Let your mouth speak archive

Lindsay Lohan is awaiting a court date after being charged in a Pacific Coast Highway accident earlier this year.

Lohan faces three misdemeanor charges for allegedly lying to Santa Monica, California, police in connection with a June traffic accident on Pacific Coast Highway. Her lawyer in Los Angeles has not commented on that case. She was charged Thursday with obstructing an investigation, giving false information to an officer and reckless driving. Lohan has already been sent to jail several times for violating the terms of her probation, but she eventually complied with rules set down by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner.

No court date has been set at this time, but it is expected to be scheduled for the coming weeks.

If the prosecutor moves forward as expected, a judge could give her jail time after determining she violated her 2011 probation on a conviction for shoplifting from a Venice, California, jewellery store. Santa Monica prosecutors weighed charges against Lohan for weeks after police said they found evidence that she lied when she told officers she was not behind the wheel of a Porsche that collided with a dump truck. More recently, the 26-year-old actress has been spending time in New York, where she has been part of several law enforcement investigations. In September, the actress claimed she was choked by a political aide in a New York hotel room. Charges against the man were dropped. Lohan was then the subject of an investigation in which she was accused of clipping a man with her car outside another Manhattan nightclub. No charges were filed in that case. In October, police were called to a reported domestic disturbance at Lohan’s mother’s home in Mineola, New York, after what was described as an argument between the actress and her mother. The incident did not result in any arrests or charges. She was arrested Thursday in connection with a fight at a Manhattan nightclub. Police said Lohan was sitting in a black SUV when officers arrived and arrested her about 4am. Lohan was not injured and the alleged victim, whose injuries were not disclosed, refused medical treatment at the scene, officials said.

Online casinos and gambling sites have boomed in the past few years, and unsurprisingly there has been a growth in payment methods at the same time. It can all be a little confusing sometimes, which is why we decided to check out the different types of payment methods - using Red Flush Casino and William Hill Casino as our examples, both leading casino brands with rich cashier banking options.

Credit/debit card

Credit and debit cards, such as Visa and MasterCard, are still the most popular form of making deposits and withdrawals to online gambling sites. Most casino customers already own at least one credit card, and tend to trust them for their secure and modern processing systems.

The drawback to using a credit card, and the reason that many customers use the other options listed below, is that many banks view casino deposits as a form of cash advance, which means that they attach an extra fee to the payment. Online casinos like Red Flush accept all major credit cards, but don't offer their customers bonuses for using them.

E-wallet

E-wallet payment methods, such as Skrill (Moneybookers), Neteller, and Instadebit, have stepped in to fill the gaps left by credit cards. These online funding systems basically act as your middleman between the online casino and your bank account, allowing you to transfer and receive funds without all those extra costs.

The way this usually works is that you deposit money into your e-wallet account, and then use those funds to recharge your casino account. Doing things this way ensures the casino never receives your banking details and your bank is not alerted to the fact this was a casino deposit - protecting you and keeping things convenient.

As e-wallets are a preferred deposit method bonus for online casinos like Red Flush and William Hill, players will often receive rewards for using them.

Cash alternative

Cash alternatives are another payment method that have been growing in popularity, mainly thanks to well known brands like Ukash. Most cash alternatives can be purchased in exchange for cash at retail outlets that advertise signs like "PayPoint," "Payzone" or "e-pay." Once you have purchased a voucher, just use the funds at your preferred online gambling site by entering the unique number from the voucher.

This method is the best option for people who want to use cash rather than a credit card or e-wallet. No registration or submission of personal information is required, which means you can deposit money to your online casino, poker, betting or bingo account without your safety or security being compromised in any way.

Bank transfer

Bank transfers are a quick and easy way to deposit or withdraw money into your online casino account, without too many added fees. The drawback is that it can take a few days for the money to appear in your account, depending on your bank and casino operator.

Money can be transferred using a variety of methods including online banking, telephone banking and over-the counter.

Local payment methods

The last few years has seen an explosion in the number of local payment methods that cater to players using specific languages and living in specific countries. For example, Baloto Electronico is a cash payment method offered by PagosOnline, which can be purchased at participating retail stores around Colombia.

And a note about new payment methods

New payment methods are constantly being added to our lists. Just this past month we have added two great new payment methods: Ticket Premium is a French cash alternative that is sold online and through more than 35,000 retail outlets across France. Realex Payment offers a broad range of payment services for online gambling websites.




Guide to Payment Method Types - Special Reports - Onlinecasinoreports-com

If you love social media such as Facebook or Twitter and you love playing online casino or online roulette you will love the treat IGT is bringing you.

IGT now has 5 million online casino players and is the largest social casino in the world. IGT is working to deliver a superior social online gambling experience through smooth gameplay and social betting.

Social gambling through the new media websites is growing at a very rapid rate as expected and with a value per user at up to $1200 compared to the Facebook user just clicking ads for a $5 lifetime value this is surely going to be a new break for struggling social media websites.

All of the IGT online casino games, which include video poker, online roulette and online blackjack are played with chips which are shown to players as dollars. Winnings are played out as chips and players can get Gold Coins which can be exchanged for other things. As well as what you would normally expect from the usual kind of online casino there is a very personal and tailored experience as this is social media and the people are the website.

Doubledown casino which runs IGT are giving a superb daily spin game that is purely a bonus and give a chance for players every day to win more of those valuable chips.




Online Casino on Facebook, Twitter and Others by IGT || Roulette News – Online Roulette and Online Gambling News

Asia is the golden goose when it comes to online gambling and the golden egg has yet to be hatched. The new found wealth in Asia is looking for more exciting times than just working out at the gym or sightseeing in Beijing. They Asian people love to play games and wager a little money on lucky numbers or sports where the competition is fierce.

Enter the dragon as the saying goes when organized criminals take the innocent punter and steal them blind. These destroyers of good faith and integrity prey on the most vulnerable when it comes to match fixing, players coaches and officials who are desperate to make money. Football has always been a problem with corrupt practices rife through the sport, and especially in the Asian jurisdiction.

FIFA and other organizations such as Interpol are collaborating with online gambling operators around the world to stem the reach of organized match fixing and the money that is made by unfair betting on the outcomes. FIFA identified Singapore as one place where the gangs are working together to fix games to their advantage.

Interpol assistant director for Integrity in Sport Mr.Michaela Ragg was specific when he stated, "Especially with online betting, everything has been made faster and easier... when there is a lot of money involved, the huge potential benefit does attract more criminals, it's logical. It might appear that Asia has a more important role to play but it's because a lot of the betting - legal, illegal or online - takes place here... but that does not mean it's only a problem for Asia and you can't say that if you do something here it'd be better everywhere else." Ragg was attending the Interpol Global Academic Experts Meeting for Integrity in Sports taking place in Singapore when he spoke off the record. He went on to say the Interpol program will help those who are vulnerable to the corruption by educating them of the new risks.




Asian Online Threat of Match Fixing Has Interpol Working

After receiving a rare F CinemaScore from moviegoers, Brad Pitt's independent crime drama "Killing Them Softly" opened nationwide to a soft $7 million, coming in No. 7.

Directed by Andrew Dominik, the violent crime drama becomes only the eighth movie ever to receive the failing grade. George Clooney's "Solaris" and "Killing Them Softly" are the only non-horror titles among the bunch.

Pitt's Plan B production company produced the $15 million "Killing Them Softly," based on George V. Higgins' 1974 book "Cogan's Trade," with Inferno Entertainment and Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures, which put up some of the financing. The Weinstein Co. is distributing domestically. The movie stars Pitt as professional enforcer Jackie Cogan, who is charged with investigating a robbery at a mob-protected poker game. It also stars Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini and Sam Shepard.

The weekend after Thanksgiving is generally dominated by holdovers, and this year was no exception as "Twilight: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2," "Skyfall" and Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" continued to top the box office.

Summit Entertainment's "Breaking Dawn 2" jumped the $700 million mark globally over the weekend, grossing $17.4 million domestically for a total $254.6 million and $48.4 million internationally for a total $447.8 million. The worldwide cume is now $702.4 million.

MGM and Sony's "Skyfall" grossed $17 million in its fourth weekend for a North American cume of $246 million and worldwide total in the $850 million range. "Lincoln," from DreamWorks and Disney, grossed $13.5 million for a domestic total of $48.9 million. The historical drama, starring Daniel Day Lewis as the storied president, continues to be a hit with adults.

DreamWorks Animation and Paramount's 3D toon "Rise of the Guardians" came in No. 4, falling 43 percent in its second weekend to $13.5 million for a domestic total of $48.9 million. The holiday-themed pic got off to a disappointing start over Thanksgiving, but DWA and Paramount are hopeful it will play throughout Christmas, saying it is pacing in step with "The Polar Express."

Overseas, "Rise of the Guardians" grossed $40 million in 46 territories, placing No. 1 in 20 of those markets. The toon has now grossed $57 million internationally for a worldwide total of $105.9 million.

Ang Lee's Thanksgiving entry "Life of Pi" came in No. 5, falling 47 percent in its second weekend to $12 million for a domestic total of $48.4 million.

The weekend's only other new release was horror sequel "The Collection," which opened to a disappointing $3.8 million.




Brad Pitt's 'Killing Them Softly' flops at the box office - NBC News Entertainment

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

Gambling operators based abroad must inform the UK about suspicious sports betting patterns if they want a licence to take bets from British punters, the government has said.

Publishing a draft gambling bill to tighten online gambling regulations, sport and tourism minister Hugh Robertson said overseas operators should be subject to the same standards as those based in Britain. High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email [email]ftsales-support@ft-com[/email] to buy additional rights. UK moves to tighten online gambling rules - FT-com

The bill is the government’s attempt to keep a check on the rapid growth of online gambling, an industry that last year generated £2bn from UK punters in gross gambling yield – the amount retained by betting operators.

The last piece of gambling legislation, passed in 2005, “is not working as well as intended and has become unsustainable”, the government said.

That law handed out licences to operators only if they were based in the UK, enabling others with licences in Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and other approved jurisdictions to advertise to British gamblers.

It led to the exodus of most of the big-name operators such as Ladbrokes and William Hill to places with low-tax regimes, giving the UK very little influence over online gambling.

Mr Robertson said the law would be amended to regulate onling gambling on a “point of consumption” basis, irrespective where operators are based.

“These proposals will ensure that British consumers enjoy consistent standards of protection, regardless of where a gambling business is based, and will also help the fight against illegal activity and corruption in sports betting,” Mr Robertson said.

Clive Efford, the shadow sports minister, said: “It is a step in the right direction, but, we will want to see how it will be policed and how it will be enforced to ensure that people are protected from those operators who will seek to get around the new regulations.”

The Gambling Commission has issued less than 300 licences to a little over 200 operators. Philip Graf, commission chairman, said this meant it regulated less than 20 per cent of online gambling by British consumers.

As things stand, the commission “cannot insist on overseas operators providing us with information about suspicious sports betting transactions”, Mr Graf said.

The bill comes at a time when new gambling jurisdictions are emerging in Europe “where online gambling sites have begun targeting British consumers and where very little is known about the level of regulation and consumer protection”, the department for culture, media and sport said.

These overseas jurisdictions may not require operators to report suspicious betting activity.

The DCMS said there were instances where the commission had been unable to conduct investigations about suspicious betting patterns because it had not received information from an overseas operator or regulator.

The change is expected to favour the bigger operators and lead to consolidation in the industry.

Overseas operators seeking a licence will also be expected to pay licence fees and contribute towards the education and treatment of problem gambling. They will need the licence to transact with British customers and advertise to them.

Separately, the Treasury will decide the tax rate for applying the new point of consumption regime. In this year’s Budget, the Treasury issued revenue projections based on a tax of 15 per cent of gross profits.



UK moves to tighten online gambling rules - FT-com

The internet is like a highway, you never know who is on that highway or how well they play by the rules. Just like on a real road there are villains and thieves who look fine at the outset but are rotten to the core and should be avoided at all costs. The old saying that when something looks too good to be true it usually isn’t true. Such is the case with online casinos on the web who are unscrupulous and will take your money and personal information and run.

There are thousands of casinos to choose from online and not all of them have good reputations. There are those however that do have sterling reputations and are accredited by various organizations that test and verify the casino’s practices.

The rogue casinos that dot the internet highway look just like the good ones until it’s time to cash out and get paid winnings. When the trouble begins it may feel as if it’s just a glitch in the system but upon further investigation the player may find the online wagering operator had no intention of paying and will be as evasive as a slippery eel. The most important aspect of online casinos is trust so if a casino wants a big fee before the player gets paid or disregards complaints or becomes inaccessible all of a sudden then the punter may have stumbled into a gambling black hole. There is little recourse for the player because these rogue businesses are like a flickering light that shines bright while attracting punters and then it is gone in the blink of an eye.

When choosing an online casino to play at with confidence, look around for the signs such eGOGRA certification and check whether the casino has ever been on the blacklists at good online casino portals. There are a lot of ‘not’ recommended or ‘blacklisted’ internet casinos to steer clear of when going online for fun time. Stear clear, stay safe, good advice to heed when traveling the internet highway.





Rogue Online Casinos... Avoid With Caution

The New York Film Critics Circle named Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" the best film of 2012, voicing its strong support for the grimly journalistic Osama bin Laden docudrama.

Bigelow, whose "Hurt Locker" won best picture at the Academy Awards in 2010, also won best director in the awards announced Monday, and Greg Fraser won for the film's cinematography.

"`Zero Dark Thirty' confirms the massive talent of Kathryn Bigelow," said NYFCC chairman Joshua Rothkopf, a critic for Time Out New York. "`Zero Dark Thirty' is a very important movie. It's not triumphant and it's still a very significant dramatization of an important event. And we were knocked out by the film."

But the critics group also cast a loud vote for Seven Spielberg's "Lincoln," bestowing it with three awards: Daniel Day-Lewis for best actor, Sally Field for best supporting actress and Tony Kushner for best screenplay. Lewis' award for his performance as the 16th president is his fifth from the NYFCC.

Rachel Weisz earned best actress from the critics for her performance in the little-seen "The Deep Blue Sea," a period drama by the British director Terence Davies.

The supporting actor pick went to Matthew McConaughey for his performances as both a Texas district attorney in Richard Linklater's "Bernie" and as a male stripper in Steven Soderberg's "Magic Mike."

Shut out entirely were awards hopefuls "Les Miserables," "Argo," "Silver Linings Playbook" and "The Master."

This year's Oscar hunt is generally seen as fairly open, with a number of strong contenders. The NYFCC voting could help coalesce support behind "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Lincoln." Rothkopf, though, said that there was strong passion in voting for several films that didn't yield an award.

Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or-winning "Amour," a depiction of an aging married couple, took best foreign language film. Best non-fiction film went to "The Central Park Five," the documentary about the infamous 1989 New York rape case, co-directed by Ken Burns, his daughter Sarah Burns and David McMahon.

Best animated film went to Tim Burton's "Frankenweenie." The AIDS activism documentary "How to Survive a Plague" was picked as best first feature.

The New York Film Critics Circle, a body of 35 New York-based critics founded in 1935, announced their annual vote on Twitter over a period of hours. Awards will be handed out at a ceremony Jan. 7.

Next to come in the quickening awards season are the National Board of Review Awards on Wednesday and the Los Angeles Film Critics on Sunday. Golden Globe nominations will be announced Dec. 13.

Even the world of gambling has been affected by globalization. Previously, only developed countries had the concept of casinos and the different casino games but with the emerging trend of online casinos, the concept of virtual casinos and online casino games have penetrated into several parts of the world. The free online gambling games like video poker, slots, roulette, bingo and blackjack are widely played by people around the globe. Statistics have shown that games like car racing and arcade are increasingly being replaced with casino games like poker by the online game players. Online casino offers the gamers to play casino games either for free or to get involved in real wager, thus earning rewards on winning the game.

As per the result of a survey conducted, most online casinos offer fifty to sixty traditional games on average. These games are designed using high medium resolution and sound affects to give the online gamer a feel of casino environment. The online gamblers can play casino games by making a deposit at an online casino website. Mostly the money is deposited at the online casino using credit card or through online transaction service which are more convenient to use for gambling purpose rather than credit cards which might bring up legality issues.

There are thousands of online casinos on the web which makes it difficult to choose the right casino. There are a number of factors that must be evaluated and judged before finalizing an online casino including the safety and surety of payments. Another important element to look at is the online casino offers and promotions. These virtual casinos offer bonuses that will best attract the online gamblers to their website. The best online casinos offer welcome bonus to all the new gamers who make their first deposit at the casino website.

Online casino offers include bonuses that are offered to gamblers from time to time. These offers do not only help in retaining the gamblers to their site but also gives them value like enterprises do to retain their customers. Daily and Weekly bonuses allow the online gamblers to participate in a draw and grab a chance to win either a ticket to big game or a monetary reward. Online casino promotions also include bonuses whenever a player switches to operator’s preferred mode of payment. Electronic wallet services are given preference by online casinos over credit cards now.

The leading online casino offers numerous typical gambling games that include highly rewarding tournaments. They allow the players to either download games or play instant games within the browser. Before deciding upon an online casino to play with, all the factors must be carefully analyzed and weighted to reach at a place that is not just credible but highly rewarding as well.

The features of and ratings of different online casino offers are posted on the websites all over Internet. If you are one of the prospective online gamblers then, refer to this link enjoycasinoonline.com to learn about top online casinos to earn money.

Online casino fanatics in the Netherlands will be thrilled to learn that the newly sworn in Dutch government is planning to legalise gambling and sell its state-owned casino monopoly.

Holland Casino has 14 venues in the country's larger cities which earn a profit of 3.8 million euros, although it is hoped new operators in the country will help to reinvigorate the sector in the face of a declining economy.

"It is unclear at this stage if it will be a sale or an initial public offering. The government hasn't decided how the sale will take place," Justin Franssen, a lawyer at VMW Taxand who specialises in the gaming sector, told Reuters

Casinos in Northern Nevada are planning for new regulations that will allow them to offer online poker by late 2013.

Despite the fact that new regulations have not been completely finalized, casino operators in Northern Nevada are working on the strategies that will allow them to offer online poker by late 2013.

According to the Commissioner of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, AG Burnett, a large percentage of Northern Nevada casino operators have already submitted their applications for interactive operator’s licenses.

Interactive licenses are awarded separately to gaming licenses. "There is a license for operator of the interactive gaming website; there is a license for a manufacturer of the interactive system itself; and there is a license for those who make products associated with the website," explained Burnett.

Some of the first casino operators to work towards providing online poker in Nevada are Atlantis, Eldorado and Siena. David Farahi, Executive Director for Monarch Casino and Resort, which operates the Atlantis said that they are investigating potential partners for their online poker venture. They are specifically looking for technology providers who can develop software and manage the back-end operation of a poker website.

"We are doing our due diligence and researching potential partners. As we learn more, we are developing our plan on how we are going to get into this industry," he said.

Siena Hotel Casino has created a new company, Z4 Poker to handle all the online gambling areas of the business. According to David Colvin, the majority owner of the Siena Hotel Casino, they expect to launch a free-to-play website in Q2 of 2013.

Burnett claims that the Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission have put every effort into staying "at the forefront of this emerging industry." They are reviewing competing products and assessing software to ensure that it complies with the new regulations. Burnett has suggested that this is the last obstacle facing companies before they can launch their sites.

Fahari has pointed out the natural progression from wagering in a land-based casino to wagering online.

Gaming is a form of entertainment, and people come to a casino because they want to be entertained. We work hard at doing that, and being able to entertain someone in their living room playing on their computer is just another form of entertainment. We have learned how to entertain people, and this is just another way of doing it.





Nevada Casinos Developing Online Poker Software

The Russian Supreme Court recently made a ruling that seems to have possible ramifications for the worldwide online poker industry.

According to the Moscow Times, high-ranking interpreters of the law there essentially think an Internet service provider allowing access to a gambling website, or any other content deemed to be illegal, is equivalent, under the law, to running the gambling website itself.

Thus, blocking access to “inappropriate” sites is a precautionary measure to avoid falling into hot water and potentially losing the ability to be in the Internet service business.

There has already been some self-censorship on behalf of web service providers (unrelated to gambling), but according to the Moscow Times, that could increase in the future.

It’s completely unclear if a firm like PokerStars would fall under the scope of this potential trend, as poker is a game of skill and generally not considered gambling when compared to an online slot, for example. There are too many unanswered questions right now.

With that said, there has been some concern among the poker community.

According to reaction from posters on the TwoPlusTwo poker forums, Russia is a global supplier of fish — meaning that a lot of online poker’s lesser-skilled players come from the country, which has a population of about 142 million. There are incredible players from there as well, such as Maxim Lykov and Alex Kostritsyn, just to name a couple.

The scary news for some of the game’s poker pros comes about 20 months after American poker players were kicked off of PokerStars after the company was accused of a slew of federal crimes. PokerStars settled its case in July without admitting any wrongdoing.

Online poker, both for the operator and the serious player, benefits from greater liquidity — in other words, more games running and opponents to chose from. Having the global player pool fragmented even further is disturbing for poker advocates.


Russian Internet Service Providers Could Clamp Down On Gambling Websites After Court Ruling

Tulsa athletic director Ross Parmley was fired Tuesday, a week after he was named in a federal investigation of a man accused of running a gambling operation in Oklahoma City.

Tulsa President Steadman Upham released a letter to students and faculty of the private university Tuesday night, saying Parmley "admitted he had not been truthful" about his role in the mess when he told him in October 2011 that he was cooperating in an FBI investigation.

Parmley was publicly linked last month with the investigation into Teddy Mitchell. In recently unsealed court documents, Parmley is described as an "admitted gambler with Mitchell."

Mitchell is scheduled for trial in April.

Upham said Parmley told him last year he wasn't personally involved in the root of the investigation.

"At that time, Ross told me that his involvement was solely due to a family connection to the person being investigated," Upham said in the letter.

That conversation took place when Parmley was still interim athletic director. He became athletic director in January despite the investigation, which has since drawn the attention of the NCAA.

The university says it is cooperating with the NCAA probe.

A lawyer for Parmley didn't immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment. After Parmley was placed on leave, his attorney, Derek Chance, said Parmley was cooperating with investigators and that he wasn't a target of the FBI.

Upham says he discussed with Parmley the scope of his involvement in any gambling.

"For obvious reasons, I specifically asked Ross if he had ever gambled on college or professional sports. He told me that friendly wagers during personal golf games constituted the extent of his betting activities. I took Ross at his word, as I had no reason to believe there had been any acts of impropriety or non-compliance," Upham said.

The 39-year-old Parmley was placed on administrative leave Nov. 27.

"On Tuesday, Nov. 27, while I was out of the country, Ross admitted he had not been truthful in our 2011 conversation," Parmley said. "He was immediately put on administrative leave and, at my direction, TU notified the NCAA. We subsequently launched our own internal investigation."

Upham said the school is "cooperating fully with officials from the NCAA to comprehensively investigate this matter and bring it to a fair and proper conclusion. This a difficult time for TU and we realize that our reputation is at stake. We are determined to uncover the whole truth in every aspect of this case."

Upham noted that he and his wife are on a trip through South America, but pledged to remain in close contact with administrators, university trustees and the NCAA.

Upham served as Tulsa's president for eight years before retiring June 30 and accepting a teaching position at the university. He retook the helm in October after trustees fired Geoffrey Orsak.




Tulsa fires athletic director over gambling probe - Times-Standard Online

Oscar host Seth MacFarlane came to the basement classroom full of UCLA college kids to make one announcement — that they and other students across the country are eligible for a new contest that could bring them to the Academy Awards stage this year.

But MacFarlane (who’s also one of EW’s Entertainers of the Year) ended up making an even bigger revelation during a Q&A session with the wannabe film pros — he has a story in place for a Family Guy movie.

His appearance at the class Wednesday was filmed by the student-themed mtvU as part of its “Stand In” series about guest professors, and was designed to kick off The Oscar Experience College Search. “Basically, they’re looking for students who are interested in pursuing careers in the film industry,” MacFarlane said. “You enter this search, you win a trip to L.A.” The UCLA kids had a good laugh at that one, while a chagrined MacFarlane explained, “Yeah. Okay. All right …”, that this was a nationwide contest, people. “And you get to go up onstage and help me hand out some Oscars,” he said.

That’s right, guys and gals — YOU could be one of the folks onstage handing Oscars to presenters during the ceremony.

Those interested in becoming one of the approximately six participants during the Feb. 24 telecast should seek out more information on the Academy’s official Facebook page. Applicants just need to fill out a form, and upload a 30 second video answering the question: “How will you contribute to the future of movies?”

The plan was created by Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron as a way to make young filmmakers feel connected to the show. “We wanted everyone appearing on that stage to feel a deep commitment to film and its legacy and, most importantly, its future,” they said in a statement.

NEXT PAGE: As MacFarlane took questions from the students about his career in television and the movies, one question about whether there would ever be a Family Guy movie. Read More: Seth MacFarlane reveals 'Family Guy' movie plans | Inside Movies | EW-com

We've heard of betting with virtual currency in Zynga Poker, but how about playing with some bona fide dollar bills?

Zynga made its first move to create real-money gambling games in the U.S. by filing its initial application with the Nevada Gaming Control Board yesterday, according to the Wall Street Journal. Now, the board has to decide whether Zynga will be allowed to hold a gaming license in the state.

The social-gaming giant has made no secret that it'd like to get into the world of real-money gambling. In fact, in October it announced a deal with the U.K.-based poker company Bwin.party digital entertainment to offer online poker and casino games for cash in the U.K. The deal plans to bring 180 casino games -- including poker, slots, roulette, and blackjack -- in the first half of 2013.

"Bringing together Zynga's expertise in social gaming with the top international real money gaming operator is the best way to create the highest quality gaming experiences for our players in the UK," Zynga's executive vice president of Corporate and Business Development Barry Cottle said in a statement announcing the deal. At this point, Zynga seems to be scrambling for new revenue streams. Wall Street sent the game developer's stock tumbling to a new all-time low these past few months as it lost $52.7 million for the third quarter that ended on September 30. As a consequence, the company has announced major layoffs and ended several of its games.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Nevada Gaming Control Board will make its decision sometime in a year to 18 months. It's unclear how long after an affirmative decision that Zynga would be able to get a gaming license there. Also, there are several other U.S. regulatory obstacles that could derail the process.

CNET contacted Zynga for comment. We'll update the story when we get more information.



Zynga looks to foray into online gambling in Nevada | Internet & Media - CNET News

State lottery directors are in town this week to lobby against Internet gambling legislation that states worry could limit their ability to expand their games online.

Lottery officials this week are meeting with members of Congress to urge them to reject a draft bill crafted by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. Their bill would legalize online poker while outlawing other forms of online gaming. It was drafted in response to a decision from the Justice Department last year to reinterpret the 1961 Wire Act, saying it only applies to sports betting and not other forms of online gambling. Both supporters and critics of gambling say the decision has opened the door to a major expansion of online gambling at the state level.

The bill has not been scheduled for action. But both Reid and Kyl, who is retiring from the Senate at the end of the year, have said they would like to try to move the bill during the lame-duck session, most likely by attaching it to a must-pass piece of legislation. “This remains a high priority for Senator Reid, but the fact is we still don’t have the necessary Republican votes,” a Reid spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Lottery officials oppose the Reid-Kyl bill because it would bar state lotteries from offering any interactive games or from offering online drawings that occur more than once a day. David Gale, executive director of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, said in a conference call on Wednesday that lotteries need to be able offer their games online in order to attract new and younger players and to “remain competitive.”

“We believe it’s a significant infringement on states’ right to govern our own games,” added Arch Gleason, president and CEO of the Kentucky Lottery Corporation.

Other critics of the bill include the National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Lined up in favor of the Reid-Kyl bill is a wide array of groups ranging from the American Gaming Association to the National Association of Convenience Stores to the Fraternal Order of Police. The American Gaming Association, which includes major casinos such as Caesars and MGM, launched a new lobbying campaign this week to push for action on the bill during the lame duck.

“There is a number of things that are good about the bill,” Tom Breitling, chairman of Fertitta Interactive, said in an interview last week on why his company favors federal legislation. His company received one of the first licenses from the state of Nevada to operate an online poker site. Breitling noted that the Reid-Kyl bill “fixes the Wire Act,” provides law enforcement with new tools to target illegal online gaming, and establishes a framework to regulate and tax online poker.




Lobbying Heats Up Over Online Gambling Bill

Bwin.party digital entertainment has been on a roll of late signing deals with the social gaming media players and getting installed in Nevada for the possible online poker market there. The company has also been in the news after its Co-CEO Norbert Teufelberger was detained by Belgium authorities and questioned about the company’s business practices in that jurisdiction.

Jim Ryan who is a native of Canada has announced he will relinquish the position he holds as co-CEO of the biggest publicly traded gambling operator in the world Bwin.party Digital Entertainment. As of January 15th 2013 Jim Ryan will give full control of the firm to Norbert Teufelberger and will retire back to Canada.

Ryan has been involved in the online gambling industry for at least eleven years and has a reputation for being knowledgeable and smart. He obtained his professional qualifications as a Chartered Accountant from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and degree in business from Brock University in Canada. Ryan commented on his departure announcement, “Being Co-CEO of bwin.party digital entertainment has been my dream job. As we approach the final stages of our merger integration I am immensely proud of what we have achieved and know that with Norbert at the helm, the business is in excellent hands and is particularly well-placed for the future. Having given over 11 years of my life to the online gaming industry, I am now looking forward to returning to Canada and enjoying more time with my family.”

James Hollins, an investment analyst also commented on the departure, “An industry with multiple European regulatory changes and a lack of clarity on the legality of operations in your company’s key market, Germany, could be enough to break anyone’s will to continue...to walk away suggests he had had enough,” Hollins continued, “But for the company itself it doesn't make a big difference.”



Jim Ryan Retires from Online Gambling Industry

An online gaming bill has been circulating for quite some time in the state of New Jersey that, if passsed, would allow casino and poker games to take place online only in the state. The bill has stalled several times in the legislation process and it appears that the measure is now moving forward yet again. An amended version of the bill was passed in the New Jersey Assembly, just yesterday, and will now move forward for futher voting.

Ray Lesniak, a Senator of the state and a leading sponsor of the measure, predicted that the full assembly will vote by December 17th on the measure and the state Senate will vote on December 20th. However the bill has stalled before and and it could be yet again. Lesniak spoke with supporters of the measure yesterday and stated: “It’s still not too late for Atlantic City to become the Silicon Valley of Internet Gaming.” However, it seems that the state of Nevada is ahead in the state online gambling contest.

Originally, the bill was set to be passed in March but the measure was stalled until June. The state Assembly committee then passed a bill that was slightly different than the version of the Senate. Government officials then took the summer off and it was not until this past Monday that the measure was brought back into the fore front.

The Assembly committee now has accepted a revised version of the bill and the bill will now have to go forward to the full Assembly and Senate before it will be sent to Governor Christie. Just last year, Christie vetoed the concept of state run online gaming options so it is unclear as to how Christie will vote if the measure makes it to his desk. In the next few weeks, we shall see if online gaming will become a reality in the state of New Jersey, or if it will be stalled once again.

The Chinese government appears to be stepping up its plan to better control Macau’s surging casino industry by targeting its junket operators, who offer lines of credit to high-rollers.

Over the last few weeks alone, three of the gambling enclave’s biggest junket operators have had workers detained by Chinese authorities, and as Mr Hoffman from Macau casino ‘Ponte 16′ explains, the recent arrests “are an attempt by the Chinese government to tell people in the market that they need to behave, especially regarding underground money transfers.”

In China, people are not permitted to transfer more than US$50,000 annually out of the country, prompting some high-roller to turn to junket operators to circumvent the Chinese laws. In addition, International authorities have expressed concerns that Macau’s casinos were being used by wealthy Chinese to launder and illegally transfer money out of China.

Over a 12 month period through to September, for instance, it has been estimated that US$225 billion left China. Outward shows of great ostentation and wealth have also become of concern for the Chinese government with China’s former Communist Party leader Mr Hu Jintao, recently warning that widespread corruption is so serious in China that it could “cause the collapse of the party and the fall of the state.”

The current clampdown on junket operators and tightening of its money laundering rules already shows signs of reducing the gambling spend of its high-roller clients, with their revenue falling off by 1.1% in Q3. Back in 2008, the Chinese government also came down heavy on casinos by restricting visas for its citizens traveling to Macau. As Macau casino official Mr Ma, explains: “Visa restrictions years ago showed the power of the Chinese government to control Macau’s gambling revenue if they want to.





China Begins Clean Up Of Macau Casino Industry

Before you start hyperventilating at that headline, nobody said anything about quitting. But after a year that saw him explode onto the A-list with a hat trick of hits — The Vow, 21 Jump Street, and Magic Mike — Channing Tatum says he’s planning on taking a break from acting next year to focus on finding a project to direct with his production partner (and Magic Mike screenwriter) Reid Carolin. “[Reid and I] have about three to four ideas that we love that are all in the hopper. By the end of next year, we’re going to shut things down and write the first thing that we’re going to direct,” says Tatum, who has been developing a Magic Mike sequel and an Evel Knievel biopic with Carolin. “We’re going to be like, alright, no more acting parts for a minute, let’s take a few and really get caring about that section of our career.”

You can’t blame the guy for wanting a breather. Tatum earned a spot on EW’s Entertainers of the Year list for being one of 2012′s best and most tireless actors, starring in five movies in 2012. And he’s got at least another four lined up for 2013, including the medical thriller Side Effects (directed by Steven Soderbergh), the action spectacular White House Down, and the new Bennett Miller drama Foxcatcher. “I love the steps that I’ve taken acting-wise. That has been a wild sort of exploration,” he says. “But I don’t want to just keep putting [directing] off for these fun and incredible opportunities.”

While he might not have a film school education, Tatum says he and Carolin have already spent the last few years learning the craft from the best in the business, especially Magic Mike director Soderbergh. “I don’t think Reid and I would have the balls to try to make a movie without learning what we did from Soderbergh and [assistant director] Greg Jacobs,” he says. “It was like a crazy crash course Cliff Notes on directing and how to make movies, literally get them done. We had a Matrix-style download, like a plug in the back of the head and bloop! I know Kung Fu now.”



Channing Tatum to take a break from acting | Inside Movies | EW-com