Supporters of casinos will launch a new bid to see them accepted in Massachusetts in 2011.
Those fighting for a new casino in the US state of Massachusetts are said to be gearing up to make new proposals in 2011.
The Herald News reports supporters, who saw a gambling bill advance through to government earlier this year, will return with amendments to their proposal that take into consideration the authority's demands.
House speaker Robert DeLeo and governor Deval Patrick are divided on the issue, with the former thought to be in favour of introducing slot machines at the race tracks in his district.
Clyde Barrow, director of the Center for Policy Analysis at Umass-Dartmouth, tells the newspaper: "The House is going to move with gaming legislation I think earlier than it ever has. I wouldn't be surprised to see a bill on the docket by February or March."
Further down the US's east coast, Harrah's Resort casino in Atlantic City has been in the headlines recently after hosting a prestigious leg of the World Series of Poker tour.
Every year brings news of the outrageous kind, and writers just love reporting these types of events to break up the good news/bad news atmosphere once in awhile. Today we have compiled some of our favorite outrageous news events in 2010 and combined them into a little retrospect for our readers to enjoy!
As the Representative’s Wife Turns! Remember this one? Representative John Tierney’s wife was indicted for being involved in an illegal gambling operation, which included her brother and her act of changing bank account transactions to make them look like anything but online gaming transactions! She was charged with being “willfully blind”[?] because she said she had no idea the transactions were illegal. In the meantime her hubby, Rep. Tierney was on the defense stating he had no idea what his wife was doing or his brother in-law, even though it came to light that the brother in-law had already been in jail for illegal gambling issues in the past. Who would of thought he maybe getting all these thousands of dollars from gambling again? Silly me! The case has still not reached court yet, but we are sure that 2011 will bring part 3 of As the Rep. Wife Turns!
Paul The Octopus – It was a sad day back in October when everyone’s favorite Gambling Guru, Paul the Octopus passed away from natural causes. Paul and his eight beautiful legs made many online sports bettors very happy with his perfect record for predicting the winner of 8 straight world cup soccer games! A charming soul with a heart meant for stardom, Paul had his fifteen minutes of fame, which in octopus years comes to 20 years! Lol
Convicted Scam Artist Sentenced to Play Poker! – This news event took the case for us as one of the most absurd and outrageous stories of 2010! A man who swindled over $440,000 from poor unsuspecting souls was charged with 26 different charges of investment fraud, and he was able to convince the Judge in his court case that it would better suit his victims to keep him out of jail, and let him go play poker to win back their money so he could set things right😡 And the Judge agreed! LOL. So Samuel McMaster Jr. set out to play at as many poker games, tournaments that he could so he could start paying back these victims. The Judge set a date of 6 months to see how much he had paid back, if he didn’t succeed, he would go to jail. Guess what? Six months passed and he is now sitting in jail! Who would of thought?
We have a few more to bring you down memory lane with, but we will save them for another day. Hope you enjoyed a look back at the funny side of online gambling in 2010, and we hope to have more in 2011~
Online gamblers have heard plenty of legislators talk a good game in the past several years in regards to new online gambling regulations for the US. Each time, the online poker players have been let down when the lawmakers failed to follow through on their promises to oversee law changes for the industry.
The next year will be critical for Internet gamblers, and one state in particular could hold the keys to whether or not the laws are changed. That state is Texas, where lawmakers are only now warming to the idea of casinos. The state Legislature will see several casino gambling bills in the new year, and if any pass, it could be a changing of the guard.
Texas is one of the last states that is still holding on to the idea that gambling is bad. States have changed their casino laws at a record pace over the past decade, but each time the issue has come up in Texas, it has been defeated. With budget cuts looming, this may be the year that gambling finally wins over one of the most conservative states in the country.
The Presidential pipeline in Texas runs deep, and if the new wave of lawmakers show a willingness to accept new globally held views of acceptance on casinos, it will signal a shift in the balance of power on the issue. The next logical step would be to expand to online gambling regulations.
As is the case with many issues, there are always a number of states that need to start the ball rolling. Those states for the Internet gambling community are New Jersey and California. New Jersey lawmakers have already passed legislation that would allow AC casinos to operate online.
California, one of the most liberal states in the US, has lawmakers pushing for online poker regulation. It is likely that a bill could be passed in the first session of the new year that would make California a pioneer for online gambling regulations.
While victories in these states are nice, it is Texas that may swing the issue on a federal level. With most issues, the last state to surrender usually holds the most power, and if casino legislation is passed in Texas, the other shoe will have dropped on those opposing gambling in the US. Casino and online gambling are here to stay, but it will take Texas, an ultra-Conservative state, to put the nail in the coffin of prohibition.
FOR a while now, the relationship between the people of Ireland and our overlords in the financial services sector has reminded me of something. But I just couldn't place it.
I could sense the general outline of it, and I felt that it had some direct parallel in my own experience, and yet the damn thing just wouldn't come to me -- until the other day. I think it was all those reports about Paddy Power now being the biggest financial institution in Ireland, Paddy Power expanding into Europe, Paddy Power taking over Australia, that triggered it. And now it's all clear to me.
When I was a small boy, my father would take me to the odd race-meeting. In particular I remember the annual meeting at Laytown, on the strand, and the temporary Tote buildings which were assembled for the day -- being too young for the bookies, I would do my betting on the Tote.
As I recall, the minimum stake was 20p, which meant that a pound note would get you through most of the card, assuming you had no winners. And on these days of great excitement I might win some, and I might lose some, but always there was this unspoken understanding between my father and me -- even if I lost the whole pound, even if every bet went down, ultimately I wouldn't really lose anything.
Yes, I would be distraught that I had backed so many losers, and that the day had brought so little joy on the betting front, but at some point in the aftermath of even the blackest day at the races, there would be consolation. Basically, my father would give me back the money that I lost.
Thus I would learn something about the realities of gambling, but I would also learn something about human kindness. I didn't realise that I was also learning how the banking system would work in the year 2010.
Because, when my father gave me back the pound note that I lost at Laytown, he was doing exactly what the poor people of Ireland are now doing for the bondholders of Anglo and AIB and of any other defunct institution that comes our way, looking to get back all the money they punted. Looking for daddy.
It is the same deal, except it is devoid of all its moral and emotional dimensions. They are acting like 10-year-old boys who need to be protected from the consequences of their own foolishness. But of course they are not 10-year-old boys.
It's just that this grand fiction has been constructed at the highest level, in which you can gamble all your money away, but not really... at the end of the day, you won't be stuck.
So it all seems so wrong, so unnatural. The fact is, we Irish have a profound understanding of how gambling works. We have been losing our money at Laytown and at many other such venues for hundreds of years, so we know that game.
We have created this thing called Paddy Power, a deeply dislikeable institution in many ways, but one which demonstrates that if we know about nothing else any more, we know about gambling. And every day, through this monster that is Paddy Power, we are bringing that knowledge to a grateful world.
With perhaps one qualification -- we know about gambling and the way it works for people who have passed the age of 10 or thereabouts. We don't really include transactions of the type that my father and I used to have, back in the day.
We don't regard pretend-gambling of that sort as being the equal of actual gambling, the whole point of which is that you are an adult, taking an agreed risk, with an upside and a downside, and the rest is at the mercy of the baleful gods. So we never thought we'd see the day when pretend-gambling would destroy Ireland. Especially when it isn't actually ourselves who have been doing the pretend-gambling.
But this is our dilemma, this eruption in Nature itself, this perversion of a thing that we have always valued so deeply, a holy thing indeed -- this thing we call punting.
It is partly our instincts as sportsmen which make it all such an abomination. Because this is not a fair fight, in fact it is not a fight at all.
The ruling class, at any given time in history, has never seen itself as being in competition with the rest of us. For them there is no risk-or-reward, there is only reward.
So it stands to reason that the ruling class of today, the money-men, would construct a system as crooked as this one. A way of doing business in which there are only two chances -- either they win, or they win. A game in which they can bet like men, and get it all back like 10-year-old boys.
After blatantly attempting to profit off the death of Michael Jackson, Discovery Channel International has pulled an upcoming show entitled Michael Jackson's Autopsy, which reenacts and sensationalizes the late star's autopsy. The show was slated to air in the UK on January 13.
Discovery said that the reason for the "indefinite postponement" of the show was because of a request by Jackson's estate, who said the show was in "shockingly bad taste" as well as the upcoming criminal case against Michael's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray.
A rep for the Discovery Channel said, "Given the commencement of legal proceedings beginning next week, and at the request of Michael Jackson's estate, the scheduled broadcast of the medical documentary related to Michael Jackson's official autopsy has been postponed indefinitely."
TMZ reported that executors of Jackson's estate sent the network a letter, which, in essence called Discovery International opportunists "motivated solely by your blind desire to exploit Michael's death."
They also cite the "insensitive" marketing for the program, one advertisement in particular (pictured above) which showed a corpse on a gurney with a sequined-gloved hand hanging from beneath a sheet. Jackson fans have also been in an uproar over the controversial show, with discussion forums blowing up with outraged fans.
There will be a preliminary hearing for Jan. 4, 2011, in the involuntary manslaughter case against Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray. A judge will decide if there is sufficient evidence for a trial against Murray to warrant a trial.
The European Union is making a strong statement to the world when it allows certain rules of commerce to be ignored for one reason or another, that statement being we are a growing union that adapts to change rather than forcing issues. A civilized society can have dialogue that works, for every situation as in Germany for instance. The State Gambling Treaty in Germany banning online gambling lapses on January 1, 2012.
The country is split on the allowing of offshore and other European Union member states offering gambling services effectively giving up of their monopolies.
Sixteen federal states in Germany must find common ground but have been unable to do so. In a nut shell the country is divided on three options, the strict approach, the open market and the in betweens.
The state premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Wolfgang Boehmer, said that everyone had agreed to maintain the state monopoly on lotteries but the divisions showed in the other areas of online gambling.
Other states hold completely different view and are thinking positively about opening online casinos to private operators. The northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, plans to issue online sports betting, casino and poker licenses to private operators in 2011 and have a regulated online gambling regime in operation by January 1, 2012.
The Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia and other Social Democrat-governed states want to maintain as much of their hold on the market as possible with the sports betting market kept strictly under government control of all revenues. Politicians in some parts of Germany don’t seem to get it, regulation and licensing is the only way to get a piece of the pie and make it fair. Most of the funds wagered in the different sectors of online gambling in Germany are going to the unregulated market. Research company Gold Media provided data suggesting as much as €7.3 billion of the €7.8 billion put on the line in Germany in 2009, or 94%, went to unregulated online gambling.
For years, gambling halls in Alabama have asked for a definitive ruling on whether the electronic bingo machines they operate are legal, but instead of a ruling, Governor Robert Riley simply ruled all the machines illegal, creating his own system of law in the Task Force on Illegal Gambling, Now, the gaming centers may be closer to receiving a fair shake.
Governor-elect Robert Bentley has given control of the Task Force to Attorney General-elect Luther Strange. The two have warned that they will not be lenient on those breaking the law, but attorney's for Country Crossings and other facilities that offer electronic bingo machines are hoping Strange at least defines that law.
Up until now, there has been no blanket ruling by the Alabama state Supreme Court regarding electronic bingo machines. All court rulings have been on a case by case basis, and the Supreme Court has been careful in each case to claim that their ruling was not precedent setting.
When the facility opened, Country Crossings received an inspection from Gaming Laboratories International of New Jersey. The inspection of the machines ended with the conclusion that they were legal under Alabama law. Governor Riley, however, took the law into his own hands when he ordered the Task Force to start raiding all facilities where the machines were in operation.
The governor's decision left thousands of Alabamians out of work as several of the establishments closed their doors. Country Crossings and VictoryLand had been hoping the Task Force would be disbanded under Bentley, but it was revealed this past week that will not be the case. Instead, Strange will gain control of the Task Force.
Country Crossings had hoped to reopen their doors to customers in late January, but that may not now be the case. Developer Ronnie Gilley and VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor were arrested late last year in a case involving bribes paid to lawmakers in exchange for votes on a gambling bill. Several senators and lobbyists were also charged in the indictment.
It is 2am and the money is flowing. The sound of chips landing on the tables chimes with house music filling the room and the roll of the ball along the roulette wheel.
A shout goes out and the young lady's number has come up. Under a tacky painted replica of the Sistine Chapel, replete with gaudy gold leaf and paisley carpets, the new generation of gamblers are living the high life.
Bow-tied waitresses in miniskirts deliver high-ball rums to men in suits while heavily-painted women sip champagne from their positions on the sidelines.
It isn't Las Vegas. This is downtown Damascus.
In a move that is certain to divide religious communities, the first casino to open for 25 years celebrated its first week in business with a New Year's Eve party where entry cost £300 per reveller.
It is the only fully-fledged casino to open in the region, outside Lebanon.
Gambling in Syria is technically illegal. It was banned in the 1970s when the hospitality mogul Tawfiq Houboubati's three infamous gambling establishments - the Bludan casino, the Airport hotel casino and the Orient club - were closed due to pressure from clerics.
The-then prime minister, Abdul Rahman Khleifawi, allegedly tired of complaints from bankrupted women about their husbands' addictions, outlawed the practice once and for all.
Now, Houboubati's son, Khaled – a prominent restaurateur and owner of the al-Wahda football club – has taken the reins from his father, opening the new casino under the innocuous name the Ocean Club at the site of his father's former establishment at Damascus airport, 15 minutes from the city centre.
Unlike gambling establishments in the past, the new casino offers the full range of games, including blackjack, roulette, slot machines and card tables.
Houboubati has not responded to requests for comment, and has kept a low profile as rumours of the new venue circulate in the city.
But a source close to the family and involved in the opening told the Guardian the casino was operating without an official licence. "It's been given the quiet go-ahead," said the source, who did not want to be named.
Security is tight at the new establishment. Photographs are banned and after passing through bag checks and metal detectors, passport details of visitors are carefully recorded.
Despite its location and promotion as a tourist venue, staff, who were given three months' training as croupiers and cocktail mixers, say so far the majority of clientele have been wealthy Syrians, who have filled the casino from 8am to 8pm for the week it has been open.
Historian and editor-in-chief of Forward magazine in Syria, Dr Sami Moubayed, said that in the past the government preferred to acknowledge a practice that had long been operating "under the table. Historically they preferred this industry to operate under the watchful eye of the government in a way that they can legitimately recoup taxes," he said.
Gambling establishments , he said, opened and then succumbed to religious or political pressure several times over the last century, but continued to re-emerge. "I'm sure the religious establishment will not like it, but personally I abide by the idea that if the government can collect taxes from gambling then it's better than sending that money offshore."
Syria is in the middle of a tourism boom and this year has seen several policy attempts to temper religious extremism in the country.
The government has fiercely promoted its secular values. Last year saw a ban on the niqab being worn in universities and schools, while alcohol sale permits have also flourished.
"Perhaps this falls in line with those policies - but we just don't know yet," said Moubayed.
For two decades, whenever the great state of Texas found its finances in a bind, gambling proceeds looked like manna from heaven delivered in answer to the Legislature's prayers.
State lawmakers don't like to call it gambling, mind you. It's "gaming" -- as if the government coffers somehow expand when families get together to play Wii and Pictionary.
Those semantics games -- making what has traditionally been unpalatable a little easier to swallow -- will play out again in Austin beginning in January as proposals to expand "gaming" in Texas go before the 82nd Legislature. With the state staring at a $22 billion -- or more -- shortfall for the next two-year budget, industry lobbyists pushing everything from video lottery terminals to casinos hope to pick up votes as easily as Monopoly players pick up $200 every time they pass Go.
And what's not to like about a plan that would produce new revenue without raising taxes?
Plenty, if you're a Texas public school trustee. They've been on the losing end of the state-sponsored gambling since state Sen. Jane Nelson filed a bill in 1997 that earmarked lottery proceeds for K-12 education.
In 1991, when the state needed to close a nearly $5 billion budget shortfall, leadership at the state capital was united about allowing voters to decide whether Texas should have a lottery. They were confident that the answer would be "yes."
Lawmakers were decidedly less unified. After a proposal to put the issue before voters failed by 10 votes in the regular session, Gov. Ann Richards called a special session and went on television to tell Texans that lawmakers were facing a choice between a lottery and a huge tax bill. The Legislature acquiesced to Richards' prime-time pressure by approving a state-run lottery and a budget paid for by 30 tax increases -- but no one likes to talk about that.
When the Texas lottery began in 1992, proceeds went into the state's general fund.
Along came Nelson in 1997 with a bill to earmark lottery money for educational uses. That was the start of the Legislature's bait-and-switch game. Designated funds allow lawmakers to decrease the general fund support for education by the same level of new lottery money put into it. Additionally, the unpredictable nature of "gaming" proceeds means there's no way to adequately project annual revenue.
Beginning in fiscal 2010, a portion of the lottery proceeds were directed to the Fund for Veterans Assistance.
"Lottery for education" sounds nice. Using children as an excuse for state-sanctioned gambling? Not so much. But expect it to be among the tactics that lobbyists use in 2011.
In the 2007 session, for example, "gaming" lobbyists tried to sweeten the pot by devoting part of the proposed gambling revenue to fund college scholarships for more than 200,000 Texas high school graduates annually.
The proposal still failed.
No one should expect Gov. Rick Perry to make a TV appearance similar to Richards'. He's never been interested in expanding gambling's "footprint" in the state. Good for him.
We run the risk of being redundant, but it must be said again that someone in this state always suggests an expansion of gambling as one of the quick "fixes" when Texas faces a budget crunch. Such funding has never been the salvation for ailing finances.
And please spare us the argument about Texans parting with bucketfuls of dollars in this kind of activity across state lines. That's their business. It doesn't make it a bit more savory for state government to promote the behavior.
Canadian country crooning superstar Shania Twain tied the knot in Puerto Rico at a private mansion. She married Frederic Thiebaud, her former best friend's husband whose former wife cheated with Shania's former husband – it's complicated – but we'll get to that later.
After the couple exchanged vows, TMZ reports that Shania sang at the reception and that the guests were treated to a private fireworks show.
Ok so down to the juicy bits. Back in 2008, Shania's first husband, music producer Robert Lange, left Twain for her best friend, Marie-Anne Thiebauld. Then on December 20, 2010, Twain's manager confirmed that Twain was engaged to Marie-Anne's husband, Frederic Thiebaud, who is a Swiss business executive. Talk about a switcharoo.
"Her happiness certainly shone through," Twain's friend Stéphane Lagonico told People. "They are a great addition to each other's lives."
One of five children, Shania was born Eilleen Twain and endured a tough childhood in a remote area of Ontario, Canada, with often a shortage of food in the household. During one episode, her mother drove the rest of the family 425 miles to a homeless shelter in Toronto.
Shania learned to hunt and to chop wood as a child and aside from working at McDonald's, Twain began to earn money by singing in local clubs and bars from a very young age to support her family.
Twain has said of her childhood, "My deepest passion was music and it helped. There were moments when I thought 'I hate this'. I hated going into bars and being with drunks. But I loved the music and so I survived."
Fame is a strange thing and although actor Gerard Butler is leading a successful career as a Hollywood actor with hits such as 300 and How To Train Your Dragon, he seems to be quite perplexed as to why he’s still single. He’s handsome, he’s successful and seems charming enough, so why is this guy still single? Gerard explains his theory below.
The Scottish actor claims that apart from keeping a very busy schedule, they guy is just paranoid about women revealing the details that go on in the bedroom. This day and age anyone who’s willing to talk will be rewarded nicely from veracious tabloids looking to tap into the latest juicy story and that’s just it, the guy doesn’t want to make headlines with his love life.
"I get laid less now than I used to, because I'm way more paranoid now. I'm nowhere near as naughty as I used to be, partly because I did a lot of that when I was drinking,” Butler told Contact Music.
Butler also admits to not playing into the “rules” of dating and if he’s busy and can’t call you, then he expects the woman to make the move. Dating is a game after all and many men and women have these so called 'rules' ingrained in their brain, which can be difficult to stray from and may be contributing to his singledom.
So the guy doesn't really have any trouble meeting women (obviously) but it’s about trust issues then. Where’s Dr. Drew when you need him?
Butler also admitted to Contact Music that he loves the thrill of the chase and said, “There is also the element that the second you think a girl maybe not quite as keen, there is a little more interest in the situation.” Well, that’s not news really, is it girls?
With everything Gerard Butler has going for him, I think he’ll be just fine as long as he finds someone that shares the same neurotic concerns as he does.
DOMAIN name gambling.com, owned by a British casino group, is up for auction.
Media Corporation, which paid US$20 million ($19.8 million) for gambling.com in May 2005 and earned $5.5 million from advertising on the site a year later, hopes to fetch more than $10 million for the name.
The domain name's depreciation in value is due to a ban on internet gambling in the US in October 2006.
German broker Sedo - which arranged the November sale of sex.com for a record $13 million - has been tasked with selling gambling.com. A reserve of $9 million has been set.
The world "gambling" is ranked No. 1 on Google searches and the gambling.com site gets more than monthly 300,000 hits.
A new state website has been created to direct problem gamblers to various kinds of help.
The website, Home › PAProblemGambling-com, was created by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to complement the problem gambling hotline that has been in use at 1-877-565-2112.
The website has general educational information about compulsive gambling; has tools to help people identify if they or someone they know has a problem; and directs compulsive gamblers to locations where they can seek help from professional therapists or Gamblers Anonymous meetings.
Health department officials said a state media campaign is under way in which broadcast advertising and billboards will also educate the public about problem gambling and how to get help.
Last week we brought you some of the most outrageous online gambling news stories of 2010, this week we offer you the “Worst Online Gambling Blunders of 2010”. Casino’s and player’s throughout the year made some major blunders which ended up making their way into the news. So we have compiled a few of the most memorable “screw ups” of 2010 for you to read and reminisce. Enjoy!
Betfair Casino Giveth & Taketh Away! – Betfair Casino had a fantastic promotion in 2010 called their “Happy Hour”. This was an unlimited bonus event where players were only required to roll their bonus over 10 times before being allowed to cash out, which in online gambling is Fantastic! So of course, thousands of players took them up on their offer. Well once management at the casino saw how many players were taking them up on this “Happy Hour” bonus they realized the promotion was “too” generous and they stood to lose too much money. So, what they did next was a huge blunder! A great number of players ended up not receiving their winnings of this bonus and some were actually told to return their winnings! LOL, can you believe that? There were threats that if they didn’t return the winnings there accounts would be put in the negative until all monies were paid back. Betfair was spanked hard by the gaming community and had to absorb all losses and be happy about it.
Self Banned Gambler Loses out on Jackpot Win – A man from New Zealand knew he had a gambling problem and asked the casinos to ban him from playing at their casino. All was well and good until one night in Aug. 2010 when he felt like playing a little Caribbean Stud poker at the very same casino that was supposed to keep him out, let him in, let him gamble, and he ended up winning $60,000! But the casino refused to pay him the winnings when they realized he was the man that asked to be banned 6 years earlier! The case was headed to authorities the last we heard.
Poker Player Sues 6 other Players for his losses! – Scott Crespo played in over 700 poker tournaments online, against some of the biggest and best in online poker. Being the sore loser that he was, he turned around and tried to sue 6 well-known poker players for his losses claiming he was cheated! Crespo lives in Illinois where it is possible to recover your gambling losses if you can prove cheating, and that’s what he tried to do. Honestly, if you lose 700 poker tournaments you suck at poker and should go find another line of work. Just saying.
These are some of the big Blunders that took place in 2010; there is more but not enough room to write them all tonight. Look for more in the future, because in the online gambling world there are plenty of strange and stupid stories out there and we just love to report them!
Now that another Hollywood couple has bitten the dust, is it safe to assume there something in the water? Or are the birds dropping from the sky in Arkansas an omen of the end of the world as we know it? With all our favorite celebrity relationships coming to an end, is the Kunis-Culkin break-up just the nail in the apocalypse coffin?
Mila Kunis and Macaulay Culkin were together for a whopping eight years but finally rang in the new year on the prowl for new partners.
A spokesperson for the former couple told the New York Post, "The split was amicable, and they remain close friends." The paper reports that the pair broke up "some time ago," but kept from making an announcement as Kunis has been busy promoting her current movie, Black Swan, which she is nominated for a Golden Globe for.
In 2009, Kunis opened up about dating Culkin, saying in an interview, "I don't remember being single. I love coming home, taking a bath and having a glass of wine. I love my life."
This is just the latest in a growing trend of celebrity couple splits, which includes recent break-ups which include the likes of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, Scarlett Johannson and Ryan Reynolds and most recently, John Mellencamp and Elaine Irwin. Who will be on the next train to Celebrity Splitsville?
SkyCity says it will now pay a $60,000 jackpot to a man banned from its Auckland casino at his own request.
The Department of Internal Affairs says that, under the Gambling Act, there is no reason why the company could not pay Sothea Sinn his winnings.
In August last year, SkyCity refused to pay the 28-year-old because he earlier asked to be banned as a problem gambler.
Mr Sinn had also not met the casino's re-entry condition of undertaking counselling and then formally reapplying for entry.
SkyCity lawyer Peter Treacy says the company stands by its policy and finds it ironic to be giving him the money, even though he still has a gambling addiction.
He’s a world renowned DJ know as Tiesto who seems to have his way with crowds hungry for his uncanny ability to hypnotize with mix after seductive mix. 2011 is marking a new beginning for Tiesto who introduced his year-long residency at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas with a massive concert on New Year’s Day.
The Dutch DJ rocked the Hard Rock Hotel's venue, The Joint, that welcomed 4,000 guests for the grand event. For those expecting to catch Tiesto during his Vegas residency, they can expect a combination of light shows, visual displays and of course his world famous mixes.
According to the Las Vegas Sun, his concert on Saturday began at 10 p.m. and opened with Max Vangeli, a DJ out of San Francisco who has worked with artists such as the Gorillaz and Erick Morillo, followed by Tiesto just after 1 a.m. The stage and crowd literally lit up with Tiesto’s appearance which followed a laser show followed by a set including his latest hits, “Speed Rail”, “Afrojack’s”, “Pursuit of Happiness”, and “Sweet Disposition”.
The only complaints about the show according to the Las Vegas Sun was the price of drinks and a few smokers who managed to sneak in a few during the concert but other than that it seemed to have been a rockin’ show.
The Grammy Award winning artist will be in Vegas until December 2011, so catch him if you can.
He’s definitely an unusual suspect but according to April Magolon, a 27-year-old from Pennsylvania, she claims that she was felt up by Donald Duck during a visit to Walt Disney World in Florida back in 2008 and is moving forward with a law suit that will ruffle more than a few feathers.
The temperamental duck is in real hot water after Magolon claimed that while visiting the park with her family, the duck touched one of her breasts and groped her continuously while she was holding her daughter according to the Daily Mail.
The woman also claims that she has been severely traumatized by the incident that has left here with nightmares, digestive problems, anxiety, insomnia, you name it. These are all permanent conditions that she claims are occurring as a result of the incident.
The ‘emotional stress’ that she’s had to deal with is apparently unbearable and is suing for negligence, battery and infliction of emotional stress.
In Donald Duck’s defense, workers how have carry out the same job wearing the fuzzy suits claim that they can barely even see or breathe inside the suits and are escorted around from place to place due to their lack of visibility.
Not to say that Donald is innocent per say but it may be a good idea for the woman to try on one of the suits for herself…just saying.
So Fox spat her out and now CBS has picked up the much-adored Paula Abdul, who was shuffled off of American Idol amid contentious salary negotiations and has set up camp on a new dance show, entitled, Live to Dance.
The one good thing about the show is that Abdul is judging choreography – something she knows a lot about. Singing was never really her bag anyway. And you can tell. She is a lot more comfortable with her critiques and she doesn't slur her words. Heh.
Joining Abdul on the judges panel are choreographer Travis Payne and Pussycat Dolls “founding member” Kimberly Wyatt. The show is hosted by Aussie Andrew Gunsberg, who once hosted Australian Idol.
With no age limit, a wide variety of wannabe dancers are showcased. Everyone from young to old to hip hop to contemporary were represented, with the premiere episode showcased dancers from L.A. and New York vying for the $500,000 prize. Those who earned two or more gold stars, continued on to the semi-finals which will air live on Wednesday night.
Standout performers included a hearing impaired performer named C-Bunny from New Jersey. She didn't make it through but Abdul said she was "teaching everyone else to be bold and daring." Chi-Town Finest Breakers, five pre-teen break dancers consisting of brothers and sisters, earned three gold stars, earning them a coveted spot in the semi-finals.
All-in-all, Paula's judging skills were shockingly sober. She offered insight, wisdom and of course her sugar-coated Paulaisms, which we all have grown to love and expect. Think her show will make it?
Once again the highly anticipated online gambling bill set to pass in New Jersey has been delayed again, this time because it was forgotten on the legislative schedule on Jan. 6th, the proposed due date. Why it was left off the schedule no one seems to know but the consequences of the action are far reaching. Raymond Lesniak, the Senator in New Jersey and author of the online gambling bill that aims to bring intrastate gambling to NJ residents believes that the new date for this piece of legislation will be January 10th, 2011.
New Jersey stands to be the pioneer of intrastate online gambling if the bill passes and the Governor signs it into law. California is right behind NJ and is in the mists of authoring and passing their own intrastate gambling bill. Senator Lesniak has also shown interest in passing legislation that would allow sports betters the opportunity to bet on sports at Atlantic City casinos, but this bill is meeting resistance from the Federal Government.
Those fighting for a new casino in the US state of Massachusetts are said to be gearing up to make new proposals in 2011.
The Herald News reports supporters, who saw a gambling bill advance through to government earlier this year, will return with amendments to their proposal that take into consideration the authority's demands.
House speaker Robert DeLeo and governor Deval Patrick are divided on the issue, with the former thought to be in favour of introducing slot machines at the race tracks in his district.
Clyde Barrow, director of the Center for Policy Analysis at Umass-Dartmouth, tells the newspaper: "The House is going to move with gaming legislation I think earlier than it ever has. I wouldn't be surprised to see a bill on the docket by February or March."
Further down the US's east coast, Harrah's Resort casino in Atlantic City has been in the headlines recently after hosting a prestigious leg of the World Series of Poker tour.