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Bradley Cooper has admitted his addictions "hindered" his work.
The Silver Linings Playbook actor has been sober for nine years and he thinks his alcohol and drug abuse stopped him from "fulfilling his potential".
He said: "I think work was getting f***** up. In the way that if - the one thing that I've learned in life is the best thing I can do is embrace who I am and then do that to the fullest extent, and then whatever happens, happens. The more steps I do to not do that, the farther I am away from fulfilling any potential I would have.
"So the answer to that question, then, is: Yes, of course it hindered the work."
And the 38-year-old star thinks his past struggles will always affect his work because he relies on his "life experiences" when working.
Asked if his addictions affected his work, he told the new edition of America's GQ magazine: "I mean, it has to have.
And to this day, of course, because it's a life experience. And all I do is bring life experience. That's all anybody really does. It's inescapable."
After getting sober, Bradley landed a string of acting roles, including guest appearances in Nip/Tuck, his first-ever lead in a horror film called The Midnight Meat Train and a role alongside Sandra Bullock in 2009 flop movie All About Steve.
And though he didn't feel "fulfilled" by the jobs, he was just happy to be working again.
He said: "I was doing these movies, and I got to meet Sandra Bullock and meet these people and work with them. And I'm sober, and I'm like, 'Oh, I'm actually myself. And I don't have to put on this air to be somebody else, and this person still wants to work with me? Oh, what the f*** is that about?' I was rediscovering myself in this workplace, and it was wonderful.
"Now, in the back of my head, or in a place of my heart of, like, creativity, did I feel utterly fulfilled? Absolutely not. But I was grateful and happy to be working, and filling that void in smaller moments."
The Silver Linings Playbook actor has been sober for nine years and he thinks his alcohol and drug abuse stopped him from "fulfilling his potential".
He said: "I think work was getting f***** up. In the way that if - the one thing that I've learned in life is the best thing I can do is embrace who I am and then do that to the fullest extent, and then whatever happens, happens. The more steps I do to not do that, the farther I am away from fulfilling any potential I would have.
"So the answer to that question, then, is: Yes, of course it hindered the work."
And the 38-year-old star thinks his past struggles will always affect his work because he relies on his "life experiences" when working.
Asked if his addictions affected his work, he told the new edition of America's GQ magazine: "I mean, it has to have.
And to this day, of course, because it's a life experience. And all I do is bring life experience. That's all anybody really does. It's inescapable."
After getting sober, Bradley landed a string of acting roles, including guest appearances in Nip/Tuck, his first-ever lead in a horror film called The Midnight Meat Train and a role alongside Sandra Bullock in 2009 flop movie All About Steve.
And though he didn't feel "fulfilled" by the jobs, he was just happy to be working again.
He said: "I was doing these movies, and I got to meet Sandra Bullock and meet these people and work with them. And I'm sober, and I'm like, 'Oh, I'm actually myself. And I don't have to put on this air to be somebody else, and this person still wants to work with me? Oh, what the f*** is that about?' I was rediscovering myself in this workplace, and it was wonderful.
"Now, in the back of my head, or in a place of my heart of, like, creativity, did I feel utterly fulfilled? Absolutely not. But I was grateful and happy to be working, and filling that void in smaller moments."
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Despite being deemed a success by online poker proponents, last week's House subcommittee hearing on Internet gambling has not prompted federal lawmakers to act with any great urgency on the matter.
In somewhat of a let-down to Internet poker players throughout the U.S. who had high hopes after representatives from both the Poker Players Alliance and American Gaming Association laid out a strong and convincing need for federal regulation during the hearing, House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade chairman Rep. Lee Terry (R-Nebraska) told Gaming Today that he and his colleagues don't plan on moving swiftly.
“There’s really nothing on the agenda next for this,” Terry said. “We are going to see how things are evolving in Nevada and New Jersey and other states."
That is precisely what U.S. online poker players didn't want to hear. The longer it takes for federal legislators to act on the issue, the less likely that any proposals will advance. If more states eventually join Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, the odds increase that a federal scheme will never realized.
While a state-by-state patchwork of regulation is better than none at all, it will not be as favorable as a federal plan that would include all states less those that choose to opt out. The proposal on the table submitted by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) that was a centerpiece of the December 10 hearing aims to do exactly that, but U.S. lawmakers remain nonplussed.
"I don’t think a case was really made," Terry said, with regard to the need for immediate action. "When it comes to setting parameters for Internet gambling where issues of technology and privacy come into play, I don’t know how you can do that.”
The states know how to do it and three have already done so. A handful more may come on board next year, with Pennsylvania, Illinois and Mississippi believed to be the most serious candidates. California could be included in that bunch, but rumors abound that Golden State lawmakers prefer not to partner with other regulated states.
In the meantime, American players are left no option but to play at sites that are unregulated and located overseas. That continues to be a poor option for some who desire consumer protection that a regulated environment would bring. Black Friday's fallout is still etched in the the minds of many U.S. players.
There are some decent online poker options for U.S. players currently, if decent were to be defined as poker rooms that process cashouts both speedily and efficiently. Americas Cardroom and Bovada Poker currently fit the bill in that regard. However, it certainly doesn't compare to playing at PokerStars where the guaranteed tournament and cash game selections leave nothing to be desired.
But as is evident from April of 2011, unregulated sites operating in the U.S. can vanish at any moment, leaving players out of luck and with virtually nowhere to turn. Sad to say, we are getting used to that, as we have been turning toward federal lawmakers to effectuate online poker legislation for years. But those pleas are falling on deaf ears.
Online Gambling Hearing Prompts No Urgency by Subcommittee | PokerUpdate
In somewhat of a let-down to Internet poker players throughout the U.S. who had high hopes after representatives from both the Poker Players Alliance and American Gaming Association laid out a strong and convincing need for federal regulation during the hearing, House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade chairman Rep. Lee Terry (R-Nebraska) told Gaming Today that he and his colleagues don't plan on moving swiftly.
“There’s really nothing on the agenda next for this,” Terry said. “We are going to see how things are evolving in Nevada and New Jersey and other states."
That is precisely what U.S. online poker players didn't want to hear. The longer it takes for federal legislators to act on the issue, the less likely that any proposals will advance. If more states eventually join Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, the odds increase that a federal scheme will never realized.
While a state-by-state patchwork of regulation is better than none at all, it will not be as favorable as a federal plan that would include all states less those that choose to opt out. The proposal on the table submitted by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) that was a centerpiece of the December 10 hearing aims to do exactly that, but U.S. lawmakers remain nonplussed.
"I don’t think a case was really made," Terry said, with regard to the need for immediate action. "When it comes to setting parameters for Internet gambling where issues of technology and privacy come into play, I don’t know how you can do that.”
The states know how to do it and three have already done so. A handful more may come on board next year, with Pennsylvania, Illinois and Mississippi believed to be the most serious candidates. California could be included in that bunch, but rumors abound that Golden State lawmakers prefer not to partner with other regulated states.
In the meantime, American players are left no option but to play at sites that are unregulated and located overseas. That continues to be a poor option for some who desire consumer protection that a regulated environment would bring. Black Friday's fallout is still etched in the the minds of many U.S. players.
There are some decent online poker options for U.S. players currently, if decent were to be defined as poker rooms that process cashouts both speedily and efficiently. Americas Cardroom and Bovada Poker currently fit the bill in that regard. However, it certainly doesn't compare to playing at PokerStars where the guaranteed tournament and cash game selections leave nothing to be desired.
But as is evident from April of 2011, unregulated sites operating in the U.S. can vanish at any moment, leaving players out of luck and with virtually nowhere to turn. Sad to say, we are getting used to that, as we have been turning toward federal lawmakers to effectuate online poker legislation for years. But those pleas are falling on deaf ears.
Online Gambling Hearing Prompts No Urgency by Subcommittee | PokerUpdate
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The Wall Street Journal reports that if fully legalized, by 2020 online gambling will generate the same amount of revenue as Las Vegas and Atlantic City combined: $9.3 billion. While online gambling can be made legal at the state level, Congress is considering several bills to legalize it nationwide.
The latest Reason-Rupe pollfinds that a solid majority (65 percent) of Americans favor legalizing online gambling, while 32 percent think government should prohibit people from gambling in online poker games.
Majorities of all partisans favor allowing Americans to play online poker, but independents who lean Republican were even more likely to favor (75 percent) allowing people to play online poker and Democrats were the least likely to favor (58 percent). Regular Republicans (66 percent), non-partisan Independents (68 percent) and independent-leaning Democrats (65 percent) also favor legalizing online poker.
Lower-income Americans and those with a high school degree or less are most likely to favor banning online gambling (41 percent), but still 56 percent would favor legalization. In comparison, only 21 percent of post-graduates and 31 percent of high income Americans favor the ban, (73 percent and 66 percent favor legalization respectively).
Support for legalized online gambling decline with age; roughly 70 percent Americans under 55 favor legalization compared to 56 percent of those over 55.
65 Percent of Americans Say Online Poker Should Be Allowed - Hit & Run : Reason-com
The latest Reason-Rupe pollfinds that a solid majority (65 percent) of Americans favor legalizing online gambling, while 32 percent think government should prohibit people from gambling in online poker games.
Majorities of all partisans favor allowing Americans to play online poker, but independents who lean Republican were even more likely to favor (75 percent) allowing people to play online poker and Democrats were the least likely to favor (58 percent). Regular Republicans (66 percent), non-partisan Independents (68 percent) and independent-leaning Democrats (65 percent) also favor legalizing online poker.
Lower-income Americans and those with a high school degree or less are most likely to favor banning online gambling (41 percent), but still 56 percent would favor legalization. In comparison, only 21 percent of post-graduates and 31 percent of high income Americans favor the ban, (73 percent and 66 percent favor legalization respectively).
Support for legalized online gambling decline with age; roughly 70 percent Americans under 55 favor legalization compared to 56 percent of those over 55.
65 Percent of Americans Say Online Poker Should Be Allowed - Hit & Run : Reason-com
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The U.K. has been making changes to its tax regime that will affect the profit margin for many online gambling operators the offer their services in the jurisdiction. The new tax Britain is planning to impose is a 15 percent duty on bookmakers' online winnings from British customers. The consequences of the levy are expected to yield about 300 million pounds or $485 million dollars per year for the exchequer.
Even though the new rules on taxation will greatly diminish many operators profits British bookmaker William Hill says it plans to remain in Gibraltar where it moved to avoid the heavy tax in Britain. William Hill Online has established an office in "Tech City" in east London. The firm stated this should not be taken as a sign that it will vacate from Gibraltar.
Andy Lee, managing director of William Hill Online commented that, "We have over 400 people in Gibraltar, we run our global operations from there," Lee added, "Our staff are very happy there and there are reasons why we will remain there in order to be competitive in this market,"
The new office in London will be limited to around 40 people Lee said. There is a talent pool of engineers and designers available in London the company intends to utilize Lee mentioned. Gibraltar’s gambling industry is vital to its economy and the government welcomed the news that William Hill will remain in the jurisdiction.
With the betting potential coming from the FIFA World Cup Tournament in Brazil William Hill and its developers are creating online and mobile products tailored to suit the World Cup betting patterns.
Jamie Hart, William Hill's head of innovation said recently, "It's going to be a perfect World Cup for us because the earliest kicks off are about five o'clock (in the UK evening) and then you go to around midnight,"
U.K. Online Gambling Tax Change Won't Move William Hill
Even though the new rules on taxation will greatly diminish many operators profits British bookmaker William Hill says it plans to remain in Gibraltar where it moved to avoid the heavy tax in Britain. William Hill Online has established an office in "Tech City" in east London. The firm stated this should not be taken as a sign that it will vacate from Gibraltar.
Andy Lee, managing director of William Hill Online commented that, "We have over 400 people in Gibraltar, we run our global operations from there," Lee added, "Our staff are very happy there and there are reasons why we will remain there in order to be competitive in this market,"
The new office in London will be limited to around 40 people Lee said. There is a talent pool of engineers and designers available in London the company intends to utilize Lee mentioned. Gibraltar’s gambling industry is vital to its economy and the government welcomed the news that William Hill will remain in the jurisdiction.
With the betting potential coming from the FIFA World Cup Tournament in Brazil William Hill and its developers are creating online and mobile products tailored to suit the World Cup betting patterns.
Jamie Hart, William Hill's head of innovation said recently, "It's going to be a perfect World Cup for us because the earliest kicks off are about five o'clock (in the UK evening) and then you go to around midnight,"
U.K. Online Gambling Tax Change Won't Move William Hill
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All you have to do is have a think about the kind of games you like to play
Visit: Casino Games and Online Gambling Guide by ixgames and have fun
Cheers😡
Visit: Casino Games and Online Gambling Guide by ixgames and have fun
Cheers😡
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2006/12/07
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The growing basketball collaboration between Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, can be traced back to an Irish online betting company and the pope.
Rodman, the former NBA star who arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday to tutor North Korea's best basketball players at Mr Kim's behest, is doing so under the sponsorship of Paddy Power, Europe's leading internet gambling business. The four-day trip comes after a deadly purge by Mr Kim that has raised worries of a dangerous power struggle in the nuclear-armed and often unpredictable country.
How Rodman and Paddy Power came to know each other is rooted in what gambling industry experts call the company's culture of shrewd stunt marketing, offensive ads and the acceptance of wagers on almost anything, ranging from the final episode of The Simpsons to a president's longevity in office.
The relationship began in February, when the company took note of Rodman's highly publicised first visit to North Korea and his declaration of friendship with Mr Kim - just as company officials were strategising to maximise betting profits on the successor to Pope Benedict XVI. They recruited Rodman to encourage betting on a black pope, riding him around Rome in an ersatz popemobile, as speculation intensified that the cardinals closeted in the Sistine Chapel might pick Peter Turkson of Ghana to be the Roman Catholic Church's first African pope.
"We had a money-back special: your money back if the pope's black," Paddy Power spokesman Rory Scott said. So when Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now known as Pope Francis, was chosen, Mr Scott said jokingly, "our prayers were answered".
During their pope collaboration, Mr Scott said, Rodman and company executives devised the idea of setting up an international basketball tournament involving North Korea's national team. Months later, when Rodman visited Mr Kim a second time, the North Korean leader, an avowed basketball enthusiast, embraced the idea. He said they should hold the tournament in Pyongyang on his 31st birthday, January 8.
Rodman's publicist, Darren Prince, did not respond to requests for comment on the trip, which comes as Mr Kim, who leads one of the world's most isolated and repressive governments, appears to be engaged in crushing political challenges to his supremacy. Mr Kim's uncle and one-time mentor, Jang Song-thaek, was executed last week after an abruptly announced trial and conviction for sedition.
Rodman told the Associated Press on Thursday that his plans had not changed and that the trip could ease the long-standing estrangement between the US and North Korea. He said the trip was an opportunity for others to see "that this country is actually not as bad as people project it to be in the media".
Rodman had said previously that after he conducted the training he would return in January with an unspecified number of former NBA players for the Kim Jong-un birthday tournament.
During Rodman's first trip to North Korea, photos that quickly spread online showed him and Mr Kim laughing together as they took in a basketball game. Rodman has proclaimed Mr Kim "a friend for life" and "a very good guy".
US State Department officials have repeatedly said that Rodman does not represent the US government and is carrying no messages on its behalf. But privately, diplomats and North Korea specialists say, there is considerable interest in Washington in Rodman's trip, partly because so little is known about Mr Kim, the grandson of Kim Il-sung, North Korea's revolutionary founder.
Read more: How online betting brought Rodman and Kim together
Rodman, the former NBA star who arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday to tutor North Korea's best basketball players at Mr Kim's behest, is doing so under the sponsorship of Paddy Power, Europe's leading internet gambling business. The four-day trip comes after a deadly purge by Mr Kim that has raised worries of a dangerous power struggle in the nuclear-armed and often unpredictable country.
How Rodman and Paddy Power came to know each other is rooted in what gambling industry experts call the company's culture of shrewd stunt marketing, offensive ads and the acceptance of wagers on almost anything, ranging from the final episode of The Simpsons to a president's longevity in office.
The relationship began in February, when the company took note of Rodman's highly publicised first visit to North Korea and his declaration of friendship with Mr Kim - just as company officials were strategising to maximise betting profits on the successor to Pope Benedict XVI. They recruited Rodman to encourage betting on a black pope, riding him around Rome in an ersatz popemobile, as speculation intensified that the cardinals closeted in the Sistine Chapel might pick Peter Turkson of Ghana to be the Roman Catholic Church's first African pope.
"We had a money-back special: your money back if the pope's black," Paddy Power spokesman Rory Scott said. So when Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now known as Pope Francis, was chosen, Mr Scott said jokingly, "our prayers were answered".
During their pope collaboration, Mr Scott said, Rodman and company executives devised the idea of setting up an international basketball tournament involving North Korea's national team. Months later, when Rodman visited Mr Kim a second time, the North Korean leader, an avowed basketball enthusiast, embraced the idea. He said they should hold the tournament in Pyongyang on his 31st birthday, January 8.
Rodman's publicist, Darren Prince, did not respond to requests for comment on the trip, which comes as Mr Kim, who leads one of the world's most isolated and repressive governments, appears to be engaged in crushing political challenges to his supremacy. Mr Kim's uncle and one-time mentor, Jang Song-thaek, was executed last week after an abruptly announced trial and conviction for sedition.
Rodman told the Associated Press on Thursday that his plans had not changed and that the trip could ease the long-standing estrangement between the US and North Korea. He said the trip was an opportunity for others to see "that this country is actually not as bad as people project it to be in the media".
Rodman had said previously that after he conducted the training he would return in January with an unspecified number of former NBA players for the Kim Jong-un birthday tournament.
During Rodman's first trip to North Korea, photos that quickly spread online showed him and Mr Kim laughing together as they took in a basketball game. Rodman has proclaimed Mr Kim "a friend for life" and "a very good guy".
US State Department officials have repeatedly said that Rodman does not represent the US government and is carrying no messages on its behalf. But privately, diplomats and North Korea specialists say, there is considerable interest in Washington in Rodman's trip, partly because so little is known about Mr Kim, the grandson of Kim Il-sung, North Korea's revolutionary founder.
Read more: How online betting brought Rodman and Kim together
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-- Two Chinese hackers, previously imprisoned for creating a notorious computer virus, stood trial again on Thursday for allegedly running online gambling games.
A court in Lishui City, east China's Zhejiang Province, heard the case against 26 people including Zhang Shun and Li Jun, creators of "joss-stick burning panda" that damaged millions of computers in 2006 and 2007.
Prosecutors said the defendants, all from an online game company, operated several card games that allowed players to gamble using virtual chips.
More than 2,200 people joined in and a total of 76 million yuan (12.4 mln U.S. dollars) was staked. The company raked in 8 million yuan by selling the chips.
Li caught the attention in 2010 when he made a cash donation to a research base for giant pandas as an act of remorse for making the virus, which he named after the endangered bears.
The virus, which changed icons on desktops into cartoon pandas holding three burning joss-sticks and wreaked havoc by deleting files, damaging programs and stealing gaming and messanger accounts.
Panda hackers tried for online gambling - People's Daily Online
A court in Lishui City, east China's Zhejiang Province, heard the case against 26 people including Zhang Shun and Li Jun, creators of "joss-stick burning panda" that damaged millions of computers in 2006 and 2007.
Prosecutors said the defendants, all from an online game company, operated several card games that allowed players to gamble using virtual chips.
More than 2,200 people joined in and a total of 76 million yuan (12.4 mln U.S. dollars) was staked. The company raked in 8 million yuan by selling the chips.
Li caught the attention in 2010 when he made a cash donation to a research base for giant pandas as an act of remorse for making the virus, which he named after the endangered bears.
The virus, which changed icons on desktops into cartoon pandas holding three burning joss-sticks and wreaked havoc by deleting files, damaging programs and stealing gaming and messanger accounts.
Panda hackers tried for online gambling - People's Daily Online
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2006/12/07
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For the past couple of months I have been in the thrall of a game called Candy Crush Saga.
It’s about matching little colored thingies on your iPad or phone. I am not going to explain it in any more depth, because that would just make this whole discussion more humiliating.
However, if you stick with me, I am going to try to use it to make a sweeping point about public policy, ending with some severe questions about the political career of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
About the game: It’s been played about 150 billion times over the past year. There is no reward for winning; you just advance to another level in an ever-growing chain of chocolate mountains and lemonade lakes.
I told you this was embarrassing. I used to be addicted to playing BrickBreaker on my cellphone, and I now recall those days as my own personal version of Athens in the Age of Pericles.
I am only modestly comforted by the fact that half the people I know all seem to be in the same ditch. My sister Mary Ann got lost in the game while she was parked in a shopping mall, until a woman started banging rather urgently on her window.
“She said she wanted to make sure I was OK, because I was sitting with the car running and my head in my hand for a long time. I thanked her and said I was texting,” said Mary Ann. “I was too embarrassed to say I was playing Candy Crush.”
“But also,” she added rather defensively, “I was listening to NPR.”
Now, here’s the thing. Candy Crush is free, but if you get stuck on a level, you can purchase extra moves, extra turns, extra weapons. The creators — a London-based company called King — won’t reveal how much money they make on this gimmick, but the consulting firm Think Gaming estimates it’s more than $900,000 a day.
What would people do if they actually had a chance of winning something? This brings us to Chris Christie. Earlier this year, Christie signed a bill legalizing Internet gambling in New Jersey.
The idea was to help resuscitate the Atlantic City economy and raise a projected $150 million in tax revenue. Very few people believe the state will really make that much, but the number did help Christie to run for re-election waving what appeared to be a balanced budget.
The law went into effect a few weeks ago. Now, state residents can go online, create an account with one of the sponsoring casinos and gamble on all the casino games — blackjack, poker, slot machines, etc. — in the comfort of their homes.
How many of you think this is a good plan?
So far, New Jerseyites have created more than 90,000 casino accounts even though many banks and credit card companies are wary of getting involved. You know that it’s quickly going to get easier and easier to play, and that more and more states will want to get in the act, sniffing those new tax dollars.
“This reminds me of the early ’90s when Iowa introduced the first riverboat casino. Within weeks Illinois started its own legislation, and soon the river was loaded with competitors,” said Earl Grinols, an economist at Baylor University who has written on gambling issues. Nevada and Delaware already have limited Internet gambling. Congress is looking at bills to create a national Internet gambling system, some of them proposed by Tea Party conservatives.
Fighting to stem the tide, we have the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, financed by Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino owner, who told Forbes that his “moral standard compels me to speak” and that he is prepared to spend “whatever it takes” to keep casino gambling out of people’s bedrooms. (This is the same guy who promised last year to spend “whatever it takes” to defeat Barack Obama.)
Lined up on the other side are big casino owners like MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, as well as Donald Trump, Person With His Name on a Casino.
The whole idea of Internet gambling is enough to make you question the potential of Christie for national office. There is no possible way the country could be improved by giving people a greatly expanded freedom to gamble for money in their pajamas. Some day in the near future, you may look back nostalgically on the time when your grandfather did not have a slot machine connection in his bedroom.
“Slot machines are the crack cocaine of gambling,” said Grinols.
This cannot possibly be a step in the right direction. I speak from the experience of a person who spent $32 last month buying extra turns for a game that involves moving bits of candy around an iPad. Just because it was there.
Read more here: Candy Crush and Christie’s push for online gambling | Other Views | The News Tribune
It’s about matching little colored thingies on your iPad or phone. I am not going to explain it in any more depth, because that would just make this whole discussion more humiliating.
However, if you stick with me, I am going to try to use it to make a sweeping point about public policy, ending with some severe questions about the political career of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
About the game: It’s been played about 150 billion times over the past year. There is no reward for winning; you just advance to another level in an ever-growing chain of chocolate mountains and lemonade lakes.
I told you this was embarrassing. I used to be addicted to playing BrickBreaker on my cellphone, and I now recall those days as my own personal version of Athens in the Age of Pericles.
I am only modestly comforted by the fact that half the people I know all seem to be in the same ditch. My sister Mary Ann got lost in the game while she was parked in a shopping mall, until a woman started banging rather urgently on her window.
“She said she wanted to make sure I was OK, because I was sitting with the car running and my head in my hand for a long time. I thanked her and said I was texting,” said Mary Ann. “I was too embarrassed to say I was playing Candy Crush.”
“But also,” she added rather defensively, “I was listening to NPR.”
Now, here’s the thing. Candy Crush is free, but if you get stuck on a level, you can purchase extra moves, extra turns, extra weapons. The creators — a London-based company called King — won’t reveal how much money they make on this gimmick, but the consulting firm Think Gaming estimates it’s more than $900,000 a day.
What would people do if they actually had a chance of winning something? This brings us to Chris Christie. Earlier this year, Christie signed a bill legalizing Internet gambling in New Jersey.
The idea was to help resuscitate the Atlantic City economy and raise a projected $150 million in tax revenue. Very few people believe the state will really make that much, but the number did help Christie to run for re-election waving what appeared to be a balanced budget.
The law went into effect a few weeks ago. Now, state residents can go online, create an account with one of the sponsoring casinos and gamble on all the casino games — blackjack, poker, slot machines, etc. — in the comfort of their homes.
How many of you think this is a good plan?
So far, New Jerseyites have created more than 90,000 casino accounts even though many banks and credit card companies are wary of getting involved. You know that it’s quickly going to get easier and easier to play, and that more and more states will want to get in the act, sniffing those new tax dollars.
“This reminds me of the early ’90s when Iowa introduced the first riverboat casino. Within weeks Illinois started its own legislation, and soon the river was loaded with competitors,” said Earl Grinols, an economist at Baylor University who has written on gambling issues. Nevada and Delaware already have limited Internet gambling. Congress is looking at bills to create a national Internet gambling system, some of them proposed by Tea Party conservatives.
Fighting to stem the tide, we have the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, financed by Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino owner, who told Forbes that his “moral standard compels me to speak” and that he is prepared to spend “whatever it takes” to keep casino gambling out of people’s bedrooms. (This is the same guy who promised last year to spend “whatever it takes” to defeat Barack Obama.)
Lined up on the other side are big casino owners like MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, as well as Donald Trump, Person With His Name on a Casino.
The whole idea of Internet gambling is enough to make you question the potential of Christie for national office. There is no possible way the country could be improved by giving people a greatly expanded freedom to gamble for money in their pajamas. Some day in the near future, you may look back nostalgically on the time when your grandfather did not have a slot machine connection in his bedroom.
“Slot machines are the crack cocaine of gambling,” said Grinols.
This cannot possibly be a step in the right direction. I speak from the experience of a person who spent $32 last month buying extra turns for a game that involves moving bits of candy around an iPad. Just because it was there.
Read more here: Candy Crush and Christie’s push for online gambling | Other Views | The News Tribune
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2006/12/07
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With legal online gambling in the United States up and at ‘em in three states already – Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey – it seems like new states are considering joining the party every month. One of the next states that could join those who have already regulated online gambling might just be Colorado, which has long been considered a healthy feeder market for Las Vegas’ land casinos.
A Definite Maybe
Colorado isn’t exactly new to the consideration of online gambling. Like a lot of other states, bills have been proposed in the past; in this case, just last year. Lawmakers took a look at the bill, but it never generated much buzz – either for or against – and the effort ultimately stalled without any real attention.
But that could easily change in 2014. Executives in the Centennial State’s gaming industry are keeping an eye on how their brethren are doing with their online gambling experiences, and how Colorado’s residents might feel about having some Internet games of their own.
“This is something we are monitoring very closely,” said Troy Stremming, executive vice president of government relations for Pinnacle Entertainment, a major regional land casino company with considerable presence throughout the South and Midwest. “With respect to Colorado, when there is a piece of legislation to review, we can make decisions based on whether or not participation will be beneficial to the company,” added Stremming.
Pinnacle owns the Ameristar Black Hawk, Colorado’s largest casino.
Good Revenue Prospects Projected
If Colorado were to offer online poker or other online casino games, it could be a lucrative business. According to industry expert Adam Krejcik of Eilers Research, Colorado online casinos could generate around $112.5 million a year in revenues. That would include about $30-$38 million each year from online poker play alone – a figure that would be important in an alternative situation where only online poker would be allowed, as Nevada has chosen to do so far.
That could be a lot of money for both Colorado’s casinos and the state government. However, that’s only true if the money doesn’t come at the expense of play in land-based casinos. That’s one of the biggest things everyone in Colorado is watching for in neighboring Nevada, as well as in New Jersey and Delaware, which have both regulated a much wider selection of online casino games.
“We had talked very late in last year’s session with some legislators who were interested in pursuing it,” said Colorado Gaming Association executive director Lois Rice. “We’re still exploring it.”
There’s also the question of whether or not Colorado residents want online gambling at all. The Black Hawk casino commissioned a survey this summer to find out what residents thought, and saw little interest from respondents.
“Our survey showed that the voters of the state did not have much appetite for online gambling,” said Black Hawk city manager Jack Lewis.
Still, a group of bipartisan lawmakers took up the issue this year, and are likely to do so again in 2014. With California seen as leaning towards strongly considering online gambling in the coming year and other states also studying the issue, legislators like State Representative Kevin Priola think Colorado should get on board before larger states beat them to the punch.
“Let’s have Colorado as close to the starting line as we can possibly be,” Priola said, “because as soon as the gates open, I think there are only going to be a few states that are going to have enough scale to make it work.”
Read more: Colorado Online Gambling Could Be on Legislators' Docket in 2014
A Definite Maybe
Colorado isn’t exactly new to the consideration of online gambling. Like a lot of other states, bills have been proposed in the past; in this case, just last year. Lawmakers took a look at the bill, but it never generated much buzz – either for or against – and the effort ultimately stalled without any real attention.
But that could easily change in 2014. Executives in the Centennial State’s gaming industry are keeping an eye on how their brethren are doing with their online gambling experiences, and how Colorado’s residents might feel about having some Internet games of their own.
“This is something we are monitoring very closely,” said Troy Stremming, executive vice president of government relations for Pinnacle Entertainment, a major regional land casino company with considerable presence throughout the South and Midwest. “With respect to Colorado, when there is a piece of legislation to review, we can make decisions based on whether or not participation will be beneficial to the company,” added Stremming.
Pinnacle owns the Ameristar Black Hawk, Colorado’s largest casino.
Good Revenue Prospects Projected
If Colorado were to offer online poker or other online casino games, it could be a lucrative business. According to industry expert Adam Krejcik of Eilers Research, Colorado online casinos could generate around $112.5 million a year in revenues. That would include about $30-$38 million each year from online poker play alone – a figure that would be important in an alternative situation where only online poker would be allowed, as Nevada has chosen to do so far.
That could be a lot of money for both Colorado’s casinos and the state government. However, that’s only true if the money doesn’t come at the expense of play in land-based casinos. That’s one of the biggest things everyone in Colorado is watching for in neighboring Nevada, as well as in New Jersey and Delaware, which have both regulated a much wider selection of online casino games.
“We had talked very late in last year’s session with some legislators who were interested in pursuing it,” said Colorado Gaming Association executive director Lois Rice. “We’re still exploring it.”
There’s also the question of whether or not Colorado residents want online gambling at all. The Black Hawk casino commissioned a survey this summer to find out what residents thought, and saw little interest from respondents.
“Our survey showed that the voters of the state did not have much appetite for online gambling,” said Black Hawk city manager Jack Lewis.
Still, a group of bipartisan lawmakers took up the issue this year, and are likely to do so again in 2014. With California seen as leaning towards strongly considering online gambling in the coming year and other states also studying the issue, legislators like State Representative Kevin Priola think Colorado should get on board before larger states beat them to the punch.
“Let’s have Colorado as close to the starting line as we can possibly be,” Priola said, “because as soon as the gates open, I think there are only going to be a few states that are going to have enough scale to make it work.”
Read more: Colorado Online Gambling Could Be on Legislators' Docket in 2014
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In the 1980s Bulgaria was known as the ‘Silicon Valley’ of the Eastern Bloc because of its large-scale computing technology exports to Council for Mutual Economic Assistance states. The Information and communications technology sector generates 10 per cent of GDP and employs the third-largest contingent of ICT specialists in the world.
Bulgaria has recently made changes to its online gambling laws that will hopefully entice online gambling operators to become licensed in the jurisdiction. Bulgaria’s Parliament passed a second reading for a bill of amendments to the country’s Gambling Act, which brings the country’s legislation closer to international regulatory standards and ends the blacklisting of online gambling operators.
The key provision of the amendment bill is changing the way gambling is taxed in Bulgaria replacing the 15 per cent tax on gambling revenues with a one-off licensing fee of 100 000 leva approximately 50 000 euro and a 20 per cent tax on the “difference between the bets made and the winnings paid out”. Games of chance that rely on collecting fees or commissions will be required to pay 20 per cent of such revenue as tax.
Members of the Bulgarian parliament voted down an amendment that would have allowed operators to expand their advertising campaigns after opposition party GERB said that this would give online operators too much of an opportunity to target the young demographic.
Difficulties in registering were sighted as the reason for the reluctance of foreign gambling operators to register in Bulgaria. Now the Cabinet amended gambling license regulations, making it easier for gambling offshore operators to apply for a license online.
These amendments are sure to help online gambling operators become more involved in the industry in Bulgaria which needs the revenues associated with the high tech industry. Bulgaria is a European Union member and with these changes it becomes more compliant with the European Commission recommendations for regulatory platforms.
Bulgaria Changes Online Gambling Laws
Bulgaria has recently made changes to its online gambling laws that will hopefully entice online gambling operators to become licensed in the jurisdiction. Bulgaria’s Parliament passed a second reading for a bill of amendments to the country’s Gambling Act, which brings the country’s legislation closer to international regulatory standards and ends the blacklisting of online gambling operators.
The key provision of the amendment bill is changing the way gambling is taxed in Bulgaria replacing the 15 per cent tax on gambling revenues with a one-off licensing fee of 100 000 leva approximately 50 000 euro and a 20 per cent tax on the “difference between the bets made and the winnings paid out”. Games of chance that rely on collecting fees or commissions will be required to pay 20 per cent of such revenue as tax.
Members of the Bulgarian parliament voted down an amendment that would have allowed operators to expand their advertising campaigns after opposition party GERB said that this would give online operators too much of an opportunity to target the young demographic.
Difficulties in registering were sighted as the reason for the reluctance of foreign gambling operators to register in Bulgaria. Now the Cabinet amended gambling license regulations, making it easier for gambling offshore operators to apply for a license online.
These amendments are sure to help online gambling operators become more involved in the industry in Bulgaria which needs the revenues associated with the high tech industry. Bulgaria is a European Union member and with these changes it becomes more compliant with the European Commission recommendations for regulatory platforms.
Bulgaria Changes Online Gambling Laws
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It was time to win big quite literally at the Big star entertainment awards of 2013. Deepika Padukone had her hands full of accolades as the actor was appreciated for her comic timing in Chennai Express and also her chemistry with Shah Rukh Khan. While Deepika won the Most Entertaining Comedy Actress, Sonakshi Sinha took home the award for Best Actress in a Romantic role for Lootera. Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani was awarded with the Best Entertaining Film award while Krrish 3 also won big for its director Rakesh Roshan and its star Hrithik. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag went home with one award for Most Entertaining Film.
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Over the past two decades, as the Internet and technology boom altered how other brick-and-mortar businesses operated, the U.S. casino industry continued to generate virtually all of its gaming revenue offline.
That's now changing state-by-state, and a domino effect is expected to soon take hold.
This year, three states legalized some form of online gambling within their borders, with New Jersey recently joining Nevada and Delaware to allow live Internet-based casinos.
Quietly, Colorado lawmakers and industry officials drafted legislation late last session to authorize Internet poker. Though that effort stalled, the industry says it will continue to explore the issue, with another push possible in 2014.
"This is something we are monitoring very closely," said Troy Stremming, executive vice president of government relations for Pinnacle Entertainment, owner of Colorado's largest casino, Ameristar Black Hawk.
"Internet gaming continues to evolve state-by-state, and through ever-changing technology," Stremming said. "With respect to Colorado, when there is a piece of legislation to review, we can make decisions based on whether or not participation will be beneficial to the company."
On the smartphone side, gambling giant MGM Resorts International last month released the first casino mobile app to offer real comps and rewards, such as free rooms and buffets, for gambling with play chips. The rewards are redeemable at 11 brick-and-mortar casinos in Las Vegas, such as Bellagio and the Mirage.
If there's any question about the appetite for such games, look no further than the results of MGM's app, called myVegas, since it appeared in the Google Play and Apple App stores.
"The mobile launch has exceeded everyone's expectations. We're in the millions of downloads now," said Josh Swissman, vice president of corporate marketing for MGM. "Just a few weeks ago, it was the No. 1 casino application in the iTunes App store. It was the No. 8 overall game application. And we got it as high as No. 14 for all apps overall in the entire iTunes app ecosystem."
Many of those downloads came from residents of Colorado, a significant feeder market for Las Vegas-based casinos. MGM has a joint marketing agreement with Ameristar Black Hawk, sending Colorado gamblers offers and rewards based on their player up the hill.
"It's a big market for us," said Swissman, though he didn't have specific figures.
Developed by PlayStudios, the myVegas app combines traditional slot machine play with elements of social gaming that Zynga made popular on Facebook.
PlayStudios CEO Andrew Pascal said the app's technology platform can easily convert to the technical standards required for real money gambling, but that's not in the cards for the company.
Because it doesn't accept real money bets, the myVegas game is played worldwide.
Online gambling in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware is limited to players who are physically within the respective state's borders.
Nevada has authorized Internet poker, while New Jersey and Delaware permit other online casino games such as slots.
Colorado is closely watching Nevada's process.
"We had talked very late in last year's session with some legislators who were interested in pursuing it," said Lois Rice, executive director of the Colorado Gaming Association, an industry trade group. "We're still exploring it."
She said one of the challenges is that the industry is still unsure about Internet gambling's impact on land-based revenue.
Adam Krejcik, managing director of digital and interactive gaming at Eilers Research, estimates that online poker in Colorado could generate $30.4 million to $37.8 million in annual revenue about three to five years after legislation has been enacted.
Krejcik's forecast for Colorado's online casino revenue, which covers poker as well as slots, blackjack and other games, is $112.5 million annually.
For reference, Colorado's brick-and-mortar casinos generated adjusted gross proceeds — total bets minus payouts — of $761 million during the fiscal year that ended in June.
In Nevada, the two poker sites that are live aren't doing as well as expected, in large part because of the smaller player pool, said Donnie Peters, editor in chief of PokerNews-com, which tracks the industry.
"These two websites haven't necessarily gotten off to the roaring start that I think they thought they were going to, which has held other companies back from wanting to jump in," Peters said.
The sites, Ultimate Poker and WSOP, are operated in conjunction with companies that have land-based casinos in Nevada. They're each averaging fewer than 200 players per day.
Before the federal government cracked down on online poker more than two years ago and shuttered three popular offshore sites, the player pools on those sites covered millions of gamblers worldwide.
Black Hawk, Colorado's largest gambling destination, commissioned a statewide poll this summer to gauge voter interest in expanding betting to the Internet.
"Our survey showed that the voters of the state did not have much appetite for online gambling," said Black Hawk city manager Jack Lewis.
Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Adams County, said he was among a group of bipartisan lawmakers who took up the issue last session.
"My thought and some others' thoughts were, let's have Colorado as close to the starting line as we can possibly be because as soon as the gates open, I think there are only going to be a few states that are going to have enough scale to make it work," Priola said.
Industry observers believe California will be the next state to permit Internet gambling. Federal lawmakers are considering a bill to authorize online poker nationwide.
In the meantime, Delaware and Nevada have already had discussions about linking up their player pools.
Read more here: [url=www-kentucky-com/2013/12/21/2993139/colorado-explores-online-gambling-html#storyl
That's now changing state-by-state, and a domino effect is expected to soon take hold.
This year, three states legalized some form of online gambling within their borders, with New Jersey recently joining Nevada and Delaware to allow live Internet-based casinos.
Quietly, Colorado lawmakers and industry officials drafted legislation late last session to authorize Internet poker. Though that effort stalled, the industry says it will continue to explore the issue, with another push possible in 2014.
"This is something we are monitoring very closely," said Troy Stremming, executive vice president of government relations for Pinnacle Entertainment, owner of Colorado's largest casino, Ameristar Black Hawk.
"Internet gaming continues to evolve state-by-state, and through ever-changing technology," Stremming said. "With respect to Colorado, when there is a piece of legislation to review, we can make decisions based on whether or not participation will be beneficial to the company."
On the smartphone side, gambling giant MGM Resorts International last month released the first casino mobile app to offer real comps and rewards, such as free rooms and buffets, for gambling with play chips. The rewards are redeemable at 11 brick-and-mortar casinos in Las Vegas, such as Bellagio and the Mirage.
If there's any question about the appetite for such games, look no further than the results of MGM's app, called myVegas, since it appeared in the Google Play and Apple App stores.
"The mobile launch has exceeded everyone's expectations. We're in the millions of downloads now," said Josh Swissman, vice president of corporate marketing for MGM. "Just a few weeks ago, it was the No. 1 casino application in the iTunes App store. It was the No. 8 overall game application. And we got it as high as No. 14 for all apps overall in the entire iTunes app ecosystem."
Many of those downloads came from residents of Colorado, a significant feeder market for Las Vegas-based casinos. MGM has a joint marketing agreement with Ameristar Black Hawk, sending Colorado gamblers offers and rewards based on their player up the hill.
"It's a big market for us," said Swissman, though he didn't have specific figures.
Developed by PlayStudios, the myVegas app combines traditional slot machine play with elements of social gaming that Zynga made popular on Facebook.
PlayStudios CEO Andrew Pascal said the app's technology platform can easily convert to the technical standards required for real money gambling, but that's not in the cards for the company.
Because it doesn't accept real money bets, the myVegas game is played worldwide.
Online gambling in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware is limited to players who are physically within the respective state's borders.
Nevada has authorized Internet poker, while New Jersey and Delaware permit other online casino games such as slots.
Colorado is closely watching Nevada's process.
"We had talked very late in last year's session with some legislators who were interested in pursuing it," said Lois Rice, executive director of the Colorado Gaming Association, an industry trade group. "We're still exploring it."
She said one of the challenges is that the industry is still unsure about Internet gambling's impact on land-based revenue.
Adam Krejcik, managing director of digital and interactive gaming at Eilers Research, estimates that online poker in Colorado could generate $30.4 million to $37.8 million in annual revenue about three to five years after legislation has been enacted.
Krejcik's forecast for Colorado's online casino revenue, which covers poker as well as slots, blackjack and other games, is $112.5 million annually.
For reference, Colorado's brick-and-mortar casinos generated adjusted gross proceeds — total bets minus payouts — of $761 million during the fiscal year that ended in June.
In Nevada, the two poker sites that are live aren't doing as well as expected, in large part because of the smaller player pool, said Donnie Peters, editor in chief of PokerNews-com, which tracks the industry.
"These two websites haven't necessarily gotten off to the roaring start that I think they thought they were going to, which has held other companies back from wanting to jump in," Peters said.
The sites, Ultimate Poker and WSOP, are operated in conjunction with companies that have land-based casinos in Nevada. They're each averaging fewer than 200 players per day.
Before the federal government cracked down on online poker more than two years ago and shuttered three popular offshore sites, the player pools on those sites covered millions of gamblers worldwide.
Black Hawk, Colorado's largest gambling destination, commissioned a statewide poll this summer to gauge voter interest in expanding betting to the Internet.
"Our survey showed that the voters of the state did not have much appetite for online gambling," said Black Hawk city manager Jack Lewis.
Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Adams County, said he was among a group of bipartisan lawmakers who took up the issue last session.
"My thought and some others' thoughts were, let's have Colorado as close to the starting line as we can possibly be because as soon as the gates open, I think there are only going to be a few states that are going to have enough scale to make it work," Priola said.
Industry observers believe California will be the next state to permit Internet gambling. Federal lawmakers are considering a bill to authorize online poker nationwide.
In the meantime, Delaware and Nevada have already had discussions about linking up their player pools.
Read more here: [url=www-kentucky-com/2013/12/21/2993139/colorado-explores-online-gambling-html#storyl
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2006/12/07
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American Indian tribes have 460 gaming facilities in 28 states, but none offers online gambling—at least not yet.
Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware are the only states that have legal Internet gambling, but it is spreading internationally. Worldwide, online betting generates almost $30 billion of revenue a year, with Americans spending $4 billion, according to estimates from the American Gaming Association. Some of the 240 Indian tribes in the U.S. are eager for a piece of that market.
Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware are the only states that have legal Internet gambling, but it is spreading internationally. Worldwide, online betting generates almost $30 billion of revenue a year, with Americans spending $4 billion, according to estimates from the American Gaming Association. Some of the 240 Indian tribes in the U.S. are eager for a piece of that market.
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The New Year approaches along with the opportunity to learn more and develop strategies to expand and improve. Everyone knows that mobile online gambling is evolving at a fast pace with the expanded power and range of smart phones and other mobile devises. With mobile growth predicted to fuel the global gaming market to as much as $86.1B by 2016, it is time to capitalize on the trend.
The Mobile Gaming Forum is scheduled to take place on the 22nd and 23rd of January in 2014 at the Novotel London West.
This definitive global event is where over 400 of the industry’s most influential stakeholders will attend. There will be 120 speakers including many of the most talented indie developers on the planet, an expo and arcade area jam-packed with innovators and leading service providers and supreme press coverage to guarantee worldwide exposure. Day one on the agenda is packed with the latest in mobile monetization and marketing discussions and forums while the second day presents the social gaming and virtual goods sector including the finer points of social online gambling future.
Some highlights from the two day agenda include, Ecosystem, cross-platform and device fronts, distribution channels for indie developers, the future of mobile gaming technologies, monetization through creating immersive and interactive in-game advertising, and the increasing demand for virtual goods through top notch game mechanics. The international nature of the business is addressed with topics such as Asia’s social gaming platforms and what can be garnered from the Asian mobile games market.
As technology rapidly transforms all aspects of mobile and social online gambling discussion on API fragmentation and advertising and cross-platform technology as opposed to design, HTML5 as opposed to native development are also on the schedule.
Many top level CEO's Developers and other executives in the field will be there to share their knowledge an experience.
MGF January 2014 London Online Gambling Capitalization
The Mobile Gaming Forum is scheduled to take place on the 22nd and 23rd of January in 2014 at the Novotel London West.
This definitive global event is where over 400 of the industry’s most influential stakeholders will attend. There will be 120 speakers including many of the most talented indie developers on the planet, an expo and arcade area jam-packed with innovators and leading service providers and supreme press coverage to guarantee worldwide exposure. Day one on the agenda is packed with the latest in mobile monetization and marketing discussions and forums while the second day presents the social gaming and virtual goods sector including the finer points of social online gambling future.
Some highlights from the two day agenda include, Ecosystem, cross-platform and device fronts, distribution channels for indie developers, the future of mobile gaming technologies, monetization through creating immersive and interactive in-game advertising, and the increasing demand for virtual goods through top notch game mechanics. The international nature of the business is addressed with topics such as Asia’s social gaming platforms and what can be garnered from the Asian mobile games market.
As technology rapidly transforms all aspects of mobile and social online gambling discussion on API fragmentation and advertising and cross-platform technology as opposed to design, HTML5 as opposed to native development are also on the schedule.
Many top level CEO's Developers and other executives in the field will be there to share their knowledge an experience.
MGF January 2014 London Online Gambling Capitalization
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HARRY Potter author J. K. Rowling is to co-produce a British stage show about the boy wizard’s early years living with his cruel non-magical aunt and uncle, she announced on Dec 20.
Rowling said she would work with the writer on the new play, charting Harry’s lonely childhood when he was forced to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs, but would not script it herself.
She will start the project early next year, working with producers Sonia Friedman – who has brought a string of hit shows to New York’s Broadway and London’s West End theatres – and Colin Callender.
“Over the years I have received countless approaches about turning Harry Potter into a theatrical production,” said Rowling on her website.
“But Sonia and Colin’s vision was the only one that really made sense to me, and which had the sensitivity, intensity and intimacy I thought appropriate for bringing Harry’s story to the stage.”
Rowling has sold more than 450 million copies of the Harry Potter books, which were also made into a blockbuster film series.
The first Potter novel, published in 1997, sees the orphaned Harry find out he has magical powers.
He sets off to the wizarding school Hogwarts, freeing him from his miserable life with his aunt and uncle, Vernon and Petunia Dursley, and their bullying son Dudley.
Rowling said she had not yet chosen a writer or director for the play.
The author finished Harry’s wizarding adventures in 2007, but has since kept busy by writing two novels for adults and starting work on a new Potter spin-off film series.
Her first novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy, won mixed reviews when it was published last year.
But in July she was unmasked as the real author of a critically acclaimed detective novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling, which she had published under the pen name Robert Galbraith.
The new spin-off film series will feature magical zoologist Newt Scamander, the author of Harry’s textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.
Announced in July, it will see Rowling make her screen-writing debut, putting her in line for another huge payday.
With an estimated fortune of £560mil (RM3bil) the former single mother is the 156th wealthiest person in Britain, according to The Sunday Times newspaper’s Rich List 2013.
J.K. Rowling to produce Harry Potter stage show - Entertainment | The Star Online
Rowling said she would work with the writer on the new play, charting Harry’s lonely childhood when he was forced to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs, but would not script it herself.
She will start the project early next year, working with producers Sonia Friedman – who has brought a string of hit shows to New York’s Broadway and London’s West End theatres – and Colin Callender.
“Over the years I have received countless approaches about turning Harry Potter into a theatrical production,” said Rowling on her website.
“But Sonia and Colin’s vision was the only one that really made sense to me, and which had the sensitivity, intensity and intimacy I thought appropriate for bringing Harry’s story to the stage.”
Rowling has sold more than 450 million copies of the Harry Potter books, which were also made into a blockbuster film series.
The first Potter novel, published in 1997, sees the orphaned Harry find out he has magical powers.
He sets off to the wizarding school Hogwarts, freeing him from his miserable life with his aunt and uncle, Vernon and Petunia Dursley, and their bullying son Dudley.
Rowling said she had not yet chosen a writer or director for the play.
The author finished Harry’s wizarding adventures in 2007, but has since kept busy by writing two novels for adults and starting work on a new Potter spin-off film series.
Her first novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy, won mixed reviews when it was published last year.
But in July she was unmasked as the real author of a critically acclaimed detective novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling, which she had published under the pen name Robert Galbraith.
The new spin-off film series will feature magical zoologist Newt Scamander, the author of Harry’s textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.
Announced in July, it will see Rowling make her screen-writing debut, putting her in line for another huge payday.
With an estimated fortune of £560mil (RM3bil) the former single mother is the 156th wealthiest person in Britain, according to The Sunday Times newspaper’s Rich List 2013.
J.K. Rowling to produce Harry Potter stage show - Entertainment | The Star Online
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A recent article in the Denver Post has revealed that, Colorado those in the industry collaborated with legislators to draft proposed laws late last session to legalize online poker in the State. The proposed new legislation did not go through but industry officials have said they will maintain the effort to see regulated online poker implemented in 2014.
Troy Stremming, Executive vice president of government relations for Pinnacle Entertainment, which operates Ameristar Black Hawk, Colorado's largest casino enterprise. "This is something we are monitoring very closely," Stremming, added, "Internet gaming continues to evolve state-by-state, and through ever-changing technology," Stremming explained further, "With respect to Colorado, when there is a piece of legislation to review, we can make decisions based on whether or not participation will be beneficial to the company."
myVegas, an app available in the Google Play and Apple App stores created by MGM Resorts International last month is the first casino mobile app to offer real comps and rewards, such as free rooms and food,for gambling with play chips. The rewards are redeemable at 11 brick-and-mortar casinos in Las Vegas, such as Bellagio and the Mirage.
Josh Swissman, vice president of corporate marketing for MGM said "The mobile launch has exceeded everyone's expectations. We're in the millions of downloads now," Many of those downloads came from residents of Colorado. MGM has a joint marketing agreement with Ameristar Black Hawk, which sends Colorado gamblers offers and rewards. The app doesn't accept real money bets, but the myVegas game is played worldwide.
Managing director of digital and interactive gaming at Eilers Research, Adam Krejcik, has estimated that online poker in Colorado could generate $30.4 million to $37.8 million in annual revenue about three to five years after legislation has been implemented.
Krejcik's predicts Colorado's online casino revenues, including poker and slots, blackjack and other games, could reach $112.5 million per year.
Colorado Considers Online Gambling Potential
Troy Stremming, Executive vice president of government relations for Pinnacle Entertainment, which operates Ameristar Black Hawk, Colorado's largest casino enterprise. "This is something we are monitoring very closely," Stremming, added, "Internet gaming continues to evolve state-by-state, and through ever-changing technology," Stremming explained further, "With respect to Colorado, when there is a piece of legislation to review, we can make decisions based on whether or not participation will be beneficial to the company."
myVegas, an app available in the Google Play and Apple App stores created by MGM Resorts International last month is the first casino mobile app to offer real comps and rewards, such as free rooms and food,for gambling with play chips. The rewards are redeemable at 11 brick-and-mortar casinos in Las Vegas, such as Bellagio and the Mirage.
Josh Swissman, vice president of corporate marketing for MGM said "The mobile launch has exceeded everyone's expectations. We're in the millions of downloads now," Many of those downloads came from residents of Colorado. MGM has a joint marketing agreement with Ameristar Black Hawk, which sends Colorado gamblers offers and rewards. The app doesn't accept real money bets, but the myVegas game is played worldwide.
Managing director of digital and interactive gaming at Eilers Research, Adam Krejcik, has estimated that online poker in Colorado could generate $30.4 million to $37.8 million in annual revenue about three to five years after legislation has been implemented.
Krejcik's predicts Colorado's online casino revenues, including poker and slots, blackjack and other games, could reach $112.5 million per year.
Colorado Considers Online Gambling Potential
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The idea of Crowdfunding has been around in various forms for many years. Crowdfunding websites helped companies and individuals worldwide raise $0.89 billion from members of the public in 2010, $1.47 billion in 2011 and $2.66 billion in 2012. In 2013 the industry is projected to grow to $5.1 billion. from which $1.6 billion was raised in North America. In 2012 there were more than 1 million individual campaigns globally. In 2013 the industry is projected to grow to $5.1 billion.
A new source on the web for those looking to a return on investment is the new site GamCrowd a United Kingdom located equity crowdfunding platform. Backed by a number of investors, the new platform seeks to match investors, start-ups and industry expertise for the gambling sector.
Founded by Chris North the CEO also created the Fox Poker Club and sold the firm to Genting Casinos for many millions of pounds. North went to crowd sourcing to find funding for the venture North explained, “The last start up I did struggled to register any interest from VCs and so I went back to my own crowd,” North continued, “I didn’t know it was called crowdfunding at the time, but that is exactly what we did and it was a spectacular success.”
The site in expected to launch in late January and will be backed by many investors who did well with Fox Poker Club.
Mr. North commented, “Once we have a sufficient base of investors, start-ups and a crowd, we will begin putting people in touch with each other and allow investments to happen” North added, “Before any investment takes place, GamCrowd will be registered with the Financial Conduct Authority which has recently issued a detailed consultation document on the nascent crowdfunding industry in the UK.”
The inputs of the individuals in the crowd trigger the crowdfunding process and influence the ultimate value of the offerings or outcomes of the process.
Crowdfunding For Online Gambling Created By GamCrowd
A new source on the web for those looking to a return on investment is the new site GamCrowd a United Kingdom located equity crowdfunding platform. Backed by a number of investors, the new platform seeks to match investors, start-ups and industry expertise for the gambling sector.
Founded by Chris North the CEO also created the Fox Poker Club and sold the firm to Genting Casinos for many millions of pounds. North went to crowd sourcing to find funding for the venture North explained, “The last start up I did struggled to register any interest from VCs and so I went back to my own crowd,” North continued, “I didn’t know it was called crowdfunding at the time, but that is exactly what we did and it was a spectacular success.”
The site in expected to launch in late January and will be backed by many investors who did well with Fox Poker Club.
Mr. North commented, “Once we have a sufficient base of investors, start-ups and a crowd, we will begin putting people in touch with each other and allow investments to happen” North added, “Before any investment takes place, GamCrowd will be registered with the Financial Conduct Authority which has recently issued a detailed consultation document on the nascent crowdfunding industry in the UK.”
The inputs of the individuals in the crowd trigger the crowdfunding process and influence the ultimate value of the offerings or outcomes of the process.
Crowdfunding For Online Gambling Created By GamCrowd
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2006/12/07
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Film New Zealand has announced that Hollywood actor Tobey Maguire's latest movie project will be filmed in New Zealand.
Z for Zachariah will be produced by Maguire and his company Material Pictures along with Palomar Pictures and Zik Zak Filmworks.
The thriller is based on the popular 1974 Science Fiction children's novel by Robert O'Brien, which is set in a remote valley that survives a nuclear holocaust.
The movie will include stars such as Chris Pine, Amanda Seyfried and 2014 Golden Globe nominee Chiwelel Ejiofor.
It will be directed by Craig Zobel.
Film New Zealand chief executive Gisella Carr says the decision to shoot in New Zealand is testament to New Zealand's impressive international reputation.
"We are thrilled such a prestigious project is coming to New Zealand. To see a seminal piece of children's literature brought to the screen here with a celebrated cast and production team is tremendous."
The announcement comes after the government's recent decision to increase its rebate rate for large-scale movie productions to 25% in order to ensure the majority of Avatar films will be shot locally.
The large budget screen production grant was also increased from 15% to 20%.
Filming is set to begin in Canterbury in late January and will include locations on Banks Peninsula and Mid-Canterbury.
Major Hollywood movie to be filmed in NZ - Entertainment News | TVNZ
Z for Zachariah will be produced by Maguire and his company Material Pictures along with Palomar Pictures and Zik Zak Filmworks.
The thriller is based on the popular 1974 Science Fiction children's novel by Robert O'Brien, which is set in a remote valley that survives a nuclear holocaust.
The movie will include stars such as Chris Pine, Amanda Seyfried and 2014 Golden Globe nominee Chiwelel Ejiofor.
It will be directed by Craig Zobel.
Film New Zealand chief executive Gisella Carr says the decision to shoot in New Zealand is testament to New Zealand's impressive international reputation.
"We are thrilled such a prestigious project is coming to New Zealand. To see a seminal piece of children's literature brought to the screen here with a celebrated cast and production team is tremendous."
The announcement comes after the government's recent decision to increase its rebate rate for large-scale movie productions to 25% in order to ensure the majority of Avatar films will be shot locally.
The large budget screen production grant was also increased from 15% to 20%.
Filming is set to begin in Canterbury in late January and will include locations on Banks Peninsula and Mid-Canterbury.
Major Hollywood movie to be filmed in NZ - Entertainment News | TVNZ
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2006/12/07
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I'm an average person from Germany i think christmas is the greatest time of the year......
I wish all ixgames gamblers a really nice christmas................
Make your gambling dream come true!! www-youtube-com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI
Regards from team ixgames!!
I wish all ixgames gamblers a really nice christmas................
Make your gambling dream come true!! www-youtube-com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI
Regards from team ixgames!!
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
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In a formal opinion published on Monday, Suthers tackled the subject head on, answering questions from the Colorado Division of Gaming on subjects such as a gambler’s location and the voter approval process.
Suthers stated that “under Colorado law, a bet is placed where the person placing the bet is located,” meaning that only those located within the state’s borders would be allowed to gamble. This is in line with the same regulations in place in Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, which have already authorized online wagering.
Colorado lawmakers drafted an online poker measure in 2013, but didn’t introduce the bill. However, the state’s Gaming Association expects it to be a significant part of the 2014 legislative session.
There are nearly 40 casinos and parimutuel facilities in Colorado, which only allows a maximum bet of $100 on any given deal or roll of the dice. There are 12 card rooms in the state, with a total of 110 poker tables.
Colorado Attorney General Issues Opinion On Possible Online Gambling Legislation - Poker News