Let your mouth speak archive

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Monday pardoned five people convicted of charges ranging from intent to distribute marijuana to running an illegal gambling business.

And he issued his first commutation, ordering the release of a woman next month after serving 10 years on a 22-year sentence for cocaine distribution.

The actions mark Obama's third set of pardons. He pardoned eight people earlier this year, and issued nine pardons in December 2010. The latest numbers from U.S. Pardon Attorney show that since taking office Obama has denied 872 applications for pardons and 3,104 for commutations of sentence.

At same point in his presidency, President George W. Bush had granted 12 pardons and no commutations, according to CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

None of those pardoned was well-known, as was the case with the president's previous orders. The cases date back to 1984, when Martin Kaprelian of Park Ridge, Ill., was sentenced to nine years in prison for conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce, and other related charges.

Obama commuted the 2001 prison sentence of Eugenia Marie Jennings of Alton, Ill. Jennings was convicted in 2001 for distributing cocaine, and sentenced to 22 years in prison. The president ordered her to be released next month, but kept intact her eight years of supervised release.

Others who received pardons:

Lesley Claywood Berry Jr. of Loretto, Ky., sentenced in 1988 to three years in prison for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana.
Dennis George Bulin of Wesley Chapel, Fla., sentenced in 1987 to five years of probation and a $20,000 fine for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 1,000 pounds of marijuana.
Ricky Dale Collett of Annville, Ky., sentenced in 2002 to one year of probation for aiding and abetting in the manufacture of 61 marijuana plants.
Thomas Paul Ledford of Jonesborough, Tenn., sentenced in 1995 to one year of probation for conducting and directing an illegal gambling business.

Gov. Deval Patrick made casino gambling in Massachusetts a legal enterprise today, thrilling proponents who see the promise of jobs, tax revenue, and new entertainment options and disappointing critics who fear the industry’s negative consequences.

The signing of expanded gambling legislation begins what will be an intensely scrutinized process of selecting members to a Gaming Commission that will oversee the new industry, selecting developers to construct up to three resort casinos and ensuring that casino operators comply with the new law.

The law also opens a new chapter in communities that have been scouted as potential casino sites by developers. Local officials girding to host a casino will have to win the support of their communities in what will likely be hard-fought, high-stakes battles against opponents of expanded gambling, who argue it will drain local businesses, encourage crime, stoke addiction and sully the character of the state.

"Expanded gaming in Massachusetts, for me, is about creating jobs," Patrick said before signing the bill.

"I am pleased to sign this bill today and proud of the work my team and the Legislature has done to bring it to this point," Patrick said.

Patrick was joined for the bill-signing in his office by House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Steven Tolman, Sen. Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster) and Reps. Brian Dempsey (D-Haverhill), Kathi-Anne Reinstein (D-Revere), Russell Holmes (D-Boston) and Joe Wagner (D-Chicopee).

During a radio interview before the bill signing, Patrick said he used to take his mother to gamble at Foxwoods and recalled spending time at a Las Vegas casino when he worked at Coca-Cola. "It was glamorous," Patrick said, remembering the meals and taking in a Cirque du Soleil show.

The arguments of critics held little sway with Patrick and with a Legislature that has seen significant turnover in its ranks since members roundly defeated a casino plan offered by Patrick in 2008, most notably in the office of House speaker. DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat and fervent supporter of expanded gambling, succeeded Speaker Salvatore DiMasi in 2009, clearing the way for a renewed look at casinos and slot parlors in Massachusetts.

DiMasi had led the drive to squash Patrick’s expanded gambling efforts, but he resigned amid a bribery investigation that ultimately led to his conviction, and some of DiMasi’s supporters have suggested that gambling interests played a role in his downfall.

The bill Patrick signed into law permits the Gaming Commission to select up to one casino in each of three regions: an eastern region that stretches from Boston to Worcester, a western region that includes the counties of Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire, and a southeast region that includes the Cape, the South Shore and cities like New Bedford and Fall River. Successful bidders for a casino license would be required to pay an $85 million fee and pledge to invest $500 million in their facilities.

The bill also sanctions a single, competitively bid slots-only casino that could be sited anywhere in the state. The winner of the slots license would be required to pay a $25 million licensing fee and invest $125 million in a facility.

The three casinos would be taxed at 25 percent of their gambling revenue, and the slot facility would be taxed at 49 percent. Those revenues are slated to be divided up among an array of interests, including transportation infrastructure, local aid, anti-addiction services, the arts, race horse development, health care reform efforts, and public safety.

Expanded gambling has been a cyclical priority on Beacon Hill for generations but has faltered amid widespread controversy about its implications and an inability among legislative leaders and governors to align their priorities. Proponents have long argued that casinos in Connecticut and Rhode Island have drained nearly $1 billion per year from Massachusetts residents that they say could be recaptured with local gambling options. In addition, backers say they expect up to 15,000 jobs to be created as a result of the new industry.

But opponents argue that, in addition to the social ills bred by casinos, they will divert residents’ spending away from the state Lottery, which is already among the most successful in the country, encourage residents to spend discretionary revenue at casinos rather than in other areas of the economy, and will cannibalize local businesses, resulting in no net economic gain for the state.

Former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, president of Citizens for a Stronger Massachusetts, which opposed the bill, said the group was "encouraged by the budding movement to repeal this law and will continue to do all we can to speak out against this ill-advised, poorly-structured, pro-casino bonanza."

"This Governor promised not to sign any casino bill without an independent cost-benefit analysis," Harshbarger said in a statement. "Legislative leaders promised adequate law enforcement, regulatory standards and accountability. Today, none are in place. "Now a new Massachusetts gold rush begins. Insiders are lining up for coveted seats on the all-powerful but completely unaccountable commission overseeing casino licensing and operations and casino money is flooding into cities and towns in an effort to pave the path and stifle descent (sic) there." Politically, the issue has presented a headache for lawmakers and the governor, most pointedly last year, when a gambling bill that appeared poised for passage died amid a collapse of negotiations between the governor and legislative leaders on the final night of formal business before the 2010 election cycle. That collapse, which Patrick capitalized on during his reelection campaign, set the stage for private, closed-door talks among the governor and legislative leaders earlier this year, which led to a pre-negotiated bill that passed easily in both chambers of the

Casino software services found out that problems are brewing between banks in Australia and the government as several large high street banks and Visa are launching a campaign against proposed changes to the online gaming industry’s regulation.

The regulation that was proposed is for an American style law that would restrict or prevent certain types of payment processing, as learned by casino software services.

The Australian Bankers Association argue that it would be very hard for such laws to be enforced, and that payments that have nothing to do with online gaming could be mistakenly blocked, owing to the complex nature of blocking online gaming payments. The Australian Bankers Association also strongly argues that in the work market, Australia would be much less competitive.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Banking Association has been quoted as saying that”[If] Australia was identified as a jurisdiction where payment obligations may not be fulfilled in a certain and timely manner, it is possible that merchants and online service providers will refuse to accept business and payments from customers designated as originating from Australia,”

These laws are called the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the US. Casino software services know that for years, that law was very difficult to enforce.

Because of these difficulties, the events known as Black Friday took place, which saw the US Department of justice crack down on the online gaming industry very hard, specifically on online poker, and betting software services saw a huge problem.

Black Friday led to Full Tilt Poker’s eventual downfall, and players all over the world lost access to their online poker accounts and hundreds of millions of dollars, and casino software services remember very well when this took place, as well as the magnitude of the problem.

Developments in the situation in Australia will be followed by betting software services everywhere, and many people in the industry are eager to see what will happen in the future.

THE case of a Wantirna man who almost lost his house over an $80,000 betting debt has led to a national push to ban companies from offering online gambling credit.

The Coalition launched a discussion paper on the issue earlier this month, after proposals from Aston federal MP Alan Tudge.

Henry (not the man's real name) joined the betting firm Sportsbet in May and was offered increasing amounts of credit, starting at $5000 of free bets and rising to $40,000 in credit.

He lost $80,000 in less than a week, and Sportsbet took him to the Federal Court in July to have him declared bankrupt when he could not repay the debt.

Henry's house, which he shares with his mother Barbara, was to be sold to cover costs and the pair appealed to Mr Tudge for help. In August, Sportsbet and the trustees agreed to cancel the debt and reinstate the house in Henry's name.

Barbara said her son had learnt lessons from his experience, but prohibiting online credit could "reduce the opportunity of tragedy".

"It is a significant step to control betting activities, especially when betting goes beyond the point of just pleasure and entertainment," she said.

Mr Tudge said he had two objectives in Henry's case - to save his house and to "change the law so that cases like this could not happen again".

"We succeeded on the first objective, and now are one step closer on the second," he said.

"It is one thing to gamble away your savings account, it is another to be able to literally gamble your house away without leaving your living room. Some basic protections are required.

"Dozens of residents have contacted me in relation to the extent of gambling advertising, including during sports and other programs that kids watch. It is something that needs to be looked at."

Mr Tudge is also a member of a working group that will develop national policies to address problem gambling.

Submissions to the working group can be sent to [email][email protected][/email] or Nick Demiris (Gambling Review), c/- Office of Kevin Andrews MP, Level 1, 651-653 Doncaster Road, Doncaster 3108.

When the Minnesota State Lottery quietly launched Internet ticket sales a year ago, it followed a strategy other lotteries have adopted to woo new players — particularly among young adults who aren't hugely interested in traditional paper tickets sold at convenience stores.

Yet the launch last November was so quiet that some legislators said they were surprised when they learned about it this week, and they questioned whether the lottery had the legal authority to take that step.

The lottery has done nothing to publicize the move to players except add a "Buy Online" tab and a "Lotto Subscriptions" button to its home page that let them subscribe to play regular numbers in Powerball, MegaMillions and other games. The New York, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Virginia state lotteries offer similar services. And most other states with lotteries are considering the idea, industry officials say.

If Minnesota lottery officials have been reticent within the state, they've talked up the initiative elsewhere.

Clint Harris, then the lottery's executive director, made a presentation about online sales at Lottery Expo 2010 in Las Vegas. In it, Harris said the lottery had done a "soft launch" without promotion to avoid the appearance of competing with its retailers.

"We also believe that it is not something that requires a full media/marketing campaign and we will be strategic in where and who we advertise it," Harris said.

The lottery's current acting director, Jenny Canfield, who was then operations director, told the same conference that ticket sales to Minnesotans ages 18-36 had fallen sharply. She cited a survey by St. Cloud State University that said 38 percent of 18- to 24-year olds had bought a lottery ticket in the previous year in Minnesota, compared with 73 percent in 1998. And she said only 56 percent of those 25-34 had bought a ticket in the preceding year, compared with 70 percent in 1998.

She said that confirmed the need to expand beyond traditional methods for reaching players.

On Tuesday, Canfield hedged on whether the Minnesota lottery is targeting younger players, saying it seeks to expand its player base among all demographic groups. "That's a presentation given within the lottery industry," she told The Associated Press.

And Canfield attributed the quiet launch to a "limited marketing budget." She said the lottery notified the administration of then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty, as well as three key legislators: Sen. Ann Rest, D-New Hope; Rep. Joe Atkins, D-Inver Grove Heights; and Sen. Tony Lourey, D-Kerrick.

Canfield said the service had only about 8,000 players and about $626,000 in sales since its launch, less than 1 percent of the lottery's total sales.

Subscription systems allow players to register online to regularly buy numbers for big games like Powerball and MegaMillions, as well as smaller games offered by individual states. Safeguards verify player identities, that they've over age 18, that they live in the state offering the game, and that they're in the state when they enter. Players get emails when their numbers win. Winnings go into an account where players can use them to buy more tickets or cash out.

Ed McGuinn, chief executive of Stamford, Conn.-based eLottery, which provides consulting services and technology for Internet lottery systems, predicted online sales could be worth another $75 million annually to Minnesota. He said e-commerce channels can give most states a 15 percent boost but predicted as much as 25 percent for Minnesota because the state's per-capita ticket sales are about $95, compared with an average of $191 for all 44 states with lotteries plus the District of Columbia.

McGuinn said almost every state is considering Internet sales except for a couple that prohibit them.

Some legislative gambling opponents said they weren't pleased when they first learned from an article in Tuesday's Star Tribune that the system has been running a year.

"We'd like to at least have heard about it," said Rep. Frank Hornstein, D-Minneapolis.

Assistant Senate Majority Leader David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, said there would have been a "huge pushback" from retailers had they known.

"I think the Legislature needs to have a hearing about this and understand what they're claiming their authority is," Hann said. "If they don't have the authority then they need to stop doing it until they obtain the authority. I would hope the governor would use his vast power of executive authority to put a stop to it."

As America goes through the motions to understand the online gambling industry, the United Kingdom is about to reveal the results of its fifth gambling inquiry.
The Government of the U.K and its Culture, Media and Sport Committee is reconvening November 22 2011 to expose the effectiveness of the implementation and operation of the Gambling Act of 2005.

Interested stakeholders and others are asked to voice their opinions on the subject. Included in the discussions were the topics such as the effectiveness of the act in achievement of its core objectives. Those main goals were to ensure that gambling remains a crime-free zone, conducted in an open and fair manner, the protection of children and vulnerable categories of people from the adverse effects of gambling and to keep updating the legislative framework with online gambling provisions. The discussions at the inquiry also touched on the financial impact of the Act on the UK gambling industry and the real effectiveness of the Gambling Commission.

The U.K. has had legal online gambling for many years and is constantly looking for inventive ways to improve the industry. The impact of the expansion of off-shore online gambling operators on the UK gambling sector and what effect the Gambling Act of 2005 had on this.
The discussions delved into the reasons why the Act has not resulted in any new licenses for casinos or “super” casinos and whether or not the classification and regulation of gaming machines was at all effective. Inquiry members heard about how the act affected levels of problem gambling incidences.

Additional testimony will be heard from organizations such as the Quaker Action on Alcohol and Drugs (QAAD), the Evangelical Alliance, The Methodist Church, The Salvation Army, CARE, GamCare, the National Centre for Social Research and even a gambling specialist from the University of Birmingham.
All this is in sharp contrast with the last inquiry which heard from high profile firms involved with the gambling industry in the U.K.

The only winners so far in the effort to allow luxury resort casinos in South Florida, which has widespread implications for every form of gambling in the state, are lobbyists.

Gambling groups from across the nation have spent millions on outside lobbyists since July in preparation for a legislative session that will be dominated by the debate over "destination" resort casinos and their impact on everything from Internet cafes, pari-mutuel race tracks, video gaming vendors and the Seminole Tribe's casinos.

Gambling businesses and anti-gambling groups have spent up to $2.6 million on lobbyists in the third quarter of this year, according to recently released lobbying financial disclosure forms. There are very few lobbying firms in paitown that do not have a client with skin in the game.

The big spenders this quarter were casino developers like Genting Americas, which spent up to $430,000 on lobbyists in the quarter ending Sept. 30 in preparation for a fight to get legislative approval to build a large resort casino in Miami that it is calling Resorts World Miami.

Genting spent far more than competitor Las Vegas Sands, which spent up to $165,996 spent on lobbyists during the same quarter. In total, casino operators interested in coming to South Florida have spent up to $715,979 on lobbyists in the third quarter alone, making their total for the year $1.7 million.

Jessica Hoppe, the general counsel and vice president of governmental affairs for Genting, defended the lobbyist spending as a necessary means to an end, saying destination resorts have the potential to create 100,000 jobs.

"It's important that message is heard throughout the Capitol and the state," Hoppe said in an email, noting that "we put together a great team."

Genting's team includes influential players such as Foley and Lardner, Ballard Partners, and The Horne Group. Meanwhile, Las Vegas Sands, which also wants to open a luxury resort casino in South Florida, has hired a team that includes Capital City Consulting and Floridian Partners.

When contacted for comment, Las Vegas Sands spokesman Patrick Slevin said the "financial disclosures speak for themselves."

Tracking how much is spent on lobbyists is an imperfect science. Lobbyists only report income in ranges, so all figures in this article represent the upper cap. Also, some lobbying firms may report their income twice under legislative and executive lobbying, which are intended to be reported separately. These figures also don’t include in-house lobbyists that may work exclusively for a given business or organization.

Powerful business groups such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida will also be vigorously fighting over destination resorts, but were not included in the tally of gambling money spent on lobbyists since these groups have myriad issues they track every legislative session.

Casino operators that want to expand in South Florida that are spending big aren't the only big spenders. Groups such as International Internet Technologies, which makes the software used in video gaming machines, spent up to $410,000 on lobbyists in the third quarter. The company is one of many that appear wary of several bills that attempt to crack down on Internet cafes that offer sweepstakes games and fall under an unregulated grey area in the law.

Dog and horse race tracks throughout the state are also spending big in anticipation that a legislative proposal on destination resorts could yield a better tax rate for them and increase the value of a pari-mutuel license. Race tracks across the state have spent up to $599,973 on lobbyists in the third quarter, while groups representing horse and dog breeders, kennel clubs, and jai alai players spent up to $320,000 on lobbyists during the third quarter.

Whether any of this spending translates into results remains to be seen. After up to $4.6 million was spent on gambling lobbying in the first six months of the year, an attempt to pass a destination resorts bill fell apart. This was seen as a victory for some lobbying groups – such as the pari-mutuels and Seminole tribe – but not others.

TOTAL SPENDING FOR GAMBLING LOBBYING IN THE THIRD QUARTER:

Destination resort casino operators: Between $506,005 and $715,979

Internet cafes: Between $80,000 and $99,998

Horse and dog breeders and associations, kennel clubs, jai alai players: Between $100,012 and $319,979

Pari-mutuel race tracks: Between $330,008 and $599,973

Game and software vendors: Between $550,003 and $689,988

Seminole tribe and tribe associations: Between $110,001 and $179,993

Anti-casino groups: Between $10,003 and $49,996

Good on Mila Kunis who followed through on a date she promised a young marine who was brave enough to put together an invite for the actress to his Marine Corps Ball via You Tube back in July. It was on Friday that Kunis flew to Greenville, North Carolina to dance the night away with Sgt. Scott Moore and snapped photos with a few of her fans in the service.

It was her friend and co-star of Friends With Benefits, Justin Timberlake that got her to accept the invite while they were being interviewed to promote their latest flick, to which she gladly accepted. Four months later, to Moore’s surprise the actress actually showed up.

According to EOnline, Sgt. Moore had just returned from a seven month tour in Afghanistan, where he had thought of the bright idea of piecing together the special You Tube invite for Kunis which to this day has just under 4 million hits.

While Mila fulfilled her promise to Sgt. Moore, her friend Justin Timberlake had made a similar promise to marine Kelsey De Santis whom he escorted to another ball in Richmond, VA on Saturday night. Acccording to a fellow marine who attended the ball, Timberlake seemed to have a good time and, “we all brought sexy back,” he told People.

With a stroke of a pen yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick brought a sea change to Massachusetts: the legalization of a gambling industry.

In what is perhaps his most significant bill signing since his election five years ago, the governor broke one of the state’s last strands to its Puritan culture. Not since most Blue Laws were wiped off the books three decades ago has a governor and a Legislature approved such a dramatic departure from its original moral groundings.

Patrick, whose support for casinos and a slot parlor was critical, was keenly aware - and defensive - of what he was doing. Promoting the legislation as a job-creating initiative, he emphasized that the approval of casino gambling met his moral benchmarks. “I never have had a moral objection to gambling,’’ the governor told reporters at the State House event, returning to that theme several times in his answers to reporters’ questions. “I respect those who have a moral objection, but I am not one of them.’’

Still, he was clearly aware that he was causing a stir among many of those who had rallied to his early campaign rhetoric, when he called for a “politics of conviction’’ and vowed to break the Beacon Hill culture and the special interests that dominate it.

It was that bloc of voters - liberal activists, reformers, social service advocates, and independents - who helped launch his insurgent, long-shot candidacy in 2006 and who helped him battle back from the political graveyard in last year’s reelection campaign.

His decision to back the legalization of casinos and a slots parlor cut sharply across the grain of that coalition.

“It is a sad story,’’’ said Susan Tucker, a former state senator and Andover Democrat who was an early and enthusiastic Patrick supporter. “The first I heard that he was considering casinos was on my car radio. I nearly drove off the road.’’

“This seems so much in conflict with everything he stood for when he first ran,’’ said Tucker, who has been a leader in efforts to stop the casino legislation.

But Patrick, with a background in corporate America, had always projected a more complex philosophy than the traditional Massachusetts liberal.

If those political supporters had listened more carefully in 2006, during his first run for public office, they would have picked up on a message he was sending them. “You should stop trying to put me in a box,’’ he kept saying during the campaign when he was criticized for his corporate background as general counsel for Texaco and Coca-Cola.

Within nine of months of being sworn in, Patrick announced a plan to legalize three casinos. It hit much of his political base in the gut. With some skill and luck, Patrick was able to avoid some of that backlash in last year’s election, held just months after gambling legislation bogged down over sharp differences between him and the Legislature.

The political consequences for Patrick are now minimal, according to analysts. His decision to announce he would not seek another term has freed him from the pressures of electoral politics.

But just as importantly, the anticasino opposition, while outspoken, has accepted defeat. It was steamrolled by a gambling industry that spent millions of dollars in lobbying Beacon Hill. It also never effectively countered labor unions’ arguments that the construction and operations of the casinos would create thousands of much-needed jobs.

“I don’t think there is a rebellion; I think there is a resignation,’’ said Jeffrey M. Berry, a Tufts University political science professor who closely monitors Massachusetts politics. He said Patrick has helped to ease their concerns by focusing on areas they strongly support, including social services and health care.

That mood was evident this week when Michael S. Dukakis, the former governor and a steadfast opponent of legalized gambling, was asked about Patrick’s role in creating a casino industry in Massachusetts. He displayed an understanding that only a former governor could have.

“You don’t expect to agree with everything the guy does,’’ said Dukakis.

“We are disappointed, but I did things my supporters weren’t happy about,’’ Dukakis said. “On the whole, he has been a good governor. . . . I am a big fan of what the governor has done on the economic scene. He should be proud of it.’’
Frank Phillips can be reached at [email][email protected][/email].

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High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email [email]ftsales-support@ft-com[/email] to buy additional rights. Playtech founder to underwrite 100m placing - FT-com

Teddy Sagi, the founder of Playtech, raised his shareholding in the online gambling software provider to 43.7 per cent after agreeing to underwrite a £100m share placing to fund new acquisitions.

The group announced that the fundraising, through a placement of 46.5m shares at 215p, had been placed with Brickington, Mr Sagi’s investment vehicle, which had held 40.3 per cent of Playtech, and institutional shareholders. High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email [email]ftsales-support@ft-com[/email] to buy additional rights. Playtech founder to underwrite 100m placing - FT-com

The placing was at a discount of 2.5 per cent to Tuesday’s closing share price. Playtech shares closed 2.3 per cent down at 215.5p.

Brickington is underwriting the placement at no fee, and offered to take up any or all of the 27.8m shares available to institutions that are not taken up. This meant that the Israeli billionaire’s stake could have gone up to 49.9 per cent.

Institutions ended up taking two-thirds of the share allocation available to them. The placing remains conditional on shareholder approval next month.

Playtech, which has a joint venture with William Hill and provides software to leading operators such as Paddy Power and Bwin. party, said it had identified bolt-on deals costing £40m and anticipated joint venture agreements costing between €15m and €30m.

Some analysts have questioned whether Mr Sagi wields too much influence over Playtech. Tension between the group and William Hill has been evident several times this year. Last month, staff at William Hill Online in Tel Aviv walked out, raising concerns at the UK-based operator about split loyalties.

The Aim-listed group added that it was confident of meeting the requirements by the UK Listing Authority that has prevented it from obtaining a main market listing, and amended its dividend policy. It will pay 40 per cent of profits, split one-third at interim and two-thirds at final dividend.

For the current year, Playtech, which has a market cap of £560m, will combine the interim with the final dividend payment at the 40 per cent level.

Simon French, analyst at Panmure Gordon, said that while Playtech stock was not expensive, “we think the market will be unnerved by Brickington’s ability to increase its shareholding to 49.9 per cent”.

Ivor Jones of Numis downgraded his Playtech recommendation to a sell, saying it had become “harder than ever to work out what kind of company Playtech plans to be”.

But other investors were more positive. Nick Batram of Peel Hunt said it was largely irrelevant whether Mr Sagi held a 40 per cent stake or a 49.9 per cent stake. James Hollins of Evolution Securities said while Mr Sagi’s stake presence “may be viewed negatively”, the fundraising was “a sensible approach in further cementing its market leadership”.

The issues surrounding online gambling laws in the European Union have been debated far too long according to some critics. The snail’s pace that legislation to regulate the activity across the entire zone has been going has been a distraction for those looking to resolve definitions and create a fair and level playing field for all licensed operators across the board.

Finally the members of the E.U. parliament have made a decision resolving that all of its Member States that choose to limit access to their betting markets will be forced to comply with E.U. laws and regulations. The European Commission will bring court action against non compliant countries with every nation on the same page with the same rules without exception. This resolve may see some serious changes for countries that have in the past tried to keep their monopolies intact. For the rest who comply and operators who have been surging through the political minefield this is a welcomed move forward.

Clive Hawkswood Chief Executive Officer of the Remote Gambling Association commented, “The European Parliament’s resolution demonstrates a marked change in approach. It now wants to regulate rather than prohibit; and it is pressing the Commission to act against Member States which do no comply.” The barriers that some E.U. nations put up were purportedly for the safety of the patrons that used the online gambling services but in fact the barriers were mostly monetary in nature and protectionist motivated.
The United States is still in violation of World Trade agreements regarding e commerce and free internet enterprise. The US was asked to comply by the online gambling industry in Antigua and Barbuda when the USA banned online gambling from that country.
It is hoped that the European Union will set an example for other jurisdictions such as the US when they decide to legalize, regulate and license internet wagering in the future.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has signed a bill making casino gambling legal in the state.

Patrick, who pushed for the gambling legislation for its job-creating potential, signed the measure Tuesday, The Boston Globe reported.

"I never have had a moral objection to gambling," Patrick said at the signing at the Capitol in Boston. "I respect those who have a moral objection, but I am not one of them.''

Patrick's support for legalization of casinos and slot machine parlors doesn't sit well with some of his supporters.

"It is a sad story," former state Sen. Susan Tucker of Andover said. "The first I heard that he was considering casinos was on my car radio. I nearly drove off the road.

"This seems so much in conflict with everything he stood for when he first ran."

Former Gov. Michael Dukakis expressed disappointment, though he is willing to cut Patrick some slack.

"You don't expect to agree with everything the guy does," Dukakis said.

"We are disappointed, but I did things my supporters weren't happy about. On the whole, he has been a good governor. ... I am a big fan of what the governor has done on the economic scene. He should be proud of it.''

:dance:

Gov. Pat Quinn's office touted a new report Monday that concludes Illinois wouldn't get much extra money through a massive expansion of gambling, a finding that seems to support the governor's call for a more restrained approach.

The report says an initial gambling expansion bill passed by lawmakers would bring in about $160 million in new annual gaming revenue for the state and not the extra $1 billion they say some have claimed. That bill was never sent to Quinn, who threatened to veto it because it included slots at racetracks, which he opposes. It did include five new casinos, including the first one in Chicago. Illinois currently has 10 casinos.

Chicago also would benefit more from gambling expansion if casino-style gambling with slot machines at race tracks isn't allowed, said a summary of the report by the New Orleans-based Innovation Group.

"A lot of these racetracks with casinos are going to be on top of other casinos. They will dilute the amount of gaming, so that will cause lower amounts for other casinos," said Jack Lavin, Quinn's chief of staff.

The Illinois horse-racing industry has said it needs slots at tracks to survive and compete with other states.

The report studied not only the original gambling bill also two other scenarios that excluded slots at tracks and had fewer gaming positions at the casinos. Quinn's office said the report was commissioned in September and cost less than $20,000.

Democratic Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie, a sponsor of the gambling expansion measure, said estimates can be low when it comes to gaming revenues. But even if the governor's report underestimates how much money a gambling expansion would bring in, it's still new money for the state, even if it's less than proponents have suggested.

"Who else is proposing $160 million new dollars to the state of Illinois," Lang said, adding that opening casinos would also create new jobs.

Lang said he's unsure whether lawmakers will try again to advance a gambling expansion bill when they return to Springfield on Nov. 29. Lawmakers are due back in session to try to hash out a tax incentive deal to try to keep several big companies that are threatening to leave the state and at the same time offer broader tax relief to Illinoisans.

If gambling does some up, Lang said he feels confident he has the votes to pass a bill despite failing earlier this month to pass an improved version of the original expansion bill that was never sent to Quinn.

Lang said he remains hopeful that Quinn, who has laid out a framework for the kind of gambling bill he might accept, will sit down and negotiate with lawmakers.

"My door is open, my phone rings, I'm prepared to meet, I'm prepared to do it right," he said.

Lavin said the new study gives the sides a place to start in negotiations.

"We need to look at the whole picture of what are the real numbers," he said.

City Council approved legislation Tuesday that put tight restrictions and heavy financial disincentives on Internet gambling cafes if they wish to open in the city.

These cyber-cafes, officially known as “entertainment device arcades,” are quasi-gambling establishments where patrons buy an Internet access card that acts as the entry point to a lottery sweepstakes. No cyber-cafes currently are open in the city. Several local governments throughout the state, including Mason, Liberty Twp. and West Chester Twp., have already enacted similar restrictions. The Ohio General Assembly also is in the process of debating the merits of such facilities and the possibility of enacting state-wide restrictions on them.

Opponents of the Internet gambling cafes worry they will attract unsavory clientele and increase crime.

Monroe’s new ordinance calls for the establishment of a three-member regulatory board to oversee the cyber-cafes. The board would be composed of the mayor, city manager and city finance director. Each cyber-cafe would also have to pay a $3,500 licensing fee as well as a $200 semi-annual fee for each machine in the premises. These fees are less than what Mason charges ($5,000 per year plus $30 a month).

The ordinance will not apply to “Video Lottery Terminals’ an exemption made to exclude any potential “racino” (raceway casino) from falling under the ordinance’s purview.

Councilman Steve Black said he had previously lived in South Carolina where cyber-cafes were unregulated and saw many issues develop because of the facilities.

“I saw some of the issues with these types of businesses and if we are to allow them here, we need to be very strict about what they can and cannot do,” Black said. “When I lived in South Carolina and saw these facilities, I had wished they had more regulations to look out for the benefits of the citizens.”

Looking for a conversation starter? Rapper P. Diddy and Interscope Records have released a new coffee table book, Culo, which features 248 pictures of celebrity backsides photographed by fashion photographer Raphael Mazzucco which are meant to celebrate the female form and add some shock value to your next cocktail party.

To put it plain and simple, it’s the ultimate “ass” book which currently features Lady Gaga and X-Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger but they are just two of the many artists featured. Mancuzzo who along with Diddy also partnered with Interscope Records Jimmy Iovine, explained on his website that the collection of photographs are meant to be viewed as wildly provocative and some tongue and cheek.

It’s not meant to be raunchy but in the end it’s open for interpretation. Yesterday was the actual release date of the book but an art exhibition and promotional party last month where hip-hop A-listers Dr. Dre, Kanye West and Maxwell all partied into the early hours P. Diddy style.

As far as the information that was reported, Sir-Mix-A-Lot did not attend the festivities but we’re sure he was probably on somebody’s mind throughout the evening. Would you buy this artistic tribute to the female form? It could possibly get as much hype as Madonna’s Sex book from the 90’s…memba?

Last month Facebook announced that it was relaxing the rules in relation to online gambling companies to advertise on the social media site. An article by NewMediaAge claims that Betfair claims to be increasing its investment on the site to further engage with fans.

Betfair has already launched a campaign to take advantage of the opportunities posed by the withdrawal of certain constraints and plans to invest further. Prior to last month there was a limit to the number of posts that could be made each week and the requirement to get approval from Facebook in relation to updates. Now there are no limits nor approval needed.

Betfair is using high-profile ambassadors in marketing campaigns this year which include former England cricketer Michael Vaughn and ex-footballer Lee Dixon. The ambassadors will help run the Facebook pages and in addition there will be a paid advertising campaign.

The head of central online marketing, Ben Carter, claimed that he was among a group of gambling brands working with Facebook following the changes to the media site regulations.

“There is loads of opportunity for us and it is what we have been waiting for long time,” he said. “We had a page for a while but we have been limited by not being able to build the engagement or content. We will certainly increase spend but we will work with Facebook to understand what it means for gambling brands. The way to use advertising cleverly is influenced by social data, but these are disconnected at the moment.”

Online gaming companies can now also launch free-to-play applications on the social media site which Betfair plans to experiment with.

Recently the US House Oversight Committee’s Chairman Darrell Issa asked businesses to submit their opinions on how laws that are hindering growth in the USA can be changed for the better. One of the first opinions submitted deals directly with the UIGEA bill. The Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative described to the Chairman how the cost of this bill to the US is in the millions and has hindered job growth by the tens of thousands. The government would earn billions of dollars in tax revenue if the UIGEA bill was replaced with online regulation and legalization of online gambling which by the way has been brought up numerous times in the past but was received by deaf ears.

The “SSIGI” also wrote in their letter to the Chairman to take a long look at information on various government regulations that have a negative impact on job growth. The opportunity for thousands of jobs in the US should not be over looked as it has been by the federal government with the unlawful internet gambling bill. A bill, which has not slowed down the online gambling industry in the United States, but instead driven it and its players farther underground where there is no player safety net or legal help when needed.

The banking sector which bears the brunt of the UIGEA bill’s responsibilities have voiced their disapproval of this useless law because it is impossible for them to police the entire internet and it is unreasonable for the federal government to expect them to. Even though Chairman Issa was one of the Republicans that voted for the UIGEA bill, it seems that he is now taking a second look at the job growth in the USA and may or may not be for the repeal of this useless law.

Gambling is big business