Let your mouth speak archive

On Tuesday, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing on online gambling entitled “Internet Gaming: Is There a Safe Bet?” The purpose of the hearing was to discuss the state of online gambling in the United States and the concerns (as well as solutions for those concerns) that people would have if it was legalized. Presiding over the hearing was Subcommittee Chairwoman Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R – Calif.). Rep. Mack opened with a statement about the history of internet gaming in the U.S. as well as brief summaries of the arguments for and against it. Following Mack’s statement, six invited witnesses were given the opportunity to speak; their testimony is the focus of this article.

The first witness was Parry Atfab, Chairwoman of the Board of Advisors of FairPlayUSA, “…a coalition of law enforcement officials, consumer protection experts, poker players, and other Americans that seeks to educate policymakers and the public on the broad public policy issues raised by the current ambiguous laws in the U.S.” Atfab came off as arguably the most educated panel member on the subject of online gambling while never at any time saying she was a gambler herself or a supporter of gambling. Looking at the issue practically, Atfab was of the opinion that current laws need to be strengthened to properly define “illegal” internet gambling and that online poker should be legalized and regulated so that Americans can be better protected than they are now.

Because online gambling is effectively illegal in United States, residents of the country must resort to “underground” offshore sites to play. But because the sites are not regulated in the U.S., American players have little to no protection should something go wrong. “The United States therefore finds itself in the unfortunate position of incurring all the social costs of online gambling while having no control over the gaming sites that serve U.S. residents,” said Atfab as she detailed what sorts of protections regulation should provide.

Atfab also stressed the role of technology when asked questions about how children, in particular, would be prevented from accessing online gambling sites. She said repeatedly that there are ways to effectively verify identities and whenever online poker is legalized, the best technology at that time should be evaluated for age restriction purposes.

Next was Ernest Stevens, Jr., Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA). Mr. Stevens appeared the least prepared to answer questions and often had trouble expressing his points clearly. Most of Stevens’ testimony seemed to center on the history of tribal gaming and its related benefits. He appeared to be anti-online gambling while at the same time resigned to the idea that it would likely be legalized at some point. As such, Stevens expressed his concern that Native American tribes must get a piece of the pie.

“When it comes to recognized U.S. governmental entities, Congress should not pick winners and losers if or when it decides to establish a new industry such as Internet gaming,” he said in his statement. “Any federal internet gaming legislation must also allow tribal governments to have an early entrance into Internet gaming, with a limited period of exclusivity. Carving out exemptions for certain states or gaming industries while violating existing Tribal-State compacts is unacceptable to Tribal governments and raises major concerns under the Fifth Amendment Due Process and Takings Clauses.”

He also feels that tribal internet gaming revenues should be exempt from taxation. Citing the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), he said that all tribal gaming revenue is required to be used for government and public purposes and thus could not be taxed by the federal or state governments.

The third witness to speak was Keith Whyte, Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. Contrary to what one might think, Whyte was actually neutral on online gambling. His concern was making sure that sufficient funding was allocated to treatment programs, should online gambling be legalized. He understood that it is not easy to predict how online gambling will affect the numbers of gambling addicts, saying, “It is not clear what the impact of legalization of internet gambling would be on problem gambling. The available research consistently finds internet gambling has the lowest participation rates of any form of gambling, regardless of the legality of internet gambling in the jurisdiction…However, it is also possible that problem gamblers may exacerbate their problems by going online…”

Up next was the man poker players wanted to hear, former Senator and current Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, Alfonse D’Amato. D’Amato’s opening statement came off as a bit rambling, but throughout the hearing, his passion for poker was evident. He stated right up front that he was not there, and nor was the Committee, to argue the morality of gambling or the existence of online poker. People will play regardless of the state of the game’s legality. What D’Amato addressed was the need for strong, clear regulations. Regulations needed to ensure that player funds are safe, lest we have another Full Tilt Poker scenario. They needed to ensure that problem gamblers could be helped and that minors could be kept off the sites. He also said that states should still have the right to disallow their residents from playing.

“In sum,” D’Amato concluded, “Congress has a choice. They can preserve the status quo, where Americans play on foreign sites with consumer protections outsourced to foreign regulators, while creating jobs and tax revenue for foreign countries. Or they can replace it with a licensed regime for Internet poker with strict consumer protections, clear laws and effective enforcement against illegal Internet gambling. Such a regime would allow state

Ohannesburg - Reports that South Africa may soon legalise online gambling - following the findings of a gambling commission that is currently being debated by a committee in parliament - raises some serious concerns about the impact this may have on consumer's personal finances, particularly ahead of the festive season.

This was according to Gavin Came, chairperson of the financial planning committee at the Financial Intermediaries Association of Southern Africa (FIA).

"While for some people gambling could be a harmless pastime; it could also turn into a very real problem.

"Consumers often panic when they find themselves in a difficult financial situation and making gambling facilities easier to access may result in a spike in excessive gambling, particularly for those who can least afford to do so.

"This is especially true ahead of the festive season, when people want to treat themselves and their loved ones. However, it is vital that if one does not have the money to spend, they don't try to gamble their way ahead."

Earlier this week, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said that more attention needed to be paid to the question of online gambling.

"This is not yet legal in South Africa, and we will act against any found to be 'jumping the gun', who should also not assume that they will be the beneficiaries if we do eventually decide to license such activities.

"We know that a number of jurisdictions prohibit interactive gambling but also that the trend is towards licensing and regulation.

"In this regard, the commission made a recommendation that I know will be the subject of much debate namely that legislation should cater for all forms of online gambling, including person to person betting and participation in offshore operations," Davies added.

Real estate and casino mogul Donald Trump has publicly announced his support for the legalization of online gambling in the U.S. He believes the revenue generated from online gamblers in the U.S. should stay in the U.S. instead of going to offshore companies.



Trump told the Associated Press last Thursday, “It should be approved here… An awful lot of money is leaving the U.S. that should and could stay in this country."



Trump has a vested interest in the U.S. gambling market of course and is personally interested in getting in on the online casino action. Donald Trump is positioning himself, via Trump Entertainment Resorts, to get in on the ground floor of the online gambling business if and when it becomes legal in the U.S. He has filed with the SEC in the process of selecting a joint venture partner to run future online gambling operations, and hopes to leverage his brand as well as his existing gambling licenses in the U.S. for a competitive edge in the online market.



This past March, New Jersey governor Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have allowed online gambling within the state of New Jersey. Christie cited concerns about the constitutionality of the law and the risk of a statewide explosion in gambling. Currently, gambling in New Jersey is limited to Atlantic City only.



However, New Jersey state Senator Raymon Lesniak plans to introduce new legislation in November that addresses governor Christie’s concerns. If the legislation passes, New Jersey would be the first state in the U.S. to legalize intra-state online gambling.



If New Jersey does decide to allow intra-state online gambling, Trump may get his shot at the online gambling market even sooner than expected.

Defenders of online gambling testified before the House today to beg for their right to gamble legally. Poker Players Alliance Chairman (and former U.S. Senator) Al D’Amato, who represents 1.2 million online poker players, detailed several problems in the current law he would like to see corrected. First, he noted that players currently cannot “play on a site that is located in the U.S.; that employs U.S. citizens; that pays U.S. taxes or is regulated by any level of government in the U.S.”

Second, he described how since Obama’s Justice Department cracked down on U.S.-based online poker sites last year, “many thousands of U.S. poker players have not been able to recover money that they deposited into Full Tilt Poker and Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker accounts, or money they won playing on these sites.”

Third, he told Congressmen that “along with legislation to license Internet poker, Congress should finally clarify the laws governing Internet gambling and create effective enforcement against whatever is illegal…. Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 simply told banks to block payments for ‘unlawful Internet gambling’ without defining that term.”

Ernest Stevens of the National Indian Gaming Association also testified. He called Indian gaming “the Native American success story.” He noted that the Supreme Court has held since 1987 that the Indian gaming is “crucial for tribal self-determination and self-governance.” He argued that Congress must respect Indian tribes as “sovereign governments with a right to operate, regulate, tax, and license Internet gambling” and “must be available to customers in any locale where Internet gaming is not criminally prohibited.”

While the critics of Internet gambling who testified engaged in such rhetorical excesses as comparing online poker to illicit drugs, defenders of the Internet gambling also argued for a laundry list of regulations both to handouts to their members and to make online gambling more palatable to lawmakers. Every witness identified the “threat of offshore gambling” and argued that regulation was needed to protect U.S. consumers from predation.

However, as a 2008 CEI study put it, “repeal of gambling-specific federal laws would not reduce online gambling to an anarchic ‘Wild West.’ A market-regulated system would still involve government enforcement of general business regulations, including laws against force and fraud, which would then be coupled with a naturally evolving system of competitive third-party regulation.”

In the end, the political reality is that legalization of Internet gambling will probably involve heavy federal regulatory oversight including identity verification and bans on unlimited play (two requests of the Poker Players Alliance among others). Why the federal government needs to determine how people spend their extra time and money is, nonetheless, still unclear.

Is it a good day when a giant Lego man shows up at your local beach? It was for residents of the Sarasota Beach, FL area who discovered a large unknown creature washing up on their shores yesterday which turned out to be an oversized yellow, red and green Lego man who carried the message, “No Real Than You Are” and was labeled 8 Ego Leonard. Did it come from above?

According to ABC News, the Lego man stood 8 feet tall and weighed about 100 pounds. It was discovered by a local man who was walking down the beach came across the plastic mass and figured it was some sort of sea creature. He quickly realized that it wasn’t and there it was, a big plastic man.

Was it an escapee from the local Legoland or some kind of promotional gimmick? It turns out to that the theme behind the statue comes from a Dutch artist who is known for painting the Ego Leonard character. Apparently, the figure is meant to be some type of symbol of a world without rules or limitations.

Back in 2008 a smaller version of the Lego man surfaced in England and in Holland as well and the locals were just as puzzled by its appearance. As for the Florida Ego Leonard, they were pretty clueless as to what exactly to do with the statue and in the end, the local Sheriff’s department placed him in a storage room and apparently if no one claims him, he will be given back to the man who found him.

What are his plans for the statue? According to Mr. Hindman, he’s going to put Ego up for auction on E-Bay.

The race to legalize online gaming to the US is on. The economic potential is huge, with daily news centered on Iowa, New Jersey, California and Nevada. The Black Friday indictments has hit the industry hard; however the continuing battle to bring legalized online gaming to the United States steamrolls ahead, with a bill to authorize internet poker in Nevada announced shortly afterwards, and Senator Lesniak planning to introduce a new and improved bill. With frequent announcements, lobbying and collaborations between the industry and its regulators, it seems only a matter of time before a new chapter is written in US Legislation. When legalization of online gaming occurs the opportunities will be massive, and the legal maze intricate and complex.

There is no doubt that this is an exciting time for the gaming industry, and this brings big commercial opportunities. Market entrance strategies for European operators entering the US market and vice versa are on the tip of everyone’s tongue, and vicarious liability looks certain to be the one subject where the whole industry will be looking at with anticipation and intrepidation. Taxation could be a billion dollar opportunity for the US in times of economic difficulty, and the impact on land based casino’s of legalized online gaming is a hot and contentious topic in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

US Online Gaming Law 2011 is a one of a kind event; in fact this is the first event focusing 100% on the legal and regulatory aspects of online gaming in the US. Comprising of upto-the-minute panel discussions with industry CEO’s, Presidents, and General Counsel this event will uncover and examine the important questions such as:

• What opportunities exist for American internet gaming operators to enter the European market and vice versa?

• Where do the very latest developments leave the operators with regards to their potential for a new customer base and revenue stream?

• To what extent can the technologies we have in the igaming industry be used to reduce costs?

• Caesars-888, Wynn-Pokerstars, Fertittas-Full Tilt: what’s the likelihood that regulators will approve doing business with operators who took online bets from the US?

• What are the best strategies to provide B2B services as well as exploiting brands through JV’s with US licensed operators to maximize potential profits?

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A significant development in the furtherance of online gambling in the United States took place on Tuesday October 25, when the Congressional House Energy and Commerce Committee heard several issues related to online gambling. Unfortunately, the conclusion drawn by Chairperson Mary Bono Mack was that further study would be required before any legislative proposals were acted upon.

The thrust of those favoring online gambling was as follows. Online gambling is a reality that cannot be denied despite the UIGEA. In the absence of legalized online gambling in the United States, American players are wagering at offshore sites. These players run the risk of being ripped off at unregulated online gambling sites and the American federal and state governments are losing billions of dollars in tax money. Joe Barton of Texas, who has introduced legislation for regulating online poker also stressed that poker was a skill based game. Other speakers who supported legalization of online gambling included Democrat G.K. Butterfield and Poker Players Alliance chairman Alfonso D'Amato.

One section that opposed online gambling was the state lotteries. The argument presented was legalization of online gambling would move players away from lotteries and drain dollars from the states. It was pointed out that in many cases such funds were earmarked for education. D'Amato responded by stating that the people who buy lottery tickets are generally not the same people who gamble online and therefore these segments do not compete.

Social consequences of gambling addiction figured prominently in the hearing. Keith Whyte, executive director of National Council on Problem Gambling said at least $50 million should be set aside to deal with gambling addiction. He, however, added that his organization was neutral on legalizing online gambling. Dan Romer, associate director of The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, was in favor of online gambling regulation. He said, "By controlling online gambling the federal government could minimize the harm that this activity can inflict on the young and their families."

Mack summed up by stating, "There's just way too much here that has to be fleshed out to rush it and to put it into the work of the super committee. We have to find a balance of moving it and balancing the technological problems with the policy problems." The super committee is a bipartisan committee appointed to develop ways in which to reduce the US budget deficit. The deadline for submissions to that body is November 23. The fastest way to usher a regulated online gambling regime is to have the issue on the agenda of the super committee. Industry observers subsequently noted that "further study" will make it impossible for online gambling to be on the agenda of the super committee.

Due to rising popularity of smartphones, tablets and laptops, remote gambling on the Internet is increasing in UK at a fast rate. This interesting fact was revealed in a recent statistical study by the UK Gambling Commission.

The survey revealed that 11.8 percent of people questioned said they were engaged in online gambling for at least four weeks. This is an increase of 0.1 percent as compared to last year's reports.

Free online Bingo and the lottery games are amongst the most popular of those surveyed.

Improvements in technology has made these online games more popular and easily accessible. Also, limited restrictions in playing these games and 24-hour availability are other possible reasons for such growth.

Recently, the Communications Market Report published by Ofcom revealed that the number of people who accessed the Internet using their mobile phone increased by 4.5 million, as compared to last year. This has led to an increase in online gambling.

10. 5 percent of participants stated that they gambled on tablets, computers, laptops in some or the other way.

William Hill said it was on track to meet analysts’ end-of-year forecasts despite a steep drop in third-quarter earnings.

The gambling group said net revenue grew by 2 per cent in the 13 weeks to 27 September compared with the same period in 2010, driven by a strong performance in William Hill Online (WHO), which reported 28 per cent revenue growth.


However, an increased investment spend in new markets such as Italy, coupled with lower margins saw the gambling company’s operating profit drop by 22 per cent, dragging the year-to-date figure 3 per cent lower than 2010.

Nick Batram, an analyst at Peel Hunt, said the underlying business was performing well.

“Profit is down because of investment not because people aren’t betting,” he said. “Online clearly has good momentum and retail is holding up better than people feared.”

Company revenue is up 5 per cent in the year-to-date as robust online business – up by 25 per cent this year – compensated for a flat retail performance.

Ralph Topping, William Hill’s chief executive, described the results as “solid”.

The company added it remained “confident” of meeting analyst expectations for the year, which are for around £275m in earnings before interest, tax and amortisation.

However, Simon French, an analyst at Panmure Gordon, said the slip in profitability was “disappointing,” and projected ebita of £267m.

The results cap a turbulent past few days at WHO. Earlier this week the online gambling arm restored the smooth running of its Israeli operations following the dismissal of seven senior managers.

That followed a revolt by staff involving about 180 people striking at the company’s marketing business in Tel Aviv. The company also suffered smaller walkouts at its customer service and back office operations in Sofia, Bulgaria and the Philippine capital Manila.

Mr Batram said the Tel Aviv sackings could boost William Hill by giving it more operational control of WHO.

Shares were down 1.4p, or 0.6 per cent, to 223.7p.

The city of Biddeford was the stage today for dueling news conferences over Questions two and three on the November 8th ballot. Proponents of Question 2 authorizing racinos in the Biddeford area and Washington County presented a list of hundreds of Maine businesses that have endorsed the projects as a way to create jobs and bolster the downtowns of both regions. But a few hours later, just down the street ,gambling opponents joined forces to collectively call that a distortion of the facts. Act I, Scene I: a 100-year-old bakery known as Reilly's on Main Street in downtown Biddeford. With freshly frosted cakes, bite-sized pastries and more than two dozen supporters in the background, Mayor Joanne Twomey (above) unfurls a giant banner to demonstrate statewide business support for Question 2.

"We are going to unroll this banner. It's over 500 businesses who have signed on who support Question 2 because we need jobs," she said to supporters' applause.

Twomey says business leaders understand that Maine needs jobs and that the state cannot wait for Washington. With developers Ocean Properties and Scarborough Down involved, Twomey says hundreds of construction and permanent jobs will be created by Question 2 in Biddeford and in Washington County where unemployment has remained in the double digits.

But she says that can all be reversed with a destination-style racino that will bring more customers to small businesses such as Reilly's. "Biddeford Downs will be a first class facility. They will serve as an economic engine and I truly believe that. New employees at the Downs and tourists that come here mean more money spent at local businesses--and I've been saying that for a long time."

Calais realtor Nick Delmonico, Jr. also believes a Washington County racino would help put local people--who he says are struggling to afford heat, food and housing--back to work and bring some side benefits for the downtown. "With the racino as a destination, that would attract more retailers and other types of businesses," Delmonico said. "Also the new revenue generated by the racino would help with the public infastructure."

But the way gambling opponents see it, Biddeford and Calais are going to need a whole lot more help than with their public infrastructure if Questions 2 and 3 are approved by voters. And they've united to try to spread that message.
"Some of the people in this room we have been bitter enemies in the past. We may be bitter enemies in the future. But today we're committed together to defeat Questions 2 and 3," Bailey said.

Just down the street from Reilly's, Act II opens with Dennis Bailey of CasinosNo joined by opponents from four other newer gambling opposition groups, including the Friends of the Oxford Casino. They chose an old mill building converted into condos and shops for their backdrop.

Matthew Bushay, a spokesperson for No More Casinos Maine says there's a reason for that. "We need to focus on empowering facilities like this one that we're in right now that is trying to revitalize, facilities that are hundreds of thousands of square feet in the center of our communities," Bushay said. "We need to focus on that, not building new facilities where people won't leave them. They go in and they stay. They spend their money there."

Bushay says expanding gambling in Maine with two racinos and a casino in Lewiston won't keep college educated students in Maine. And he and others take issue wtih proponents' claims that they'll create hundreds of jobs when they say there is no proof.

In fact, Carroll Conley of the Christian Civic League of Maine says there will be something else. "If this passes there will be casualties and there's a debate about the number of those casualties but there's no debate about whether there will be casualties."

Conley says the casualties will include families destroyed by gambling addiction and small businesses. Dennis Bailey of CasinosNo says there is no place in America where a casino has come into a downtown and led to an increase in business. With less than two weeks to win over undecided voters, both sides are ramping up their efforts for the final act on election day.

Why is it so shocking that President Obama does not want his daughters watching the reality series, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians?” It was First Lady Michelle Obama that touched on the subject while holding a press conference in the White House last week where she revealed a bit of information that has caused a bit of an uproar with the famous Kardashian ladies who where rather quick to fire back.

Michelle Obama whose daughters are 10 and 13 opened up to journalists while being asked whether there were any programs on television that she did not support when it came to her daughter’s viewing habits.

She responded with the comment, “Barack really things some of the Kardashian –when they watch that stuff he doesn’t like that as much.” The First Lady went on to explain how the issue is more about how his daughters may interpret certain situations and what exactly they will learn from the reality series.

The comments although very diplomatic in nature didn’t sit very well with the Kardashian ladies who fired back at the First Family by attacking Michelle Obama’s fashion sense calling her wardrobe “pretend poor,” claims the Daily Mail.

The hits from the Kardashian end toward the First Lady went on and on which in many ways revealed exactly the point that Michelle was trying to make in the first place. During a recent interview with President Obama on Jay Leno, the President revealed how he had actually never watched the show and isn't necessarily a fan of reality television but obviously someone in the household certainly is.

BOSTON —

Casino industry insiders and other supporters of expanded gambling may find themselves extra grateful this Thanksgiving.

Adding to the chorus of high-level calls for the completion of work on an expanded gambling bill before the Legislature recesses on Nov. 16, Senate President Therese Murray told a local radio station Thursday that she hopes the legislation lands on Gov. Deval Patrick's desk before members depart for the holidays in 20 days.

"My hope is before," she said, when asked if she foresaw the completion of the bill before or after the six-week recess.

Murray's comment came two days after senior lawmakers in the House and Senate charged with negotiating competing versions of the bill said they saw no obstacles to coming to consensus before the break.

During an interview on WATD, Murray also said a bill cracking down on abuse of public funds by special education collaboratives might have to wait for action until early next year.

"I think it has to be done sooner than later," she said, before noting that a newly filed proposal by Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz on the matter must receive a public hearing first. "I would love to see it come out before November 16 but it might have to wait until the first of the year," she said.

Murray noted that lawmakers face pressure each year to boost special education funding and estimated $37 million had likely been misspent due to alleged abuses in the Merrimack Valley.

"We hear every single budget season that we don’t give enough money to special ed," she said. "These people were bleeding money that should have gone to the education of special needs children and putting it in their pocket.”

Some of Europe's largest online gambling operators still face a difficult regulatory regime in Germany, despite deep concessions to industry regulation by state officials in the country following objections by the European Commission.

Shares in Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment PLC (BPTY.LN) slipped 5.7% to 108 pence at 1220 GMT after 15 of the 16 German states Thursday agreed to lower a proposed tax on online gambling turnover to 5% from the original 16.6%, and said it would issue 20 licenses, up from the seven previously proposed.

Still, despite the lower tax rate, turnover tax is generally more detrimental to operator profits than the gross profits tax favored by countries like the U.K. and the remaining German state of Schleswig-Holstein.

The proposals also ban all online casino and poker games--an important part of online gambling companies' operating strategies--and put a cap on monthly bets of EUR1,000.

Panmure Gordon analyst Simon French believes that despite the concessions this is still not a very attractive market to operate in for Bwin.Party, which generates 22% of net gaming revenue in Germany, as well as for Betfair PLC (BET.LN), which operates a betting exchange across several European countries but has smaller exposure to the German market.

The revised regulation comes after the European Commission expressed concern that the original proposals infringed the freedom of companies to offer services in the European Union.

A spokesman for the European Commission wasn't immediately available for comment on the new proposals.

The German state of Schleswig-Holstein has separately proposed a far less draconian regulatory regime that includes a 20% tax, but on gross profit and not revenue, which allows operators to offer low-margin products, giving customers better prices. The state also said that there should be no limit on the number of operators granted licenses, that all products should be allowed, and that there should be strict consumer protection.

The minister president of Saxony Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, Friday said Schleswig-Holstein is invited to join in with the other states' deal.

However, Schleswig-Holstein's head, Peter Harry Carstensen, said his state abstained in the vote and he declined to comment on the agreement among the other states.

Bwin.Party said, "The announcement by the 15 federal prime ministers today is a step forward, but in formulating the final decisions the important thing is find a solution that is in line with market realities and at the same time is compliant with EU law."

Betfair said in a statement that the new proposals remain incompatible with EU law. "The detailed opinion of the EU Commission contained several points of contention with the original proposals which have not yet been addressed, and in our opinion the final makeup of the new state treaty in Germany therefore remains uncertain."

At 1220 GMT, Betfair shares were flat at 806 pence.

Donald Trump has assembled a team of investors to launch an online gambling company if and when the U.S. federal government legalises online gaming.

The Apprentice U.S.A host has been lobbying hard for legalisation in recent weeks.

“This has to happen because many other countries are doing it and like usual the U.S. is just missing out,” said Trump. “It seems inevitable, but with this country you never know if it’s inevitable.”

Trump’s investment team includes his daughter Ivanka and also Marc Lasry, the billionaire owner of the hedge fund firm Avenue Capital.

The joint venture would be 10% owned by Trump Entertainment, which is controlled by Lasry’s Avenue Capital.

The business magnate’s move comes as he prepares both for the possibility of federal internet gambling regulation becoming law or New Jersey legalising online gaming at state level.

Trump already has some experience of the gambling industry. He owns various properties in Atlantic City - a renowned gambling resort in New Jersey - and one casino in Las Vegas, which is yet to be completed.

Although these particular ventures have been tarnished by bankruptcies and lawsuits, Trump remains undeterred and believes online gaming represents a huge business opportunity.

“We have the hottest brand in the world according to many and we think we will do extremely well because of the Trump brand.”

Over the last two years the online gambling industry in Europe has been moving towards increasing fragmentation. The recent meeting of MEPs indicated that legislators favored national regulation rather than a pan European regulation. All this has been bad news for the online gambling operators, who need a common European market with free movement of goods and services to deliver the most competitive online gambling products. However, a new opinion from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) Advocate General Cruz Villalon published on October 27, 2011, has given the online gambling industry a glimmer of hope.

Villalon issued this opinion in cases pertaining to the British gambling operator Stanleybet trying to access the Italian online gambling market. Stanleybet had claimed that the procedure to award Italian licenses favors online gambling operators that already had been licensed at a time when certain operators had been unlawfully excluded. The opinion stated that licensing systems and procedures in European Union (EU) nations must respect the requirements of the Treaty. This is a reference to the policy that makes it mandatory for supply of goods and services across borders on an equated basis.

The opinion reads, "National legislation that tends generally to protect holders of licenses issued at an earlier period on the basis of a procedure that unlawfully excluded some operators can be regarded as an unjustified restriction of the freedom to provide services. Maintaining the business position of such historical concession holders is contrary to the Treaty provisions." Villalon added that national legislation which prevents any type of cross border gambling activity is contrary to articles 49 and 56 of the TFEU. If at all legislation is enacted by a member country to restrict the freedom to provide online gambling services between EU member nations, then that legislation must be non-discriminatory, suitable and proportional. A date for the ruling of the European Court of Justice has not yet been set.

An immediate reaction to the ECJ Advocate General's opinion was received from Maarten Haijer, director of Regulatory Affairs at the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA). EGBA is a trade representative body of the leading European online gambling operators. He welcomed the opinion of the Advocate General which confirmed that the EU member states were required to formulate online gambling legislation that complied with the basic requirements of the Treaty. Haijer said, "It is the cornerstone of the Internal Market that a European licensed operator should have access to licenses in other Member States and be able to offer cross border services." He also pointed out that with the increasing pace of national regulation, online gambling operators could not practically invoke the ECJ for all issues. The legislators have to understand the need for regulation that harmonizes licensing standards within the EU.

SPRINGFIELD – It’s beginning to look like the governor does not want any expansion of gambling in Illinois.

State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, a leading sponsor of gambling bills at the statehouse, said as long as Gov. Pat Quinn insists there cannot be slot machines at race tracks, there will not be enough votes for a bill.

The legislature has passed an expansion that includes five new casinos – Chicago, Danville, Rockford, the Waukegan area and the South Suburbs of Chicago – and slot machines at horse tracks, Chicago’s two airports, and at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.

Senate leaders have expressed hope that Quinn will negotiate with them between now and when the veto session resumes Nov. 8, but Lang is not as optimistic – not as long as Quinn has left so little room to negotiate.

“Some think that the governor knows well that a bill can’t pass unless slot machines at race tracks are in the bill, and therefore really does not want a bill to pass,” Lang said.

Lang says the horse racing industry is part of the larger industry of Illinois agriculture. He says his bill dedicates a certain portion of racetrack revenue to promotion.

Rumors are swirling that Aerosmith frontman and American Idol judge Steven Tyler, who long struggled with substance abuse, has fallen off the wagon since he fell in the shower after suffering from food poisoning and dehydration, knocking out his two front teeth.

The word from Tyler's camp is that Tyler says he walked into his hotel shower in Paraguay, “got nauseous, started to get sick and I fell on my face and I just passed out.” Tyler was rushed to the hospital and the next day, received spanking new teeth.

Tyler, 63, who relapsed from decades of sobriety in late 2009 and underwent three months of rehab told Matt Lauer on the Today show that falling off the wagon is "not the issue."

“It’s nothing I don’t understand. It makes me a little upset. But I get that people think that. It’s something that bothers me and it’s something I’ll have to deal with for the rest of my life.”

Even with a black eye and two knocked out teeth, the rocker hit the stage in Asuncion just the very next day, sporting two new teeth.

Think Tyler really had food poisoning and passed out? Sound off in our comments section.

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We were hoping for guidance today from lawmakers, Gov. Mark Dayton or anyone else on the next steps in the Vikings stadium quest. Didn't happen.

We ended the week with things even more fuzzy.Besides the proposal for a new stadium in Arden Hills that the Vikings say they really want, we now have three proposals from Minneapolis, casino proposals to pay for it but no consensus, yet, on the next step. Even the one thing that sounded certain -- a special legislative session to vote on a stadium by Thanksgiving -- didn't sound all that certain by this afternoon.

Given the ambiguity, here are some of the things we learned today.

1.) Nothing's decided. Two-plus hours of meetings between Dayton and key lawmakers yielded lots of discussion but nothing certain on how to pay for the state's portion of a Viikings stadium, about $300 million at the Arden Hills site. Dayton expects to meet with legislators next week and said he'll make a proposal by Nov. 7.

2.) A gambling fight won't be pretty. A casino seems like the least painful way to raise money to help fund a stadium there. But there's no easy money in this debate. From lawmakers philosophically opposed to more state involvement in gambling to Indian gaming operations seeking to protect their interests, it'll be a fight.

3.) Cultural heritage will be a stretch. Political contortions will be required to somehow define the Vikings as a cultural asset eligible for money from the state's constitutionally supported Legacy Funds. There's plenty of official guidance on the kinds of things the money is supposed to be spent on and none of it resembles a professional football team's need for $300 million. Going this route would require some policy nose holding equivalent to the 2005 decision to call a cigarette tax a health impact fee.

Fertitta Interactive, the online gambling company established last year by the family who owns Station Casinos, announced it has bought California online gaming company CyberArts Licensing LLC.

The Internet start-up is trying to position itself in front of its competitors in anticipation of online gambling being legalized in the United States.

CyberArts creates Internet and mobile gaming sites for casino operators. The Fertittas hope to parlay their purchase into an online poker site when the federal government approves the activity — a development that many industry observers believe is imminent.

“Fertitta Interactive fully supports the federal regulation of online poker in the United States,” Lorenzo Fertitta said in a statement. “In CyberArts, we found a leader in the development and design of online gaming software with an exemplary track record of regulatory compliance. We will be working on new and innovative products with the goal of ultimately providing consumers with the best online gaming experience in a safe and secure environment.”

Earlier this year, Fertitta Interactive entered into a partnership with Full Tilt Poker. But that alliance could hurt the company since Full Tilt Poker was named in an indictment accusing it of laundering billions of dollars through sham companies to circumvent the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. While CyberArts is based in Oakland, Calif., it has never accepted bets from U.S. customers.

Fertitta Interactive is owned by brothers Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta, owners of Station Casinos, and Tom Breitling and Tim Poster, former owners of the Golden Nugget. The amount the company paid for CyberArts was not disclosed.