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Ever since the Justice Department opened the door to the legalization of online gambling, the leading creators of social games are feeling increasingly lucky. PopCap Games just launched Lucky Gem Casino with a collection of seven slot machines themed after its brands such as Bejeweled and Zuma. It marks the entry of the Electronic Arts subsidiary into the increasingly active casino game market.
Leading Facebook game publisher Zynga is adding Bingo and Slingo to its Zynga Casino family, which already features the most successful Facebook Poker game with more than 30 million active monthly users. Traditional gambling companies are quickly moving into the market as well. In January, slot machine maker International Game Technology acquired Facebook casino game publisher Double Down for $500 million.
The current crop of luck-based Facebook games are legal in the US because there is no way to cash out the virtual earnings. In Lucky Gem Casino players can purchase additional coins for real money, using the Facebook Credits system. But even if they hit the jackpot, payouts occur only in virtual currency and can’t be converted back into cash.
The big prize for social game makers could arrive when more states follow Nevada’s example and legalize online gambling, a move made possible after a Justice Department ruling in December that allows online betting as long as it does not involve sports. Companies who have already gathered large player communities could see revenue boosts if social game platforms allow money payouts.
Though the initial release version is limited to slot machines, PopCap pledged “to evolve Lucky Gem Casino to enhance the experience, add more games [and] community features” — which sounds a lot like the ideas behind Zynga Casino. PopCap VP Dennis Ryan also promises they will be “enlivening traditional casino games with our franchises,” as seen in the Bejeweled Spin slot machine. All of a sudden, a Plants vs. Zombies poker table doesn’t seem quite such a far-fetched idea.
Leading Facebook game publisher Zynga is adding Bingo and Slingo to its Zynga Casino family, which already features the most successful Facebook Poker game with more than 30 million active monthly users. Traditional gambling companies are quickly moving into the market as well. In January, slot machine maker International Game Technology acquired Facebook casino game publisher Double Down for $500 million.
The current crop of luck-based Facebook games are legal in the US because there is no way to cash out the virtual earnings. In Lucky Gem Casino players can purchase additional coins for real money, using the Facebook Credits system. But even if they hit the jackpot, payouts occur only in virtual currency and can’t be converted back into cash.
The big prize for social game makers could arrive when more states follow Nevada’s example and legalize online gambling, a move made possible after a Justice Department ruling in December that allows online betting as long as it does not involve sports. Companies who have already gathered large player communities could see revenue boosts if social game platforms allow money payouts.
Though the initial release version is limited to slot machines, PopCap pledged “to evolve Lucky Gem Casino to enhance the experience, add more games [and] community features” — which sounds a lot like the ideas behind Zynga Casino. PopCap VP Dennis Ryan also promises they will be “enlivening traditional casino games with our franchises,” as seen in the Bejeweled Spin slot machine. All of a sudden, a Plants vs. Zombies poker table doesn’t seem quite such a far-fetched idea.
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2006/12/07
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A revised version of Gov. Steve Beshear’s proposed constitutional amendment to legalize casino gambling cleared its first legislative hurdle Wednesday — but the victory may be short-lived.
By a vote of 7-4, the Senate State & Local Government Committee approved Senate Bill 151 and sent it to the Senate floor.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, and Democratic Floor Leader R.J. Palmer of Winchester, a supporter, asked that the bill not be called for a floor vote today because two Democratic senators are expected to miss the day’s session.
However, the leaders of the chamber’s Republican majority — President David Williams of Burkesville and Majority Leader Robert Stivers of Manchester — said the bill will be considered anyway.
“Let’s not be disingenuous about this sort of situation,” Williams said. “They need to get their members here that want to vote for this.”
Palmer said that, without the two Democrats, “it’s doubtful” that the amendment could get the needed 23 votes. The bill’s supporters had planned to rely on the support of nearly all 15 members of the Senate Democratic caucus.
Thayer said that a request for a delay by a bill’s sponsor is normally granted and that calling it for a vote today “will look like a deliberate attempt to kill the bill.”
“I want the bill to have a fair vote on the floor with all members present,” he said, adding that he will renew his request today.
Palmer said the two senators expected to be absent are Gerald Neal of Louisville, whom Palmer said has a long-planned business trip, and Joey Pendleton of Hopkinsville, whom Palmer said plans to attend a State Fair Board meeting.
Neal voted for the bill in committee, and Pendleton traditionally has supported expanded gambling. Pendleton said Wednesday, however, that he would oppose the amendment unless Beshear provided a good reason for allegedly trying to fire longtime fair board President Harold Workman.
Timing no surprise
Williams said the timing of the expected vote shouldn’t be a surprise because it was given one of its necessary three floor readings on Tuesday to “put everyone on notice that we were going to deal with this issue. This issue has paralyzed this General Assembly. There are other issues that people want to talk about.”
By a vote of 7-4, the Senate State & Local Government Committee approved Senate Bill 151 and sent it to the Senate floor.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, and Democratic Floor Leader R.J. Palmer of Winchester, a supporter, asked that the bill not be called for a floor vote today because two Democratic senators are expected to miss the day’s session.
However, the leaders of the chamber’s Republican majority — President David Williams of Burkesville and Majority Leader Robert Stivers of Manchester — said the bill will be considered anyway.
“Let’s not be disingenuous about this sort of situation,” Williams said. “They need to get their members here that want to vote for this.”
Palmer said that, without the two Democrats, “it’s doubtful” that the amendment could get the needed 23 votes. The bill’s supporters had planned to rely on the support of nearly all 15 members of the Senate Democratic caucus.
Thayer said that a request for a delay by a bill’s sponsor is normally granted and that calling it for a vote today “will look like a deliberate attempt to kill the bill.”
“I want the bill to have a fair vote on the floor with all members present,” he said, adding that he will renew his request today.
Palmer said the two senators expected to be absent are Gerald Neal of Louisville, whom Palmer said has a long-planned business trip, and Joey Pendleton of Hopkinsville, whom Palmer said plans to attend a State Fair Board meeting.
Neal voted for the bill in committee, and Pendleton traditionally has supported expanded gambling. Pendleton said Wednesday, however, that he would oppose the amendment unless Beshear provided a good reason for allegedly trying to fire longtime fair board President Harold Workman.
Timing no surprise
Williams said the timing of the expected vote shouldn’t be a surprise because it was given one of its necessary three floor readings on Tuesday to “put everyone on notice that we were going to deal with this issue. This issue has paralyzed this General Assembly. There are other issues that people want to talk about.”
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2006/12/07
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Last year, a poker player was the victim of a brutal kidnap and torture in Salford, a borough of Manchester, England, and this morning, the last of his attackers was sentenced to a lengthy jail term. The gang of thugs had kidnapped Thai Binh Dong at gunpoint and tortured him for seven hours. The event started off hopefully: the thugs, who had hoped to soak Dong for some cash, had smashed in the window of his Volkswagen Golf and the pro had bolted away.
He'd thought he'd shaken them off, but they'd followed him to a side street off Oldfield Road in Salford and bundled him into their vehicle. That was just the start of an ordeal that can only be described as horrifying. Dong, 27, had boiling water poured over his legs and was told: “It's £150,000 for your life.” Turns out they'd been tracking the poker player's movements for months and knew he had won £30,000 in poker tournaments. He was visiting an apartment owned by his family in Middlewood Street, Salford, when they struck.
Thankfully for the prosecution, CCTV cameras caught the whole thing and the four men were later caught. Ashley Clarke, of Stretford, maintained his innocence until the second day of his trial. He was jailed for 11 years after admitting kidnap, false imprisonment, wounding with intent, and blackmail. Alexander Valensky, of Ashton-under-Lyne, pleaded guilty to the same charges. He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years, alongside Clarke, in July last year. In March last year, Clifton Cameron, of Bolton, pleaded guilty to the same charges and was jailed for 11 and a half years.
Today say the prosecution of Isaac Hodges of Droylsden, who will get ten years for his role in the kidnapping and burglary and an additional six months to run concurrently for dangerous driving.
For Mr. Dong, however, England no longer feels safe, and left a statement that read as follows:
“I left England and had to cut myself off from my family, friends, and my job. I have no idea why this happened to me. Someone must have told these guys that I’ve got money when I haven't. “It's a hobby and I've never fallen out with anyone over poker and I don't know anyone on the poker circuit that would do this to me,” he said.
A sad story, to be sure, even if his captors were caught and are now all in jail.
He'd thought he'd shaken them off, but they'd followed him to a side street off Oldfield Road in Salford and bundled him into their vehicle. That was just the start of an ordeal that can only be described as horrifying. Dong, 27, had boiling water poured over his legs and was told: “It's £150,000 for your life.” Turns out they'd been tracking the poker player's movements for months and knew he had won £30,000 in poker tournaments. He was visiting an apartment owned by his family in Middlewood Street, Salford, when they struck.
Thankfully for the prosecution, CCTV cameras caught the whole thing and the four men were later caught. Ashley Clarke, of Stretford, maintained his innocence until the second day of his trial. He was jailed for 11 years after admitting kidnap, false imprisonment, wounding with intent, and blackmail. Alexander Valensky, of Ashton-under-Lyne, pleaded guilty to the same charges. He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years, alongside Clarke, in July last year. In March last year, Clifton Cameron, of Bolton, pleaded guilty to the same charges and was jailed for 11 and a half years.
Today say the prosecution of Isaac Hodges of Droylsden, who will get ten years for his role in the kidnapping and burglary and an additional six months to run concurrently for dangerous driving.
For Mr. Dong, however, England no longer feels safe, and left a statement that read as follows:
“I left England and had to cut myself off from my family, friends, and my job. I have no idea why this happened to me. Someone must have told these guys that I’ve got money when I haven't. “It's a hobby and I've never fallen out with anyone over poker and I don't know anyone on the poker circuit that would do this to me,” he said.
A sad story, to be sure, even if his captors were caught and are now all in jail.
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2006/12/07
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29893
On Wednesday, Mississippi became the latest state to introduce online gaming legislation. According to LegalPokerSites.com, Mississippi House Bill 1373, also called the Mississippi Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2012, was filed by Rep. Bobby Moak. The bill seeks to legalize and regulate online gambling, including poker, within the state.
The 56-page bill goes into great detail and lays the foundation for regulation of online gaming by establishing policy and procedures for applicants, licensees, Internet service providers, employees and players.
Any company looking to conduct online gaming must be licensed by the Mississippi Gaming Commission and pay applicable fees, which “shall be not less than $200,000” for consideration of the license application, while a renewal fee of not less than $100,000 will apply.
Other highlights of the Mississippi House Bill 1372 include:
Players must be 21 to play.
"A nonrefundable deposit of at least One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) shall be posted with each application"
"A person who is an employee of the gaming licensee conducting Internet wagering is prohibited from obtaining an Internet wagering account with that gaming licensee; however, the person may have an Internet wagering account with another gaming licensee that does not employ the person."
Allows for deposits to be made either by cash, check, money order or charge.
"No software, computer or other gaming equipment shall be used to conduct Internet wagering unless it has been specifically tested and approved by the commission."
There are fines from $50,000 to $200,000 per violation if persons "knowingly alter, tamper, of manipulate software, computers or other equipment used to conduct Internet wagering."
If a player’s account is inactive for at least a year, any funds are forfeited to the gaming licensee, who will be able to keep half while paying the other half to the Mississippi Gaming Commission.
Mississippi becomes the fifth state to consider an intrastate poker bill, joining Hawaii, New Jersey, Nevada, and Iowa. Nevada has adopted the bill and taken steps to make online gaming a reality, while Iowa recently sent a bill to the Senate State Government Committee for consideration.
The 56-page bill goes into great detail and lays the foundation for regulation of online gaming by establishing policy and procedures for applicants, licensees, Internet service providers, employees and players.
Any company looking to conduct online gaming must be licensed by the Mississippi Gaming Commission and pay applicable fees, which “shall be not less than $200,000” for consideration of the license application, while a renewal fee of not less than $100,000 will apply.
Other highlights of the Mississippi House Bill 1372 include:
Players must be 21 to play.
"A nonrefundable deposit of at least One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) shall be posted with each application"
"A person who is an employee of the gaming licensee conducting Internet wagering is prohibited from obtaining an Internet wagering account with that gaming licensee; however, the person may have an Internet wagering account with another gaming licensee that does not employ the person."
Allows for deposits to be made either by cash, check, money order or charge.
"No software, computer or other gaming equipment shall be used to conduct Internet wagering unless it has been specifically tested and approved by the commission."
There are fines from $50,000 to $200,000 per violation if persons "knowingly alter, tamper, of manipulate software, computers or other equipment used to conduct Internet wagering."
If a player’s account is inactive for at least a year, any funds are forfeited to the gaming licensee, who will be able to keep half while paying the other half to the Mississippi Gaming Commission.
Mississippi becomes the fifth state to consider an intrastate poker bill, joining Hawaii, New Jersey, Nevada, and Iowa. Nevada has adopted the bill and taken steps to make online gaming a reality, while Iowa recently sent a bill to the Senate State Government Committee for consideration.
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2006/12/07
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29893
The Tribal casinos in America are many and profitable and they have been wasting no time in getting the infrastructure together to offer intrastate internet gambling. Atlantis Internet Group Corp (ATIG) has launched a new product that it says is the “first form of legal Intranet gaming,”in the USA. The Tribal Gaming Network (TGN) has been licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and announced that in Louisiana the Coushatta Indian Casino and the Coyote Valley Casino in California are the first two gambling spots to benefit from the technology.
Chief Executive Officer and Tribal gaming operator ATIG President, Donald L. Bailey commented on the move, “We have a huge leg up on the competition, having mastered play-for-fun marketing sites since 2003. Now, based on the NIGC opinion, to date ATIG is the only gaming company that can legally offer online linking games other than bingo, nationwide for live cash, such as poker and progressive jackpots. This is a new technology that has never been offered in the gaming Industry before today.”
Bailey explained, that the technology used to power the new system is derived from “some of the world’s most prominent gaming vendors” and it includes various Class III and Class II games. Also online offerings will include, Nationwide Poker, Simulated Sports book, a Live Online Dealer, Slots a Powerball-like Lotto product and casino table games. Various platforms such as Google Android, slots, kiosks, and even some iOS games are being made applicable to the intrastate offering from the Atlantis Internet Group. “It’s the next generation of server-based technology; in short, it’s a casino within a casino,” Bailey concluded.
This is a good start for online gambling in America and it may very well prove to be the training ground for what is to come in the USA. It is almost certain that the clarification of the Wire Act by the Department of Justice may have influenced the Tribal gaming community to take the first step.
Chief Executive Officer and Tribal gaming operator ATIG President, Donald L. Bailey commented on the move, “We have a huge leg up on the competition, having mastered play-for-fun marketing sites since 2003. Now, based on the NIGC opinion, to date ATIG is the only gaming company that can legally offer online linking games other than bingo, nationwide for live cash, such as poker and progressive jackpots. This is a new technology that has never been offered in the gaming Industry before today.”
Bailey explained, that the technology used to power the new system is derived from “some of the world’s most prominent gaming vendors” and it includes various Class III and Class II games. Also online offerings will include, Nationwide Poker, Simulated Sports book, a Live Online Dealer, Slots a Powerball-like Lotto product and casino table games. Various platforms such as Google Android, slots, kiosks, and even some iOS games are being made applicable to the intrastate offering from the Atlantis Internet Group. “It’s the next generation of server-based technology; in short, it’s a casino within a casino,” Bailey concluded.
This is a good start for online gambling in America and it may very well prove to be the training ground for what is to come in the USA. It is almost certain that the clarification of the Wire Act by the Department of Justice may have influenced the Tribal gaming community to take the first step.
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2006/12/07
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Google has become embroiled in a slew of high-profile issues in Washington in recent months, from Internet piracy and online gambling to privacy controls and antitrust claims.
Now it has a high-profile lobbyist to help it navigate the federal waters.
The Internet giant announced on Thursday that it has hired Susan Molinari, the former Republican congresswoman from New York, as its Washington lobbyist in a move that seems designed to strengthen its influence among conservatives in the rough-and-tumble world of K Street.
Ms. Molinari is “a true trailblazer,” Google’s senior vice president, David Drummond, said in announcing the move. “Her enthusiasm for our technology and its potential to change lives will be a real asset to our team in the Americas,” he said.
A lobbyist since 1999, she replaces Alan Davidson, who announced last year that he was leaving Google after building its Washington lobbying shop into an influential $11 million-a-year operation.
With about a dozen in-house lobbyists and more than 100 outside lobbyists that it uses, the company ranks as one of the biggest spenders among corporate lobbyists, and it has moved more aggressively in recent years to shape dozens of pieces of legislation that affect its search engine and Internet businesses.
While Google has won many of its legislative battles, it has come under rising attack from privacy proponents, antitrust regulators, movie industry advocates and others in Washington who see its influence over the Internet as too great. Indeed, one of Ms. Molinari’s first challenges may be to recast Google’s image as something other than a near-omnipotent Internet force.
Some lobbying analysts saw as telling the company’s shift to Ms. Molinari, a longtime Washington insider with relatively little experience in Internet affairs, from Mr. Davidson, a former computer scientist who came to Google from the Center for Democracy and Technology, a policy group that pushes for an open Internet.
Ms. Molinari, in contrast to Mr. Davison, is “an experienced Washington hand” who has represented a wide range of blue-chip corporate interests inside capital corridors, said the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit research group that analyzes lobbying.
As a former congresswoman from Staten Island who is married to Bill Paxon — another former Republican representative from New York — Ms. Molinari also boasts extensive ties to the party’s establishment. She has donated more than $200,000 exclusively to Republican candidates, while Mr. Davidson gave political contributions in much smaller amounts and mainly to Democrats, the Sunlight Foundation noted.
Google, like many corporations, has looked to strengthen its Republican ties since the party took over control of the House last year.
Now it has a high-profile lobbyist to help it navigate the federal waters.
The Internet giant announced on Thursday that it has hired Susan Molinari, the former Republican congresswoman from New York, as its Washington lobbyist in a move that seems designed to strengthen its influence among conservatives in the rough-and-tumble world of K Street.
Ms. Molinari is “a true trailblazer,” Google’s senior vice president, David Drummond, said in announcing the move. “Her enthusiasm for our technology and its potential to change lives will be a real asset to our team in the Americas,” he said.
A lobbyist since 1999, she replaces Alan Davidson, who announced last year that he was leaving Google after building its Washington lobbying shop into an influential $11 million-a-year operation.
With about a dozen in-house lobbyists and more than 100 outside lobbyists that it uses, the company ranks as one of the biggest spenders among corporate lobbyists, and it has moved more aggressively in recent years to shape dozens of pieces of legislation that affect its search engine and Internet businesses.
While Google has won many of its legislative battles, it has come under rising attack from privacy proponents, antitrust regulators, movie industry advocates and others in Washington who see its influence over the Internet as too great. Indeed, one of Ms. Molinari’s first challenges may be to recast Google’s image as something other than a near-omnipotent Internet force.
Some lobbying analysts saw as telling the company’s shift to Ms. Molinari, a longtime Washington insider with relatively little experience in Internet affairs, from Mr. Davidson, a former computer scientist who came to Google from the Center for Democracy and Technology, a policy group that pushes for an open Internet.
Ms. Molinari, in contrast to Mr. Davison, is “an experienced Washington hand” who has represented a wide range of blue-chip corporate interests inside capital corridors, said the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit research group that analyzes lobbying.
As a former congresswoman from Staten Island who is married to Bill Paxon — another former Republican representative from New York — Ms. Molinari also boasts extensive ties to the party’s establishment. She has donated more than $200,000 exclusively to Republican candidates, while Mr. Davidson gave political contributions in much smaller amounts and mainly to Democrats, the Sunlight Foundation noted.
Google, like many corporations, has looked to strengthen its Republican ties since the party took over control of the House last year.
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2006/12/07
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29893
Whereas many American states are contemplating way and means of legalizing and regulating at least some forms of online gambling, there are some states that are moving in the opposite direction.
One of the states is Utah. Republican Representative Stephen Sandstrom had introduced a bill in the House, HB108, which sought to totally ban online gambling in the state, even if federal legalization came to being. This bill was passed in the Utah House of Representatives by a vote of 61 to 9 on February 21, 2012 and will now go to the Senate. The opponents to the bill tried to stall it by pointing out that any federal legislation would have to include a state opt-out clause and hence would not be binding on Utah. Therefore there was no need for a bill like HB108. Sandstrom, who is running for USA Congress, countered that any federal opt-out clause would have to be acted upon by Utah within 60 days of the federal enactment. There could be unforeseen delays in acting at that time. His bill would safeguard Utah against having a situation of legalized online gambling by default. HB108, if passed, would make it binding on the governor of Utah to immediately notify Washington DC that Utah will not participate in any online gambling even if permitted by law and exercises its rights to opt out even in advance of such federal legislation being passed. Sandstrom said that Utah was a unique state in that it does not sanction any forms of gambling. All gambling is banned by the state constitution.
In Iowa there appears to be a clash of opinion between the law makers and the citizens. A bill was cleared by a Senate sub-committee on February 20, 2012 that would allow casino operators in the state to establish online poker web sites. These would be regulated and taxed in a way similar to brick-and-mortar casinos. However, a recent poll was conducted in February, 2012, with 800 adult Iowans as the sample. The results showed that 69% of residents are not in favor of online gambling, 28% are in favor and 3% are undecided. The results are along the same lines of a similar poll conducted in February 2011. Then 73% of the citizens sampled had voted against online gambling. Not much can be read into the slight fall of 4%.
In Washington DC, Councilor Michael A. Brown is having second thoughts about bringing another online gambling bill. Earlier this year councilors had repealed the law legalizing online gambling. Brown was the prime mover behind that law. Last year the US Congress had not interfered with the bill in the 30 day window allowed to them. But now Brown feels that the Congress could well scuttle fresh attempts to allow legalized online gambling in the District.
One of the states is Utah. Republican Representative Stephen Sandstrom had introduced a bill in the House, HB108, which sought to totally ban online gambling in the state, even if federal legalization came to being. This bill was passed in the Utah House of Representatives by a vote of 61 to 9 on February 21, 2012 and will now go to the Senate. The opponents to the bill tried to stall it by pointing out that any federal legislation would have to include a state opt-out clause and hence would not be binding on Utah. Therefore there was no need for a bill like HB108. Sandstrom, who is running for USA Congress, countered that any federal opt-out clause would have to be acted upon by Utah within 60 days of the federal enactment. There could be unforeseen delays in acting at that time. His bill would safeguard Utah against having a situation of legalized online gambling by default. HB108, if passed, would make it binding on the governor of Utah to immediately notify Washington DC that Utah will not participate in any online gambling even if permitted by law and exercises its rights to opt out even in advance of such federal legislation being passed. Sandstrom said that Utah was a unique state in that it does not sanction any forms of gambling. All gambling is banned by the state constitution.
In Iowa there appears to be a clash of opinion between the law makers and the citizens. A bill was cleared by a Senate sub-committee on February 20, 2012 that would allow casino operators in the state to establish online poker web sites. These would be regulated and taxed in a way similar to brick-and-mortar casinos. However, a recent poll was conducted in February, 2012, with 800 adult Iowans as the sample. The results showed that 69% of residents are not in favor of online gambling, 28% are in favor and 3% are undecided. The results are along the same lines of a similar poll conducted in February 2011. Then 73% of the citizens sampled had voted against online gambling. Not much can be read into the slight fall of 4%.
In Washington DC, Councilor Michael A. Brown is having second thoughts about bringing another online gambling bill. Earlier this year councilors had repealed the law legalizing online gambling. Brown was the prime mover behind that law. Last year the US Congress had not interfered with the bill in the 30 day window allowed to them. But now Brown feels that the Congress could well scuttle fresh attempts to allow legalized online gambling in the District.
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2006/12/07
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The Senate voted down a proposal Thursday to change the state Constitution to legalize casinos in Kentucky, ending months of debate on what had become a divisive issue in the Bible-belt state.
Despite the long history of wagering on horses, Kentucky has never allowed casinos. And many lawmakers were reluctant to change that, knowing they may face disapproving constituents in upcoming legislative elections.
The Senate voted 21-16 against the proposal that would have allowed Kentucky to join several neighboring states that already have casinos.
"I don't care what the other states are doing," said Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr, R-Lexington. "Why would we jump off this cliff into darkness and sin and addiction? This is terrible public policy."
Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, kicked off debate on the divisive issue Thursday afternoon by repeating a long-used argument that Kentucky's horse racing industry needs the revenue casinos could produce to compete with other states.
If lawmakers had approved Thayer's proposal, it would have been placed on the November ballot for voters to ratify or reject.
"I trust the people," Thayer said.
Gov. Steve Beshear said in a statement that he's disappointed with the outcome, but was glad the vote was allowed in the Senate.
"This is a good omen for the future of expanded gaming in our state, and I look forward to continuing to work with the legislature to address this issue," he said.
Beshear also accused Williams of sabotaging the vote by holding it on a day when pro-gambling Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, was out of state on business. Beshear's contention was that lawmakers who otherwise would have supported the measure voted against it because they realized it couldn't pass without Neal.
The Rev. Hershel York, pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church in Frankfort, said lawmakers should consider the issue settled.
"I ought to be invited to preach the funeral here at the Capitol over this bill, because it's dead," he said. "And it ought to stay dead."
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville opened the Senate on Thursday with a prayer in which he called for "due respect for virtue and religion." Kurtz opposed the initiative, saying he is concerned about the effects gambling would have on the community.
"There are many of us here from a conscience standpoint that cannot vote for this, because we are not agreed," said Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green. "We don't believe that you should enshrine in the Constitution of the state of Kentucky casino gambling — forever constitutionally protected and we will never be rid of it."
Similar proposals to legalize casino-style gambling have been bandied about in Kentucky for two decades, but have never won favor in the General Assembly.
"We've dealt with this far too long," Sen. R.J. Palmer II, D-Winchester told his colleagues in pressing for the proposal. "Let the people of this state have their final say."
Gov. Steve Beshear has been pushing for more gambling opportunities in Kentucky in hopes that it would generate more revenue for the horse industry and for state government coffers.
Beshear said Kentucky could collect $266 million in one-time license fees by allowing casinos to open. Taxing them, he said, could generate an additional $377 million a year in revenue for government programs and services.
To appease reluctant lawmakers, Thayer amended his proposal so that it no longer requires up to five of the proposed casinos to be built at race tracks. New language allows up to seven casinos in the state with no assurance that they would be built at horse tracks.
The Family Foundation spokesman Martin Cothran, one of the most vocal opponents of the proposal, declared Thursday's vote "a rejection of constitutional favors for fat cats."
"It was a bi-partisan repudiation of the very idea that a rich industry should be able to engrave its name on our state's most important governing document," he said.
Beshear had made a personal appeal to a Senate committee on Wednesday, repeating arguments he has been making for five years to approve the constitutional amendment.
Beshear said Kentucky is now losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year to neighboring states that already have casinos. He said Kentucky needs to legalize casinos so that that money can be kept in the state.
"This would be detrimental to so many Kentucky families," said Sen. Ray Jones, D-Pikeville. "I do not believe that the expansion of gambling in Kentucky is the right moral choice, nor is it sound public policy."
The legislation is Senate Bill 151.
Despite the long history of wagering on horses, Kentucky has never allowed casinos. And many lawmakers were reluctant to change that, knowing they may face disapproving constituents in upcoming legislative elections.
The Senate voted 21-16 against the proposal that would have allowed Kentucky to join several neighboring states that already have casinos.
"I don't care what the other states are doing," said Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr, R-Lexington. "Why would we jump off this cliff into darkness and sin and addiction? This is terrible public policy."
Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, kicked off debate on the divisive issue Thursday afternoon by repeating a long-used argument that Kentucky's horse racing industry needs the revenue casinos could produce to compete with other states.
If lawmakers had approved Thayer's proposal, it would have been placed on the November ballot for voters to ratify or reject.
"I trust the people," Thayer said.
Gov. Steve Beshear said in a statement that he's disappointed with the outcome, but was glad the vote was allowed in the Senate.
"This is a good omen for the future of expanded gaming in our state, and I look forward to continuing to work with the legislature to address this issue," he said.
Beshear also accused Williams of sabotaging the vote by holding it on a day when pro-gambling Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, was out of state on business. Beshear's contention was that lawmakers who otherwise would have supported the measure voted against it because they realized it couldn't pass without Neal.
The Rev. Hershel York, pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church in Frankfort, said lawmakers should consider the issue settled.
"I ought to be invited to preach the funeral here at the Capitol over this bill, because it's dead," he said. "And it ought to stay dead."
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville opened the Senate on Thursday with a prayer in which he called for "due respect for virtue and religion." Kurtz opposed the initiative, saying he is concerned about the effects gambling would have on the community.
"There are many of us here from a conscience standpoint that cannot vote for this, because we are not agreed," said Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green. "We don't believe that you should enshrine in the Constitution of the state of Kentucky casino gambling — forever constitutionally protected and we will never be rid of it."
Similar proposals to legalize casino-style gambling have been bandied about in Kentucky for two decades, but have never won favor in the General Assembly.
"We've dealt with this far too long," Sen. R.J. Palmer II, D-Winchester told his colleagues in pressing for the proposal. "Let the people of this state have their final say."
Gov. Steve Beshear has been pushing for more gambling opportunities in Kentucky in hopes that it would generate more revenue for the horse industry and for state government coffers.
Beshear said Kentucky could collect $266 million in one-time license fees by allowing casinos to open. Taxing them, he said, could generate an additional $377 million a year in revenue for government programs and services.
To appease reluctant lawmakers, Thayer amended his proposal so that it no longer requires up to five of the proposed casinos to be built at race tracks. New language allows up to seven casinos in the state with no assurance that they would be built at horse tracks.
The Family Foundation spokesman Martin Cothran, one of the most vocal opponents of the proposal, declared Thursday's vote "a rejection of constitutional favors for fat cats."
"It was a bi-partisan repudiation of the very idea that a rich industry should be able to engrave its name on our state's most important governing document," he said.
Beshear had made a personal appeal to a Senate committee on Wednesday, repeating arguments he has been making for five years to approve the constitutional amendment.
Beshear said Kentucky is now losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year to neighboring states that already have casinos. He said Kentucky needs to legalize casinos so that that money can be kept in the state.
"This would be detrimental to so many Kentucky families," said Sen. Ray Jones, D-Pikeville. "I do not believe that the expansion of gambling in Kentucky is the right moral choice, nor is it sound public policy."
The legislation is Senate Bill 151.
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2006/12/07
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29893
Online gambling has been growing on the quiet, with punters here placing bets on their smartphones while on the go, on their computers at home or even at work.
They visit websites to play poker and other casino games, or bet on the outcomes of sports matches - with no house rules, no casino levies, no bars to entry.
Last year, such online gambling sites raked in US$357.2 million (S$449 million) from punters here. The year before, the figure was US$312.49 million, and in 2009, it was US$271.58 million.
Simple arithmetic has the growth at a steady clip of about 15 per cent.
The numbers came from Britain-based Global Betting and Gaming Consultants (GBGC), which crunches the numbers for the global gaming industry.
And these are the numbers culled from tracking data of the gambling websites run by licensed operators alone; GBGC estimates that illegal operators made up to US$110 million here last year.
On Thursday, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Chan Chun Sing tagged online gambling as 'an emerging concern'.
Speaking at an event to unveil the results of a gambling survey done by the National Council on Problem Gambling, he cited three reasons for worry:
Online gambling is hard to tackle;
It allows for continuous play; and
Access to it is as easy as reaching for one's smartphone.
The gambling survey, which polled 3,315 Singapore residents aged 18 and up, identified online gamblers as faring the worst among all gamblers in exercising self-control.
Up to a third of respondents said they gambled longer than they planned, bet more than they planned and turned to gambling more often than they planned.
Only up to 13 per cent of respondents felt the same way playing jackpot at local clubs, and only up to 21 per cent felt that way when they bet on horses.
Contacted on Friday, an MCYS spokesman said the fact that online gambling allows for continuous play and is accessible round the clock makes it 'a potentially highly addictive form of gambling'.
'There are also no casino staff or counsellors who may notice those who are in distress or gamble very excessively,' she said.
The fact that online gambling does not take place at a physical site makes it more difficult to implement social safeguards effectively, she added.
Sites popular with gamblers here are Betfair and Ladbrokes, where punters log in using credit cards to place bets on sports, casino games and poker.
But industry watchers say that many unlicensed sites let punters join in without having to fork out cash or to authorise a credit card deduction upfront.
This is how it works: Local bookies give punters - accepted only on recommendation through trusted contacts - free credit, a code and a website where they can place their bets.
Winnings and losses are settled face-to-face with the bookie or through bank transfers some days later. When settlement is not done, the bookie hounds for payment - or introduces the punter to a loan shark.
Reformed online gambling addict Thaddaeus Leow, 35, said bookies here typically give first-time punters credit of about $500. If they lose and pay up, larger sums of up to $15,000 are offered.
'They lure you in and when you start losing big, the bookie comes after you. When you can't pay, they will ask you to call their 'friend' - a loan shark,' said Mr Leow, who is now the coordinator for a gambling support group at Christian Care Services.
The center counsels at least one online gambler a week; back in 2009, it was only one a month, he said.
Gambling addiction support service Silver Lining counselled about 20 online gambling addicts last year.
Jolene Ong, its executive director, confirmed it is a growing problem and said the addicts are coming in younger - in their mid-20s and holding white-collar jobs.
A 51-year-old taxi driver, who wanted to be known only as John, knows what the fallout from addiction feels like.
It took him all of six months of playing casino games like baccarat and blackjack online to evaporate his life savings and rack up $200,000 in debt.
He said: 'It was easy because I couldn't see the dollars and cents disappearing. They were all just credits on the computer or cellphone.
'Gambling really destroyed my life, and now I've to earn back in years what I lost in months. And I have to make it up to my family.'
They visit websites to play poker and other casino games, or bet on the outcomes of sports matches - with no house rules, no casino levies, no bars to entry.
Last year, such online gambling sites raked in US$357.2 million (S$449 million) from punters here. The year before, the figure was US$312.49 million, and in 2009, it was US$271.58 million.
Simple arithmetic has the growth at a steady clip of about 15 per cent.
The numbers came from Britain-based Global Betting and Gaming Consultants (GBGC), which crunches the numbers for the global gaming industry.
And these are the numbers culled from tracking data of the gambling websites run by licensed operators alone; GBGC estimates that illegal operators made up to US$110 million here last year.
On Thursday, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Chan Chun Sing tagged online gambling as 'an emerging concern'.
Speaking at an event to unveil the results of a gambling survey done by the National Council on Problem Gambling, he cited three reasons for worry:
Online gambling is hard to tackle;
It allows for continuous play; and
Access to it is as easy as reaching for one's smartphone.
The gambling survey, which polled 3,315 Singapore residents aged 18 and up, identified online gamblers as faring the worst among all gamblers in exercising self-control.
Up to a third of respondents said they gambled longer than they planned, bet more than they planned and turned to gambling more often than they planned.
Only up to 13 per cent of respondents felt the same way playing jackpot at local clubs, and only up to 21 per cent felt that way when they bet on horses.
Contacted on Friday, an MCYS spokesman said the fact that online gambling allows for continuous play and is accessible round the clock makes it 'a potentially highly addictive form of gambling'.
'There are also no casino staff or counsellors who may notice those who are in distress or gamble very excessively,' she said.
The fact that online gambling does not take place at a physical site makes it more difficult to implement social safeguards effectively, she added.
Sites popular with gamblers here are Betfair and Ladbrokes, where punters log in using credit cards to place bets on sports, casino games and poker.
But industry watchers say that many unlicensed sites let punters join in without having to fork out cash or to authorise a credit card deduction upfront.
This is how it works: Local bookies give punters - accepted only on recommendation through trusted contacts - free credit, a code and a website where they can place their bets.
Winnings and losses are settled face-to-face with the bookie or through bank transfers some days later. When settlement is not done, the bookie hounds for payment - or introduces the punter to a loan shark.
Reformed online gambling addict Thaddaeus Leow, 35, said bookies here typically give first-time punters credit of about $500. If they lose and pay up, larger sums of up to $15,000 are offered.
'They lure you in and when you start losing big, the bookie comes after you. When you can't pay, they will ask you to call their 'friend' - a loan shark,' said Mr Leow, who is now the coordinator for a gambling support group at Christian Care Services.
The center counsels at least one online gambler a week; back in 2009, it was only one a month, he said.
Gambling addiction support service Silver Lining counselled about 20 online gambling addicts last year.
Jolene Ong, its executive director, confirmed it is a growing problem and said the addicts are coming in younger - in their mid-20s and holding white-collar jobs.
A 51-year-old taxi driver, who wanted to be known only as John, knows what the fallout from addiction feels like.
It took him all of six months of playing casino games like baccarat and blackjack online to evaporate his life savings and rack up $200,000 in debt.
He said: 'It was easy because I couldn't see the dollars and cents disappearing. They were all just credits on the computer or cellphone.
'Gambling really destroyed my life, and now I've to earn back in years what I lost in months. And I have to make it up to my family.'
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
In a few short days as many as 60,000 interested people will come to Barcelona Spain for the mobile telecommunication industry’s Mobile World Congress. From February 27th until March the first the newest and most exciting innovations in the mobile devise world will be presented for the examination and consideration of all who are on the attendance list.
Most of the big guns will be out in full force presenting everything they have this year with the emphasis being predominantly on the introduction of the tablet format as well as the quad core chip set. Samsung which is topping the charts in the anticipation field has said it will not be introducing the new Galaxy S3 smart phone even though the public was hoping it would be there to test. Tablets from Samsung are sure to get a good going over as well as the less expensive smart phones, Galaxy Ace 2 and Galaxy Mini 2 officially presented earlier in the season.
The quad core buzz doesn’t disappoint with all the top mobile manufacturers using the technology to present incredible quality graphics and speed. Speaking of speed HTC One device featuring a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 4.3-inch HD display, Beats audio and Ice Cream Sandwich with the new Sense 4.0 interface will come to the public for the first time.
Other competitors will also be pulling out all the stops with LG presenting the new ‘L-Style’ series of smart phones, along with the Finnish company, Nokia which is set to launch the Lumia 610 and a global version of the Lumia 900 at the Mobile World Congress.
Apple is pulling the “ we don’t associate with an inferior product ” stunt once again and will not be at the massive technical exposition focused on mobile. CEOs and executives from established and new companies in the broad mobile ecosystem will share their insights into the critical global business trends, growth strategies and technological innovations that are redefining mobile today.
Most of the big guns will be out in full force presenting everything they have this year with the emphasis being predominantly on the introduction of the tablet format as well as the quad core chip set. Samsung which is topping the charts in the anticipation field has said it will not be introducing the new Galaxy S3 smart phone even though the public was hoping it would be there to test. Tablets from Samsung are sure to get a good going over as well as the less expensive smart phones, Galaxy Ace 2 and Galaxy Mini 2 officially presented earlier in the season.
The quad core buzz doesn’t disappoint with all the top mobile manufacturers using the technology to present incredible quality graphics and speed. Speaking of speed HTC One device featuring a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 4.3-inch HD display, Beats audio and Ice Cream Sandwich with the new Sense 4.0 interface will come to the public for the first time.
Other competitors will also be pulling out all the stops with LG presenting the new ‘L-Style’ series of smart phones, along with the Finnish company, Nokia which is set to launch the Lumia 610 and a global version of the Lumia 900 at the Mobile World Congress.
Apple is pulling the “ we don’t associate with an inferior product ” stunt once again and will not be at the massive technical exposition focused on mobile. CEOs and executives from established and new companies in the broad mobile ecosystem will share their insights into the critical global business trends, growth strategies and technological innovations that are redefining mobile today.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The legislation and regulation of online gambling has been one of the hotly debated topics in Iowa, and now, after debating and analyzing the issue for over a year, Iowa might finally legalize its online gambling industry. The bill to legalize online gambling in Iowa is being discussed by a legislative subcommittee today. Those who support online gambling regulation in Iowa say that the online gambling industry is worth millions of dollars and that the state should grab its share of this lucrative industry at the earliest possible. The issue was brought up during the legislative session last year, but was postponed to the current year to give the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission enough time to make a study of the pros and cons of online gambling regulation in Iowa. According to the commission’s report, regulation of the online gambling industry could boost the gambling revenue of Iowa to $13 million annually from a mere $3 million annually.
Brian Ohorilko, the director of gaming, says that one part of the bill is all about generating state revenue while another part of it is about protecting gambling customers. Currently, Iowa prohibits online gambling, forcing its gambling loving population to sign up at offshore gambling sites. If Iowa legalizes the industry, the state can control online gambling by preventing underage gambling, helping gambling addicts, and by creating a safe, fair, and secure gambling environment for those who wish to gamble.
Ohorilko says, “The individuals offering the games for play would go through an extensive licensing process just like any other casino would and therefore the people would know those people offering the games are suitable and of good character.”
The bill has opponents too, and those who oppose it are chiefly worried about the rise of gambling-related problems such as gambling addiction. They feel that the easy and free availability of online gambling venues can aggravate gambling addiction and underage gambling to a considerable extent.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, which has recently submitted its report, has clarified that it is neither for nor against the bill. Instead, it has only made a study of the various advantages and disadvantages of regulating and legalizing the online gambling industry in Iowa.
Those interested in the subject of legalizing online gambling in Iowa can check out the commission’s report by visiting the WQAD.com homepage and hitting on the large red box displayed there.
Brian Ohorilko, the director of gaming, says that one part of the bill is all about generating state revenue while another part of it is about protecting gambling customers. Currently, Iowa prohibits online gambling, forcing its gambling loving population to sign up at offshore gambling sites. If Iowa legalizes the industry, the state can control online gambling by preventing underage gambling, helping gambling addicts, and by creating a safe, fair, and secure gambling environment for those who wish to gamble.
Ohorilko says, “The individuals offering the games for play would go through an extensive licensing process just like any other casino would and therefore the people would know those people offering the games are suitable and of good character.”
The bill has opponents too, and those who oppose it are chiefly worried about the rise of gambling-related problems such as gambling addiction. They feel that the easy and free availability of online gambling venues can aggravate gambling addiction and underage gambling to a considerable extent.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, which has recently submitted its report, has clarified that it is neither for nor against the bill. Instead, it has only made a study of the various advantages and disadvantages of regulating and legalizing the online gambling industry in Iowa.
Those interested in the subject of legalizing online gambling in Iowa can check out the commission’s report by visiting the WQAD.com homepage and hitting on the large red box displayed there.
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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg
If you listen to the baying for blood, especially Republican blood, by gambling proponents online, then you might think a revolution is coming.
But previous experience says Kentucky voters are unlikely to be waving political pitchforks in November over Thursday's defeat of Gov. Steve Beshear's gambling bill in the Republican-majority Senate led by Sen. David Williams, R-Burkesville.
"There is not going to be any punishment for this," said Stephen Voss, University of Kentucky political science professor. "When you talk about the electorate ... very few care so much about gambling that it's going to govern their vote."
Issue votes — things like gay marriage, abortion or civil rights — typically have very deep sway with voters. So much that one issue can outweigh everything else about a candidate, experts say.
Recent polls by racetracks and by the Kentucky Republican Party found that at least 80 percent of voters wanted a casino gambling measure on the ballot in November, but that doesn't necessarily translate into passion at the polls.
"I just don't believe there is that deep support for casino gambling as an issue," Voss said.
Joe Gershtensen, political science professor at Eastern Kentucky University, concurred.
"In terms of 'this time we're going to throw them out,' " he said, "believe it when you see it. There's no reason to suspect that will be the case."
While there may be widespread sentiment to allow casino gambling, most senators are aware of how their core constituencies feel and will vote that way, he said.
"If they (constituents) were going to vote against it, how upset are they going to be if it's not on the ballot?" he said.
In Thursday's vote, 21 senators — 16 Republicans, one independent and four Democrats — voted against putting a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. The amendment would have allowed up to seven casinos across the state, with protective buffer zones around racetracks.
The constitutional amendment needed 23 votes to move to the House, but only 16 senators favored the proposal by Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown: six Republicans and 10 Democrats.
Two members of leadership broke with their respective parties: Minority Caucus Chair Johnny Ray Turner, D-Prestonsburg, voted against Beshear's bill, and Majority Whip Carroll Gibson, R-Leitchfield, voted in support.
While one or two individual senators might become marginalized within their caucuses because of the vote, wholesale leadership changes are unlikely, the experts said.
"If this leads to any major shake-ups in the composition of the Senate, I would be surprised," Gershtensen said.
Public frustration over not being able to vote on the issue likely will continue, he said.
"There's fairly widespread sentiment to let the people of the commonwealth make that determination, not withhold it and make the decision in Frankfort," he said. "At the same time, people have short memories."
The horse industry and racetracks said they will do what they can to remind them.
"The plan is to continue trying to put our industry on a level competitive playing field," said Patrick Neely, spokesman for the Kentucky Equine Education Project. "We've got to pick ourselves up and get back in the fight. The fight is passing legislation."
But Friday the fight appeared to be over for now. Thayer said after the bill's defeat that he would not sponsor an amendment again or attempt to load similar language onto another bill. "I'm done," he said.
And House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, on Friday poured more cold water on any remaining embers, saying he does not think that an amendment to allow casino gambling will be introduced or passed in the House this legislative session.
"I think it's probably dead for this session," Stumbo said, but noted that no measure is ever dead until the last day of the legislative session. "It got a full and fair hearing, and now it's time to move on."
After the skirmishes over gambling and redistricting, that could be tough.
"The battle over the budget could be pretty fierce," Gershtensen said. "I would anticipate this being very contentious. This is a reflection of the partisanship that is rampant in Frankfort right now."
If you listen to the baying for blood, especially Republican blood, by gambling proponents online, then you might think a revolution is coming.
But previous experience says Kentucky voters are unlikely to be waving political pitchforks in November over Thursday's defeat of Gov. Steve Beshear's gambling bill in the Republican-majority Senate led by Sen. David Williams, R-Burkesville.
"There is not going to be any punishment for this," said Stephen Voss, University of Kentucky political science professor. "When you talk about the electorate ... very few care so much about gambling that it's going to govern their vote."
Issue votes — things like gay marriage, abortion or civil rights — typically have very deep sway with voters. So much that one issue can outweigh everything else about a candidate, experts say.
Recent polls by racetracks and by the Kentucky Republican Party found that at least 80 percent of voters wanted a casino gambling measure on the ballot in November, but that doesn't necessarily translate into passion at the polls.
"I just don't believe there is that deep support for casino gambling as an issue," Voss said.
Joe Gershtensen, political science professor at Eastern Kentucky University, concurred.
"In terms of 'this time we're going to throw them out,' " he said, "believe it when you see it. There's no reason to suspect that will be the case."
While there may be widespread sentiment to allow casino gambling, most senators are aware of how their core constituencies feel and will vote that way, he said.
"If they (constituents) were going to vote against it, how upset are they going to be if it's not on the ballot?" he said.
In Thursday's vote, 21 senators — 16 Republicans, one independent and four Democrats — voted against putting a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. The amendment would have allowed up to seven casinos across the state, with protective buffer zones around racetracks.
The constitutional amendment needed 23 votes to move to the House, but only 16 senators favored the proposal by Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown: six Republicans and 10 Democrats.
Two members of leadership broke with their respective parties: Minority Caucus Chair Johnny Ray Turner, D-Prestonsburg, voted against Beshear's bill, and Majority Whip Carroll Gibson, R-Leitchfield, voted in support.
While one or two individual senators might become marginalized within their caucuses because of the vote, wholesale leadership changes are unlikely, the experts said.
"If this leads to any major shake-ups in the composition of the Senate, I would be surprised," Gershtensen said.
Public frustration over not being able to vote on the issue likely will continue, he said.
"There's fairly widespread sentiment to let the people of the commonwealth make that determination, not withhold it and make the decision in Frankfort," he said. "At the same time, people have short memories."
The horse industry and racetracks said they will do what they can to remind them.
"The plan is to continue trying to put our industry on a level competitive playing field," said Patrick Neely, spokesman for the Kentucky Equine Education Project. "We've got to pick ourselves up and get back in the fight. The fight is passing legislation."
But Friday the fight appeared to be over for now. Thayer said after the bill's defeat that he would not sponsor an amendment again or attempt to load similar language onto another bill. "I'm done," he said.
And House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, on Friday poured more cold water on any remaining embers, saying he does not think that an amendment to allow casino gambling will be introduced or passed in the House this legislative session.
"I think it's probably dead for this session," Stumbo said, but noted that no measure is ever dead until the last day of the legislative session. "It got a full and fair hearing, and now it's time to move on."
After the skirmishes over gambling and redistricting, that could be tough.
"The battle over the budget could be pretty fierce," Gershtensen said. "I would anticipate this being very contentious. This is a reflection of the partisanship that is rampant in Frankfort right now."
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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Supporters of expanding gambling in Illinois say the added revenue from more casinos could take some of the sting out of the painful budget cuts being proposed by Gov. Pat Quinn.
A compromise being hammered out behind closed doors could bring casinos to Chicago, Rockford, Danville, southern Cook County and Lake County, and a one-time infusion of more than $1 billion in licensing fees that could help pay down the state’s massive pile of unpaid bills.
“Everybody is interested in getting it done,” said state Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat who help craft a gambling expansion plan last year that would have allowed slot machines at the state’s seven horse racing tracks.
Quinn opposed that plan, saying it was too top heavy. He opposes adding slot machines at the tracks.
On Wednesday, however, the governor laid out a budget proposal that would close 59 state facilities, including prisons and centers for developmentally disabled residents. He also demanded that lawmakers work together to address skyrocketing Medicaid and employee pension costs.
Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson cautioned that a gambling expansion plan is not a cure-all for the state’s crushing budget woes.
“We don’t think you can gamble your way out of this budget mess,” Anderson said.
But, the governor continues to send a team of aides to the gambling negotiations in hopes of finding an agreement that can be supported by all parties.
Link said he believes a package could be voted on by members of the House and Senate later this spring. It could be an easy vote for election-minded lawmakers who believe it could stave off some of the closures Quinn in threatening.
Link would not say whether negotiators had found a way to replace projected revenue that would be lost if horse tracks don’t get slots.
“We’re working on all different types of concepts,” Link said.
The horse racing industry is still pushing for slot machines at their venues.
“Many Illinois lawmakers and the public agree that generating new revenue opportunities at no cost to taxpayers by saying ‘yes’ to slots at the racetracks will create new Illinois jobs and ensure the economic future of our children and our state,” noted a statement issued by the Illinois Harness Horsemen Association and four of the state’s tracks.
They say slots would provide a boost to their business, helping to retain 28,000 jobs, create an additional 5,000 jobs and keep Illinois racing competitive with states that allow slot machines at the tracks.
In addition to grappling with the issue of slots at tracks, negotiators must tailor the proposal to deal with Quinn’s opposition to allowing gambling at O’Hare and Midway airports and the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.
The governor also is pressing for tough ethics rules, including a ban on campaign contributions from gambling licensees.
Whatever plan emerges, Quinn aides are trying to downplay the potential financial gain.
Last fall, the governor released a report raising questions about the revenue estimates, saying the added gambling positions would bring in much less money than what supporters are forecasting.
“Gambling certainly is not going to solve the revenue problem,” Anderson said.
A compromise being hammered out behind closed doors could bring casinos to Chicago, Rockford, Danville, southern Cook County and Lake County, and a one-time infusion of more than $1 billion in licensing fees that could help pay down the state’s massive pile of unpaid bills.
“Everybody is interested in getting it done,” said state Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat who help craft a gambling expansion plan last year that would have allowed slot machines at the state’s seven horse racing tracks.
Quinn opposed that plan, saying it was too top heavy. He opposes adding slot machines at the tracks.
On Wednesday, however, the governor laid out a budget proposal that would close 59 state facilities, including prisons and centers for developmentally disabled residents. He also demanded that lawmakers work together to address skyrocketing Medicaid and employee pension costs.
Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson cautioned that a gambling expansion plan is not a cure-all for the state’s crushing budget woes.
“We don’t think you can gamble your way out of this budget mess,” Anderson said.
But, the governor continues to send a team of aides to the gambling negotiations in hopes of finding an agreement that can be supported by all parties.
Link said he believes a package could be voted on by members of the House and Senate later this spring. It could be an easy vote for election-minded lawmakers who believe it could stave off some of the closures Quinn in threatening.
Link would not say whether negotiators had found a way to replace projected revenue that would be lost if horse tracks don’t get slots.
“We’re working on all different types of concepts,” Link said.
The horse racing industry is still pushing for slot machines at their venues.
“Many Illinois lawmakers and the public agree that generating new revenue opportunities at no cost to taxpayers by saying ‘yes’ to slots at the racetracks will create new Illinois jobs and ensure the economic future of our children and our state,” noted a statement issued by the Illinois Harness Horsemen Association and four of the state’s tracks.
They say slots would provide a boost to their business, helping to retain 28,000 jobs, create an additional 5,000 jobs and keep Illinois racing competitive with states that allow slot machines at the tracks.
In addition to grappling with the issue of slots at tracks, negotiators must tailor the proposal to deal with Quinn’s opposition to allowing gambling at O’Hare and Midway airports and the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.
The governor also is pressing for tough ethics rules, including a ban on campaign contributions from gambling licensees.
Whatever plan emerges, Quinn aides are trying to downplay the potential financial gain.
Last fall, the governor released a report raising questions about the revenue estimates, saying the added gambling positions would bring in much less money than what supporters are forecasting.
“Gambling certainly is not going to solve the revenue problem,” Anderson said.
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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Phil Galfond, a professional online poker player, is leaving New York for Vancouver because of new regulations on online poker, says the Wall Street Journal.
Fair enough, that means someone gets his sweet apartment in the Lower East Side.
The two bedroom (convertible to four), four bathroom penthouse is on sale for $4 million. It has an 18 foot atrium, a wet bar, a game room and two terraces. The building has a pool on the roof. You can check out the listing here, it's being sold by Core Group agents, Elizabeth Kee and Lindsee Silverstein.
Fair enough, that means someone gets his sweet apartment in the Lower East Side.
The two bedroom (convertible to four), four bathroom penthouse is on sale for $4 million. It has an 18 foot atrium, a wet bar, a game room and two terraces. The building has a pool on the roof. You can check out the listing here, it's being sold by Core Group agents, Elizabeth Kee and Lindsee Silverstein.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
One of the closest races on Oscar night, when the Academy hands out their awards on Sunday night, should in the Best Actor category as George Clooney looks to pick up his second Oscar and first for Best Actor for his role in The Descendants. Meanwhile France’s Jean Dujardin is in the running for his performance in The Artist, which has been the darling of the awards season.
Join Bovada Sportsbook right now and bet the Oscars!
Jean Dujardin (The Artist) 5/7
George Clooney (The Descendants) 6/5
Brad Pitt (Moneyball) 15/1
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) 25/1
Demian Bichir (A Better Life) 50/1
The rest of the list is filled out with Demian Bichir, the Mexican actor earning plaudits for A Better Life, while Gary Oldman’s role in Tinker Tailor Solider Spy netted the veteran his first Oscar nomination, and Brad Pitt, whose third nomination comes from his effort in Moneyball.
But the odds are pointed towards Dujardin and Clooney, and the edge goes to the Frenchman.
Dujardin has come away with some significant hardware during awards season, as he won the Best Actor honor at the Cannes Film Festival, along with the Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, and the BAFTA award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He split the Golden Globes with Clooney, taking home the Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, while Clooney won in the Drama category.
Clooney’s past Oscar came from the Best Supporting Actor category for his role in 2005’s Syriana but he would love to add a Best Actor to his mantle. He is also nominated this year for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Ides of March and that may have to be a consolation prize as the adulation for The Artist grows over the next few days. Both men are deserving of the award, however, and it’ll be a big decision for the Academy to make.
Join Bovada Sportsbook right now and bet the Oscars!
Jean Dujardin (The Artist) 5/7
George Clooney (The Descendants) 6/5
Brad Pitt (Moneyball) 15/1
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) 25/1
Demian Bichir (A Better Life) 50/1
The rest of the list is filled out with Demian Bichir, the Mexican actor earning plaudits for A Better Life, while Gary Oldman’s role in Tinker Tailor Solider Spy netted the veteran his first Oscar nomination, and Brad Pitt, whose third nomination comes from his effort in Moneyball.
But the odds are pointed towards Dujardin and Clooney, and the edge goes to the Frenchman.
Dujardin has come away with some significant hardware during awards season, as he won the Best Actor honor at the Cannes Film Festival, along with the Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, and the BAFTA award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He split the Golden Globes with Clooney, taking home the Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, while Clooney won in the Drama category.
Clooney’s past Oscar came from the Best Supporting Actor category for his role in 2005’s Syriana but he would love to add a Best Actor to his mantle. He is also nominated this year for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Ides of March and that may have to be a consolation prize as the adulation for The Artist grows over the next few days. Both men are deserving of the award, however, and it’ll be a big decision for the Academy to make.
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2006/12/07
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29893
GROWTH in the online operation of the UK’s largest bookmaker William Hill is likely to create jobs in Leeds, said the financial director of Britain’s biggest bookmaker, as it revealed the division recorded a second successive year of revenues growth in excess of 20 per cent.
Online net revenues were up 28 per cent in 2011 to £321.3m on the previous year, following the continued expansion of its online offering through new mobile and text-betting channels, said Ralph Topping, chief executive.
Even without a major football tournament and including a £9m rise in VAT payments due to last January’s rate change, William Hill said its underlying profits rose 9 per cent to £239.4m in 2011. It said its retail arm produced a resilient performance, with amounts wagered up 6 per cent but profits down 4 per cent to £196.8m following a run of unfavourable results, mainly in football. The amount generated by gaming machines was up 9 per cent.
William Hill employs more than 15,000 people, including around 3,000 staff in Yorkshire, of which more than 1,100 are based in Leeds, where the company has two offices. Under its retail section, operations, human resources and marketing are all based in Leeds, while trading and IT for the whole group are also in the city. The company also has a call centre in Sheffield.
Neil Cooper, group finance director, said: “Our plans for the region continue to be as a hub for our operations.
“The business growth in online will continue to require support in terms of trading and information technology, and obviously since those are based in Leeds that creates opportunities for locals in terms of jobs. I’m aware we’ve been expanding our IT function in Leeds and have been looking to recruit locally.
“And equally, trading, I mean growing your online sportsbook by 50 per cent requires input from more people.
“So overall our plans have been to see growth in IT, in operations in trading, which would typically benefit Leeds.”
He added: “In general, we are a growing business. Retail profit fell slightly but actually that was as much because we’ve increased the tax payments we’re making to the Government, putting that aside, our net revenue in retail grew and obviously online is growing very strongly and those will benefit Leeds in terms of recruitment of operational jobs in IT and in trading.”
The group’s pre-tax profit before exceptional items were added, was up 9 per cent to £239.4m, while pre-tax profit, after exceptional items, was down 3 per cent to £187.4m. Exceptional costs included “writing off some intangible assets” relating to the telephone business, said Mr Cooper.
The fortunes of the group’s retail arm have improved since the turn of the year, with its win margin up from last year’s 16.8 per cent to 18.1 per cent, although February’s adverse weather meant amounts wagered slowed to show 2 per cent growth.
The online division has continued to trade well, it added, with revenues up 30 per cent in the first seven weeks of the year, including 64 per cent growth in its sportsbook. William Hill said it would look to expand internationally to take advantage of countries legalising gambling.
Online net revenues were up 28 per cent in 2011 to £321.3m on the previous year, following the continued expansion of its online offering through new mobile and text-betting channels, said Ralph Topping, chief executive.
Even without a major football tournament and including a £9m rise in VAT payments due to last January’s rate change, William Hill said its underlying profits rose 9 per cent to £239.4m in 2011. It said its retail arm produced a resilient performance, with amounts wagered up 6 per cent but profits down 4 per cent to £196.8m following a run of unfavourable results, mainly in football. The amount generated by gaming machines was up 9 per cent.
William Hill employs more than 15,000 people, including around 3,000 staff in Yorkshire, of which more than 1,100 are based in Leeds, where the company has two offices. Under its retail section, operations, human resources and marketing are all based in Leeds, while trading and IT for the whole group are also in the city. The company also has a call centre in Sheffield.
Neil Cooper, group finance director, said: “Our plans for the region continue to be as a hub for our operations.
“The business growth in online will continue to require support in terms of trading and information technology, and obviously since those are based in Leeds that creates opportunities for locals in terms of jobs. I’m aware we’ve been expanding our IT function in Leeds and have been looking to recruit locally.
“And equally, trading, I mean growing your online sportsbook by 50 per cent requires input from more people.
“So overall our plans have been to see growth in IT, in operations in trading, which would typically benefit Leeds.”
He added: “In general, we are a growing business. Retail profit fell slightly but actually that was as much because we’ve increased the tax payments we’re making to the Government, putting that aside, our net revenue in retail grew and obviously online is growing very strongly and those will benefit Leeds in terms of recruitment of operational jobs in IT and in trading.”
The group’s pre-tax profit before exceptional items were added, was up 9 per cent to £239.4m, while pre-tax profit, after exceptional items, was down 3 per cent to £187.4m. Exceptional costs included “writing off some intangible assets” relating to the telephone business, said Mr Cooper.
The fortunes of the group’s retail arm have improved since the turn of the year, with its win margin up from last year’s 16.8 per cent to 18.1 per cent, although February’s adverse weather meant amounts wagered slowed to show 2 per cent growth.
The online division has continued to trade well, it added, with revenues up 30 per cent in the first seven weeks of the year, including 64 per cent growth in its sportsbook. William Hill said it would look to expand internationally to take advantage of countries legalising gambling.
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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
HOUSE BILL NO. 1373 is an act to create the Mississippi Lawful Internet Gaming Act 1 of 2012 and this past week the US State of Mississippi has introduced legislation to regulate all forms of online gambling and online poker as approved by the Mississippi Gambling Commission. The bill specifically states that “the State of Mississippi finds that the state regulations of legal gaming in this state, and the provision of this Mississippi Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2012, prescribe a lawful exemption to the UIGEA.”
Section one of the bill addresses the concerns in regards to it’s citizens playing illegally and the consequences set forth if the state does not legalize and begin to regulate internet gaming. Section 1 states, “The Legislature finds that since the 21 development of the Internet, millions of people have chosen to 22 engage in online gaming through illegal off-shore operators, and 23 such unlawful gambling is conducted without oversight, regulation, 24 or enforcement, all of which raises significant concerns for the 25 protection of our citizens. Without regulation of online 26 gambling, the public’s trust and confidence in legal gaming is 27 impacted.”
The Bill introduced by House Minority Leader Bobby Moak, HB1373 would create a licensing system to authorize Internet Wagering Permit holders to offer gambling games online to state residents over the age of 21 as well as an initial Internet Wagering Permit will cost at least $200,000 with an annual renewal fee of at least $100,000.
Permits will only be valid for one to five years as determined by the MGC and must be renewed upon expiration. The law also establishes technological and internal control requirements for online gaming licensees.
Only players 21 and older will be permitted to gamble online in Mississippi. Players must provide the following in order to play online:
Completion of a Internet Wagering Account Agreement
Proof of age and two forms of id
Physical address of principal resident of account holder
Email address of account holder
Password or other secured form of identification
Signing a “penalty of perjury” statement
Several major casino companies have come out in support of regulated Internet gambling, including those with casinos in Biloxi. They include Caesars Entertainment, parent company of Grand Biloxi Casino; MGM Resorts International, parent company of Beau Rivage Resort and Casino; and Boyd Gaming, which last year bought IP Casino Resort.
Section one of the bill addresses the concerns in regards to it’s citizens playing illegally and the consequences set forth if the state does not legalize and begin to regulate internet gaming. Section 1 states, “The Legislature finds that since the 21 development of the Internet, millions of people have chosen to 22 engage in online gaming through illegal off-shore operators, and 23 such unlawful gambling is conducted without oversight, regulation, 24 or enforcement, all of which raises significant concerns for the 25 protection of our citizens. Without regulation of online 26 gambling, the public’s trust and confidence in legal gaming is 27 impacted.”
The Bill introduced by House Minority Leader Bobby Moak, HB1373 would create a licensing system to authorize Internet Wagering Permit holders to offer gambling games online to state residents over the age of 21 as well as an initial Internet Wagering Permit will cost at least $200,000 with an annual renewal fee of at least $100,000.
Permits will only be valid for one to five years as determined by the MGC and must be renewed upon expiration. The law also establishes technological and internal control requirements for online gaming licensees.
Only players 21 and older will be permitted to gamble online in Mississippi. Players must provide the following in order to play online:
Completion of a Internet Wagering Account Agreement
Proof of age and two forms of id
Physical address of principal resident of account holder
Email address of account holder
Password or other secured form of identification
Signing a “penalty of perjury” statement
Several major casino companies have come out in support of regulated Internet gambling, including those with casinos in Biloxi. They include Caesars Entertainment, parent company of Grand Biloxi Casino; MGM Resorts International, parent company of Beau Rivage Resort and Casino; and Boyd Gaming, which last year bought IP Casino Resort.
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2006/12/07
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29893
The real battle going on in the USA for online gambling is not according to some one that will give the player the right to play but which big gambling operators will be able to offer the services to the public.
Enter the recently organized lobby group FairPlay USA, which claims it is there to promote regulated online gambling for the benefit of the ‘people’. Unfortunately this group has been exposed as a possible wolf in sheep’s clothing. To begin with there are two former government officials on FairPlay’s Board of Directors. Former FBI director Louis Freeh and former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge are being brought into the online gambling fray to protect the corporations that sponsor the group and without question are making a significant impact on the attention this issue has been getting.
Louis Freeh is considered by many to be an old school type of man to the point where when he became the fifth director of the FBI back in 1995 he had the computer removed from his office. Some say his lack of technical savvy put the USA is peril when technology around the world was moving forward he decided the FBI’s system didn’t need any upgrades.
The idea that both Freeh and Ridge are guns for hire consultants is not a new one. Both gentlemen have long track records as consultants to big business since they held their government posts. Freeh has been a director for credit card firm MBNA before that company was acquired by Bank of America, and also as a director for the large pharmaceutical firm Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Ridge has served as a consultant or board member for seven corporations since entering the private sector in 2004, including a number of companies whose business is selling products to the federal government. Ridge has also founded his own “advisory firm,” Ridge Global. Its easy to connect the dots to see where FairPlay USA is going.
Enter the recently organized lobby group FairPlay USA, which claims it is there to promote regulated online gambling for the benefit of the ‘people’. Unfortunately this group has been exposed as a possible wolf in sheep’s clothing. To begin with there are two former government officials on FairPlay’s Board of Directors. Former FBI director Louis Freeh and former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge are being brought into the online gambling fray to protect the corporations that sponsor the group and without question are making a significant impact on the attention this issue has been getting.
Louis Freeh is considered by many to be an old school type of man to the point where when he became the fifth director of the FBI back in 1995 he had the computer removed from his office. Some say his lack of technical savvy put the USA is peril when technology around the world was moving forward he decided the FBI’s system didn’t need any upgrades.
The idea that both Freeh and Ridge are guns for hire consultants is not a new one. Both gentlemen have long track records as consultants to big business since they held their government posts. Freeh has been a director for credit card firm MBNA before that company was acquired by Bank of America, and also as a director for the large pharmaceutical firm Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Ridge has served as a consultant or board member for seven corporations since entering the private sector in 2004, including a number of companies whose business is selling products to the federal government. Ridge has also founded his own “advisory firm,” Ridge Global. Its easy to connect the dots to see where FairPlay USA is going.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
South Carolina suddenly is being targeted by a wave of gaming proposals pushed by powerful lobbyists who say gambling would bring hundreds of millions of dollars in investment to economically deprived areas state and millions into the state's recession-depleted tax coffers.
Native American casinos have been proposed by the Catawba Indians in York County and the Cherokee Indians in Hardeeville. Meanwhile, new sweepstakes machines are in action in convenience stores statewide and casino-style Internet cafes are operating in Charleston.
A decade-long fight to ban the $3 billion-a-year video poker industry has left lawmakers with little interest in allowing new forms of gaming into the state. "A lot of people are afraid to open that Pandora's box again and see what else will come out with it," said state Rep. Rick Quinn, R-Lexington. As a result, the gaming interests are engaging lawyers to fight in the courts and lobbyists to make their case before Gov. Nikki Haley and the federal government.
Cherokee casino
The proposal with the most steam behind it would open a Cherokee-owned casino and resort on 50 acres in Hardeeville.
Proponents say the project, which already has gained initial support from some local government officials, could be under construction in two years and bring nearly 5,000 jobs and $92 million in wages and benefits for Jasper County. They also say the state would profit from a yet-to-be-determined portion of the casino's revenues.
Backers estimate more than 4.3 million visitors a year would frequent the casino along the Savannah River and the Georgia-South Carolina border.
And lawmakers would have no say.
Project backers only must win approval from Haley, who has made job creation and economic development her administration's highest priority. With a nod from Haley, the project's fate would be decided by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Backers hope to bring a formal proposal to Haley by the end of 2012.
However, Haley "has no intention of taking any action that would enable casino gambling," her spokesman said in a statement Friday.
"Gov. Haley desperately wants to bring jobs to South Carolina," said Rob Godfrey.
"However, she believes South Carolina does not have to settle and that there is a better way. ... Governor Haley does not support sweepstakes machines or anything that further opens the door to gambling."
But Bob McAlister, former chief of staff to then-Gov. Carroll Campbell and a public relations-political consultant who has been hired to market the project, is undeterred by that brushback.
McAlister says it is too soon to say what Haley will do.
He anticipates Haley will hear plenty from Lowcountry leaders, business owners and residents, pleading for the economic benefits the casino project promises.
"I know she and (state Commerce Secretary) Bobby Hitt are putting more emphasis on creating jobs than any other governor since Carroll Campbell," McAlister said.
"This is the chance. This is the project -- the only one in the foreseeable future -- to help a part of the state that is struggling."
Big players, big lawsuit
McAlister is just one of a growing cast of high-profile players working for gambling interests.
Dwight Drake, a Columbia attorney, lobbyist and unsuccessful candidate in the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary, also is working for the Hardeeville casino proposal, the brainchild of the Cherokees, and developers and investors in Myrtle Beach and Dallas.
Other big names -- including Columbia political strategist Richard Quinn, father of state Rep. Quinn -- are rallying support for a Rock Hill casino proposal by the Catawba Indian Nation, the state's only federally recognized Native American tribe. In January, the Catawbas filed a lawsuit arguing they should be allowed to offer gambling on their York County reservation just as the state allows casino cruise ships to operate off its coast.
Quinn is conducting polling for the Catawbas to gauge public opinion on their proposal to build a gaming facility and two hotels on their reservation.
"The public's attitudes toward gaming has changed since (David) Beasley was governor" and video poker was outlawed in 2000, Quinn said. "People are looking for economic development. We live in a state that has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.
"It may not be the economic development that some people would prefer, but it's not like the plague of video poker -- people bringing their change in to play instead of buying food for their children. What the Catawbas have proposed for York is an entirely different enterprise and something the state could be proud of."
The Catawbas say their project would produce 4,000 permanent jobs and have an economic impact of $260 million a year on York County, reversing their tribe's long struggle with poverty and joblessness.
But Sen. Wes Hayes, R-York, said his York County constituents oppose a casino - and he does, too. Hayes also worries a casino would attract an unsavory element to the community.
"There's no groundswell of support for changing gaming laws and allowing casinos," Hayes said. "If the people we serve were demanding changes in the gambling laws, then you would see us working to change them. Nobody is pushing me, and I've heard from a lot of people who don't think it's a good idea."
Instead, Hayes says the Catawba proposal "is just another effort to get out of the (tribe's) agreement with the state."
The Catawbas have struggled for years in S.C. courts and at the State House to get out from under parts of their 1993 agreement with the state.
That agreement granted the tribe land in York County, $50 million and its rights as a tribal nation. But it also said the only gambling the tribe could sponsor was bingo in York County and one other site in the state.
"It's recognized as one of the worst (agreements) of any tribe in the nation," said Gregory Smith, the Ca
Native American casinos have been proposed by the Catawba Indians in York County and the Cherokee Indians in Hardeeville. Meanwhile, new sweepstakes machines are in action in convenience stores statewide and casino-style Internet cafes are operating in Charleston.
A decade-long fight to ban the $3 billion-a-year video poker industry has left lawmakers with little interest in allowing new forms of gaming into the state. "A lot of people are afraid to open that Pandora's box again and see what else will come out with it," said state Rep. Rick Quinn, R-Lexington. As a result, the gaming interests are engaging lawyers to fight in the courts and lobbyists to make their case before Gov. Nikki Haley and the federal government.
Cherokee casino
The proposal with the most steam behind it would open a Cherokee-owned casino and resort on 50 acres in Hardeeville.
Proponents say the project, which already has gained initial support from some local government officials, could be under construction in two years and bring nearly 5,000 jobs and $92 million in wages and benefits for Jasper County. They also say the state would profit from a yet-to-be-determined portion of the casino's revenues.
Backers estimate more than 4.3 million visitors a year would frequent the casino along the Savannah River and the Georgia-South Carolina border.
And lawmakers would have no say.
Project backers only must win approval from Haley, who has made job creation and economic development her administration's highest priority. With a nod from Haley, the project's fate would be decided by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Backers hope to bring a formal proposal to Haley by the end of 2012.
However, Haley "has no intention of taking any action that would enable casino gambling," her spokesman said in a statement Friday.
"Gov. Haley desperately wants to bring jobs to South Carolina," said Rob Godfrey.
"However, she believes South Carolina does not have to settle and that there is a better way. ... Governor Haley does not support sweepstakes machines or anything that further opens the door to gambling."
But Bob McAlister, former chief of staff to then-Gov. Carroll Campbell and a public relations-political consultant who has been hired to market the project, is undeterred by that brushback.
McAlister says it is too soon to say what Haley will do.
He anticipates Haley will hear plenty from Lowcountry leaders, business owners and residents, pleading for the economic benefits the casino project promises.
"I know she and (state Commerce Secretary) Bobby Hitt are putting more emphasis on creating jobs than any other governor since Carroll Campbell," McAlister said.
"This is the chance. This is the project -- the only one in the foreseeable future -- to help a part of the state that is struggling."
Big players, big lawsuit
McAlister is just one of a growing cast of high-profile players working for gambling interests.
Dwight Drake, a Columbia attorney, lobbyist and unsuccessful candidate in the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary, also is working for the Hardeeville casino proposal, the brainchild of the Cherokees, and developers and investors in Myrtle Beach and Dallas.
Other big names -- including Columbia political strategist Richard Quinn, father of state Rep. Quinn -- are rallying support for a Rock Hill casino proposal by the Catawba Indian Nation, the state's only federally recognized Native American tribe. In January, the Catawbas filed a lawsuit arguing they should be allowed to offer gambling on their York County reservation just as the state allows casino cruise ships to operate off its coast.
Quinn is conducting polling for the Catawbas to gauge public opinion on their proposal to build a gaming facility and two hotels on their reservation.
"The public's attitudes toward gaming has changed since (David) Beasley was governor" and video poker was outlawed in 2000, Quinn said. "People are looking for economic development. We live in a state that has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.
"It may not be the economic development that some people would prefer, but it's not like the plague of video poker -- people bringing their change in to play instead of buying food for their children. What the Catawbas have proposed for York is an entirely different enterprise and something the state could be proud of."
The Catawbas say their project would produce 4,000 permanent jobs and have an economic impact of $260 million a year on York County, reversing their tribe's long struggle with poverty and joblessness.
But Sen. Wes Hayes, R-York, said his York County constituents oppose a casino - and he does, too. Hayes also worries a casino would attract an unsavory element to the community.
"There's no groundswell of support for changing gaming laws and allowing casinos," Hayes said. "If the people we serve were demanding changes in the gambling laws, then you would see us working to change them. Nobody is pushing me, and I've heard from a lot of people who don't think it's a good idea."
Instead, Hayes says the Catawba proposal "is just another effort to get out of the (tribe's) agreement with the state."
The Catawbas have struggled for years in S.C. courts and at the State House to get out from under parts of their 1993 agreement with the state.
That agreement granted the tribe land in York County, $50 million and its rights as a tribal nation. But it also said the only gambling the tribe could sponsor was bingo in York County and one other site in the state.
"It's recognized as one of the worst (agreements) of any tribe in the nation," said Gregory Smith, the Ca
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2006/12/07
Messages:
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The European Commission is to hold talks on Monday (27 February) with national gambling regulators as pressure grows on the EU to introduce harmonised rules on online betting across all member states.
Officials will discuss issues that could be included in an action plan which Michel Barnier, the European commissioner for the internal market, is expected to publish later this year.
Barnier is determined to bring clarity to the rules on gambling, to take account of the transformation of the sector because of the rise of the internet. But he faces fierce resistance from some EU member states that want to protect their domestic betting monopolies from online competitors.
There is no EU legislation specifically on the online gambling industry, which generated €8.5 billion in earnings in the EU in 2010.
Co-operation
Monday's meeting will gauge national regulators' willingness to co-operate in developing common rules, following a Commission consultation on the subject last spring.
Sigrid Ligné, the secretary-general of the European Gaming and Betting Association, said she had “high expectations” about the outcome of the meeting and called for EU-level rules to ensure fair licensing rules for gambling companies.
“We have high hopes that rapid progress can and will be made through better co-operation and the development of common EU rules,” she said