Let your mouth speak archive

Millions of online gamblers across the US will watch patiently over the next couple of weeks as the lawmakers in Washington take one final stab at making changes to US laws in 2010. The lame-duck session began in Congress on Monday, giving online poker players one final hope.

The current laws in the US regarding online gambling are largely a product of a lame-duck session back in 2006. A Republican majority Congress pushed through the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act on the heels of a border protection bill. It was a shady way to get the law passed, but not a tactic that has not been used before.

Now, Democrats in the House and Senate can return the favor if they can push through Representative Barney Frank's online gambling legislation in the final months of their majority. Republicans will gain control of the House in the new year.

If no legislation is passed, an online gambling regulation bill would likely have to be initiated by the Senate in 2011. In the first day of the lame-duck session Monday, the buzz surrounding Washington was more about tax cuts and new leadership positions for the new year.

As the week wears on, outgoing legislators may start to push bills that will not see the light of day in 2011. While Rep. Frank is not part of the outgoing group, he has been around long enough to understand that it will be nearly impossible for his bill to succeed once the Republicans gain the majority in the House in January.

Frank has commented in recent months that he does not think the legislation will be passed in 2010, but a last minute change of heart is always a possibility. If Frank can find a jobs bill that will be voted on in the next month, he may try to attach the online gambling legislation.

Online poker players will become the biggest losers if the current laws do not change. Online players are now, by the millions, flocking to foreign-based websites to play poker. These sites are not regulated or licensed by the US, leaving these millions of US residents at the mercy of the foreign companies.

TV Works, the owner of television channels TV3 and C4, is considering appealing against a High Court decision which found the company was wrong to screen advertisements for poker tournaments on the channels.

The Department of Internal Affairs has won a High Court appeal against a District Court decision which had ruled in favour of TV Works -- that tournament poker was not gambling as defined in the Gambling Act 2003.

TV Works had argued that participants were playing for a prize and not gambling.

Internal Affairs appealed after the District Court ruled that advertising for the Asian Pacific Poker Tour was not promoting gambling.

Justice Ron Young, in a decision released today, overturned the District Court decision.

The tournament entrance fee was indirectly staked on the outcome of the poker game, trying to win money in a game depending partially on chance - the definition of gambling, Justice Young said.

"What is advertised is still gambling even if not all contests are gambling."

The case has been referred back to the District Court for further consideration.

TV Works spokesman Roger Beaumont said the company was very surprised by the decision and would consider an appeal.

Justice Young said the legislation was far from clear and he had sympathy for the position TV Works found itself in.

"Whether any penalty should be imposed in the District Court in view of these circumstances will be a matter for the judge if the charges are found proved," Justice Young said.

Internal Affairs director of gambling compliance Mike Hill has welcomed the decision.

"If the earlier decision had remained unchallenged, there would have been a loophole in regulating poker in New Zealand."

The head of the casino industry's top trade group says things haven't changed much in commercial gambling the past year, with consumer spending still down because of the recession.

Frank Fahrenkopf of the American Gaming Association said Tuesday that third-quarter gambling revenue in commercial U.S. casinos rose 1.3 percent, to just over $8 billion.

That's about $100 million more than casinos took in during last year's third quarter, and Fahrenkopf says revenues have been almost flat like that all year.

Companies that have a strong foothold in Asia have fared better than those that don't. The Chinese enclave of Macau is the world's top gambling market.

Fahrenkopf spoke at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.

We’re sure that they’ve heard it all before, Hookers for Jesus, buhahaha! While the name of the organization may sound a bit comical to say the least, Hookers for Jesus is actually a real organization that sets out to rescue women from the sex industry mainly in Sin City. The organization is currently being featured in the Discovery Channel’s new show Hookers: Saved on the Strip and will aire on Wednesday, December 8th at 10pm on Investigation Discovery.

The woman behind Hookers for Jesus was actually a hooker herself at one point in time who worked the streets of Vegas for almost a decade and managed to survive a drug overdose, violent beatings from her pimps among other things. She is Annie Lobert, and she is also responsible for creating the Destiny House which she founded together with her pastor to give women a chance to have a fresh start. Annie also works together with her husband Oz Fox, the lead guitarist of Stryper, who is also featured on the show and works with Annie to help save some of these girls and somehow make time for a life of their own.

The show follows any and three women who are staying at the Destiny House and how Annie helps each one of them get their life together. While many of you were probably expecting many Jerry Springer type moments, I think this show may be free of the drama but introduces some harsh realities.

After a whopping 9-year courtship, Prince William and Kate Middleton are tying the knot. The couple, who were once an on-again-off-again type with two major splits, have been solid pair lately raising speculation that an impending engagement is in the works. And it was. In October.

The couple were in Kenya last month when William popped the question. William asked Middleton's father for her hand first, before asking Kate for her hand. They have been living together for two years, which is unheard of within the royal family.

Her mother a flight attendant and her father a business man, even though her parents are self-made millionaires, Kate's family are considered "commoners," not aristocrats.

"The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton," the statement from Clarence House read.

The two met while students together at St. Andrews University in Scotland. They have been dating very publicly since 2003, and Kate has been the victim of much harassment from the paparazzi, prompting her to lodge a complaint of media harassment.

Their 2011 spring or summer wedding will be the largest Royal event since William's parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married on July 29, 1981. The couple plans to live in north Wales, where Prince William will continue his service in the Royal Air Force.

When Kate becomes a princess, she will be referred to as "Lady Catherine." Across the pond, the British have referred to Middleton as "Waity Katie," in reference to her long courtship with William.

Yes, Macau is a hot gambling spot. Las Vegas Sands has a Casino there and the stock has doubled this year because of it. Casinos with only domestic exposure have not done so well, but it looks like Las Vegas has bottomed out and may show some improvement going forward.

Illinois lawmakers are taking a new look at expanded gambling as a way to reduce the state's massive budget deficit.

Lawmakers have talked for years about adding new casinos or putting slot machines at racetracks, but the proposals have always fallen apart. They're getting more serious attention now, with the state facing a roughly $15 billion deficit.

The plan under discussion would add five new casinos -- one in Chicago and four others around the state. Existing casinos would be allowed to expand. Six horse racing tracks would be given permission to install slot machines.

Backers hope this would generate about $1 billion a year, but critics say it would mean more gambling addiction and social problems.

For months, many American states been exploring the option of legalizing online gambling to aid its recovery from the global recession. It has been a long time coming, but New Jersey has finally become the first state to pass an online gambling legislation.

Bill S490, drafted by Senator Ray Lesniak, would see the establishment of a regulatory body that would oversee all online gambling activities in the state. The bill was granted approval by the Senate Budget Committee on Monday, and must now move on to the Assembly and State Senate.

The bill circumvents the current online gambling ban, the UIGEA. Since New Jersey is keeping all online gambling activities within state borders, federal law cannot punish those taking part in the activity.

“The revenues generated and jobs created are now going offshore to international gaming operators,” says Lesniak. “S 490 will redirect those revenues to our casinos in Atlantic City”.

If the legislation is passed, the state of New Jersey would obtain 20% of all revenue from the online gambling companies that are permitted to operate in the market. Estimates predict that the new legislation would contribute $50 million to New Jersey each year.

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She was the girl who fulfilled the childhood dream of one day getting married in a big Parisian castle with the prince she calls Tony Parker. After two years of the fairytale marriage, Tony and Eva Longoria are filing for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences.” What’s interesting about his separation is that Eva although a successful woman is requesting spousal support. What did you do Tony?

According to TMZ both couples signed prenups which means that they both get to keep their cash intact but the mystery lies in Eva’s desire for the spousal support. As the rumor mill goes round and round, you can expect to hear some stories which according to People Magazine claim that the couple are dealing with infidelity issues on behalf of Tony Parker which would explain Eva’s special request for a little spousal cash.

It all seemed to be going so well for the two of them. Up until recently, the couple celebrated their anniversary with a lavish vacation and cruise which would lead anyone to think that the couple were doing well. A breaking report from People Magazine mentioned that Eva found hundreds of text messages from the wife of one of Tony’s teammates. Ouch!

They also mentioned how he had previously cheated on Eva with this woman but the couple seemed to have worked things out. Tony has been keeping in touch with her via text and Facebook Eva told Mario Lopez of Extra.

So there it is guys, the darling, the basketball player and the teammate’s wife all wrapped up in one very big mess.

Controversy has been surrounding Australia’s bid to censor online gambling in that nation and now with the election of aright wing conservative it looks as if that particular event will come to pass. A delay is expected in it’s full implementation but in the meantime the government has decided to give Internet Service Providers an incentive package totaling $ 8 million to get customers to voluntarily block certain content including online gambling on their computers.
Labor’s controversial mandatory internet filtering plan could be delayed until 2013, when the next federal election comes around. Labor was planning on mandatory ISP censorship of content considered inappropriate from the internet. Incoming government briefs from the Department of Broadband revealed that legislation to support the filtering plan could be introduced only six years after it was first proposed to legislators.
The government has said mandatory filtering laws will be proposed once a review of the Refused Classification category is completed by the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG). The Australian Communications and Media Authority will receive $400,000 per annum for oversight and review of the RC content list -- the secret blacklist ISPs will use as part of the mandatory filtering program
Department documents were quoted as saying, "SCAG will consider whether to proceed with the review at its (next) meeting and, if they decide to proceed, they will consider the scope and methodology for the review in March 2011," "It may then take SCAG a number of meetings before it reaches consensus on any recommendations from the review," the department said. "This suggests legislation for mandatory filtering may not be able to be introduced into Parliament before the middle of 2013."
The broadband department will receive $840,000 over three years for development of a software tool to assist small and medium ISPs to comply with the mandatory censoring obligations. To include online gambling sites looks to be unnecessarily harsh and not at all within guide lines for internet freedom within Australia.

Every year People Magazine names one hot Hollywood stud as the ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ and this year the title goes to …….Ryan Reynolds. The 34-year-old Canadian actor, who will manifest himself in 2011 as the Green Lantern and is now married to actress Scarlett Johansen, proudly swiped the title from last year's winner, Johnny Depp, who is a true veteran of the list. Well deserved there Ry!

Year after year since People Magazine make their selection very carefully and this year’s choice definitely gets the seal of approval from Ryan's fans. Ryan, who has been in the biz since he was a kid, claims that, “This gives my family entry into teasing me for the rest of my life.”

So what does this grand title of ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ mean for Ryan? Will he have to travel the world as a humanitarian effort to help others with their sex appeal? Not quite, but Reynolds claims that he will milk the title for as long as possible, telling the DailyMail that ‘Now it’s going to be, “Sexiest man, take out the garbage,” which does sound better,’ he joked.

This newfound title has to at least win big points with Scarlett and now she’ll really have to worry about him getting mobbed by the ladies. He should be proud, the guy beat out Mad Men’s John Hamm and Kellan Lutz and past winners include Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

Many people around the world look forward to December in preparation for the busy holiday season. The holidays mean different things to different people, but online gamblers always look at the holiday season as a way to make some extra cash.

In Quebec, online gamblers are looking ahead to the final month of the year for a different reason in 2010. On December 1st, Loto-Quebec will launch a new online casino, aimed at giving Canadian gamblers a safe place to play without having to worry about corruption.

Following in the footsteps of the B.C. Lottery Corp., Loto-Quebec will begin offering games such as blackjack, baccarat, craps, roulette, and slots to Quebec residents. The online casino is expected to generate millions of dollars for the province, and the comfort given to gamblers is already appreciated.

"I love to gamble for fun and it will be nice to be able to gamble at a site that the government regulates and monitors," said Mary Bellen. "I feel much more comfortable putting my money at a site where I know it is safe rather than the places where we have had to gamble for the past several years."

Bellen's sentiment is shared by many Canadians, which is why several provinces are changing their current laws regarding online gambling. Canada has become the first North American territory to regulate online gambling, although US lawmakers are seeking to do the same in the near future.

European countries have been ahead of the curve when it comes to Internet gambling. In recent years, European countries have started to liberalize themselves when dealing with Internet gambling. The European Union has been instrumental in seeking out changes in countries where online gambling has been criminalized in the past.

American Idol has been the main draw on television for many years in a row, and the popular show has been a cash cow for Fox and also for online sports books. Now, the series is being shifted to Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Gamblers used to have to get their bets in on American Idol contestants before the Tuesday night live shows. Now, gamblers can wait until Wednesday evening right before the show to make their wagers. While it is a slight change for Idol fans, it could prove significant for bettors.

The past couple of years, Idol fans have had the ability to place bets on their favorite contestants through online sports books that have created odds based on public perception. The past two years, the winner started the competition with odds of over ten to one, paying off bettors that took a risk early in the competition.

Thursday is considered to be the biggest night for prime time television. Advertisers spend the biggest buck on Thursday night, and Fox may have wanted to capitalize on the success of its biggest show. Idol, although having its viewership decrease the past couple of seasons, still remains the most popular show on television.

This year, bettors will not be influenced by Simon Cowell. The long time Idol judge has left the show, and Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi are also out. Randy Jackson will be joined by Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez on the judge's panel for the upcoming season. The show is scheduled to begin airing on Wednesday, January 19th.

Fox has been successful on Tuesday night with their hit show Glee. The success of Glee has allowed the network to shuffle their line-up in the Spring. The elimination show on Thursday for Idol will be trimmed this year from its traditional hour slot to a half hour slot.

The last we heard of Paris Hilton and her boyfriend Cy Waits was that the two were being ousted out of Las Vegas after being busted with possession of cocaine and the latest news is that Cy and his twin brother Jesse are suing Vegas nightclub owner Victor Drai for failing to pay him over $3 million in nightclub profits.

The Waits brothers were responsible for managing several nightclubs throughout Las Vegas which are owned by Drai including Drai’s Afterhours, Tryst at Wynn and XS at Encore among other big names. The brothers were managing partners which mean they were entitled to a specific percentage of the clubs profits. The brothers were well known in the Vegas nightclub circuit and were known for

According to Perez Hilton, the contract that the Waits brothers were promised was 16.66 percent of the monthly net profits from Tryst and XS and 33.33 percent from Drai’s Afterhours which they haven’t been receiving since July.

Well, the word on the streets is that Cy was let go because of the whole drug fiasco. According to RadarOnline, Jesse still works for Drai’s clubs while Cy left the company after the whole coke incident. So why is Cy involved in the lawsuit in the first place?

Bristol Palin has been the source of a lot of controversy lately – after beating out Brandy Norwood for one of the spots in the top three, as well as recently teaming up with her sister Willow to call some guy a homophobic slur on Facebook, Bristol is the show's most talked about contestant.

Now TMZ is reporting that a white powder was discovered in some fan mail addressed to Palin, and that Dancing with the Stars offices were evacuated.

The FBI said in a statement to TMZ, "The L.A.P.D., L.A. City and FBI Hazardous Materials officials responded to a report of a threatening letter containing white powder received at CBS Studios in Los Angeles," continuing to say: "Initial field screening was negative for hazardous substances but will be transported to a regional lab for further testing. A joint investigation is continuing."

However, as it turned out, the powdery substance was nothing more than plain, old talcum powder.

Bristol and her sister Willow Palin recently engaged in a controversial Facebook war where Willow called a kid a homophobic slur. Bristol also weighed in on the thread, telling the kid named Tre, "You're running your mouth just to talk shit."

Bristol later returned to Facebook and wrote, "Willow and I shouldn't have reacted to negative comments about our family. We apologize."

What do you think? Is this just a tactic to scare Bristol and her family? Do you think it's related to the Facebook war, or is it just someone who really doesn't like her? Can Bristol take home the Dancing with the Stars mirrorball trophy? Get all your celebrity and Dancing with the Stars odds in the Bodog Sportsbook. If you need an account, Join Bodog today

Loto-Quebec, the official government gaming authority of the province, launched its online gambling website on Friday. The site, which will allow players from Quebec the chance to play poker, table games, slots and other casino favorites online, is named Espacejeux.

However, while games are not available until December 1, players can begin registering to become members immediately. The site will be available 24 hours a day to registered adults from the province of Quebec.

The site is designed to be a legal alternative to the myriad of unregulated gambling options available to Quebec’s residents, as well as bring in revenue to the province.

"It's a better model to offer a responsible alternative," said Loto-Quebec CEO Alain Cousineau.

One of the major concerns for any online gambling operation is determining an effective way to prevent minors from playing on their site. This was a particular concern for Loto-Quebec, since credit and debit cards can be utilized to fund accounts on Espacejeux.

However, Loto-Quebec is confident that they will be able to restrict the site to only adults. In order to play on the site, players must provide banking and other personal information, and letters are sent to any players who have signed up for the site, so that they can confirm they know an account has been opened in their name. These procedures should help prevent younger players from stealing information from their parents and opening accounts without their knowledge.

Social issues have been one of the sticking points for any online gambling scheme in Quebec. The province opened their online gambling site while simultaneously creating an advisory committee that would study the effects of legalized gambling both before and during the site’s operation. Some critics have suggested that Quebec is operating the site for financial gain, and ignoring the problems that come from gambling in the process. However, Cousineau disagreed with that assessment.

"The reason we are doing this is not because there is money there,” Cousineau said. “It's because we have a responsibility to do this. If that makes it so the state will recoup some of the money that is available out there, the more the merrier."

Atlantic City casinos have been searching for several years for ways to revamp a struggling gaming industry. After years of being unsuccessful, it may now be lawmakers' turn to try their luck. Today, senators will have the future of the state's gaming industry in their hands.

tourism is one of the biggest money-makers in Atlantic City and for decades AC casinos have been one of the top tourist attractions in the nation. One of the bills being voted on today would create a state-run tourism district in Atlantic City.

If the bill passes, the state would then be in charge of promotions and dealing with all aspects of tourism. That would be a major change considering it has been the casinos that for so long have set the rules as far as tourism.

Speaking of rules, two other pieces of legislation that senators will vote on would overhaul the regulation process in Atlantic City. If approved, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority would oversee the tourism district. As for the regulations, the state Division of Gaming Enforcement would take over. That would almost assure that licensing regulations are loosened.

One of the biggest fears of those opposed to these changes is that Atlantic City would become the Las Vegas of the East Coast, with eased licensing regulations and less oversight. To some legislators, those changes would be beneficial to the gaming industry.

AC casinos do not have much choice but to go along with the overhaul plans. Each month, the casinos are losing more customers to Pennsylvania, Delaware, and now even Maryland. In order to keep their place as the top gaming destination in the East, changes have to be made, and the casino owners understand the stakes.

Another major bill up for a vote today regards online gambling. If S-490 passes, New Jersey would become a ground-breaker in the US by becoming the first state to regulate online gambling. Residents in other states would not be allowed to bet at online casinos regulated in New Jersey.

Online gambling proponents in the United States are pinning their hopes to a period in the American political calendar known as the lame duck session. Advocators for a change in the current laws that govern online gambling and poker in the US are expecting this period to yield results, after a tough year of fighting to get Barney Frank’s pro-gambling legislation as far as possible. The lame duck session, which began in Congress this week, is the final hope for Frank’s law and if nothing comes of this session, it’s back to the drawing board.

With the Republicans so successful in the November 2nd elections, they will gain control of the House from 2011. Frank and the co-sponsors of his bill are realistic enough to realize that it will be almost impossible for the bill to be passed if the Republicans become a majority from January. As such, it is believed that should Frank be able to find a jobs bill that will be voted on by the end of the year, he will try and attach his proposal in the hope of getting it passed.

In 2006, one of the most notorious gambling bills, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in a lame duck session after Republicans attached it to a non-related border protection bill.

The Democrats have learned that this may be the only way to get their own bills through, and Frank is hopeful that this is the way that his will pass before the end of next year. All eyes will now be on Congress until the end of the year, in the hope that we will finally see the back of the UIGEA once and for all.

Scientists find similarities with alcoholics, drug abusers.

Is a person with a gambling problem considered an addict the same as an alcoholic, a drug user, or even an overeater?


Increasingly, the scientific community involved in research in gaming issues is saying yes.


With the expansion of research in the field funded by the National Center for Responsible Gaming and its Institute of Research on Gambling Disorders, scientists are finding greater convergence in symptoms of all these behaviors.


Advances in technology have revealed unmistakable similarities in brain activity between persons who cannot walk away from the slot machine or poker table and those unable to cease substance abuse.


"Addiction is a developmental disorder," said Wilson Compton, who heads the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and was a keynote speaker at the annual NCRG Conference in Las Vegas. Some 300 scholars, gaming officials, and activists in the field attended the three-day event.


"There's plenty of research to suggest that gambling addiction is akin to other drug addictions," Mr. Compton added.


An individual's genetic makeup and the environment during youth can predispose a person to find in gambling - as he or she might in alcohol, cocaine, or nicotine - a feel-good result that becomes a craving. The latest modality in treatment also involves prescription drugs and counseling.


If the trend much discussed during the conference continues, by the time the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is published in May, 2013, problem gambling will be included in the addiction category.


Proponents say it will reflect the latest research in brain function; will enable more thorough and effective treatment within the huge health-care system and will make obtaining research money for the topic less of a challenge.


"It doesn't matter if it's a drug or a behavior that turns on the reward section of the brain," said Charles O'Brien, a psychiatrist and director of the Center for Studies of Addiction at the University of Pennsylvania. "Addiction is one of the most inheritable disorders we know."


Newer treatments for gaming problems, such as those for chemical dependency, involve Naltrexone and related drugs which block the opioid transmitters in the brain, he said.


Mr. O'Brien views this development as part of a larger process to make diagnosis of psychiatric disease possible through bio-markers. "Addiction isn't such a pejorative term as it was in the '80s," he said.


Still, his suggestion of calling the new category 'disordered gambling' drew fire from those who feel terminology carries a lot of weight in both public and professional arenas. Linda Cottler, chairman of the scientific advisory board of the Institute of Research on Gambling Disorders, spoke for many when she voiced her preference for 'gambling disorder,' instead.


In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, pathological gambling is diagnosed as five or more of the following behaviors: preoccupation with gambling; increasing amounts of money gambled; failed efforts to cut back on gambling; gambling as an escape; trying to recoup losses with repeated gambling; lying about gambling; committing illegal acts to fund gambling; loss of relationships and jobs because of gambling, and depending on others for gambling funds.


Part of the change for the new diagnostic manual involves reducing the number of symptoms to diagnose problem gambling from 10 to 9, and lowering the required matches of those symptoms from five to four.


Marc Potenza, a psychiatrist and director of the Problem Gambling Clinic at Yale University, said changes will have a big impact on federal and private funding of treatment programs. "Trimming criteria may exclude some who need treatment," he said.

Loto Quebec announced Friday it is launching an online gambling website Dec. 1.

The site, espacejeux.com, will offer eight poker games, blackjack and roulette.

A $1-billion-per-year industry in Canada, Loto-Quebec said gamblers in the province now have over 2,000 other gambling sites to choose from, but theirs will provide better safeguards.

Only Quebec residents ages 18 and over will be permitted to play and must be registered on the site. Players can not gamble more than $10,000 per week.

The goal, said Loto Quebec CEO Alain Cousineau, is to raise more than $50 million per year.

"We have a responsibility to do this and, by the way, if that makes it so the state will recoup some of the money that is available out there, the more the merrier," he said.

Psychologist Jeff Derevensky said the site may create more gamblers in the province, because those who may have been wary of online gambling sites will trust the Loto Quebec site, and may try it out.

"Here we are gambling with our government and we know they're at least going to try to make an honest game. If we do win, we'll at least get paid," he said.

As many as 41,000 Quebecers are at risk for becoming pathological gamblers.