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2006/12/07
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Internet gambling revenue continues to climb in New Jersey.
Despite three fewer calendar days in February than January, the state saw a 9 percent increase in online betting revenue compared to the prior month. In February, online gambling resulted in $10.3 million in revenue, up from $9.5 million in January. Seven of Atlantic City’s 11 casinos are authorized to offer Internet gambling
The state saw a $199 million in casino win in February, a 6 percent decline from $212 million in the same month a year ago. Online revenue, however, helped offset the losses, bringing the state’s overall gambling decline to 1.4 percent compared to a year ago.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa continued as the industry leader in online gambling, with Caesars Interactive Entertainment following closely behind. Borgata saw 40 percent of the market share in February at more than $4 million. Caesars Interactive, which holds gambling permits for both the Caesars and Bally’s properties, had a 32 percent market share in February.
Meanwhile, Tropicana Casino and Resort saw the most significant increase in market share, with a 60 percent gain over January results at $1.3 million.
But for the first time since online gambling launched in November, some losses were seen for individual operators. Both Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, which is partnered with Ultimate Gaming, and Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, which is partnered with Betfair, were down from January revenue standards.
Trump Plaza fell 11 percent to $493,590, and Trump Taj Mahal fell 32 percent to $587,323.
Casino analyst Roger Gros, who publishes Global Gaming Business magazine, said he was not surprised by the losses, noting that brand recognition has likely made the industry leaders in land-based gambling also the most successful in online operations.
“Frankly, the Trump properties just aren’t doing a good job right now. Ultimate and Befair were basically unknown in New Jersey and had their hands tied not being able to use the Trump name,” Gros said. “Brands are very important in attracting players.”
Borgata Senior Vice President Joe Lupo said the casino, which is up 36 percent over its January Internet revenue, said the advertising dollars properties continue to spend on online gambling marketing will play an important role. Still in the launch phase, Borgata will launch more billboard advertising in the coming weeks to attract more players. The addition of mobile platforms will also play a role in revenue, Lupo said. Not all properties are currently offering mobile versions of their online operations. Casinos also do not yet have the capability to add mobile access across all devices.
For example, this month Borgata launched an Android app that can access 3G and 4G networks. Borgata also has an app for iPhone users who have wi-fi access but does not have the same capabilities for 3G and 4G users.
“The iPhone just isn’t there yet. That’s going to be a big piece of the puzzle,” Lupo said.
Some of February’s increases could have been attributed to winter storms and snow days that may have given some players more time to gamble. Lupo said the casino saw increases in online play during snowstorms, while its land-based operations saw declines.
Borgata statistics show, however, that players accessing online gambling differ from the market at its land-based property. About 85 percent of those who play online have not engaged in rated play at Borgata in two years.
Still, with Internet gambling resulting in $19.8 million in revenue this year, the industry remains far from Gov. Chris Christie’s original predictations.
Until recently, Christie said he expected online gambling to account for $160 million in tax revenue this fiscal year. Earlier this month, however, the state reduced those expectations to $34 million.
Online betting revenue rises 9 percent on in February - pressofAtlanticCity-com: Breaking News Alerts
Despite three fewer calendar days in February than January, the state saw a 9 percent increase in online betting revenue compared to the prior month. In February, online gambling resulted in $10.3 million in revenue, up from $9.5 million in January. Seven of Atlantic City’s 11 casinos are authorized to offer Internet gambling
The state saw a $199 million in casino win in February, a 6 percent decline from $212 million in the same month a year ago. Online revenue, however, helped offset the losses, bringing the state’s overall gambling decline to 1.4 percent compared to a year ago.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa continued as the industry leader in online gambling, with Caesars Interactive Entertainment following closely behind. Borgata saw 40 percent of the market share in February at more than $4 million. Caesars Interactive, which holds gambling permits for both the Caesars and Bally’s properties, had a 32 percent market share in February.
Meanwhile, Tropicana Casino and Resort saw the most significant increase in market share, with a 60 percent gain over January results at $1.3 million.
But for the first time since online gambling launched in November, some losses were seen for individual operators. Both Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, which is partnered with Ultimate Gaming, and Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, which is partnered with Betfair, were down from January revenue standards.
Trump Plaza fell 11 percent to $493,590, and Trump Taj Mahal fell 32 percent to $587,323.
Casino analyst Roger Gros, who publishes Global Gaming Business magazine, said he was not surprised by the losses, noting that brand recognition has likely made the industry leaders in land-based gambling also the most successful in online operations.
“Frankly, the Trump properties just aren’t doing a good job right now. Ultimate and Befair were basically unknown in New Jersey and had their hands tied not being able to use the Trump name,” Gros said. “Brands are very important in attracting players.”
Borgata Senior Vice President Joe Lupo said the casino, which is up 36 percent over its January Internet revenue, said the advertising dollars properties continue to spend on online gambling marketing will play an important role. Still in the launch phase, Borgata will launch more billboard advertising in the coming weeks to attract more players. The addition of mobile platforms will also play a role in revenue, Lupo said. Not all properties are currently offering mobile versions of their online operations. Casinos also do not yet have the capability to add mobile access across all devices.
For example, this month Borgata launched an Android app that can access 3G and 4G networks. Borgata also has an app for iPhone users who have wi-fi access but does not have the same capabilities for 3G and 4G users.
“The iPhone just isn’t there yet. That’s going to be a big piece of the puzzle,” Lupo said.
Some of February’s increases could have been attributed to winter storms and snow days that may have given some players more time to gamble. Lupo said the casino saw increases in online play during snowstorms, while its land-based operations saw declines.
Borgata statistics show, however, that players accessing online gambling differ from the market at its land-based property. About 85 percent of those who play online have not engaged in rated play at Borgata in two years.
Still, with Internet gambling resulting in $19.8 million in revenue this year, the industry remains far from Gov. Chris Christie’s original predictations.
Until recently, Christie said he expected online gambling to account for $160 million in tax revenue this fiscal year. Earlier this month, however, the state reduced those expectations to $34 million.
Online betting revenue rises 9 percent on in February - pressofAtlanticCity-com: Breaking News Alerts
Join:
2006/12/07
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29893
Australia's famed Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin knew he was dying after a massive stingray stabbed him in the chest hundreds of times, the only witness to the fatal 2006 attack said in his first detailed public account of the beloved conservationist's death.
"We're saying to him things like, 'Think of your kids, Steve — hang on, hang on, hang on,'" Justin Lyons, Irwin's longtime cameraman, told Australia's Studio 10 morning show this week.
"And he just sort of calmly looked up at me and said, `I'm dying.' And that was the last thing he said."
In the nearly eight years since Irwin's death, Lyons has said little publicly about how the fatal encounter with the stingray unfolded. Now, he said, he wants to clarify exactly how Irwin died, including dismissing reports that his friend pulled the stingray's barb out of his own chest.
"The stories at the time of Steve's death — none of them were accurate because no one else was there," Lyons said in an interview Wednesday.
"And that always bothered me."
Lyons is also speaking out now because he has just finished producing a documentary, E-Motion, which examines the impact that repressing negative emotions can have on the body.
"I thought that it was a great way to illustrate my experience with Steve; holding onto these traumatic events can be very, very bad," he said Wednesday.
"I'm happy that I've finally spoken about it publicly. It has been, I guess, a weight on my shoulders."
Final shoot in the Great Barrier Reef
Lyons still vividly remembers the day he lost his friend, who rose to fame via his TV series, The Crocodile Hunter. The two were shooting a wildlife documentary in the Great Barrier Reef when they spotted a nearly 2.5 metre-wide stingray.
They had been filming the creature for several minutes in chest-deep water and decided to try and get one final shot of the stingray swimming away. Suddenly, the animal began wildly stabbing Irwin with the barb on its tail — hundreds of strikes within seconds, Lyons said. The barb went through his chest "like a hot knife through butter," piercing his heart, Lyons said.
"It probably thought that Steve's shadow was a tiger shark, which feeds on them very regularly," Lyons told Studio 10.
"I didn't even know it had caused any damage. It wasn't until I panned the camera back that Steve was standing in a huge pool of blood that I realized something had gone wrong."
Lyons and his crew threw him into their boat and put pressure on the gash over Irwin's heart, which was seeping blood, and Lyons performed CPR. But the damage was too severe.
The 44-year-old died later that day, leaving behind his wife, Terri, and two young children.
The fact that Irwin — who was notorious for his extremely close encounters with crocodiles, sharks and other potentially lethal animals — died after a run-in with a normally docile creature shocked the public. But Lyons said he always had a sense his friend would meet an unusual end.
"It was never going to be a croc or a shark," he said Wednesday. "He was so good with animals."
"We're saying to him things like, 'Think of your kids, Steve — hang on, hang on, hang on,'" Justin Lyons, Irwin's longtime cameraman, told Australia's Studio 10 morning show this week.
"And he just sort of calmly looked up at me and said, `I'm dying.' And that was the last thing he said."
In the nearly eight years since Irwin's death, Lyons has said little publicly about how the fatal encounter with the stingray unfolded. Now, he said, he wants to clarify exactly how Irwin died, including dismissing reports that his friend pulled the stingray's barb out of his own chest.
"The stories at the time of Steve's death — none of them were accurate because no one else was there," Lyons said in an interview Wednesday.
"And that always bothered me."
Lyons is also speaking out now because he has just finished producing a documentary, E-Motion, which examines the impact that repressing negative emotions can have on the body.
"I thought that it was a great way to illustrate my experience with Steve; holding onto these traumatic events can be very, very bad," he said Wednesday.
"I'm happy that I've finally spoken about it publicly. It has been, I guess, a weight on my shoulders."
Final shoot in the Great Barrier Reef
Lyons still vividly remembers the day he lost his friend, who rose to fame via his TV series, The Crocodile Hunter. The two were shooting a wildlife documentary in the Great Barrier Reef when they spotted a nearly 2.5 metre-wide stingray.
They had been filming the creature for several minutes in chest-deep water and decided to try and get one final shot of the stingray swimming away. Suddenly, the animal began wildly stabbing Irwin with the barb on its tail — hundreds of strikes within seconds, Lyons said. The barb went through his chest "like a hot knife through butter," piercing his heart, Lyons said.
"It probably thought that Steve's shadow was a tiger shark, which feeds on them very regularly," Lyons told Studio 10.
"I didn't even know it had caused any damage. It wasn't until I panned the camera back that Steve was standing in a huge pool of blood that I realized something had gone wrong."
Lyons and his crew threw him into their boat and put pressure on the gash over Irwin's heart, which was seeping blood, and Lyons performed CPR. But the damage was too severe.
The 44-year-old died later that day, leaving behind his wife, Terri, and two young children.
The fact that Irwin — who was notorious for his extremely close encounters with crocodiles, sharks and other potentially lethal animals — died after a run-in with a normally docile creature shocked the public. But Lyons said he always had a sense his friend would meet an unusual end.
"It was never going to be a croc or a shark," he said Wednesday. "He was so good with animals."
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Manne wrote:
Australia's famed Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin knew he was dying after a massive stingray stabbed him in the chest hundreds of times, the only witness to the fatal 2006 attack said in his first detailed public account of the beloved conservationist's death.
"We're saying to him things like, 'Think of your kids, Steve — hang on, hang on, hang on,'" Justin Lyons, Irwin's longtime cameraman, told Australia's Studio 10 morning show this week.
"And he just sort of calmly looked up at me and said, `I'm dying.' And that was the last thing he said."
In the nearly eight years since Irwin's death, Lyons has said little publicly about how the fatal encounter with the stingray unfolded. Now, he said, he wants to clarify exactly how Irwin died, including dismissing reports that his friend pulled the stingray's barb out of his own chest.
"The stories at the time of Steve's death — none of them were accurate because no one else was there," Lyons said in an interview Wednesday.
"And that always bothered me."
Lyons is also speaking out now because he has just finished producing a documentary, E-Motion, which examines the impact that repressing negative emotions can have on the body.
"I thought that it was a great way to illustrate my experience with Steve; holding onto these traumatic events can be very, very bad," he said Wednesday.
"I'm happy that I've finally spoken about it publicly. It has been, I guess, a weight on my shoulders."
Final shoot in the Great Barrier Reef
Lyons still vividly remembers the day he lost his friend, who rose to fame via his TV series, The Crocodile Hunter. The two were shooting a wildlife documentary in the Great Barrier Reef when they spotted a nearly 2.5 metre-wide stingray.
They had been filming the creature for several minutes in chest-deep water and decided to try and get one final shot of the stingray swimming away. Suddenly, the animal began wildly stabbing Irwin with the barb on its tail — hundreds of strikes within seconds, Lyons said. The barb went through his chest "like a hot knife through butter," piercing his heart, Lyons said.
"It probably thought that Steve's shadow was a tiger shark, which feeds on them very regularly," Lyons told Studio 10.
"I didn't even know it had caused any damage. It wasn't until I panned the camera back that Steve was standing in a huge pool of blood that I realized something had gone wrong."
Lyons and his crew threw him into their boat and put pressure on the gash over Irwin's heart, which was seeping blood, and Lyons performed CPR. But the damage was too severe.
The 44-year-old died later that day, leaving behind his wife, Terri, and two young children.
The fact that Irwin — who was notorious for his extremely close encounters with crocodiles, sharks and other potentially lethal animals — died after a run-in with a normally docile creature shocked the public. But Lyons said he always had a sense his friend would meet an unusual end.
"It was never going to be a croc or a shark," he said Wednesday. "He was so good with animals."
I miss Steve Irwin. I've never seen anyone who can follow his footsteps.
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2014/03/14
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As mGamingWatch first reported this week, new reports out of the Garden State reveal that New Jersey Internet gambling regulators are easing up on the established parameters used to determine whether or not an online gambler is, indeed, located within state boarders. Why? Geolocation technology is working as planned and proving an effective and reliable resource for ensuring in-state gaming only.
Brian Mattingley, chief executive of 888 Holdings P.L.C., is thrilled with the news.
“By allowing us a little bit more flexibility and easing the tolerance in that distance, it made it significantly better in the second and third month,” Mattingley tells the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Mattingley’s company works with Caesars Interactive in Atlantic City.
The issue is the buffer between the state line and a gambler’s location, which is determined using cellphone signals. To ensure that a gambler was on the Camden side of the Delaware River rather than the Philadelphia side, an undefined buffer was required in the system to block people too close to the border. The process is called geolocation.
“We have worked with the geolocation vendors and casinos to enhance the technology to make it more accurate and reliable, and to reduce false negatives,” explains Kerry Langan, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Last November, Locaid – the world’s largest Location-as-a-Service (LaaS) company – was named as the only carrier location provider to receive official preliminary approval by the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) to enter into agreements with casino licensees and iGaming permit holders.
Geolocation Thriving in Fledgling Online Gambling Industry | Mobile Marketing Watch
Brian Mattingley, chief executive of 888 Holdings P.L.C., is thrilled with the news.
“By allowing us a little bit more flexibility and easing the tolerance in that distance, it made it significantly better in the second and third month,” Mattingley tells the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Mattingley’s company works with Caesars Interactive in Atlantic City.
The issue is the buffer between the state line and a gambler’s location, which is determined using cellphone signals. To ensure that a gambler was on the Camden side of the Delaware River rather than the Philadelphia side, an undefined buffer was required in the system to block people too close to the border. The process is called geolocation.
“We have worked with the geolocation vendors and casinos to enhance the technology to make it more accurate and reliable, and to reduce false negatives,” explains Kerry Langan, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Last November, Locaid – the world’s largest Location-as-a-Service (LaaS) company – was named as the only carrier location provider to receive official preliminary approval by the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) to enter into agreements with casino licensees and iGaming permit holders.
Geolocation Thriving in Fledgling Online Gambling Industry | Mobile Marketing Watch
Join:
2006/12/07
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29893
The online gambling industry has a global economic reach but the one that is gaining the most attention lately is the North American jurisdiction. On March 19th 2014 to the 21st of March the 2014 iGaming North America conference will be held at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada USA.
This marks the fourth year for this valued networking and educational event designed to introduce the land-based gaming businesses of North America to the global online gaming industry.
The networking and information conference focuses on the impact of internet gambling regulation changes in the Canadian and US online gambling markets. This knowledge is passed on to consumers as well as the industry participants giving all who attend insight into the legislative frameworks as well as resources available to those staring out or already immersed in the industry.
Several real-money online poker networks have gone live in Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, and as a result the exclusive forum dedicated to online poker player issues will return to the iGaming North America conference in 2014. This year, the poker track at iGNA has an enlarged poker player panel along with the addition of a timely poker-specific session entitled Regulated Online Poker ‘The Story So Far’.
The organizers of the Conference have announced they will be adding the Social Gaming Conference to the event. The Social Gaming Conference will take place on day two offering insight and analysis on the rapidly emerging niche within online gambling in North America.
Alex Pratt, Head of iGaming Business, one of the event organizers commented on the addition, “Following the success we have had in Europe with the Social Gaming Conference we are really excited to embed the show within iGaming North America” Pratt added, “Social gaming is a significant part of the iGaming market in North America and is already helping to drive both new revenues and real money gambling traffic. This show is essential for executives to ensure they are at the forefront of this exciting market taking full advantage of the opportunities it presents.”
2014 iGaming North America Conference Social Online Gambling | Online-Casinos-com
This marks the fourth year for this valued networking and educational event designed to introduce the land-based gaming businesses of North America to the global online gaming industry.
The networking and information conference focuses on the impact of internet gambling regulation changes in the Canadian and US online gambling markets. This knowledge is passed on to consumers as well as the industry participants giving all who attend insight into the legislative frameworks as well as resources available to those staring out or already immersed in the industry.
Several real-money online poker networks have gone live in Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, and as a result the exclusive forum dedicated to online poker player issues will return to the iGaming North America conference in 2014. This year, the poker track at iGNA has an enlarged poker player panel along with the addition of a timely poker-specific session entitled Regulated Online Poker ‘The Story So Far’.
The organizers of the Conference have announced they will be adding the Social Gaming Conference to the event. The Social Gaming Conference will take place on day two offering insight and analysis on the rapidly emerging niche within online gambling in North America.
Alex Pratt, Head of iGaming Business, one of the event organizers commented on the addition, “Following the success we have had in Europe with the Social Gaming Conference we are really excited to embed the show within iGaming North America” Pratt added, “Social gaming is a significant part of the iGaming market in North America and is already helping to drive both new revenues and real money gambling traffic. This show is essential for executives to ensure they are at the forefront of this exciting market taking full advantage of the opportunities it presents.”
2014 iGaming North America Conference Social Online Gambling | Online-Casinos-com
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2006/12/07
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29893
Former Republican US Representative Mike Oxley has issued a stern warning that the full-scale banning of online gambling in the US would be the “wrong policy” and misguided, and that it would leave Americans exposed to the potential dangers of using unregulated operators. Oxley – who said he examined the question of online gambling regulation in-depth a few years ago as part of his role as chairman of the House Financial Affairs Committee – was writing in his blog for Washington political newspaper The Hill’s website.
No Going Back in Time, Oxley Says
“Congress cannot reverse time or get rid of the Internet,” said Oxley. “We need to be focused on keeping consumers, businesses, and families safe when engaging in online activities. That means utilizing the best available technology and the best safeguards, not blocking their use… Prohibition … didn’t work with alcohol, and it won’t work with the Internet today.”
Oxley fears that Americans – including children – would be “less safe” should Congress pass such a ban, and calls on the government to adopt a realistic attitude to consumer behavior. Regulation he sees very much as the lesser of two evils because he believes it will enhance user protection.
“The question isn’t whether or not Americans are participating in online gaming. The consumer base is in the millions, and the revenue is in the billions on overseas black markets. The question is whether Congress banning all online gaming would make consumers more or less safe on the Internet…The risk of exposure to identity theft, fraud, even money laundering on an unsafe, unregulated, overseas black-market website is serious. And ignoring that black market, rather than addressing it, will only make us less safe.”
Regulation vs. Criminalization
Oxley had high praise for the newly regulated states: Delaware, New Jersey and Nevada; particularly the technology they had put in place to protect consumers.
“These states are using modern age-verification technology to prohibit minors from using gaming websites, and highly sophisticated geolocation technology to precisely determine a potential player’s physical location and thereby prohibit out-of-state gaming in legal and regulated markets,” wrote Oxley. “These sophisticated technologies have proven successful in existing regulated markets for online gaming and other online commerce. Congress shouldn’t step in and stop their use.”
As a US Representative, Oxley was co-author of the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which brought in sweeping new legislation for big businesses in the wake of the Enron scandal. Before entering Congress, he was an FBI agent. He served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1973 to 1981, and was elected a US representative in 1981. Now retired, he is co-chair for the Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection (C4COP), an organization created to counter, primarily, Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson’s virulent attack on Internet gaming in any form. The organization also has the backing of the American Gaming Association – the casino industry’s primary lobbying arm – as well as numerous industry leaders.
Oxley drew on his experiences in the FBI to warn that prohibition would fail to stem the tide of “black market” websites, which, he says, are often run by individuals “the Justice Department says are engaged in serious criminal activity.”
Read more: Former US Rep Mike Oxley Says Online Gambling Ban Would Be Misguided
No Going Back in Time, Oxley Says
“Congress cannot reverse time or get rid of the Internet,” said Oxley. “We need to be focused on keeping consumers, businesses, and families safe when engaging in online activities. That means utilizing the best available technology and the best safeguards, not blocking their use… Prohibition … didn’t work with alcohol, and it won’t work with the Internet today.”
Oxley fears that Americans – including children – would be “less safe” should Congress pass such a ban, and calls on the government to adopt a realistic attitude to consumer behavior. Regulation he sees very much as the lesser of two evils because he believes it will enhance user protection.
“The question isn’t whether or not Americans are participating in online gaming. The consumer base is in the millions, and the revenue is in the billions on overseas black markets. The question is whether Congress banning all online gaming would make consumers more or less safe on the Internet…The risk of exposure to identity theft, fraud, even money laundering on an unsafe, unregulated, overseas black-market website is serious. And ignoring that black market, rather than addressing it, will only make us less safe.”
Regulation vs. Criminalization
Oxley had high praise for the newly regulated states: Delaware, New Jersey and Nevada; particularly the technology they had put in place to protect consumers.
“These states are using modern age-verification technology to prohibit minors from using gaming websites, and highly sophisticated geolocation technology to precisely determine a potential player’s physical location and thereby prohibit out-of-state gaming in legal and regulated markets,” wrote Oxley. “These sophisticated technologies have proven successful in existing regulated markets for online gaming and other online commerce. Congress shouldn’t step in and stop their use.”
As a US Representative, Oxley was co-author of the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which brought in sweeping new legislation for big businesses in the wake of the Enron scandal. Before entering Congress, he was an FBI agent. He served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1973 to 1981, and was elected a US representative in 1981. Now retired, he is co-chair for the Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection (C4COP), an organization created to counter, primarily, Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson’s virulent attack on Internet gaming in any form. The organization also has the backing of the American Gaming Association – the casino industry’s primary lobbying arm – as well as numerous industry leaders.
Oxley drew on his experiences in the FBI to warn that prohibition would fail to stem the tide of “black market” websites, which, he says, are often run by individuals “the Justice Department says are engaged in serious criminal activity.”
Read more: Former US Rep Mike Oxley Says Online Gambling Ban Would Be Misguided
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2006/12/07
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29893
Original dragon Kevin O'Leary and internet mogul Bruce Croxon are leaving CBC's hit reality series Dragons' Den.
The two Canadian businessmen will be replaced by two new investors who will be named on Friday.
The series, which earned a Canadian Screen Award for best TV reality series earlier this month, features entrepreneurs pitching business proposals and ideas to a panel of venture capitalists, who must then decide whether or not to invest in the projects.
The line-up of investors has morphed since the show, hosted by CBC broadcaster Dianne Buckner, launched in 2006.
Earlier dragons Robert Herjavec, W. Brett Wilson, and Jennifer Wood moved on after past seasons. Laurence Lewin died in November 2008.
The most recent addition was personal finance guru David Chilton (author of The Wealthy Barber), who joined the team in 2012.
Rounding out the current investor lineup are marketing maven Arlene Dickinson and franchise king Jim Treliving.
Dragons' Den is currently in its eighth season on CBC-TV.
O'Leary will continue his role on CBC's The Lang & O'Leary Exchange, according to CBC-TV.
Kevin O'Leary, Bruce Croxon leaving CBC's Dragons' Den - Arts & Entertainment - CBC News
The two Canadian businessmen will be replaced by two new investors who will be named on Friday.
The series, which earned a Canadian Screen Award for best TV reality series earlier this month, features entrepreneurs pitching business proposals and ideas to a panel of venture capitalists, who must then decide whether or not to invest in the projects.
The line-up of investors has morphed since the show, hosted by CBC broadcaster Dianne Buckner, launched in 2006.
Earlier dragons Robert Herjavec, W. Brett Wilson, and Jennifer Wood moved on after past seasons. Laurence Lewin died in November 2008.
The most recent addition was personal finance guru David Chilton (author of The Wealthy Barber), who joined the team in 2012.
Rounding out the current investor lineup are marketing maven Arlene Dickinson and franchise king Jim Treliving.
Dragons' Den is currently in its eighth season on CBC-TV.
O'Leary will continue his role on CBC's The Lang & O'Leary Exchange, according to CBC-TV.
Kevin O'Leary, Bruce Croxon leaving CBC's Dragons' Den - Arts & Entertainment - CBC News
Join:
2006/12/07
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29893
As Nevada approaches its first anniversary in the online gaming market, experts from all corners of the industry — and their opposition — will gather for the iGaming North America 2014 conference next week at Planet Hollywood.
Those scheduled to speak between Wednesday and Friday include Gov. Brian Sandoval and top brass from Nevada’s first online poker sites, as well as a Las Vegas casino executive at the forefront of a massive effort to shut down web gambling in the United States.
About 700 people are expected to attend the conference, which is not open to the public. Admission passes range from $595 to $1,495.
Tom Breitling, the chairman of Ultimate Gaming, and its CEO, Tobin Prior, will give the keynote speech. Their company launched the first regulated online poker site to offer real-money play in the U.S. through Ultimate Poker in Nevada and now operates a site in New Jersey.
They will “offer a look back at the difficulties encountered, the initial successes and the huge possibilities for the future,” according to the program.
The conference has gained particular traction among web gaming insiders since the U.S. Department of Justice shut down the three biggest unregulated online poker sites in 2011.
Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey have since legalized online gaming, and there has been a push for legalization in other states and in some cases federally. On the other hand, Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson has launched a crusade to ban online gambling.
The debate at Planet Hollywood could heat up when Sands executive Andy Abboud and Caesars Interactive Entertainment CEO, Mitch Garber, discuss the future of Internet wagering. Even the program for the event acknowledges their “widely divergent views” on the subject.
Caesars-owned WSOP-com followed Ultimate Poker in the Nevada and New Jersey markets before South Point’s Real Gaming started taking bets from online players in Nevada last month.
Sandoval is expected to offer his observations of the first year of online gaming in the state.
Last month, Sandoval and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed the first interstate online gambling agreement, which would allow the two states to share Internet poker player pools. Traffic at Nevada’s three online poker sites often reflects the state’s small population, and one group at the conference plans to discuss new ways to attract more players.
The conference also includes a conversation on alternative payment processing, as some banks have rejected transactions with regulated sites.
Casino execs to debate merits of online gaming at conference in Las Vegas | Las Vegas Review-Journal
Those scheduled to speak between Wednesday and Friday include Gov. Brian Sandoval and top brass from Nevada’s first online poker sites, as well as a Las Vegas casino executive at the forefront of a massive effort to shut down web gambling in the United States.
About 700 people are expected to attend the conference, which is not open to the public. Admission passes range from $595 to $1,495.
Tom Breitling, the chairman of Ultimate Gaming, and its CEO, Tobin Prior, will give the keynote speech. Their company launched the first regulated online poker site to offer real-money play in the U.S. through Ultimate Poker in Nevada and now operates a site in New Jersey.
They will “offer a look back at the difficulties encountered, the initial successes and the huge possibilities for the future,” according to the program.
The conference has gained particular traction among web gaming insiders since the U.S. Department of Justice shut down the three biggest unregulated online poker sites in 2011.
Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey have since legalized online gaming, and there has been a push for legalization in other states and in some cases federally. On the other hand, Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson has launched a crusade to ban online gambling.
The debate at Planet Hollywood could heat up when Sands executive Andy Abboud and Caesars Interactive Entertainment CEO, Mitch Garber, discuss the future of Internet wagering. Even the program for the event acknowledges their “widely divergent views” on the subject.
Caesars-owned WSOP-com followed Ultimate Poker in the Nevada and New Jersey markets before South Point’s Real Gaming started taking bets from online players in Nevada last month.
Sandoval is expected to offer his observations of the first year of online gaming in the state.
Last month, Sandoval and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed the first interstate online gambling agreement, which would allow the two states to share Internet poker player pools. Traffic at Nevada’s three online poker sites often reflects the state’s small population, and one group at the conference plans to discuss new ways to attract more players.
The conference also includes a conversation on alternative payment processing, as some banks have rejected transactions with regulated sites.
Casino execs to debate merits of online gaming at conference in Las Vegas | Las Vegas Review-Journal
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The European Parliament has been working on online gambling amendments for some time now with slow progress and some positive results. A recent vote in the E.U. parliament was in favor of draft anti-money laundering rules that would require the ultimate owners of companies and trusts to be listed in public registers in European Union countries. These changes are expected to be brought to light in the new session of parliament in May of 2014 which would see the establishment of a central public register in each EU jurisdiction.
The individual registers would then be connected with one another in the Union and be made publicly accessible, after the identification is verified. The proposals are intended to make banks, financial institutions, auditors, lawyers, accountants, tax advisers, and real estate agents to be more vigilant about "suspicious" transactions.
The current anti-money laundering directive is a risk-based approach, to enable EU member states to better identify, understand, and mitigate money laundering and terrorist financing risks. Casinos are included in the scope of the draft rules, but other gambling services posing a low risk may be eventually be excluded by member states.
Remote Gambling Association Chief Executive Officer, Clive Hawkswood commented on the vote, "The licensed online gambling sector has highly developed tools for identifying possible threats, and has an excellent record in preventing money laundering. As an industry we are never complacent, but quite simply there is no justification for singling out our sector for this kind of treatment." Hawkswood continued to explain, " "We have consistently supported a risk-based approach, which we consider to be the most suitable manner to tackle any problems and, of course, individual member states can introduce additional measures if there are specific issues within their jurisdictions. We hope now that the EU Council will reject the Parliament's position on this issue and that the European Commission will defend its original stance."
Remote Gambling Assoc. Knocks EU Parliament Vote | Online-Casinos-com
The individual registers would then be connected with one another in the Union and be made publicly accessible, after the identification is verified. The proposals are intended to make banks, financial institutions, auditors, lawyers, accountants, tax advisers, and real estate agents to be more vigilant about "suspicious" transactions.
The current anti-money laundering directive is a risk-based approach, to enable EU member states to better identify, understand, and mitigate money laundering and terrorist financing risks. Casinos are included in the scope of the draft rules, but other gambling services posing a low risk may be eventually be excluded by member states.
Remote Gambling Association Chief Executive Officer, Clive Hawkswood commented on the vote, "The licensed online gambling sector has highly developed tools for identifying possible threats, and has an excellent record in preventing money laundering. As an industry we are never complacent, but quite simply there is no justification for singling out our sector for this kind of treatment." Hawkswood continued to explain, " "We have consistently supported a risk-based approach, which we consider to be the most suitable manner to tackle any problems and, of course, individual member states can introduce additional measures if there are specific issues within their jurisdictions. We hope now that the EU Council will reject the Parliament's position on this issue and that the European Commission will defend its original stance."
Remote Gambling Assoc. Knocks EU Parliament Vote | Online-Casinos-com
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2006/12/07
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Barack Obama may be the President of the United States, and while he’s flopping badly in that role, he is quickly building up a formidable entertainment career. Fresh from appearing on Funny or Die’s “Between Two Ferns,” Obama stepped up a few notches to Ryan Seacrest’s national radio show. Entertainment industry insiders, agents and teenage girls know what a coup it is for any talent to get a few minutes with Seacrest, and Obama made the most of his visit. Take a listen.
Seacrest, widely regarded as the king of entertainment media these days, complimented Obama for appearing comfortable in the Gap’s women’s wear department. Most men, as Seacrest noted, are uncomfortable any time they venture anywhere near any women’s clothing department, even if they’re just passing through one at Walmart on the way to the sporting goods section. It just feels wrong. To most men, including Seacrest. But not Obama.
Seacrest brought up a sensitive subject: Obama’s penchant for wearing “mom jeans.” Obama vigorously defended his choice of denim wear, stating forcefully that he was “unfairly maligned,” that he “looks sharp,” and that his jeans “fit very well.” Entertainment industry watchers took that as a hint that Obama may move into modeling, and even introduce his own line of skinny jeans at next year’s SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. By then, Obama will have lost Congress and Russia will have swallowed up Eastern Europe and fractured NATO beyond repair. Obama will be in the waning years of his presidency, and looking for a way to connect with the hipster crowd and continue his rise in the world dominated by the Kardashians and Real Housewives fare.
Seacrest, widely regarded as the king of entertainment media these days, complimented Obama for appearing comfortable in the Gap’s women’s wear department. Most men, as Seacrest noted, are uncomfortable any time they venture anywhere near any women’s clothing department, even if they’re just passing through one at Walmart on the way to the sporting goods section. It just feels wrong. To most men, including Seacrest. But not Obama.
Seacrest brought up a sensitive subject: Obama’s penchant for wearing “mom jeans.” Obama vigorously defended his choice of denim wear, stating forcefully that he was “unfairly maligned,” that he “looks sharp,” and that his jeans “fit very well.” Entertainment industry watchers took that as a hint that Obama may move into modeling, and even introduce his own line of skinny jeans at next year’s SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. By then, Obama will have lost Congress and Russia will have swallowed up Eastern Europe and fractured NATO beyond repair. Obama will be in the waning years of his presidency, and looking for a way to connect with the hipster crowd and continue his rise in the world dominated by the Kardashians and Real Housewives fare.
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2006/12/07
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29893
It was 1978 when Charles "C.P." Mirarchi first walked into Resorts International Casino in Atlantic City.
"I was like a kid in a candy store," recalls Mirarchi, a compulsive gambler turned counselor at a Collingswood rehab center.
Mirarchi's story is like many cautionary tales heard at Gamblers Anonymous meetings around the state. He was a successful lawyer and a pillar in his community, but he craved the craps table and the rush of a royal flush.
Mirarchi eventually steered clear of casinos to curb his addiction. But he fears that will be almost impossible for a new generation of gambling addicts in New Jersey, who can now place bets on their cellphones.
"The access scares me," Mirarchi says. "I had a guy come in after a phone call because he was playing poker for four days straight on his phone.
"I told him to throw his phone away."
According to Executive Director Donald Weinbaum, the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling has seen an increased number of calls to its toll-free help line since the state's online gambling law took effect in November.
"We have gotten a mix of calls from people who have relapsed and gotten in trouble by the easy access, and calls from people who are new to gambling and the speed of play," Weinbaum says.
"The round-the-clock access has gotten them into trouble in a rather short period of time."
According to Weinbaum, 70 percent to 80 percent of people in New Jersey gamble, and 2 percent to 5 percent of them — or about 350,000 people — develop addiction problems.
The rate is twice as high for young adults, with 4 percent to 8 percent of them showing signs of compulsive gambling.
Mirarchi predicts the addiction numbers will double with the additional temptations of online play.
"Gambling addiction today is like drugs in the late '60s and early '70s," he contends. And online play caters to a younger crowd.
"It is so easy for a teenager to find out their parents' account information and place a few bets online. That's how it starts."
Organizations such as the Council on Compulsive Gambling, the state lottery and the Department of Human Services are spreading the word that help is available.
"Compulsive gambling, like drug and alcohol addiction, can be successfully treated," said Lynn Kovich, state assistant commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
New Jersey is the third state — after Delaware and Nevada — to authorize Internet gambling. California, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas hope to follow suit.
While the dangers of addiction exist, Republicans and Democrats alike agree the funds from online play could aid New Jersey's ailing casino industry. State Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney has said Internet gaming will be a "crucial boost" to Atlantic City.
"The economic benefits to the region will mean additional revenue, additional jobs, and additional growth," he said in a statement. "It cannot be stressed enough how important it was that New Jersey be ahead of the curve on Internet gaming."
Gov. Chris Christie said he signed the online gaming bill after adding a few safeguards, including increasing funds for programs that treat compulsive gambling.
Christie also bumped up the tax rate on casinos' online winnings from 10 percent to 15 percent.
"I am confident that we are offering a responsible yet exciting option that will make Atlantic City more competitive while also bringing financial benefits to New Jersey as a whole," he said in a statement after signing the bill.
About 2.5 percent of New Jersey gamblers have played online at Atlantic City casino websites since the law took effect Nov. 26, according to the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton College.
The institute predicted those numbers could triple in 2014, according to a poll released Jan. 30.
"These numbers are promising for Atlantic City," said Israel Posner, director of the institute.
"Interest in online gambling is growing and should continue to grow once marketing efforts and promotions take off."
The 16 online sites had total earnings of $10.3 million in February, up slightly from $9.5 million in January.
At that rate, Internet gambling would bring in more than $120 million for the year — far less than the $200 million to $300 million many analysts predicted.
Many casino officials believe smartphones and tablet devices will account for more than 20 percent of the casino's Internet gambling revenue this year, and more than 50 percent within three years.
Tropicana Atlantic City Casino & Resort launched its mobile app, Tropicana.AC, last month. The mobile expansion allows gamblers to play both slots and table games on their iPhone or iPad "at home or on the go."
Officials from Tropicana said players have the ability to limit deposits, spending and session times. Players also can suspend or close their accounts or voluntarily exclude themselves from the site.
Gamblers also can visit the state Division of Gaming Enforcement to enter the self-exclusion program. According to Weinbaum, a one- to five-year exclusion can be submitted online, but a lifetime ban must be done in person.
Online gambling spurs addiction fears
"I was like a kid in a candy store," recalls Mirarchi, a compulsive gambler turned counselor at a Collingswood rehab center.
Mirarchi's story is like many cautionary tales heard at Gamblers Anonymous meetings around the state. He was a successful lawyer and a pillar in his community, but he craved the craps table and the rush of a royal flush.
Mirarchi eventually steered clear of casinos to curb his addiction. But he fears that will be almost impossible for a new generation of gambling addicts in New Jersey, who can now place bets on their cellphones.
"The access scares me," Mirarchi says. "I had a guy come in after a phone call because he was playing poker for four days straight on his phone.
"I told him to throw his phone away."
According to Executive Director Donald Weinbaum, the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling has seen an increased number of calls to its toll-free help line since the state's online gambling law took effect in November.
"We have gotten a mix of calls from people who have relapsed and gotten in trouble by the easy access, and calls from people who are new to gambling and the speed of play," Weinbaum says.
"The round-the-clock access has gotten them into trouble in a rather short period of time."
According to Weinbaum, 70 percent to 80 percent of people in New Jersey gamble, and 2 percent to 5 percent of them — or about 350,000 people — develop addiction problems.
The rate is twice as high for young adults, with 4 percent to 8 percent of them showing signs of compulsive gambling.
Mirarchi predicts the addiction numbers will double with the additional temptations of online play.
"Gambling addiction today is like drugs in the late '60s and early '70s," he contends. And online play caters to a younger crowd.
"It is so easy for a teenager to find out their parents' account information and place a few bets online. That's how it starts."
Organizations such as the Council on Compulsive Gambling, the state lottery and the Department of Human Services are spreading the word that help is available.
"Compulsive gambling, like drug and alcohol addiction, can be successfully treated," said Lynn Kovich, state assistant commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
New Jersey is the third state — after Delaware and Nevada — to authorize Internet gambling. California, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas hope to follow suit.
While the dangers of addiction exist, Republicans and Democrats alike agree the funds from online play could aid New Jersey's ailing casino industry. State Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney has said Internet gaming will be a "crucial boost" to Atlantic City.
"The economic benefits to the region will mean additional revenue, additional jobs, and additional growth," he said in a statement. "It cannot be stressed enough how important it was that New Jersey be ahead of the curve on Internet gaming."
Gov. Chris Christie said he signed the online gaming bill after adding a few safeguards, including increasing funds for programs that treat compulsive gambling.
Christie also bumped up the tax rate on casinos' online winnings from 10 percent to 15 percent.
"I am confident that we are offering a responsible yet exciting option that will make Atlantic City more competitive while also bringing financial benefits to New Jersey as a whole," he said in a statement after signing the bill.
About 2.5 percent of New Jersey gamblers have played online at Atlantic City casino websites since the law took effect Nov. 26, according to the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton College.
The institute predicted those numbers could triple in 2014, according to a poll released Jan. 30.
"These numbers are promising for Atlantic City," said Israel Posner, director of the institute.
"Interest in online gambling is growing and should continue to grow once marketing efforts and promotions take off."
The 16 online sites had total earnings of $10.3 million in February, up slightly from $9.5 million in January.
At that rate, Internet gambling would bring in more than $120 million for the year — far less than the $200 million to $300 million many analysts predicted.
Many casino officials believe smartphones and tablet devices will account for more than 20 percent of the casino's Internet gambling revenue this year, and more than 50 percent within three years.
Tropicana Atlantic City Casino & Resort launched its mobile app, Tropicana.AC, last month. The mobile expansion allows gamblers to play both slots and table games on their iPhone or iPad "at home or on the go."
Officials from Tropicana said players have the ability to limit deposits, spending and session times. Players also can suspend or close their accounts or voluntarily exclude themselves from the site.
Gamblers also can visit the state Division of Gaming Enforcement to enter the self-exclusion program. According to Weinbaum, a one- to five-year exclusion can be submitted online, but a lifetime ban must be done in person.
Online gambling spurs addiction fears
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2006/12/07
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The online gambling industry is worth billions of dollars and is a global business. The investment opportunities abound albeit not without some risk which as those who bought into online gambling operators found out when the USA effectively banned offshore online gambling back in 2006.
Many investors lost major money when America put a halt to internet wagers and those firms operating in the States were shredded. Now however the tide has turned and the USA has opened up its internet wagering market to a select few operators who have met the requirements and are offering their gambling services in the legally sanctioned environments of Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware thus far.
The reopening of one of the largest potential markets for online gambling in the world means there are fresh investment openings and a need for a conference that informs those interested in putting funds into the industry. The upcoming iGaming Investor Conference is a joint venture between iGaming Business, the leading magazine and conference provider in the iGaming sector; and leading investment bank Morgan Stanley.
In 2013, an estimated $35 Billion of private and institutional investment was represented at this event. This shows the appetite for information about the newly developing iGaming industry in the United States, and the thriving iGaming industry represented on the European stock exchanges.
The 2014 event will focus on a number of topics that investors in the sectors should be aware of, including the new regulatory opportunities in the United States, the Politics of iGaming Regulation and the developments in Payment Processing for iGaming – and its effect on the growth and development of the sector.
This year's conference will also give attendees insights directly from the largest suppliers, and operators in the industry through a series of executive-level panels. The iGaming Investor Conference will take place on March 25 2014 at the Morgan Stanley Headquarters, 1585 Broadway, 41st Floor, New York City.
Online Gambling iGaming Investor Conference March 2014 | Online-Casinos-com
Many investors lost major money when America put a halt to internet wagers and those firms operating in the States were shredded. Now however the tide has turned and the USA has opened up its internet wagering market to a select few operators who have met the requirements and are offering their gambling services in the legally sanctioned environments of Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware thus far.
The reopening of one of the largest potential markets for online gambling in the world means there are fresh investment openings and a need for a conference that informs those interested in putting funds into the industry. The upcoming iGaming Investor Conference is a joint venture between iGaming Business, the leading magazine and conference provider in the iGaming sector; and leading investment bank Morgan Stanley.
In 2013, an estimated $35 Billion of private and institutional investment was represented at this event. This shows the appetite for information about the newly developing iGaming industry in the United States, and the thriving iGaming industry represented on the European stock exchanges.
The 2014 event will focus on a number of topics that investors in the sectors should be aware of, including the new regulatory opportunities in the United States, the Politics of iGaming Regulation and the developments in Payment Processing for iGaming – and its effect on the growth and development of the sector.
This year's conference will also give attendees insights directly from the largest suppliers, and operators in the industry through a series of executive-level panels. The iGaming Investor Conference will take place on March 25 2014 at the Morgan Stanley Headquarters, 1585 Broadway, 41st Floor, New York City.
Online Gambling iGaming Investor Conference March 2014 | Online-Casinos-com
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2006/12/07
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It's a mystery, wrapped up in an enigma hidden inside one of Mrs Hudson's cups of tea: what in hell has happened to Sherlock?
Last Saturday's series three premiere (8.30pm, TV One) was an absolute stinker, a monumental bomb, a complete loss of form. And I'm crushed.
In the first two series, Sherlock's creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat had reinvented Conan Doyle's master detective with such panache and wit and style it was like some sort of magic trick. They had honoured the original while almost making Holmes and Watson seem like all their own work. It was a clever confluence of a cool aesthetic, excellent casting - I find it hard to imagine anyone topping Benedict Cumberbatch's insufferably anal reading of Holmes - and the best of modern television's visual gimmickry. I'd have said they'd created a modern television classic.
Well, I would have said all that until last Saturday.
Certainly Gatiss and Moffat had set themselves a pretty problem with The Reichenbach Fall, the stellar final episode of the excellent second series.
After Sherlock's arch rival, the unbelievably arch, arch-criminal Moriarty, had put a bullet in his own head, apparently condemning Watson, Lestrade and Mrs Hudson to death too, Sherlock appeared to jump to his death to save his friends. Only he'd faked it of course, we knew that. But how?
Only Gatiss and Moffat could tell us ... but they seem to have no idea either. Instead we were given two hours of smart-arsery, in-jokes and plot conveniences but no actual plot.
Where previous Sherlock episodes have had a grand central conspiracy, this episode was a series of barely connected set-pieces very loosely held together by an afterthought of a storyline involving - huge yawn - terrorists wanting to blow up Parliament. This is a plot so old it's called the Gunpowder Plot.
The solution to the problem of how Sherlock faked his death was given not one but three possible answers, all of them, including Sherlock's explanation, totally unbelievable.
However, the first indication the episode was in deep trouble was the sudden, early and completely unwelcome appearance of pantomime farce involving Holmes pretending to be a French waiter when he re-appeared to a startled Watson. This was followed by an irritating set piece involving them being thrown out of ever worsening eating establishments as Watson kept hitting or head-butting Sherlock for pretending to be dead and for being such an awful shit.
Then there was the abysmal and half-hearted set piece with Sherlock and his parents (why?). There was also the awful set piece of finding the bomb on the train, which was (oh how hilarious) defused by turning off a big on-off switch. And I won't even mention the oh-so-convenient guy with the video of the bomber on the Underground.
Sadly, too, the performances of the leads - Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Watson - ordered on overplaying last weekend. It gets worse. I can report that in tonight's second episode, "The Sign of Three", which depressingly is even a bigger load of cobblers than the first episode, Cumberbatch and Freeman's performances drift over that border and into awkwardly sentimental. Mind you, to me all of Freeman's recent work seems a repetition of the same acting ticks; it's like Bilbo Baggins is helping Sherlock find a London bomber while Watson is footing it with Smaug.
However, what's more surprising is that in tonight's episode Cumberbatch's Sherlock pretty much apologises for being such an awful shit. It's embarrassing. It also doesn't ring true.
"Bollocks," bellowed Lestrade last Saturday at one version of the solution to how Sherlock faked his death. I knew how he felt.
Last Saturday's series three premiere (8.30pm, TV One) was an absolute stinker, a monumental bomb, a complete loss of form. And I'm crushed.
In the first two series, Sherlock's creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat had reinvented Conan Doyle's master detective with such panache and wit and style it was like some sort of magic trick. They had honoured the original while almost making Holmes and Watson seem like all their own work. It was a clever confluence of a cool aesthetic, excellent casting - I find it hard to imagine anyone topping Benedict Cumberbatch's insufferably anal reading of Holmes - and the best of modern television's visual gimmickry. I'd have said they'd created a modern television classic.
Well, I would have said all that until last Saturday.
Certainly Gatiss and Moffat had set themselves a pretty problem with The Reichenbach Fall, the stellar final episode of the excellent second series.
After Sherlock's arch rival, the unbelievably arch, arch-criminal Moriarty, had put a bullet in his own head, apparently condemning Watson, Lestrade and Mrs Hudson to death too, Sherlock appeared to jump to his death to save his friends. Only he'd faked it of course, we knew that. But how?
Only Gatiss and Moffat could tell us ... but they seem to have no idea either. Instead we were given two hours of smart-arsery, in-jokes and plot conveniences but no actual plot.
Where previous Sherlock episodes have had a grand central conspiracy, this episode was a series of barely connected set-pieces very loosely held together by an afterthought of a storyline involving - huge yawn - terrorists wanting to blow up Parliament. This is a plot so old it's called the Gunpowder Plot.
The solution to the problem of how Sherlock faked his death was given not one but three possible answers, all of them, including Sherlock's explanation, totally unbelievable.
However, the first indication the episode was in deep trouble was the sudden, early and completely unwelcome appearance of pantomime farce involving Holmes pretending to be a French waiter when he re-appeared to a startled Watson. This was followed by an irritating set piece involving them being thrown out of ever worsening eating establishments as Watson kept hitting or head-butting Sherlock for pretending to be dead and for being such an awful shit.
Then there was the abysmal and half-hearted set piece with Sherlock and his parents (why?). There was also the awful set piece of finding the bomb on the train, which was (oh how hilarious) defused by turning off a big on-off switch. And I won't even mention the oh-so-convenient guy with the video of the bomber on the Underground.
Sadly, too, the performances of the leads - Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Watson - ordered on overplaying last weekend. It gets worse. I can report that in tonight's second episode, "The Sign of Three", which depressingly is even a bigger load of cobblers than the first episode, Cumberbatch and Freeman's performances drift over that border and into awkwardly sentimental. Mind you, to me all of Freeman's recent work seems a repetition of the same acting ticks; it's like Bilbo Baggins is helping Sherlock find a London bomber while Watson is footing it with Smaug.
However, what's more surprising is that in tonight's episode Cumberbatch's Sherlock pretty much apologises for being such an awful shit. It's embarrassing. It also doesn't ring true.
"Bollocks," bellowed Lestrade last Saturday at one version of the solution to how Sherlock faked his death. I knew how he felt.
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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
What goes up, must come down. Or, in this case, it must at least start going up more slowly. That’s the story out of New Jersey, where online gambling revenues continue to grow for the state – though not as quickly as they did in the last two months.
Second Month Numbers Up
The raw numbers for New Jersey’s Internet casinos and poker sites were definitely improved in February. All told, the sites brought in a combined $10.3 million, up 8.9 percent from January. That helped offset a 6.2 percent decline in land-based casinos in Atlantic City, which brought in just $199.1 million during the month. Overall, that meant that total revenues were down just 1.5 percent from last year, when online gambling didn’t exist to buoy the numbers somewhat.
Growth of close to 9 percent is certainly not a problem for New Jersey’s fledgling online gambling industry, but it might not be the kind of growth state and casino officials were hoping for after what they saw in January. The first month of the year – the second full month of play on the sites – saw growth of 28 percent in month-over-month revenues compared to last December.
That has led some to wonder if the New Jersey market is starting to plateau, reaching a point where further growth will be slow (if hopefully steady). But for many in the industry who weren’t sure what to expect, the numbers so far have been more than adequate.
“We are delighted with the way it has started,” said Brian Mattingly, CEO of 888 Holdings. “All of us got into a good rhythm and started some good marketing. Overall, I’m delighted with where we’re at.”
Borgata/Boyd Partnership at the Helm
The Borgata Casino once again led the way in the online gambling sector, as their joint venture with Boyd Gaming (which owns about half of the Borgata) and MGM Resorts brought in $4.09 million – just under 40 percent of the entire market. Caesars Entertainment – which partners with 888 Holdings to deliver their online gambling products – came in a strong second, bringing in $3.34 million (about 32 percent of the market). Borgata and Caesars have quickly established themselves as the leaders in the New Jersey market, with all other online sites combined bringing in less revenue than either of their offerings.
“We were particularly encouraged by the performance of Borgata’s online casino site, which achieved month-over-month revenue growth of 36 percent,” said Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith. “Looking ahead, we continue to see significant opportunities for future growth in New Jersey.”
The total number of accounts at New Jersey sites was up significantly as well. As of February 28, there were 248,241 active Internet gambling accounts in the state, though it is not clear how many of those belonged to unique individuals.
While the numbers coming in may be close to what industry analysts expected, they’re far short of what would be needed to meet Governor Chris Christie’s hopes of generating $180 million in tax revenues for the state. The Christie administration has since admitted those numbers were unrealistic, and revised them downward. Recently, the state government said they will no longer make such estimates for online and brick-and-mortar revenues, and instead try to estimate the overall gambling industry instead.
“Given the complex connections between Internet and on-site gaming, we do not bear down the anticipated total collections between the two sources,” said New Jersey Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff in a letter to state Senator Paul Sarlo.
Read more: New Jersey Online Gambling Increases in February, But Growth Slows
Second Month Numbers Up
The raw numbers for New Jersey’s Internet casinos and poker sites were definitely improved in February. All told, the sites brought in a combined $10.3 million, up 8.9 percent from January. That helped offset a 6.2 percent decline in land-based casinos in Atlantic City, which brought in just $199.1 million during the month. Overall, that meant that total revenues were down just 1.5 percent from last year, when online gambling didn’t exist to buoy the numbers somewhat.
Growth of close to 9 percent is certainly not a problem for New Jersey’s fledgling online gambling industry, but it might not be the kind of growth state and casino officials were hoping for after what they saw in January. The first month of the year – the second full month of play on the sites – saw growth of 28 percent in month-over-month revenues compared to last December.
That has led some to wonder if the New Jersey market is starting to plateau, reaching a point where further growth will be slow (if hopefully steady). But for many in the industry who weren’t sure what to expect, the numbers so far have been more than adequate.
“We are delighted with the way it has started,” said Brian Mattingly, CEO of 888 Holdings. “All of us got into a good rhythm and started some good marketing. Overall, I’m delighted with where we’re at.”
Borgata/Boyd Partnership at the Helm
The Borgata Casino once again led the way in the online gambling sector, as their joint venture with Boyd Gaming (which owns about half of the Borgata) and MGM Resorts brought in $4.09 million – just under 40 percent of the entire market. Caesars Entertainment – which partners with 888 Holdings to deliver their online gambling products – came in a strong second, bringing in $3.34 million (about 32 percent of the market). Borgata and Caesars have quickly established themselves as the leaders in the New Jersey market, with all other online sites combined bringing in less revenue than either of their offerings.
“We were particularly encouraged by the performance of Borgata’s online casino site, which achieved month-over-month revenue growth of 36 percent,” said Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith. “Looking ahead, we continue to see significant opportunities for future growth in New Jersey.”
The total number of accounts at New Jersey sites was up significantly as well. As of February 28, there were 248,241 active Internet gambling accounts in the state, though it is not clear how many of those belonged to unique individuals.
While the numbers coming in may be close to what industry analysts expected, they’re far short of what would be needed to meet Governor Chris Christie’s hopes of generating $180 million in tax revenues for the state. The Christie administration has since admitted those numbers were unrealistic, and revised them downward. Recently, the state government said they will no longer make such estimates for online and brick-and-mortar revenues, and instead try to estimate the overall gambling industry instead.
“Given the complex connections between Internet and on-site gaming, we do not bear down the anticipated total collections between the two sources,” said New Jersey Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff in a letter to state Senator Paul Sarlo.
Read more: New Jersey Online Gambling Increases in February, But Growth Slows
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2006/12/07
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Next Games was created by a collection of industry professionals and veterans from well known firms such as Supercell, Rovio, and Disney. The Finnish company has been actively raising capital from institutional, strategic and private investors in an effort to develop new games and strengthen its position in the online gambling market.
The studio has begun by crafting two visually impressive, engaging games, one of which is the recently announced collaboration with AMC Networks Inc. on a mobile game based on the very successful TV drama, The Walking Dead. Next Games’ Series A funding round was co-led by IDG Ventures and the company’s original investor, Jari Ovaskainen, who was also an early investor in Supercell. Joining them is Lowercase Capital, making one of its first ventures into the mobile game sector.
Additional funding has also been provided by Asia based IDG Capital, AMC Networks Ventures LLC, and freshly minted VC firm York Ventures LLC, a recently established early-stage venture vehicle backed the by the Gores brothers, Alec, Tom and Sam; well-known figures in the private equity and entertainment worlds and managed by digital media entrepreneur Peter Levin.
More than a dozen individual financiers, including former Microsoft CMO Mich Mathews, Initial Capital’s Ken Lamb and eOne's President & CEO Darren Throop, backed the start up’s business plan, as well as executives from a handful of venture capital and entertainment media companies.
Joakim Achrén, Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Product Officer, Next Games, commented, “We are prepared to define the next wave of playful innovation. Our plan is to build titles that people will enjoy for years and a dream team of people passionate with the art of making games.” The frim ans confirmed that it has raised a total of $6 million or €4.3 million euro for the development stage.
Next Games Mobile Online Gambling Funding Boost | Online-Casinos-com
The studio has begun by crafting two visually impressive, engaging games, one of which is the recently announced collaboration with AMC Networks Inc. on a mobile game based on the very successful TV drama, The Walking Dead. Next Games’ Series A funding round was co-led by IDG Ventures and the company’s original investor, Jari Ovaskainen, who was also an early investor in Supercell. Joining them is Lowercase Capital, making one of its first ventures into the mobile game sector.
Additional funding has also been provided by Asia based IDG Capital, AMC Networks Ventures LLC, and freshly minted VC firm York Ventures LLC, a recently established early-stage venture vehicle backed the by the Gores brothers, Alec, Tom and Sam; well-known figures in the private equity and entertainment worlds and managed by digital media entrepreneur Peter Levin.
More than a dozen individual financiers, including former Microsoft CMO Mich Mathews, Initial Capital’s Ken Lamb and eOne's President & CEO Darren Throop, backed the start up’s business plan, as well as executives from a handful of venture capital and entertainment media companies.
Joakim Achrén, Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Product Officer, Next Games, commented, “We are prepared to define the next wave of playful innovation. Our plan is to build titles that people will enjoy for years and a dream team of people passionate with the art of making games.” The frim ans confirmed that it has raised a total of $6 million or €4.3 million euro for the development stage.
Next Games Mobile Online Gambling Funding Boost | Online-Casinos-com
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2006/12/07
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Pop star Lady Gaga stunned her father when she told him she was broke after pouring her millions into the stage set for her 2009 Monster's Ball world tour.
The singer says she put her US$3 million savings into the design to give her fans the best live experience - and to impress a very important promoter.
In a new documentary, which debuts on US TV this week, Gaga says: "I was bankrupt during the show. I had $3 million in the bank to my name and I threw it all in to make my stage.
"I remember I went home and I was with my dad, and he said, 'I don't understand, Bad Romance is out, you're all over the radio, everyone is talking about you and you don't have a pot to piss in.'
"I said, 'Just let me do this, let me just put it on the stage because I think if I can do this I think I can get Arthur Fogel's attention'."
Fogel is the Live Nation mastermind who manages U2 and Madonna's tours.
The gamble paid off - Fogel was impressed with Gaga's efforts and signed on to manage her next tour, which raked in more than US$220 million and became one of the most profitable concert treks of all time.
"Everybody said it couldn't happen ... Everybody said he was crazy,'' Gaga recalls, adding: "I remember he called me and he said, 'We wanna do this', and he got Live Nation to write me a $US40 million cheque.
"It changed my life and the life of my whole family."
The singer says she put her US$3 million savings into the design to give her fans the best live experience - and to impress a very important promoter.
In a new documentary, which debuts on US TV this week, Gaga says: "I was bankrupt during the show. I had $3 million in the bank to my name and I threw it all in to make my stage.
"I remember I went home and I was with my dad, and he said, 'I don't understand, Bad Romance is out, you're all over the radio, everyone is talking about you and you don't have a pot to piss in.'
"I said, 'Just let me do this, let me just put it on the stage because I think if I can do this I think I can get Arthur Fogel's attention'."
Fogel is the Live Nation mastermind who manages U2 and Madonna's tours.
The gamble paid off - Fogel was impressed with Gaga's efforts and signed on to manage her next tour, which raked in more than US$220 million and became one of the most profitable concert treks of all time.
"Everybody said it couldn't happen ... Everybody said he was crazy,'' Gaga recalls, adding: "I remember he called me and he said, 'We wanna do this', and he got Live Nation to write me a $US40 million cheque.
"It changed my life and the life of my whole family."
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2006/12/07
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29893
Licensed in Curacao, Blue Gem Gaming is a games platform offering state of the art, 3D casino games including progressive and classic slots, mobile and table games, video poker, keno and scratch cards. Blue Gem Gaming recently purchased Sheriff Gaming which had its gaming license revoked by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission preventing the firm from operating in the UK after Dutch authorities had launched legal proceedings against its parent company Bubble Group NV.
Founded by the development team of the troubled games developer Sheriff Gaming, Blue Gem Gaming launched an independent platform earlier this year to enable the team to continue developing games. A spokesperson for Blue Gem Gaming stated, “We are really excited to be positioning our team at the forefront of 3D game development within the online gaming industry. Over the last few years, we have worked incredibly hard to provide cutting edge games and we want to continue exceeding expectations within this field. The most precious commodity we have is our IP and we want to take this opportunity to let our partners know that we can be relied upon and trusted to work with them to create games that will engage with their players. This includes working closely with customers to help design and implement tailored promotions that will acquire and retain players. We are a small company that has until now remained in the background, however we are a team with a huge appetite for game development and we are very excited about our plans for our future.”
The portfolio of games includes ‘The Amsterdam Masterplan’, Spartania’ and ‘Dr. Magoo’s Adventure’ which will be familiar to many as they were previously available via the Sheriff Gaming platform. The games are being made available in 17 different languages and offer clients a range of business, analytic, marketing and support services.
Online Gambling Developer Blue Gem Gaming Launched | Online-Casinos-com
Founded by the development team of the troubled games developer Sheriff Gaming, Blue Gem Gaming launched an independent platform earlier this year to enable the team to continue developing games. A spokesperson for Blue Gem Gaming stated, “We are really excited to be positioning our team at the forefront of 3D game development within the online gaming industry. Over the last few years, we have worked incredibly hard to provide cutting edge games and we want to continue exceeding expectations within this field. The most precious commodity we have is our IP and we want to take this opportunity to let our partners know that we can be relied upon and trusted to work with them to create games that will engage with their players. This includes working closely with customers to help design and implement tailored promotions that will acquire and retain players. We are a small company that has until now remained in the background, however we are a team with a huge appetite for game development and we are very excited about our plans for our future.”
The portfolio of games includes ‘The Amsterdam Masterplan’, Spartania’ and ‘Dr. Magoo’s Adventure’ which will be familiar to many as they were previously available via the Sheriff Gaming platform. The games are being made available in 17 different languages and offer clients a range of business, analytic, marketing and support services.
Online Gambling Developer Blue Gem Gaming Launched | Online-Casinos-com
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2006/12/07
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The online social gaming firm Playtika from Israel was purchased by Caesar's Interactive Entertainment, the online gambling division of Caesar’s Entertainment. After an initial investment, CIE quickly expanded its share in Playtika, becoming a 51% owner of the company in 2011.
Playtika games are played by more than 5 million people every day in 190 countries according the company. Regulation is not an issue in social gaming, said Elad Kushnir, Vice-President of Business Development at Playtika. “There is no money involved in any of the games we provide, so there is no issue as far as regulators are concerned. Our games are regular online apps that let users accumulate points, get virtual rewards, etc. This is social gaming, not online gambling.”
Playtika’s games work on a “freemium” model, where users play the game for free, and then use real money to buy virtual game currency to upgrade their experience. “Nobody plays our games with the hopes of making money. Instead customers spend money to ‘buy’ an experience,” said Kushnir.
Playtika’s crown jewel is Slotmanian, online video slot machine which was = introduced in 2010, and immediately a big hit with web users. Caesar’s Interactive Entertainment ’s, first web attraction was running an online casino, where web users could bet real money on a variety of casino-style games a lucrative business, but one that by definition is limited, both in terms of the type of users such sites attract, and the regulatory issues that real money gambling sites are subject to.
Playtika helped increase CIE’s 2013 revenues to $316.6 million, up from $207.7 million just a year earlier. As a part of CIE, Playtika has grown from a small operation with a dozen employees in Israel to a 700 employee-strong organization, with offices in California, Canada, Romania, Belarus, and even Beijing. “In four years, we went from nowhere to everywhere,” said Kushnir. Social online gaming is an opportunity for firms such as Caesars Interactive to gain an audience that may eventually migrate to real money online games.
Caesar's Playtika Online Social Gaming Moving Forward | Online-Casinos-com
Playtika games are played by more than 5 million people every day in 190 countries according the company. Regulation is not an issue in social gaming, said Elad Kushnir, Vice-President of Business Development at Playtika. “There is no money involved in any of the games we provide, so there is no issue as far as regulators are concerned. Our games are regular online apps that let users accumulate points, get virtual rewards, etc. This is social gaming, not online gambling.”
Playtika’s games work on a “freemium” model, where users play the game for free, and then use real money to buy virtual game currency to upgrade their experience. “Nobody plays our games with the hopes of making money. Instead customers spend money to ‘buy’ an experience,” said Kushnir.
Playtika’s crown jewel is Slotmanian, online video slot machine which was = introduced in 2010, and immediately a big hit with web users. Caesar’s Interactive Entertainment ’s, first web attraction was running an online casino, where web users could bet real money on a variety of casino-style games a lucrative business, but one that by definition is limited, both in terms of the type of users such sites attract, and the regulatory issues that real money gambling sites are subject to.
Playtika helped increase CIE’s 2013 revenues to $316.6 million, up from $207.7 million just a year earlier. As a part of CIE, Playtika has grown from a small operation with a dozen employees in Israel to a 700 employee-strong organization, with offices in California, Canada, Romania, Belarus, and even Beijing. “In four years, we went from nowhere to everywhere,” said Kushnir. Social online gaming is an opportunity for firms such as Caesars Interactive to gain an audience that may eventually migrate to real money online games.
Caesar's Playtika Online Social Gaming Moving Forward | Online-Casinos-com
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The rocker had been dating the 49-year-old model and designer since 2001, after splitting from his wife Jerry Hall.
Ms Scott was found in an apartment in Manhattan, New York, on Monday morning.
"A 49-year-old female was found this morning at 10.05am at 200 11th Avenue. She was unconscious," a spokeswoman for New York City Police Department said.
"She was pronounced dead on arrival by the emergency medical services. The investigation is ongoing. We are awaiting medical examiners to determine the cause of death."
It is understood that police are treating the death as suicide.
The fashion designer worked with names such as Thierry Mugler and Karl Lagerfield and as a wardrobe consultant on films including Eyes Wide Shut and Ocean's Thirteen.
Scott, originally called Luann Bambrough, changed her named to launch her modelling career in her teens.
She met Sir Mick, 70, when she worked as a stylist on a photo shoot.
Tributes from the fashion and entertainment industries have flooded in, with the British Fashion Council describing her as "an iconic woman who inspired so many".
Ms Scott was found in an apartment in Manhattan, New York, on Monday morning.
"A 49-year-old female was found this morning at 10.05am at 200 11th Avenue. She was unconscious," a spokeswoman for New York City Police Department said.
"She was pronounced dead on arrival by the emergency medical services. The investigation is ongoing. We are awaiting medical examiners to determine the cause of death."
It is understood that police are treating the death as suicide.
The fashion designer worked with names such as Thierry Mugler and Karl Lagerfield and as a wardrobe consultant on films including Eyes Wide Shut and Ocean's Thirteen.
Scott, originally called Luann Bambrough, changed her named to launch her modelling career in her teens.
She met Sir Mick, 70, when she worked as a stylist on a photo shoot.
Tributes from the fashion and entertainment industries have flooded in, with the British Fashion Council describing her as "an iconic woman who inspired so many".
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
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As reported in the Herald yesterday, the state Gaming Commission is moving fast to plan for online betting after the casino licenses are awarded. It’s a move both Attorney General Coakley and Baker slammed.
“Martha is not in favor of Internet gaming or Internet Lottery sales in Massachusetts,” Coakley campaign manager Tim Foley said of the Democrat. “She believes the convenience of gaming online combined with the use of credit cards to finance playing is a recipe for disaster.”
Baker spokesman Tim Buckley said the Republican “opposes online gambling and believes that instead of seeking new ways to generate revenue, lawmakers should find ways to invest existing resources more efficiently.”
State Treasurer Grossman, a Democrat, said he supports exploring online gaming as a way to keep the Lottery relevant as players migrate to the Internet, but he opposes allowing players to use credit cards to play online. Instead, he said, players should only be able to buy cards with a preset amount at existing Lottery retailers.
“I would advise a go-slow, careful, thoughtful approach, and if I was governor next year and a bill came in front of me and it said the only way this works is we allow credit cards online, I would veto that bill,” Grossman said.
Democratic candidates Don Berwick, Joe Avellone and Evan Falchuk oppose online gaming. Juliette Kayyem’s campaign said she wants to move slowly.
Gov candidates at odds over Internet gaming | Boston Herald