat more than what the AGA had spent in Q1 of 2011 and considerably more than what it spent in Q2 of 2010. The question is when such expenditure will bear results.
In the UK, Ralph Topping, the chief executive of the leading online gambling operator William Hill has lashed out at the British government for the proposed changes to the licensing and taxation of Internet gambling. In an interview to the Chronicle newspaper in Gibraltar Topping said that the government is "stepping on a minefield". The changes include offshore online gambling operators wishing to access the UK market would have to obtain a secondary license and pay taxes in UK. Topping described this as unfair. He said, "If politicians act holistically, people might think that was a reasonable approach, but if they salami slice things, they're in danger of making huge mistakes and getting into legal territory they wouldn't enjoy." William Hill had shifted its online gambling operations to Gibraltar two years ago in order to avoid the high UK taxation, which was making it uncompetitive in the market. Since then Gibraltar has become the hub for online gambling activity in Europe and William Hill will not be returning to the UK. Topping indicated that instead of leveling the field by taxing offshore operators, the UK government will have to match the taxation levels of other jurisdictions.
IN the US the bid by the Washington DC council to legalize online gambling will be delayed further as per reports in the Associated Press news agency. In the last hearing the council had taken a view that the public had not been given sufficient opportunity to consider the recently passed law to introduce intrastate online gambling. Therefore the council had instructed the DC Lottery to put its implementation plans on hold and to initiate a public consultation process. Accordingly the DC Lottery chief Buddy Roogow had set up a plan for wide presentations across the city wards. But the Washington DC residents do not want these presentations to be held in summer. Therefore there will be further delay in the entire process. The presentations will now be held from mid-September running into October.
Meanwhile in the US it has been reported that the American Gaming Association (AGA) has spent $641,621.09 lobbying the federal government in Q2 of 2011 on issues of online gambling. The Associated Press news agency reported that amount was somewhat more than what the AGA had spent in Q1 of 2011 and considerably more than what it spent in Q2 of 2010. The question is when such expenditure will bear results.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
It took 29 years of courtship, but The View co-host Joy Behar is finally married to longtime boyfriend Steve Janowitz.
The private ceremony went down on Thursday night in New York, her rep said. In March of 2009, Behar announced on The View that she might eventually marry Janowitz, but called off the engagement three months later because she was tired of people talking about it.
Meanwhile, her colleague 44-year-old Sherri Shepherd, who has been engaged for a while now, is slated to marry writer Lamar Sally tonight in Chicago, a ceremony that will be telecasted on the Style Network next month.
Behar has been married once before in 1965 and subsequently divorced in 1981. She has one daughter from that marriage named Eve. Behar also has one grandchild, Eve's son, Luca.
Behar also hosts her own news-talk program on CNN's HLN called The Joy Behar Show. Behar's TV career began when after many years as stand-up comedian in New York and on WABC (AM) radio talk show host, Barbara Walters hired her on as a co-host on The View.
The private ceremony went down on Thursday night in New York, her rep said. In March of 2009, Behar announced on The View that she might eventually marry Janowitz, but called off the engagement three months later because she was tired of people talking about it.
Meanwhile, her colleague 44-year-old Sherri Shepherd, who has been engaged for a while now, is slated to marry writer Lamar Sally tonight in Chicago, a ceremony that will be telecasted on the Style Network next month.
Behar has been married once before in 1965 and subsequently divorced in 1981. She has one daughter from that marriage named Eve. Behar also has one grandchild, Eve's son, Luca.
Behar also hosts her own news-talk program on CNN's HLN called The Joy Behar Show. Behar's TV career began when after many years as stand-up comedian in New York and on WABC (AM) radio talk show host, Barbara Walters hired her on as a co-host on The View.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Results are in from 2010 and the use of mobile gambling on smart phones, including iPhones, Blackberrys and Androids. Mobile gambling has long been recognized as the next “big wave” throughout the online casino industry. While up-take has been slow for previous years, 2010 showed a large increase in the utilization of mobile gambling website. 2011 is poised to be the year where a real turn around occurs in the field of mobile gambling. A number of United Kingdom online gaming companies have seen extremely high financial results due to the increase in use of mobile gambling..
The results of one of the leading online casinos recently showed a 21 percent increase over the first part of the 2010 fiscal year. And while this 21 percent is only for the online gambling division, it does not count mobile gambling. In actuality, mobile gambling saw an increase of 797 percent for all sports book placed wagers. The overall percentage growth factor is more than 650 percent.
Another one of the large online casinos documented a number of trials and tribulations this year with their online casino, they have been noticing the same astonishing results with their mobile gambling efforts. Their mobile membership has expanded more than 150 percent, much more than their chief rivals’ mobile gambling membership. Furthermore, their overall revenue has enhanced by more than 200 percent. This has brought the online casino more than £6.5 million in additional income during the first half of the 2001 fiscal year. Obviously with a real showing of the benefits of online gambling, it is assured that it will continue to rise over the current year.
The results of one of the leading online casinos recently showed a 21 percent increase over the first part of the 2010 fiscal year. And while this 21 percent is only for the online gambling division, it does not count mobile gambling. In actuality, mobile gambling saw an increase of 797 percent for all sports book placed wagers. The overall percentage growth factor is more than 650 percent.
Another one of the large online casinos documented a number of trials and tribulations this year with their online casino, they have been noticing the same astonishing results with their mobile gambling efforts. Their mobile membership has expanded more than 150 percent, much more than their chief rivals’ mobile gambling membership. Furthermore, their overall revenue has enhanced by more than 200 percent. This has brought the online casino more than £6.5 million in additional income during the first half of the 2001 fiscal year. Obviously with a real showing of the benefits of online gambling, it is assured that it will continue to rise over the current year.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Cash-strapped states are considering Internet gambling, though it’s not clear if the U.S. Justice Department will raise objections.
Washington, D.C., already legalized Internet gambling in a budget bill last year that became law when Congress did not object, the Associated Press reports. Now the District is moving ahead with plans to create an online gambling site to allow residents to play casino-style games, according to the New York Times.
The Justice Department has shut down offshore gambling websites and arrested their executives when they traveled to the United States, the Times says. Now Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sen. Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona have written a letter (PDF) asking the department to reiterate its position against online intrastate gambling.
Lawyer Mark Hichar of Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge says a 2006 Internet gaming law seems to carve out an exception for states to run online games. But the legislative history says the bill is not intended to amend existing law. The language could mean that a prior law still applies that bans wagering over interstate communications systems. “The legislative history is a real head-scratcher,” Hichar tells the Times.
Washington, D.C., already legalized Internet gambling in a budget bill last year that became law when Congress did not object, the Associated Press reports. Now the District is moving ahead with plans to create an online gambling site to allow residents to play casino-style games, according to the New York Times.
The Justice Department has shut down offshore gambling websites and arrested their executives when they traveled to the United States, the Times says. Now Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sen. Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona have written a letter (PDF) asking the department to reiterate its position against online intrastate gambling.
Lawyer Mark Hichar of Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge says a 2006 Internet gaming law seems to carve out an exception for states to run online games. But the legislative history says the bill is not intended to amend existing law. The language could mean that a prior law still applies that bans wagering over interstate communications systems. “The legislative history is a real head-scratcher,” Hichar tells the Times.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Online gambling is the Wild West of the gaming industry – completely unregulated – yet South Africans, who can increasingly access cheaper internet connections at home, are taking their chances and pocketing their illicit winnings.
But the National Gambling Board is on their trail, as well as that of the advertisers of what remains an illegal business that was estimated to be worth R320 million in 2009.
Almost R3m in ill-gotten gains from online gambling has been confiscated and paid into a trust. And that advert featuring the blond hunk surrounded by mostly semi-clad women has disappeared from television screens after the board’s intervention.
This week the review commission on the South African gambling industry and its regulation told MPs of the trade and industry committee that all forms of online gambling, including poker and all betting, should be brought into the regulatory fold and made legal.
“The big elephant in the room is internet gambling. The danger is that with the offer of the carrot, it may grow unexpectedly. But already any one of us can log on at night and place hundreds of bets,” Stephen Louw, one of the commissioners, told MPs.
The five-member commission’s recommendations include offering a limited number of initial licences, advertising rights for these licence holders, a bigger role for banks in enforcement mechanisms and national regulations to cover all forms on online gambling, whether from a computer or a cellphone with web access.
The recommendations follow Italy’s example. That country has issued 200 online gambling licences and the regulatory agency e-mails users who have entered unlicensed sites, warning them they would forfeit all consumer protection.
Louw said total bans on online gambling were difficult to enforce: the US and Australia were among the top 10 online gambling countries – after outlawing it.
Gambling board CEO Baby Tyawa said the board had worked with the Reserve Bank and banking regulatory authorities to act against illegal online gambling by targeting winnings.
The focus had been on the “big number winners”, but now the smaller fish would receive attention. However, the board was coy about giving further details.
And the possibility of regularising irregular income has been nixed by the Reserve Bank after consultations. Now banks have come on board after hearing that online gambling wins were unlawful.
“We depend entirely on the various regulators,” said Tyawa, who is in favour of regulating online gambling. She added that as the board “we must explain, we must come with the data… show we are losing finance” in the form of tax.
It was estimated that R320m was generated through online gambling in 2009 in South Africa, according to eGaming Review Magazine.
The lawful gambling industry generated R15.9bn, or R18.1bn including the national lottery in 2009. This netted taxes of R1.5bn, or R1.92bn if VAT was included, making gambling tax the second-most important source of income.
Since legalisation in 1996, according to the review report, gross gaming revenues increased in real terms between 2001 and 2009. Casinos account for 80 percent of the taxes and 90 percent of the almost 60 000 jobs the industry.
While the regulation of South Africa’s gambling industry was well regarded internationally, the review commission warned against the current piecemeal approach to online gambling. There are draft regulations on interactive gaming only, not the whole spread of online gambling.
As the online gambling sector is growing, the murky legislative and regulatory environment would need urgent attention, according to the review commission.
DA MPs Tim Harris and Jacques Smalle this week called for regulations to be finalised. “Such regulation should establish a licensing regime, allow online registration, allow servers to be located anywhere and also govern poker and betting exchanges.”
Already, the Western Cape Gambling Board and Phumelela Gaming and Leisure offer bets via cellphones or internet banking.
“The use of cellphones to bet is not any different to using the internet. However, bookmakers and totalisers are not subject to the same restrictions or protection that these interactive gambling operators are expected to comply with,” the review report said. - Weekend Argus
But the National Gambling Board is on their trail, as well as that of the advertisers of what remains an illegal business that was estimated to be worth R320 million in 2009.
Almost R3m in ill-gotten gains from online gambling has been confiscated and paid into a trust. And that advert featuring the blond hunk surrounded by mostly semi-clad women has disappeared from television screens after the board’s intervention.
This week the review commission on the South African gambling industry and its regulation told MPs of the trade and industry committee that all forms of online gambling, including poker and all betting, should be brought into the regulatory fold and made legal.
“The big elephant in the room is internet gambling. The danger is that with the offer of the carrot, it may grow unexpectedly. But already any one of us can log on at night and place hundreds of bets,” Stephen Louw, one of the commissioners, told MPs.
The five-member commission’s recommendations include offering a limited number of initial licences, advertising rights for these licence holders, a bigger role for banks in enforcement mechanisms and national regulations to cover all forms on online gambling, whether from a computer or a cellphone with web access.
The recommendations follow Italy’s example. That country has issued 200 online gambling licences and the regulatory agency e-mails users who have entered unlicensed sites, warning them they would forfeit all consumer protection.
Louw said total bans on online gambling were difficult to enforce: the US and Australia were among the top 10 online gambling countries – after outlawing it.
Gambling board CEO Baby Tyawa said the board had worked with the Reserve Bank and banking regulatory authorities to act against illegal online gambling by targeting winnings.
The focus had been on the “big number winners”, but now the smaller fish would receive attention. However, the board was coy about giving further details.
And the possibility of regularising irregular income has been nixed by the Reserve Bank after consultations. Now banks have come on board after hearing that online gambling wins were unlawful.
“We depend entirely on the various regulators,” said Tyawa, who is in favour of regulating online gambling. She added that as the board “we must explain, we must come with the data… show we are losing finance” in the form of tax.
It was estimated that R320m was generated through online gambling in 2009 in South Africa, according to eGaming Review Magazine.
The lawful gambling industry generated R15.9bn, or R18.1bn including the national lottery in 2009. This netted taxes of R1.5bn, or R1.92bn if VAT was included, making gambling tax the second-most important source of income.
Since legalisation in 1996, according to the review report, gross gaming revenues increased in real terms between 2001 and 2009. Casinos account for 80 percent of the taxes and 90 percent of the almost 60 000 jobs the industry.
While the regulation of South Africa’s gambling industry was well regarded internationally, the review commission warned against the current piecemeal approach to online gambling. There are draft regulations on interactive gaming only, not the whole spread of online gambling.
As the online gambling sector is growing, the murky legislative and regulatory environment would need urgent attention, according to the review commission.
DA MPs Tim Harris and Jacques Smalle this week called for regulations to be finalised. “Such regulation should establish a licensing regime, allow online registration, allow servers to be located anywhere and also govern poker and betting exchanges.”
Already, the Western Cape Gambling Board and Phumelela Gaming and Leisure offer bets via cellphones or internet banking.
“The use of cellphones to bet is not any different to using the internet. However, bookmakers and totalisers are not subject to the same restrictions or protection that these interactive gambling operators are expected to comply with,” the review report said. - Weekend Argus
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Model Heidi Klum clearly has no qualms about her body and why should she anyway? The 5’9” German beauty caught the eye of the paparazzi after sunbathing topless while vacationing with her family in Sardinia, Italy together with her husband Seal. That’s one woman who is not afraid to strut her stuff.
The Project Runway host is taking an extended vacation which according to her tweets began in Ibiza, Spain and has now made her way over to the stunning Italian island of Sardinia which is where Heidi found her comfort zone and decided to go topless.
Going topless isn’t really a big issue on a European beach and is widely accepted in many countries, so Heidi’s actions aren’t really shocking there but maybe a bit more so on this side of the pond unless you’re part of a nudist community of course.
The 38-year-old was spending some down time with the family as they took a break from their hectic careers but don’t think that Heidi was taking a break from giving us a play by play of her time “off” as she proudly tweeted of the time she spent with family and her frequent run ins with artists such as Macy Gray, David Craig and even Ryan Seacrest.
It’s absolutely amazing that this woman has had four children and still manages to look as fantastic as she does. It’s all part of the job I suppose…..
The Project Runway host is taking an extended vacation which according to her tweets began in Ibiza, Spain and has now made her way over to the stunning Italian island of Sardinia which is where Heidi found her comfort zone and decided to go topless.
Going topless isn’t really a big issue on a European beach and is widely accepted in many countries, so Heidi’s actions aren’t really shocking there but maybe a bit more so on this side of the pond unless you’re part of a nudist community of course.
The 38-year-old was spending some down time with the family as they took a break from their hectic careers but don’t think that Heidi was taking a break from giving us a play by play of her time “off” as she proudly tweeted of the time she spent with family and her frequent run ins with artists such as Macy Gray, David Craig and even Ryan Seacrest.
It’s absolutely amazing that this woman has had four children and still manages to look as fantastic as she does. It’s all part of the job I suppose…..
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday had their first public disagreement — over the massive expansion of casino gambling that would give Chicago a $150 million-a-year jackpot.
It started when Emanuel tried to light a fire under Quinn to sign the bill that would authorize a city-owned Chicago casino and slot machines at O’Hare and Midway Airports.
One day after ticking off the wish lists of schools, roads and CTA stations he hopes to build with casino cash, Emanuel talked about the other side of the equation: the steady “withdrawal” of state and federal funding that has created the infrastructure crisis.
Arterial streets that used to get $40 million a year from the state now get no state support, and industrial street reconstruction hasn’t been funded since 2007, the mayor said.
The last “significant funding” for viaducts was in 2003. And sidewalk reconstruction that got $21 million a year in 2002 now gets less than $8 million, he said.
“I cannot allow Chicago to fall to second-place. I will not let that happen,” the mayor said.
“I will not allow Chicago’s future to be held hostage by Washington’s inaction. And I will not allow Chicago’s future to be held hostage because the state obviously has other financial issues and their resources have been drying up over the years.”
The mayor’s pressure tactic didn’t work with Quinn.
The governor accused the mayor of “putting the cart before the horse” and spending casino money he doesn’t have. He advised Emanuel to talk to Illinois Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe about Jaffe’s concerns about a bill Quinn claimed has “serious shortcomings” when it comes to “honesty and integrity” and preventing corruption.
“I don’t think there is any person with common sense looking at the legislation today who would say that it has sufficient protections for the public,” Quinn said.
“No mayor, no politician, no racetrack owner or casino owner is gonna put themselves before the people of Illinois as long as I’m governor. ... Our gaming board for 20 years has regulated this industry scandal-free. We’ve kept the bad guys out, and we’re gonna keep ‘em out. We’re not gonna have any lax or lenient provisions in the law that allows the wrong kind of characters to get involved in gambling in Illinois. My job is to keep them out — and I will.”
Union leaders who gave the cold shoulder to Emanuel’s demand for cost-saving work-rule changes lined up behind the mayor on the casino bill because their members desperately need jobs.
In a joint statement, Chicago Federation of Labor President Jorge Ramirez and Tom Villanova, president of the Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council, noted that Chicago’s infrastructure has “outlived its design life” and needs repair.
“Not only will projects such as school construction, road repairs, mass transit improvements and water main renovations mean a better city for all Chicagoans, but they will also create as many as 20,000 jobs for city residents,” the statement said.
“Using gaming revenue for infrastructure could free up additional funds to address other needs that are critical to maintaining a world-class city for Chicagoans.”
Although a parliamentary maneuver has kept the casino gambling bill from the governor’s desk, Quinn has called the bill “top-heavy” and in desperate need of a re-write. He has spent most of the summer deliberating with no end in sight.
Emanuel is clearly getting tired of waiting.
“I can’t think of another thing to do … if we want to be in control of our own destiny,” he said.
“To compete against Shanghai, to compete against Paris, to compete against Hong Kong, to compete against L.A., Chicago has to rebuild its infrastructure and put its people to work.”
It started when Emanuel tried to light a fire under Quinn to sign the bill that would authorize a city-owned Chicago casino and slot machines at O’Hare and Midway Airports.
One day after ticking off the wish lists of schools, roads and CTA stations he hopes to build with casino cash, Emanuel talked about the other side of the equation: the steady “withdrawal” of state and federal funding that has created the infrastructure crisis.
Arterial streets that used to get $40 million a year from the state now get no state support, and industrial street reconstruction hasn’t been funded since 2007, the mayor said.
The last “significant funding” for viaducts was in 2003. And sidewalk reconstruction that got $21 million a year in 2002 now gets less than $8 million, he said.
“I cannot allow Chicago to fall to second-place. I will not let that happen,” the mayor said.
“I will not allow Chicago’s future to be held hostage by Washington’s inaction. And I will not allow Chicago’s future to be held hostage because the state obviously has other financial issues and their resources have been drying up over the years.”
The mayor’s pressure tactic didn’t work with Quinn.
The governor accused the mayor of “putting the cart before the horse” and spending casino money he doesn’t have. He advised Emanuel to talk to Illinois Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe about Jaffe’s concerns about a bill Quinn claimed has “serious shortcomings” when it comes to “honesty and integrity” and preventing corruption.
“I don’t think there is any person with common sense looking at the legislation today who would say that it has sufficient protections for the public,” Quinn said.
“No mayor, no politician, no racetrack owner or casino owner is gonna put themselves before the people of Illinois as long as I’m governor. ... Our gaming board for 20 years has regulated this industry scandal-free. We’ve kept the bad guys out, and we’re gonna keep ‘em out. We’re not gonna have any lax or lenient provisions in the law that allows the wrong kind of characters to get involved in gambling in Illinois. My job is to keep them out — and I will.”
Union leaders who gave the cold shoulder to Emanuel’s demand for cost-saving work-rule changes lined up behind the mayor on the casino bill because their members desperately need jobs.
In a joint statement, Chicago Federation of Labor President Jorge Ramirez and Tom Villanova, president of the Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council, noted that Chicago’s infrastructure has “outlived its design life” and needs repair.
“Not only will projects such as school construction, road repairs, mass transit improvements and water main renovations mean a better city for all Chicagoans, but they will also create as many as 20,000 jobs for city residents,” the statement said.
“Using gaming revenue for infrastructure could free up additional funds to address other needs that are critical to maintaining a world-class city for Chicagoans.”
Although a parliamentary maneuver has kept the casino gambling bill from the governor’s desk, Quinn has called the bill “top-heavy” and in desperate need of a re-write. He has spent most of the summer deliberating with no end in sight.
Emanuel is clearly getting tired of waiting.
“I can’t think of another thing to do … if we want to be in control of our own destiny,” he said.
“To compete against Shanghai, to compete against Paris, to compete against Hong Kong, to compete against L.A., Chicago has to rebuild its infrastructure and put its people to work.”
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Supporters of the gambling expansion legislation hope large crowds at the 158th Illinois State Fair will convince Gov. Pat Quinn to sign the proposal.
The measure would create six new casinos and allow slot machines at horse-racing tracks statewide, including the racetrack at the state fairgrounds here.
Legislative leaders have not sent the casino plan to the governor, who renewed his opposition Tuesday. The governor and Illinois Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe have said the proposal lacks oversight of new casinos. Quinn also has called the legislation “top heavy,” but he has not elaborated further on his opposition.
Tony Somone, executive director of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association, which represents and lobbies for Illinois’ horse racing industry, said that with thousands of visitors and hundreds of horsemen walking the fairgrounds, he may never have a better chance to convince the governor.
Somone said the state fair shows the reach of horse racing’s impact on the economy.
“You have all of these ancillary jobs that we’ve been talking about for years,” Somone said. Those jobs range from blacksmiths to hired hands who shovel feed and manure.
Poe added that half of the money generated by any new gambling at the fairgrounds would go toward maintaining the taxpayer-funded fairgrounds. He specifically referred to the missing shingles on the buildings as an example of the needed repairs and upkeep to the fairgrounds.
State Rep. Rich Brauer, R-Petersburg, who was at the fair Tuesday, said Quinn may need to support bringing slot machines to fairgrounds.
But politics aside, some folks at the fair support slots. Leon Mason drove to Springfield from his home in Farmer City to bet on Tuesday’s harness races. He said betting on the ponies is no different than betting on slots.
Quinn, and his fellow Democrats, will hold their party’s annual rally Wednesday at the state fair.
A coalition of horsemen, racing supporters, agricultural groups and labor unions say they will try to make their presence known on the fairgrounds to change Quinn’s mind.
The measure would create six new casinos and allow slot machines at horse-racing tracks statewide, including the racetrack at the state fairgrounds here.
Legislative leaders have not sent the casino plan to the governor, who renewed his opposition Tuesday. The governor and Illinois Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe have said the proposal lacks oversight of new casinos. Quinn also has called the legislation “top heavy,” but he has not elaborated further on his opposition.
Tony Somone, executive director of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association, which represents and lobbies for Illinois’ horse racing industry, said that with thousands of visitors and hundreds of horsemen walking the fairgrounds, he may never have a better chance to convince the governor.
Somone said the state fair shows the reach of horse racing’s impact on the economy.
“You have all of these ancillary jobs that we’ve been talking about for years,” Somone said. Those jobs range from blacksmiths to hired hands who shovel feed and manure.
Poe added that half of the money generated by any new gambling at the fairgrounds would go toward maintaining the taxpayer-funded fairgrounds. He specifically referred to the missing shingles on the buildings as an example of the needed repairs and upkeep to the fairgrounds.
State Rep. Rich Brauer, R-Petersburg, who was at the fair Tuesday, said Quinn may need to support bringing slot machines to fairgrounds.
But politics aside, some folks at the fair support slots. Leon Mason drove to Springfield from his home in Farmer City to bet on Tuesday’s harness races. He said betting on the ponies is no different than betting on slots.
Quinn, and his fellow Democrats, will hold their party’s annual rally Wednesday at the state fair.
A coalition of horsemen, racing supporters, agricultural groups and labor unions say they will try to make their presence known on the fairgrounds to change Quinn’s mind.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Americans appear closer than ever to being able to gamble online -- as a bill aimed at legalizing Internet casino gaming could find its way before Congress by the end of the year, people close to the matter tell The Post.
The confidence over the federal legalization of online poker and other games comes as momentum in Washington builds behind the effort.
“I think there is becoming a feeling in Congress that this is something that needs to be regulated and be done,” a source close to the discussions said. “I believe there is a possibility a bill will pass towards the end of the year.”
“The only question is how it is structured,” according to Roger Gross, the publisher of Global Gaming Business magazine.
The momentum is clear in at least three ways:
*Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Jon Kyl in the last few weeks asked the Justice Department to stop state efforts to legalize gambling, sources said.
If states act on their own, that could disrupt the federal effort.
* Large Republican donor and Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson is now on board with such a federal move, Gross said. Adelson, he said, sees the move as a window of opportunity to grow sales. Adelson is close to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who will be important for gambling advocates to win over. Adelson did not return calls for comment.
*House Speaker John Boehner is another important Congressional leader to get on board, and his long-time aide, Lee Askew, earlier this year became vice president of government affairs for the American Gaming Association .
The source close to the situation says he believes Adelson is neutral.
Kyl, essential for passage, also had a recent change of heart.
In July 2006, when the House passed a bill outlawing Internet gambling, Kyl likened the addictiveness of e-gaming to “crack cocaine.”
In April, Kyl changed his tune. His Web site said, “Efforts to carve out an exception for games like poker, which many believe is a game of skill, may be considered later this year.”
Many cash-strapped states would jump at the chance to add a new income stream.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller last month in an effort to win a debt ceiling extension proposed legalizing Internet gambling saying it could raise an estimated $41.8 billion over 10 years, and an estimated additional $30 billion for states, along with 17 other ideas.
While legalizing gambling would raise billions of dollars, Les Bernal, executive director of Stop Predatory Gambling, said, “This is a government policy that shrinks the middle class and pushes people in deeper debt at a time the government should be encouraging people to save more money.”
The confidence over the federal legalization of online poker and other games comes as momentum in Washington builds behind the effort.
“I think there is becoming a feeling in Congress that this is something that needs to be regulated and be done,” a source close to the discussions said. “I believe there is a possibility a bill will pass towards the end of the year.”
“The only question is how it is structured,” according to Roger Gross, the publisher of Global Gaming Business magazine.
The momentum is clear in at least three ways:
*Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Jon Kyl in the last few weeks asked the Justice Department to stop state efforts to legalize gambling, sources said.
If states act on their own, that could disrupt the federal effort.
* Large Republican donor and Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson is now on board with such a federal move, Gross said. Adelson, he said, sees the move as a window of opportunity to grow sales. Adelson is close to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who will be important for gambling advocates to win over. Adelson did not return calls for comment.
*House Speaker John Boehner is another important Congressional leader to get on board, and his long-time aide, Lee Askew, earlier this year became vice president of government affairs for the American Gaming Association .
The source close to the situation says he believes Adelson is neutral.
Kyl, essential for passage, also had a recent change of heart.
In July 2006, when the House passed a bill outlawing Internet gambling, Kyl likened the addictiveness of e-gaming to “crack cocaine.”
In April, Kyl changed his tune. His Web site said, “Efforts to carve out an exception for games like poker, which many believe is a game of skill, may be considered later this year.”
Many cash-strapped states would jump at the chance to add a new income stream.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller last month in an effort to win a debt ceiling extension proposed legalizing Internet gambling saying it could raise an estimated $41.8 billion over 10 years, and an estimated additional $30 billion for states, along with 17 other ideas.
While legalizing gambling would raise billions of dollars, Les Bernal, executive director of Stop Predatory Gambling, said, “This is a government policy that shrinks the middle class and pushes people in deeper debt at a time the government should be encouraging people to save more money.”
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Shocking news came today out of Los Angeles after Russell Armstrong, one of the stars of the Bravo reality television series Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was found dead in his home last night from an apparent suicide, claims TMZ. The star was struggling with divorce from his wife Taylor Armstrong as well as problems with debt that could have fueled the apparent suicide.
Police arrived on the scene last night at around 8:16 PM and uncovered Russell’s body which was found hanging in his bedroom. Russell had been going through a very rough time dealing with his divorce from Taylor, who according to EOnline divorced him after six years together, claiming that he physically and verbally abused her.
During an interview, Russell once revealed that the Bravo series pushed them to the limit and the pressure was found to be overwhelming which leads to the point whether these guys are pushed for ratings or is dealing with the truth of their relationships in the public eye just hard too tough to handle?
Russell, who was a venture capitalist, was also struggling with some serious debt after claims of him misappropriating $1.5 million in funds was exposed. The couple’s on-air fights exposed the nature of the relationship to which Taylor claims that their fights led to her being pushed, hair pulling and other types of abuse from Russell which eventually led to their separation.
The Bravo series, Housewives of Beverly Hills first aired in October of 2010 and is part of the addictive franchise which has spanned the nation and reveals the day to day lives of the wives of the rich and famous including Kelsey Grammer and his then wife Camille. Season 2 of the show will air starting September 5 but no word as to whether the footage including Russell will be included.
Police arrived on the scene last night at around 8:16 PM and uncovered Russell’s body which was found hanging in his bedroom. Russell had been going through a very rough time dealing with his divorce from Taylor, who according to EOnline divorced him after six years together, claiming that he physically and verbally abused her.
During an interview, Russell once revealed that the Bravo series pushed them to the limit and the pressure was found to be overwhelming which leads to the point whether these guys are pushed for ratings or is dealing with the truth of their relationships in the public eye just hard too tough to handle?
Russell, who was a venture capitalist, was also struggling with some serious debt after claims of him misappropriating $1.5 million in funds was exposed. The couple’s on-air fights exposed the nature of the relationship to which Taylor claims that their fights led to her being pushed, hair pulling and other types of abuse from Russell which eventually led to their separation.
The Bravo series, Housewives of Beverly Hills first aired in October of 2010 and is part of the addictive franchise which has spanned the nation and reveals the day to day lives of the wives of the rich and famous including Kelsey Grammer and his then wife Camille. Season 2 of the show will air starting September 5 but no word as to whether the footage including Russell will be included.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
It’s no secret that local and state governments are starved for revenue. Fortunately, most have avoided broad-based tax increases that kill economic growth and the jobs that come with it. But governments have been less wise and less creative when it comes to producing new revenue streams.
With any luck, that’s about to change. States have begun to implement or at least discuss the legalization of on-line poker with an eye on taxing winnings, just as they are taxed in brick-and-mortar casinos. Other states are seeking to eliminate bans on all kinds of gambling, knowing full well that it is taking place anyway, so why not divert some of the cash into the treasuries of states and municipalities?
Governor Andrew Cuomo reportedly is looking into an expansion of gaming in New York, while some states are studying Washington, D.C.’s recent legalization of on-line poker, a move that has produced an extra $9 million in yearly revenues for the city. That’s all good, because right now countless millions are being spent at the federal level in a vain attempt to crack down on on-line gambling.
It’s a lost cause, and it’s time that governments at all levels recognize—and profit from—reality. People are going to gamble. Either governments can waste resources trying to suppress this activity, or they can legalize it and get a piece of the action.
“If there is going to be gaming, how should it be done?” Mr. Cuomo asked recently. “And that issue, that question, is an important question for the state.”
It is important because the state needs creative solutions to its revenue issues. The state constitutional ban on casinos is out of date. Let’s get rid of it.
With any luck, that’s about to change. States have begun to implement or at least discuss the legalization of on-line poker with an eye on taxing winnings, just as they are taxed in brick-and-mortar casinos. Other states are seeking to eliminate bans on all kinds of gambling, knowing full well that it is taking place anyway, so why not divert some of the cash into the treasuries of states and municipalities?
Governor Andrew Cuomo reportedly is looking into an expansion of gaming in New York, while some states are studying Washington, D.C.’s recent legalization of on-line poker, a move that has produced an extra $9 million in yearly revenues for the city. That’s all good, because right now countless millions are being spent at the federal level in a vain attempt to crack down on on-line gambling.
It’s a lost cause, and it’s time that governments at all levels recognize—and profit from—reality. People are going to gamble. Either governments can waste resources trying to suppress this activity, or they can legalize it and get a piece of the action.
“If there is going to be gaming, how should it be done?” Mr. Cuomo asked recently. “And that issue, that question, is an important question for the state.”
It is important because the state needs creative solutions to its revenue issues. The state constitutional ban on casinos is out of date. Let’s get rid of it.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Greece is in the process of approving sweeping changes to its eGaming laws. The changes will see the country allowing online gaming operators being able to market their wares on Greek advertising media prior to them receiving their advertising licenses. This news has already resulted in advertising and marketing channels jockeying for position to cash in on the dramatic new legislation.
Terms of the New Deal
All EU-licensed gaming operators who are entering into a licensing procedure with Greece will be paying some 30% GPT. Online players will be paying a 10% tax on all winnings, throughout the transitional timeframe which is expected to last six months. All operational activities will begin once the Control Committee in Greece has been formed. This will give carte blanche to gaming operators to offer their wares to the people of Greece in both offline and online media channels.
Exclusions and Objections to the Proposed Changes
The positive news on the part of the Greek government - according to online gaming operators - is that all EU betting operators are able to market themselves in all forms of media throughout Greece. However the exclusion of betting exchanges has been a point of contention. The Greek government has been keen to protect its very own betting exchange - OPAP - from foreign competition. The hope is that private gaming operators and exchanges will be able to compete freely in the Greek market for a slice of the pie.
Greece is under immense European and international pressure to get its financial house in order, ahead of massive and unprecedented bailout proposals. The Greek government is effectively being compelled to adhere to EU laws and statutes regarding all manner of accepted norms in the union. As concerns the taxation on eGaming entities, this will be applied retroactively to January 1, 2010.
Terms of the New Deal
All EU-licensed gaming operators who are entering into a licensing procedure with Greece will be paying some 30% GPT. Online players will be paying a 10% tax on all winnings, throughout the transitional timeframe which is expected to last six months. All operational activities will begin once the Control Committee in Greece has been formed. This will give carte blanche to gaming operators to offer their wares to the people of Greece in both offline and online media channels.
Exclusions and Objections to the Proposed Changes
The positive news on the part of the Greek government - according to online gaming operators - is that all EU betting operators are able to market themselves in all forms of media throughout Greece. However the exclusion of betting exchanges has been a point of contention. The Greek government has been keen to protect its very own betting exchange - OPAP - from foreign competition. The hope is that private gaming operators and exchanges will be able to compete freely in the Greek market for a slice of the pie.
Greece is under immense European and international pressure to get its financial house in order, ahead of massive and unprecedented bailout proposals. The Greek government is effectively being compelled to adhere to EU laws and statutes regarding all manner of accepted norms in the union. As concerns the taxation on eGaming entities, this will be applied retroactively to January 1, 2010.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Gerard Depardieu, most famous to the yanks for his roles in Green Card and Cyrano de Bergerac, had an incident on an airplane that resulted in the plane being delayed for two hours while a cleaning crew had to mop up his mess.
Yes, Depardieu took a wiz in the aisle of an Air France jet on Tuesday, after a flight attendant told him he'd have to wait 15 minutes until the plane was off the ground.
Depardieu told the flight attendant, "Je veux pisser," meaning "I have to pee" but she told the actor he'd have to wait.
Thus, in front of horrified passengers, Depardieu unzipped his pants and pissed on the aisle carpet.
The French actor was escorted off the plane, though it is unknown whether charges will be pressed against him. Apparently, witnesses say he was intoxicated.
Cleaning crews then worked for two whole hours to make sure no pee was left behind – much to the chagrin of disgruntled passengers.
Back in 2008, the actor suffered a great loss, when his eldest son died suddenly from pneumonia.
Yes, Depardieu took a wiz in the aisle of an Air France jet on Tuesday, after a flight attendant told him he'd have to wait 15 minutes until the plane was off the ground.
Depardieu told the flight attendant, "Je veux pisser," meaning "I have to pee" but she told the actor he'd have to wait.
Thus, in front of horrified passengers, Depardieu unzipped his pants and pissed on the aisle carpet.
The French actor was escorted off the plane, though it is unknown whether charges will be pressed against him. Apparently, witnesses say he was intoxicated.
Cleaning crews then worked for two whole hours to make sure no pee was left behind – much to the chagrin of disgruntled passengers.
Back in 2008, the actor suffered a great loss, when his eldest son died suddenly from pneumonia.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
THE select committee into everything gambling will sit again today. Heavies from the racing industry will give their thoughts and answer questions on who is betting or gambling on what, when, where and why. All of them may as well go home and wash the dishes, pat the dog or clip the hedge.
For while all these well-intentioned boffins put their minds to the extent of internet gambling in this country and how best to police it, the laws and regulations that governments, state and federal, already have in place are being abused and broken blatantly and with impunity.
Just one example: Bet365 is an overseas bookmaking and gambling operator. It invites Australians to bet on sports and participate on the internet in poker, bingo and casino games. It has been doing it for more than a decade against state and federal legislation.
Bet365 wants to be licensed in Australia. So it sent its Australian customers an email this week that read in part: "We're in the process of applying for a sports betting licence in Australia. As part of our preparations for this, we regret to inform you that our Casino, Poker, Games and Bingo sites will no longer be available from week commencing 22nd August. Any funds currently in your Casino, Poker, Games and Bingo balances will be transferred to your Sports balance. Our Sports site will continue to work as normal. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause."
The Australian confirmed that, as of yesterday, the bookmaker had all gambling forms in operation as well as wagering on AFL, NRL and Melbourne Cup markets (Maluckyday and Lights Of Heaven are 14/1 equal favourites). You could also bet on the Australia-Sri Lanka cricket tour. Without licence agreements with the appropriate Australian sporting bodies this, of course, it's all illegal activity from Bet365. But nothing happens.
Presumably implicit in this email is recognition from Bet365 that it has been acting illegally and will continue to do so today and over the weekend. It will only stop acting illegally when it is required to tidy up its act to gain an Australian licence. Bet365's London headquarters had not returned calls from The Australian by the time of publishing.
Now we know Bet365 would have been able to act illegally and without policing or punishment directly from the Australian Federal Police from evidence given earlier in the select committee hearing. In a submission from the AFP, national manager crime operations, Ramzi Jabbour, said: "In the previous two years, the AFP received 15 referrals concerning allegations of offences committed contrary to the act. In isolation, when compared to other criminal activity, these referrals were categorised as low priority for investigation and consequently not investigated."
Low priority? Under the Interactive Gambling Act provisions, any person found guilty of providing a prohibited service is liable to a fine of $110,000 a day and any company up to $1.1 million a day. The lack of action by the AFP continues despite Australian Crime Commission advice that internationally the integrity of professional sports has been compromised, with organised criminal groups targeting the sector.
The AFP submission also confirmed the force was required by federal legislation to investigate alleged criminal activity referred to it by Stephen Conroy's Department of Broadband, Communication and Digital Economy.
Apart from the legality and the insipid response by the government and sporting bodies to breaches of their own legislation, two other matters must be addressed.
While Sports Minister Mark Arbib trumpets a new national integrity code of practice including the introduction of a sports cheating rule, anyone can bet on Australian sports unchecked and untouchable with overseas bookmakers. It makes utter nonsense of any table thumping about integrity that the government and the various sports carry on with. Pity the poor part-time timekeeper who was allowed by the AFL to be publicly humiliated for having a dollar bet.
While we do not question the bona fides of Bet365 or its probity, it seems incomprehensible that the Australian government would allow the bookmaker to be licensed in this country when it has so openly flouted rules.
Blogging on internet gambling sites yesterday showed embarrassing scorn for Australian regulators and Bet365's decision to withdraw casino services. "Very short-sighted. No entity ever has or ever will be prosecuted or even charged under our weak law so it's just being done to improve their chances of entering a more lucrative market. I don't know why someone doesn't lobby for online casinos in Australia as everybody does it anyway so why not keep the cash here?" was one comment posted on the Casinomeister site.
If the government and the federal police are incapable of enforcing the law then it hardly seems appropriate to reward a firm that has been in serial breach of the nation's legislation. But the government's concern on illegal gambling and wagering seems minimal, thus Bet365 will get the best of both worlds rightly or wrongly.
Today both the AFP and Australian Racing Board are scheduled to front the select committee. That will prove interesting. The ARB is defenceless from the illegal tactics of offshore bookmakers and the police too under-resourced to come to the sport's rescue. No wonder our laws and their enforcement are mocked and ignored here and internationally.
For while all these well-intentioned boffins put their minds to the extent of internet gambling in this country and how best to police it, the laws and regulations that governments, state and federal, already have in place are being abused and broken blatantly and with impunity.
Just one example: Bet365 is an overseas bookmaking and gambling operator. It invites Australians to bet on sports and participate on the internet in poker, bingo and casino games. It has been doing it for more than a decade against state and federal legislation.
Bet365 wants to be licensed in Australia. So it sent its Australian customers an email this week that read in part: "We're in the process of applying for a sports betting licence in Australia. As part of our preparations for this, we regret to inform you that our Casino, Poker, Games and Bingo sites will no longer be available from week commencing 22nd August. Any funds currently in your Casino, Poker, Games and Bingo balances will be transferred to your Sports balance. Our Sports site will continue to work as normal. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause."
The Australian confirmed that, as of yesterday, the bookmaker had all gambling forms in operation as well as wagering on AFL, NRL and Melbourne Cup markets (Maluckyday and Lights Of Heaven are 14/1 equal favourites). You could also bet on the Australia-Sri Lanka cricket tour. Without licence agreements with the appropriate Australian sporting bodies this, of course, it's all illegal activity from Bet365. But nothing happens.
Presumably implicit in this email is recognition from Bet365 that it has been acting illegally and will continue to do so today and over the weekend. It will only stop acting illegally when it is required to tidy up its act to gain an Australian licence. Bet365's London headquarters had not returned calls from The Australian by the time of publishing.
Now we know Bet365 would have been able to act illegally and without policing or punishment directly from the Australian Federal Police from evidence given earlier in the select committee hearing. In a submission from the AFP, national manager crime operations, Ramzi Jabbour, said: "In the previous two years, the AFP received 15 referrals concerning allegations of offences committed contrary to the act. In isolation, when compared to other criminal activity, these referrals were categorised as low priority for investigation and consequently not investigated."
Low priority? Under the Interactive Gambling Act provisions, any person found guilty of providing a prohibited service is liable to a fine of $110,000 a day and any company up to $1.1 million a day. The lack of action by the AFP continues despite Australian Crime Commission advice that internationally the integrity of professional sports has been compromised, with organised criminal groups targeting the sector.
The AFP submission also confirmed the force was required by federal legislation to investigate alleged criminal activity referred to it by Stephen Conroy's Department of Broadband, Communication and Digital Economy.
Apart from the legality and the insipid response by the government and sporting bodies to breaches of their own legislation, two other matters must be addressed.
While Sports Minister Mark Arbib trumpets a new national integrity code of practice including the introduction of a sports cheating rule, anyone can bet on Australian sports unchecked and untouchable with overseas bookmakers. It makes utter nonsense of any table thumping about integrity that the government and the various sports carry on with. Pity the poor part-time timekeeper who was allowed by the AFL to be publicly humiliated for having a dollar bet.
While we do not question the bona fides of Bet365 or its probity, it seems incomprehensible that the Australian government would allow the bookmaker to be licensed in this country when it has so openly flouted rules.
Blogging on internet gambling sites yesterday showed embarrassing scorn for Australian regulators and Bet365's decision to withdraw casino services. "Very short-sighted. No entity ever has or ever will be prosecuted or even charged under our weak law so it's just being done to improve their chances of entering a more lucrative market. I don't know why someone doesn't lobby for online casinos in Australia as everybody does it anyway so why not keep the cash here?" was one comment posted on the Casinomeister site.
If the government and the federal police are incapable of enforcing the law then it hardly seems appropriate to reward a firm that has been in serial breach of the nation's legislation. But the government's concern on illegal gambling and wagering seems minimal, thus Bet365 will get the best of both worlds rightly or wrongly.
Today both the AFP and Australian Racing Board are scheduled to front the select committee. That will prove interesting. The ARB is defenceless from the illegal tactics of offshore bookmakers and the police too under-resourced to come to the sport's rescue. No wonder our laws and their enforcement are mocked and ignored here and internationally.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The events of the Black Friday, the fall of Full Tilt Poker, and the fact that a number of UK players are unable to access their Full Tilt Poker accounts have been very disappointing to the UK online poker gaming community. The culture secretary of Britain, therefore, wants to reform the existing online poker gaming legislation to protect British poker players from suffering the same fate once again. The government of UK is going to review its online gaming regulations to protect players from offshore sites, regulated and licensed by foreign countries. Even as more and more offshore poker gaming sites and online sports betting sites are trying to expand in British soil, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt is strongly advocating the implementation of tough licensing laws for offshore gaming companies in a bid to protect British citizens from losing their gambling funds.
The British government is concerned about the events of Black Friday—the US federal government crack down on 3 online poker giants, the subsequent seizure of their domain names and the arrest of their executives. A number of US players lost their online poker funds, and the British government does not want its own citizens to suffer such a fate.
The proposed changes in online gaming licensing laws, however, first need to be approved and will take a long time before they can be finally implemented. Offshore online sports betting and poker gaming companies may definitely have to face tougher licensing laws if they want to provide gaming services in Britain. They will also have to face restrictions related to ad campaigns targeting British consumers.
According to the present legislation, foreign gaming companies do not need to get a license from the UK Gambling Commission in order to provide gaming services in the UK; they can operate on licenses provided by licensing and regulatory bodies in foreign countries. In the near future, offshore gambling companies will have to get a license from the UK Gambling Commission before they can set up shop in the UK.
Regarding the proposed changes, Steven Brennan, the chief executive of the Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) in Isle of Man, said: “The GSC thoroughly checks and vets every director and key official of any online gaming company” and can “turn down any company where it feels the company or the owners could bring the island to disrepute.” More will be known about the issue within the next few weeks.
The British government is concerned about the events of Black Friday—the US federal government crack down on 3 online poker giants, the subsequent seizure of their domain names and the arrest of their executives. A number of US players lost their online poker funds, and the British government does not want its own citizens to suffer such a fate.
The proposed changes in online gaming licensing laws, however, first need to be approved and will take a long time before they can be finally implemented. Offshore online sports betting and poker gaming companies may definitely have to face tougher licensing laws if they want to provide gaming services in Britain. They will also have to face restrictions related to ad campaigns targeting British consumers.
According to the present legislation, foreign gaming companies do not need to get a license from the UK Gambling Commission in order to provide gaming services in the UK; they can operate on licenses provided by licensing and regulatory bodies in foreign countries. In the near future, offshore gambling companies will have to get a license from the UK Gambling Commission before they can set up shop in the UK.
Regarding the proposed changes, Steven Brennan, the chief executive of the Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) in Isle of Man, said: “The GSC thoroughly checks and vets every director and key official of any online gaming company” and can “turn down any company where it feels the company or the owners could bring the island to disrepute.” More will be known about the issue within the next few weeks.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The District of Columbia is not thrilled that its residents are traveling to Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to gamble in casinos. Starved for cash, like states across the country, the district wants some of the millions in revenue that gambling generates each year. So district officials want residents to gamble closer to home — inside their homes, actually. Or in cafes, restaurants and bars. By year’s end the district hopes to introduce an Internet gambling hub that would allow Washington residents to play blackjack, poker and other casino-style games.
“They can do it from Starbucks, a restaurant, bar or hotel, or from a private residence,” said Buddy Roogow, executive director of the D.C. Lottery, who expects the new games to eventually raise $9 million a year. “That’s real money in D.C.”
It’s an idea gaining currency around the country: virtual gambling as part of the antidote to local budget woes. The District of Columbia is the first to legalize it, while Iowa is studying it, and bills are pending in places like California and Massachusetts.
But the states may run into trouble with the Justice Department, which has been cracking down on all forms of Internet gambling. And their efforts have given rise to critics who say legalized online gambling will promote addictive wagering and lead to personal debt troubles.
The states say they will put safeguards in place to deal with the potential social ills. And they say they need the money from online play, which will supplement the taxes they already receive from gambling at horse tracks, poker houses and brick-and-mortar casinos.
“States had looked at this haphazardly and not very energetically until the Great Recession hit, but now they’re desperate for money,” said I. Nelson Rose, a professor at Whittier Law School, where he specializes in gambling issues.
When it comes to taxing gambling, he said, “the thing they have left is the Internet.”
Federal efforts over the last year to legalize online gambling have failed, so the moves by the District of Columbia and the states have put them into a murky legal arena with a potentially big obstacle. The Justice Department in recent years has vigorously pursued operators of offshore Internet casinos, shutting down their sites and arresting their executives when they travel to the United States.
The agency’s position has been that these operations violate federal laws including the Wire Act of 1961, which prohibits wagering over telecommunications systems that cross state or national borders.
The move by states to allow online wagering prompted two United States senators last month to ask the Justice Department to quash those efforts, too. In their letter, Senators Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, and Jon Kyl, Republican of Arizona, said that about a dozen states were considering such efforts.
“In many cases, Internet gambling advocates in those states cite the silence of the Department of Justice in the face of these efforts as acquiescence,” the letter says. “We respectfully request that you reiterate the Department’s longstanding position that federal law prohibits gambling over the Internet, including intrastate gambling (e.g. lotteries).”
Alisa Finelli, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, declined to comment beyond saying that the department was considering the senators’ letter.
In the past, federal prosecutors have sent letters to a handful of states telling them that federal law prohibits “all forms” of online gambling. And in 2006, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, which prohibits businesses from taking the proceeds of illegal bets placed over the Internet.
But legal experts say the law sent a mixed message to the states. It seems to carve out an explicit exception for states to run online gambling operations. But in the bill’s legislative history, it says it is not meant to amend existing law on the subject, which can be taken to mean that the Wire Act prohibitions still apply, said Mark Hichar, a lawyer who specializes in gambling law at Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge in Boston.
“The legislative history is a real head-scratcher,” Mr. Hichar said.
Arthur Terzakis, staff director of the Committee on Governmental Organization, a legislative policy committee in the California State Senate, said the 2006 law “gives states the right to do this.” Two California state senators late last year introduced bills to allow Internet gambling inside the state, estimating that such a move could raise roughly $1.4 billion to $2 billion over 10 years. One bill legalizes only online poker, while the other allows an array of games of chance and skill. The bills are still pending. California and other states say they will require proof of residency or use technological means to screen out nonresidents.
Some states, including New York and North Dakota, already sell lottery subscriptions online. Since 2005, New York has offered a subscription service that allows people in the state to enter a string of Lotto or Mega Millions drawings. The state says 100,000 people subscribe.
New York is exploring whether to allow people to draw from an escrow account when they decide to buy into a single drawing — say, when the jackpot reaches alluring levels.
The lack of a challenge against existing online lotteries from the Justice Department has given hope to other states that they will have clear legal sailing. But Mr. Hichar, the gambling lawyer, said the existing efforts may just “have flown below the radar.”
Illinois, which passed a law two years ago allowing it to put its lottery online, asked the Justice Department about its plan but has not heard one way or another, suggesting it can move ahead, said John Cullerton, president of the State Senate.
He said Illinois had budgeted to gain some $200 million in additional revenue from moving the lottery online and allowing people to buy into it who “don’t want to wait in
“They can do it from Starbucks, a restaurant, bar or hotel, or from a private residence,” said Buddy Roogow, executive director of the D.C. Lottery, who expects the new games to eventually raise $9 million a year. “That’s real money in D.C.”
It’s an idea gaining currency around the country: virtual gambling as part of the antidote to local budget woes. The District of Columbia is the first to legalize it, while Iowa is studying it, and bills are pending in places like California and Massachusetts.
But the states may run into trouble with the Justice Department, which has been cracking down on all forms of Internet gambling. And their efforts have given rise to critics who say legalized online gambling will promote addictive wagering and lead to personal debt troubles.
The states say they will put safeguards in place to deal with the potential social ills. And they say they need the money from online play, which will supplement the taxes they already receive from gambling at horse tracks, poker houses and brick-and-mortar casinos.
“States had looked at this haphazardly and not very energetically until the Great Recession hit, but now they’re desperate for money,” said I. Nelson Rose, a professor at Whittier Law School, where he specializes in gambling issues.
When it comes to taxing gambling, he said, “the thing they have left is the Internet.”
Federal efforts over the last year to legalize online gambling have failed, so the moves by the District of Columbia and the states have put them into a murky legal arena with a potentially big obstacle. The Justice Department in recent years has vigorously pursued operators of offshore Internet casinos, shutting down their sites and arresting their executives when they travel to the United States.
The agency’s position has been that these operations violate federal laws including the Wire Act of 1961, which prohibits wagering over telecommunications systems that cross state or national borders.
The move by states to allow online wagering prompted two United States senators last month to ask the Justice Department to quash those efforts, too. In their letter, Senators Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, and Jon Kyl, Republican of Arizona, said that about a dozen states were considering such efforts.
“In many cases, Internet gambling advocates in those states cite the silence of the Department of Justice in the face of these efforts as acquiescence,” the letter says. “We respectfully request that you reiterate the Department’s longstanding position that federal law prohibits gambling over the Internet, including intrastate gambling (e.g. lotteries).”
Alisa Finelli, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, declined to comment beyond saying that the department was considering the senators’ letter.
In the past, federal prosecutors have sent letters to a handful of states telling them that federal law prohibits “all forms” of online gambling. And in 2006, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, which prohibits businesses from taking the proceeds of illegal bets placed over the Internet.
But legal experts say the law sent a mixed message to the states. It seems to carve out an explicit exception for states to run online gambling operations. But in the bill’s legislative history, it says it is not meant to amend existing law on the subject, which can be taken to mean that the Wire Act prohibitions still apply, said Mark Hichar, a lawyer who specializes in gambling law at Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge in Boston.
“The legislative history is a real head-scratcher,” Mr. Hichar said.
Arthur Terzakis, staff director of the Committee on Governmental Organization, a legislative policy committee in the California State Senate, said the 2006 law “gives states the right to do this.” Two California state senators late last year introduced bills to allow Internet gambling inside the state, estimating that such a move could raise roughly $1.4 billion to $2 billion over 10 years. One bill legalizes only online poker, while the other allows an array of games of chance and skill. The bills are still pending. California and other states say they will require proof of residency or use technological means to screen out nonresidents.
Some states, including New York and North Dakota, already sell lottery subscriptions online. Since 2005, New York has offered a subscription service that allows people in the state to enter a string of Lotto or Mega Millions drawings. The state says 100,000 people subscribe.
New York is exploring whether to allow people to draw from an escrow account when they decide to buy into a single drawing — say, when the jackpot reaches alluring levels.
The lack of a challenge against existing online lotteries from the Justice Department has given hope to other states that they will have clear legal sailing. But Mr. Hichar, the gambling lawyer, said the existing efforts may just “have flown below the radar.”
Illinois, which passed a law two years ago allowing it to put its lottery online, asked the Justice Department about its plan but has not heard one way or another, suggesting it can move ahead, said John Cullerton, president of the State Senate.
He said Illinois had budgeted to gain some $200 million in additional revenue from moving the lottery online and allowing people to buy into it who “don’t want to wait in
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
.jpg?v=1.014689161)
.png?v=1.014689161)
Here's what went down. Sandler and his production team, Happy Madison Productions, are shooting a film in town and they had used the services of A Taste of Italy to cater for the cast and crew. The crew ate, the restaurant was paid, and yadda yadda yadda. However, the restaurant owner claims the production company asked him to stock up on food for two BBQ's the following week. He claims he did just that, but Adam's company never called, leaving him with $2,500 worth of food he purchased, and no one to chow down on it.
When he tried to reason with Happy Madison Productions, they wouldn't pay up, but reps from Adam's production company tell TMZ that they never made any promises about catering future BBQ's and as far as they're concerned, they don't owe A Taste of Italy a dime.
For the record, the sign is slightly misleading, since Adam himself has never stepped foot in the restaurant.
What do you think? Is Adam responsible for the cold lasagne? 😁