Let your mouth speak archive

Online casino in the US - GamingZion
American gambling laws can be far from black and white. All laws are open to interpretation. Moreover, lawmakers don’t dream up every contingency. Usually someone needs to be caught doing something dubious before someone decides to pass a law against it.

This is the case regarding new hybrid casinos, which combine elements of both traditional casinos and online gambling. Dubbed “internet sweepstakes cafes”, they also combine one other vital ingredient: online access, as a consumer might purchase at any internet cafe.

Internet sweepstakes cafes are similar to other internet cafes. Customers pay explicitly to get online, either by the minute or by utilizing pre-paid cards. What they do with the internet access is actually up to the customer.

However, customers going to the internet sweepstakes café aren’t usually going to check their e-mail or read the news. Instead, they are going to affiliated websites where they can play blackjack, slots, and other internet casino games.

Herein lays the loophole. According to the operators and their lawyers, customers are paying for internet access, not to wager. Thus, no gambling laws are being broken. These sweepstakes cafes are protected by the same laws which allow Publisher’s Clearinghouse to offer consumers the chance of winning vast sums when they subscribe to magazines.

Government and law enforcement officials in several states, including Ohio, Virginia, Florida, and North Carolina, see things differently. These cafes are being strategically located within economically downtrodden communities, adjacent to check-cashing locations and pawn shops. Customers are clearly being enabled and even encouraged to play games of chance during the duration of their visit.

Whereas a typical sweepstake offers customers a longshot in exchange for some contact information, these alleged gamblers are encouraged to spend money so they can play well established games of chance. After paying, the patrons have an experience which is virtually indistinguishable from that which they would have if they engaged in direct commerce with an online casino in the US.

While it is difficult to argue with the government position, this neglects the ultimate truth than adult should be free to spend his or her money as he or she likes. That said, no information is available at this time whether teens or children are visiting or making use of these establishments.

Two months after a Los Angeles jury listened to testimonies in the Anna Nicole Smith case, they finally reached a decision today after almost two weeks of deliberations. Smith’s former lover, Howard K. Stern and her psychiatrist Kristine Eroshevich were convicted on multiple counts of wrongly providing Smith with prescription drugs that eventually caused her death.

The model/actress died from a drug overdose back in 2007 after she ingested a deadly mix of at least 9 different medications including the painkiller Vicodin. Smith suffered from a condition which caused her chronic pain, which in turn led to her addiction but the problem was that she was receiving these and other drugs freely without supervision.

The NY Daily News claimed that the Smith was a drug addict who simply connected with people who she knew would provide her with prescription drugs such as Dilaudid, Demarol, Vicodin , Methadone, Ambien, Xanax and Valium. Good going, the prosecution were able to pin point the general behavior of a drug addict….

Funny enough, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, the doctor that wrote many of the prescriptions for Smith was acquitted of all charges. According to the NY Daily News, Dr. Kapoor had this to say after the verdict was delivered, “This is not just a victory for me, but for patients everywhere who suffer chronic pain.”

Stern and Eroshevich will be sentenced in January 2011 and face up to 3 or more years in prison. I guess it's all fun and games until someone OD's.

:dirol

It's Payback Time 😄

As if Google employees don’t get enough perks, they are now being offered the option of having their own personal gofer, take care of all of those pesky menial tasks that they don’t have time to complete during a regular work week. I mean we’re talking laundry, walking Sparky, making dinner or even pick up that embarrassing medication you can’t seem to face up to, etc. Life just isn’t fair….

Google has decided to add the service offered by an online company called TaskRabbit, where they will run any errand you can think of for a price. According to Gawker, this perk was added in order to improve their productivity and quality of life but what type of job doesn’t give you time to take care of menial tasks? Probably one that makes you work between 70 to 80 hours maybe?

For those that don’t have high profile jobs or are unemployed, Task Rabbit has been providing ready and willing individuals with an eagerness to please a way to make some quick cash. While the service is only offered in San Francisco and Boston, the plan is to expand to other major cities and run with the idea of offering busy or lazy people around the country with their own personal gofer.

Its no secret that Google employees are treated well and while they make work long hours, having your laundry nicely folded and put away and having a nice dinner waiting for you when you get home sounds heavenly.

I hear Google gives their employees free meals and naps. They are spoiling those guys. Wish I worked there. X

For the past couple of years, lawmakers opposed to online gambling have pointed to the dangers associated with the leisure activity of playing online poker. Earlier this year, these lawmakers worst fears were realized, only the woman was not gambling online, she was playing legal online games.

Alexandra Tobias, a twenty-two year old mother, was accused of killing her three month old son back in January after the baby's continual crying interrupted Tobias' game of FarmVille on Facebook. The woman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, and now faces life in prison.

"This tragedy is an example of how the government should not be micro-managing the online gambling issue," said Gaming Analyst Steve Schwartz. "It is impossible to control the actions of every American, and Tobias' actions show that tragedy can come from all areas of the Internet, not just online gambling."

Safeguards are put in place for the popular games on Facebook, much like they would be for Internet gambling sites. Unfortunately, millions of people in the US are currently playing online poker with no safeguards due to the government's insistence on prohibition of the online gambling industry. Offshore companies are free to treat US customers however they feel fit.

During the incident with Tobias and her child, the baby had started crying. Tobias then stopped her FarmVille game and shook the baby. When she turned back around, the baby started to cry again, so Tobias shook the baby some more. This time, however, the baby hit his head, and died shortly after.

Representative Barney Frank has been lobbying for changes to the online gambling laws in the US to prevent these types of tragedies. Frank has proposed legislation that would put safeguards in place to ensure responsible online gaming, with time and monetary limits on play. Gambling addiction is also tackled in the Frank legislation.

Psychologist Ronnie Burak admits that it is not just online gambling where people can develop addictions.

"Anything can be an addiction, absolutely anything," said Burak, a Jacksonville Beach Clinical Psychologist, as reported by The Florida Times-Union. "If it literally takes over your life and interferes with your ability to carry on, and you can't take care of responsibilities in the rest of your life, then it has taken you over."

This Halloween weekend will be of the most celebrated weekends of the year and especially in Las Vegas. The freaks will come out of the woodwork along with a long list of celebrities who will be prancing around Las Vegas in their favorite Halloween garb. So if you’re into star gazing then Las Vegas is the place to be this weekend.

Starting today, there will be hopping parties with several scheduled celebrity appearances. According to the Las Vegas Sun, party goers can expect to see Ryan Kwanten, Sookie’s brother from True Blood, at Tao Las Vegas tonight followed by LMFAO tomorrow. You can also expect to see Marilyn Manson at MGM City Center’s Haze tomorrow. Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is at Jet in the Mirage followed by Snooki tomorrow.

Apart from these and many other celebrities gracing Las Vegas with their presence, there will be parties galore going on throughout the city including the 15th Annual Fetish and Fantasy Halloween Ball which apparently is one of the most famous Halloween festivities in the world according to the Travel Channel.

The way I see it, after a few drinks any Halloween party could be pretty fun but for an utterly unique experience and complete sensory overload Vegas is where you need to be this weekend.

Charlie Sheen, who makes a hideous amount of money starring in a cute sitcom about helping to raise his (now teenaged) nephew, is most likely going to be sued by the high-end hooker slash porn star he scared the crap out of when he went on his hotel-trashing rampage.

Capri Anderson, whose real name is Christina Walsh, claims that she felt her life was in danger when Sheen accused her of stealing his crazy expensive watch, and she also felt like she was being held in the room against her will when she locked herself in the bathroom while Sheen went ballistic in the room at the famous Plaza Hotel in New York.

Anderson also claims Charlie threatened her, though she made no mention of this to the police initially. Actually, this is most likely the best thing to have happened to Anderson, career-wise. Since the Sheen drama went down, Anderson's porn career has blown (pardon the pun) up. She has been getting offers right, left and center.

Before going back to the hotel room with Sheen, Anderson enjoyed a meal with Charlie and some friends (including Denise Richards, briefly) and apparently, at one point Radaronline reports that Sheen convinced her to go to the bathroom with him. When they got into the bathroom he started snorting cocaine and undressed.

A source told Radar, “Charlie wanted to have sex with Capri and tried but she stopped him and demanded her $12,000. He didn’t have the money on him so she left him in the bathroom!”

“When (his assistant went to get him), there was Charlie standing there naked with cocaine all over his face! He was delusional and just completely lost. Totally out of it.”

:dirol

Nominees from both the Republican and Democrat parties in Nevada debated their positions and ideas for the mid term US Congress elections coming up on November 1st . Included in this debate is the hot topic of online gambling. Opponents Rory Reid and Bran Sandoval had a televised debate and both agreed fully on one fact, “Nevada should fully exploit online gambling”. They both stated that this should happen if Congress passes the current HR2267 proposal that Congressman Barney Franks has introduced to the House floor.

The Associated Press said that both parties debated over the fact that Nevada should be the driving force in taking advantage of all the revenue that has been untapped in the gaming sector and become the dominant force in online gambling if and when it becomes legalized in the US. Sandoval who used to be the chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, said he has always felt that if the government legalizes online gambling that Nevada should be the leader in the new unfound market. Mr. Reid also agreed that online poker produces millions of dollars every year and Nevada has been missing out on all that extra income. Both parties will be watching the developments in the House and Barney Frank’s proposal. If it becomes legal and regulated in the US, Reid says he will advocate for the government to create a regulatory structure that they can take advantage of. Updates will be forthright when warranted.

:dirol

On what is the second lawsuit this year, the Black Eyed Peas are being sued by Texas songwriter Bryan Pringle, who claims the group plagiarized his song called "Take a Dive," which he claims they based their smash hit "I Gotta Feeling" on.

Pringle says his song was copyrighted back in 1998 and submitted a demo to the Black Eyed Peas label, Interscope Records, as well as UMG Recordings and EMI. He was not signed by any label, though music execs did claim they received his demo.

Back in January, the Black Eyed Peas faced a similar lawsuit, which has recently be refiled in a Los Angles federal court, alleging that the band stole the song "Boom Dynamite" from musician Phoenix Phenom. She claims the rhythm and lyrics from "Boom Dynamite" are strikingly similar to the Black Eyed Peas hit "Boom Boom Pow." The song was also submitted to Interscope Records, only a year before the single was released.

Both cases are being handled by the same law firm, with Ira Gould, the lawyer for both plaintiffs, saying, "A simple listening of the two songs will tell you that the songs are substantially similar, and that the hooks of the two songs are virtually identical in rhythm and lyrics."

The suits allege UMG Recordings, Interscope Records and the Black Eyed Peas themselves engaged in "a pattern and practice of intentional copyright infringement with respect to the unlawful copying of songs of unknown or lesser-known artists."

The election this week in Alabama is about choosing the next governor of the state, but it is also about the future of gambling in Alabama. That is why gambling interests have spent millions of dollars leading up to the election.

At stake is the future of a gambling industry that has been a large contributor to Alabama, both financially and through job creation. This past year, Governor Robert Riley has ripped through the foundation of the gambling industry with his Task Force on Illegal Gambling.

Along the way in his crusade to clear Alabama of gambling, Riley and the Task Force has put thousands of people out of work. That has led to a Democratic candidate for governor, Ron Sparks, to openly campaign for regulations within the gambling industry, mainly electronic bingo machines. Sparks would also like to create a state lottery in Alabama.

Gambling interests have jumped on board, donating around $5.6 million already during the 2010 campaign season. A Birmingham News analysis also contends that $1.5 million has been spent in the past three months alone. The money has come directly from some groups, while other have contributed through over 100 political action committees.

Two of the major gambling establishment owners have recently been indicted on charges that they paid for votes on a gambling bill that went sour this past session. Senators were also charged for their part in the pay for votes scheme.

While the issue has become touchy since the indictment, Sparks has reiterated his desire to regulate gambling in Alabama. His opponent, Republican Robert Bentley, is against gambling expansion in the state.

The future of the Task Force also rides on this week's election. If Sparks wins, it would be one of his first orders of business to dissolve the Task Force. Bentley has not commented on whether the Task Force would continue under his leadership.

HONG KONG: Macau’s casino revenues rose nearly 50% to a record high of 18.869 billion patacas (US$2.37bil) in October from a year earlier, putting it on track to beat full-year expectations.

For the past few years, strong double-digit casino revenue growth in tiny Macau, the world’s largest gambling market, has boosted the earnings of the enclave’s casino operators including Las Vegas Sands and Galaxy Entertainment Group, which reported strong earnings last week.

Aaron Fischer, CLSA’s head of Asian gaming research, said casino stocks such as Melco Crown, Sands China and Wynn Macau would soar on the news.

He said he could revise up his full-year revenue estimate, based on the October number, which beat the previous record 17.1 billion patacas set in May, according to data from Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau yesterday.

“There’s a general level of optimism in China that’s translated into an appetite for gaming,” Fischer said, adding that this was due in part to the strong property and equity markets.

“At the same time, the individual operators are more willing to extend credit, so people are more willing to play.”

October was also a seasonally strong month because of the Golden Week holiday, a typically high travel period for the mainland Chinese gamblers, who flock to Macau because it was the only place in China where casino gambling is legal.

Casinos and junket operators middlemen who bring wealthy clients to Macau’s gambling halls are offering better credit terms to attract high-rollers, who make up two-thirds of Macau’s market.

Fischer had expected gambling revenue in Macau to rise 39% this year from a year earlier.

Macau’s six casino operators include US giants Sands and Wynn Resorts, along with home-grown players Galaxy and SJM Holdings and joint ventures Melco Crown and a casino jointly operated by MGM Mirage.

:thumbsup

Election day 2010 finally arrives on Tuesday, and that is bad news for online gamblers who were hoping that Internet gambling regulations would be passed in Congress. With control of the House likely to change, online gambling regulations may be dead for the foreseeable future.

The Democratic-led House has had two years to try and overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. The ill-advised law was put in place by a largely Republican Congress, and if Republicans win back control of the House, it is unlikely they will repeal their own law.

Representative Barney Frank and his allies in the House Financial Services Committee have spent most of the past two years dealing with the floundering economy in the US. The attention to the economy has caused Frank to neglect his online gambling legislation.

The Democrats have had the opportunity to tie the Internet gambling law to another bill, much like the Republicans did back in 2006 to create the UIGEA, but as of yet that has not been done. There is a small chance that the Democrats push through the law in the lame-duck session before the end of the year.

The good news for online gamblers is that individual states have began to explore the possibility of online gambling regulations, specifically for the game of poker. State lawmakers in California, Florida, and New Jersey are poised to beat the federal government to the online gaming market.

Voter turnout is expected to be much less than two years ago when President Obama won office. The low turnout will hurt the online gambling industry, with Republicans expected to turn out in much bigger numbers on election day.

Hope still exists that some of the poll research has been off, and that the Democrats will keep power in the House. The more likely scenario has online gamblers spending the next couple of years the same way they have spent the last decade, playing online at sites that are not regulated by the government.

Zach Galifianakis, the bearded funnyman from the hit movie, The Hangover, wanted to send a message to the American public concerning his feelings about the legalization of marijuana after lighting up a joint on HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher.

Galifianakis chatted with Maher on the show about Proposition 19, which would legalize and tax the use of marijuana related activities in the state of California. According to the Daily Mail, Galifianakis had this to say about the issue, “It’s a tricky thing politically to jump on that bandwagon ’cause I think that maybe people see it as taboo still.” After making this statement, he reached for his pocket and pulled out a joint which he then proceeded to light up. He then passed on the joint to his fellow guest star, Margaret Hoover – a conservative anchor – who then confirmed the joint was actually marijuana.

His aim was to let the American public know that the use of marijuana isn’t as controversial as it’s made out to be hence the smoking of the joint during the majority of the show. He expressed his views in light of the upcoming congressional elections starting tomorrow November 2nd.

While the odds of the proposition being passed are slim, it was fun to watch Zach Galifianakis make television history.

Let's not kid ourselves, the results of the mid-term elections today are all about the economy and not about online gambling. However, the regulation of the US online gambling industry will be heavily affected whatever the result.

The future of Barney Frank's HR 2267 bill, which strives to reverse the contentious Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), will be caught up in the aftermath of the elections.
The Balance of Power

The bill is more likely to progress in a House of Representatives with a Democratic majority. Election predictions however, have the Republicans clawing back a majority which could make it harder for the bill to get through.

Gaming Analyst Steve Schwartz commented, "The only chance that the online gambling laws change in the next couple of years is if it happens during a lame duck session in Congress. A Republican-lead House will not overturn the work of a former Republican Congress."
Persuading the 'Undecided'

But what if the bill does surface for discussion? Although some politicians have come down on one side of the fence or the other, plenty of others are still undecided.

Any future debate would not only cover the social pros and cons of regulating online gambling but would also focus on the$42 billion USD in tax revenues that are predicted from a regulated online gaming industry over the next 10 years. With government coffers in dire need replenishment the vote may ultimately hinge on financial and not social considerations, and the 'undecided' could just swing the vote.
The Road Ahead

If the Republicans make the predicted gains during the mid term elections the road to a regulated online gambling industry will get rocky ahead. However, there is still a window of opportunity for the bill to be read during the lame-duck session and even to be attached to wider legislation that is more likely to push through a positive vote.

The industry is waiting with baited breath: a House with a Democrat majority is their dream result but if the results swing the other way there are still viable although harder options for Frank's pro gambling bill.

Online sports betting and poker company, Betfair, have upped the ante in their battle against the British Horseracing Authority, claiming they are prepared to move their operations out of the UK. The dispute centres on the amount of horse racing levy that the BHA are imposing on the company. Speaking on Sunday, David Yu, Betfair’s chief executive, said he was, “happy to be licensed and to pay sensible tax, but if we don’t see movement we’d have to consider what’s right for the business over the long term.”

The company have already made plans to follow the likes of William Hill and Ladbrokes and move to the Isle of Man where the taxes on gambling companies are much lower. Betfair not only believes that the taxes currently taken are too high, but that Betfair are being unfairly singled out by the BHA because of their resistance to the laws.

Betfair are now listed on the London Stock Exchange are one of the country’s biggest online gambling operations and to lose them from the economy would be a major blow. As yet no decisions have been made by the company, but all the signs seem to point towards a departure from the UK in the near future.

:dirol

Eighteen-year-old Disney star Demi Lovato was on the international leg of her tour with the Jonas Brothers when she decided to check herself into rehab.

Best known for her role in Camp Rock, a Disney musical television show, Lovato is now starring alongside the Jonas Brothers on the "Camp Rock 2″ tour, this week in South America.

Lovato had been dating Joe Jonas but the pair broke up in May and in a twist sure to bring the drama levals to an all-time high, Jonas' new girlfriend, Ashley Greene has been touring with them.

Lovato, who has a history of eating disorders and cutting, had recently been linked to teen sensation Justin Beiber.

Her rep told TMZ, "Demi Lovato left her tour early this weekend in order to seek medical treatment for emotional and physical issues she has dealt with for some time. Demi has decided to take personal responsibility for her actions and seek help. She is doing just that."

The rep concludes, "[Demi] regrets not being able to finish her tour, but is looking forward to getting back to work in the near future."

Reportedly, Demi is not seeking treatment for drug use, but that a physical altercation with another woman on her tour was the catalyst for Lovato to go and seek help. Could a cat fight with Ashley Greene been the cause? A couple days ago, Lovato deleted her Twitter account so fans will no longer be updated on her status.

With the mid term elections taking place today, speculation is rife that Americans will cast a protest vote against an incumbent President Obama. This will result in the Republicans forming a majority within the House of Representatives and may have drastic implications for the online gambling industry.
Pending Online Gambling Legislation

If the Democrats somehow salvage the election and gain more votes than predicted it is generally felt that the online gambling legislations currently in the pipeline will come to fruition and the industry will finally achieve legal status.

The Republicans, however, who generally view gambling as a social pariah, are likely to put the pending regulation of the online gambling industry on ice if they gain the upper hand on November 2.

It should be recognized too that the issue of the legalization of online gambling does not have a simple split between parties; although Democrats tend to be pro gambling there is support within the Republican Party too. Generally though, it is liberals who have put their support behind the pro gambling lobby.
Overturning the UIGEA

Barney Frank has been spearheading the legislative drive to overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) but the future of his bill is dependent on adequate support within the House of Representatives.

Frank's HR 2267 bill proposes a regulatory framework for the online gambling industry that would not only put customer safeguards in place but is also projected to raise $42 billion USD in tax revenues over the next 10 years.

Not only does the US economy sorely need an injection of income but US gamblers and operators are desperate to end the restrictions inflicted by the UIGEA.

All eyes are therefore on the mid term election results which will seal the short term fate of the online gambling industry.

You don't need a high school diploma to pose in your birthday suit for Playgirl magazine, but you probably need one to become the next mayor of Wasilla, Alaska in 2011.

Levi Johnston has finally decided on a platform for his 2011 mayoral bid, thanks to the cackling hyenas over at The View, who had ridiculed him for not having one. Johnston will apparently take a stand, promising that if elected, he'll score "better schools, less crime and more jobs for citizens of Wasilla and neighboring Palmer."

TMZ is reporting that Levi has actually been out and about in Wasilla, talking to citizens to get ideas on how he can best serve the community. No word on if anyone answered, "take off your clothes."

Meanwhile, his nemesis Sarah Palin is gloating. Now a power shift is coming to Washington with Palin playing a pivital role in the midterm elections – helping Republicans to take control of the House of Representatives - though the Dems were able to hold onto the Senate. If you're sick of gridlock in Washington, with a split between the House and the Senate, it may just get worse.

Campaigning hard for Republican women, she dubbed her "Mama Grizzlies" Palin is paving the way for her own 2012 presidential bid. Palin, who had previously been reluctant to make any statements about a possible presidential bid, finally admitted that she'd be open to it, "If there's nobody else to do it."

Johnston has made it clear that he thinks his baby mama's mama is not even close to being ready to take job, telling TMZ that it "makes no sense because someone always runs for President" … adding, "[Sarah] wouldn't go through with a campaign even if she was nominated."

President Obama spoke on Wednesday, one day after his Democratic Party was beaten in many key elections around the country. President Obama himself described the Republican victory as a shellacking. The results from Tuesday will have far reaching implications over the next couple of years.

Online gamblers had been hopeful two years ago when the Democrats won a majority in all three chambers of government, that Internet gambling regulations would be in the plans. Over the past year and a half, however, Democrats have neglected the gaming legislation.

Now, unless the Democrats, specifically Representative Barney Frank, do not move along the online gambling regulations in the lame-duck session, they likely will not happen for another two years at least.

The new, Republican-led House will be less receptive to Frank's proposals. Although the issue has drawn some bi-partisan support, it is not likely to be enough to have any legislation passed. That is bad news for millions of online poker players.

"It's really sad that my friends and I are going to have to continue to play online poker at sites where we are not protected by our government," said William Bass. "At this point, I blame the Democrats and Barney Frank. They had their chance to change the laws, and they didn't do it. At some point we are going to have to hold these politicians responsible for not hearing our voices."

The president has even a tougher job ahead of him for the next two years. President Obama must continue to try and push his legislative agenda, but will be blocked on most issue by the House. There is a strong chance that a gridlock takes place in both chambers.

Obama, worried about a possible gridlock, has again reached out to Republicans and Democrats to work together in the coming months.