Let your mouth speak archive

It's not that we feel pity for Lindsay Lohan, it's just that her life seems to never stop its downward spiral. Lohan, who is in the midst of a legal battle over a $2500 necklace that she allegedly stole from a Venice Beach store, is now revisiting their investigation into allegations she attacked a staff member at the Betty Ford clinic.

The woman, named Dawn Holland was desperate to press charges against Lohan immediately after the alleged incident, but suspiciously changed her story completely.

Apparently at one point during her stay, Lohan got back to Betty Ford 10 minutes after her curfew, and when Holland began questioning her and asked her to take a drug and alcohol test, the argument turned physical.

Although Holland told the cops she, "desired prosecution" and said that her wrist was sprained during the physical fight with Lohan, when Holland said Lindsay "threw the phone … I threw up my left hand to block it and then she grabbed my right hand and tried to snatch the phone that I had up to my ear," she took her story back and said that the cops shouldn't investigate Lohan.

Radar reported, “Dawn agreed to a $25,000 payment from someone directly associated with Lohan’s camp,” a source said. “Dawn wanted the amount paid upfront. But Lohan’s camp wanted to spread it out over a period of a few months, paying her in installments.”

Sources told TMZ that investigators are trying to determine whether it was Lindsay or Dawn who was the "aggressor" during that altercation and whether Dawn really received an injury, or if that was a fabrication.

Investigators are also looking into whether there are witnesses who would cooperate with authorities if the case went to trial. Want to be on out of control celebrities? Get your Charlie Sheen odds in the Bodog Sportsbook today. If you need an account, Join Bodog today!

DES MOINES — Placing virtual bets with actual cash is going to be a big part of Iowa’s gaming future, no matter what happens with the current proposal to allow Internet gambling.

It’s been two decades since the first riverboats left their docks for state-sanctioned gaming excursions on the Mississippi River. Now, the casinos are permanently docked or on land all together.

The number of licenses has grown from five to nearly 20, wagering limits have been lifted and legalized gaming has sprouted in neighboring states such as Illinois and Missouri

Present for almost all of it has been Jack Ketterer, the state’s Racing and Gaming Commission administrator.

Ketterer was the first person to hold the job when it was created in 1983. Except for a period between 1988 and 1993, he’s kept that job.

That gives Ketterer, now 63, a unique perspective on how gaming has developed and likely will develop over the next two decades in Iowa.

“When you look at how the Internet is pervading society in all industries, I think that it’s foolish not to monitor what’s going on in that arena,” he said.

“As Internet gambling is legalized there will be a rush by large, publicly traded companies in the U.S. to participate in the online aspect. I think they will still have their bricks-and-mortar buildings in some places, but will offer online as well.”

Different from expected

With New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of Internet gaming legislation in that state, Iowa is poised to become the first to allow legal online gambling.

And if not Iowa, then the Legislature of another state will. Or it might be the U.S. Congress that moves first to legalize it for the whole country.

It seems inevitable.

Twenty years ago, it was unimaginable.

“It was a slow process to get it started, but it has changed in ways I didn’t think of,” said Sen. Wally Horn, D-Cedar Rapids.

In the early 1990s, Horn shepherded the gaming legislation through the Senate.

“I think it’s done what we wanted it to do,” Horn said. “When it started the focus was being family-friendly. The boat employees had to wear period costumes, but it evolved to the point where you see what we have today.”

Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Dubuque, was a House member in his early 30s when gaming first passed. The former House speaker thinks gaming was a boon for the river city he represents.

“In those 20 years it brought in a hotel, a water park, a convention center,” Murphy said. “I would hate to see what Dubuque would be like without it.”

Nowadays, vocal opponents of gambling are harder to find than they once were.

“That train has left the station, and we have gambling,” Ketterer said. “Most people have recognized the revenue to the state, the jobs that it’s created and the other economic development through the amenities it has brought. They see those positive things.”

Murphy and Horn agree that gaming has helped the economy. Where they differ is how much more gambling there should be. Horn said there’s plenty of demand for more licenses. Murphy, with two casinos in his home district, said if gaming hasn’t reached its saturation point yet, “it’s pretty close to it.”

Virtual casino

In 20 years, however, the need to actually go somewhere to gamble might seem as much as a throwback as needing to stay within a cord’s length when talking on the phone seems today.

Ketterer thinks the only real question now is if states move first with Internet gambling or if it’s the federal government.

“The companies out there, the MGMs and the Harrahs of the world, I think they would jump right in with very elaborate websites with virtual casinos,” he said.

“Some of the providers … they would rather see a federal bill legalizing interstate wagering, so they can dominate the market with the number of properties they have, and then they wouldn’t have to deal with each state.”

He thinks casinos can continue to run even as Internet gambling takes hold. Tracks, however, which already are under pressure to compete for gambling dollars, won’t fare as well.

“Horse racing has suffered a decline in attendance and popularity over the years, and I think some of that has to do with the expansion of casino gambling,” Ketterer said.

“Some of the glory years were when it had the monopoly on legalized gambling, that’s not the case anymore.”

Ketterer guesses that in 20 years the number of tracks in the country will be halved. Which ones will make it and which ones won’t, he’s not sure.

“Many of the tracks are only in existence because they are subsidized by casino revenues,” he said. “Clearly, there’s too much horse racing in the United States.”

Ultimately, it won’t be horses, the Internet or competition from other states that determines the future of Iowa’s casinos.

It will be all of them and a myriad of other entities that battle for the consumer entertainment dollar.

“It will be basically what the market dictates,” Ketterer said.

Casey Abrams narrowly escaped elimination on this week's American Idol and after the show, apparently he collapsed from the stress of it all.

After Ryan Seacrest revealed that Abrams had the lowest number of votes, judge Randy Jackson stopped Abrams while he was in the middle of singing for his life, because he said he'd heard enough. He then went on to reveal that the judges had opted to use their only save on him.

Casey was obviously blown away and somewhat flustered by the news. On camera, Casey grabbed onto Seacrest to steady himself and thanked the judges profusely.

TMZ reports that Casey felt horrible that the judges used their save for him, saying "I feel really bad that other [contestants] might have to go home now because they [the judges] used the save on me."

Backstage, Casey collapsed and began hyperventilating in a hallway. He was put in a chair and the production crew helped him calm down.

Thursday had been particularly stressful for Casey, who began his morning with a blood transfusion at the hospital, as he suffers from ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory condition that affects the lining of the large intestine.

Think Abrams can pull out an American Idol win? He sits as a 15/2 favorite to win the show.

A new online gambling bill that looks remarkably similar to Barney Frank’s HR2267 was introduced by Congressman Frank, together with his Republican colleague John Campbell. The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act is almost an exact replica of HR2267 that managed to move so far through the House Financial Services Committee last year, making the same provisions to protect underage and problem gamblers and to prevent money laundering.

It is hoped that Frank’s teaming with a Republican will help the new bill move beyond the House of Representatives this year and move onto the House floor for a vote.

Of course, a major obstacle this time around will be the Head of the House Financial Services Committee, Spenser Bacchus – a staunch anti-gambling politician in the Republican led Congress. Bacchus will most likely opt to leave the bill on the wayside and not pick the proposed bill to be addressed by its committee in Congress, as is his job to do.

The bill will also need to be introduced on the House floor by the Speaker of the House who is the Republican John Boehner.

Analysts believe that this is the year for online poker in the United States, if not from a federal level such as the one proposed by Frank, then from a state level, such as those being pushed through in New Jersey, California and Nevada. The United States continues to lose billions of dollars each year in revenue that can be generated from tax imposed on the industry.

Despite being hindered by US bills it seems that online bingo is becoming more and more popular in America. For 5 years most forms of online gambling in the states have been hindered by a bill that in effect forbids online gambling operators accepting deposits from US citizens. This bill has had the negative effect of pushing those who want to play online bingo, casino and poker games to some sites that are less than scrupulous. The current bill is simply killing the prospect of any growth of online gambling in the states plus has created a flow of billions of dollars out of America in to the pockets of gambling operators that do accept deposits from US citizens. It comes as no surprise that American gambling operators such as the mighty Harrah’s are lobbying hard for some form of legalised and regulated online gambling bill in the states.

Hopes are now high that 2011 could indeed be the year for a successful US online gambling bill. Over the last year or so we have reported on numerous bills of which, one by one they have all failed to achieve the required support. The reappearance of Barney Frank’s bill though does seem to have more support than any other so perhaps, just perhaps we may indeed see legalised and regulated online gambling in the states later this year.

After having the government force 200 people who were living on the land where Madonna wanted to build a girl's school in Blantyre, Malawi, she has now abandoned her plans.

Just over a year ago, government officials told villagers that the land in Blantyre was now owned by Madonna and that they needed to leave. Madonna reportedly paid the villagers more than $115,000 to compensate for their homes, but some residents still didn't want to move.

Now, it seems mismanagement is behind the failed plans, which had promised to build a $15 million school for about 400 girls in the poor southeastern African country.

On Thursday, Madonna released the statement, that although plans for the school had been discontinued, she planned to still use any money raised to further the education in Malawi.

“There’s a real education crisis in Malawi,” Madonna said. “Sixty-seven percent of girls don’t go to secondary school, and this is simply unacceptable. Our team is going to work hard to address this in every way we can.”

However, the New York Times seems to have gotten to the bottom of the problem. Madonna reportedly hired a man named Trevor Neilson when the Raising Malawi Foundation's school plans were in crisis, who claims that the $3.8 million already spent on the school went to architects, design, salaries and two cars for employees who had not even been hired yet.

“Despite $3.8 million having been spent by the previous management team, the project has not broken ground, there was no title to the land and there was, over all, a startling lack of accountability on the part of the management team in Malawi and the management team in the United States,” he said. “We have yet to determine exactly what happened to all of that $3.8 million. We have not accounted for all the funds that were used.”

The report was scathing to certain managers of the project, including head of the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls, Anjimile Oponyo, whose, the report said, "weak management skills are a major contributor to the current financial and programmatic chaos.”

Madonna has adopted two children from Malawi – David, who is 6 and Mercy, who is 5. Are you ready to get your celebrity betting odds in the Bodog Sportsbook? If you need an account, Join Bodog today!

Actress Reese Witherspoon has officially wed her boyfriend, agent Jim Toth in a private ceremony in her California ranch yesterday evening. This is the second marriage for the 35-year-old academy award winning actress who was previously married to actor Ryan Phillippe.

According to US Magazine, the happy couple invited over 100 guests, which included Renee Zellweger, Alyssa Milano, Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson. Among the invitees was also her ex-Ryan and of course her kids who were part of the ceremony.

As far as the location of the wedding, Ojai Ranch, it has actually been Reese’s getaway for years where she apparently gardens and tends to her animals, claims US Magazine. It’s about 90 miles outside of Los Angeles and it’s where her guests congregated for the evening ceremony.

Reese and her CAA agent boyfriend, Jim Toth, dated for a year starting in January of 2010, when they were first seen around and L.A. sharing dinner but it wasn’t until a recent Lakers game a few months back that a big shiny rock was discovered on her left hand.

The couple is extremely happy and “They feel like they’ve hit the jackpot in this relationship!” claims US Magazine.

Alec Baldwin had a breakdown too and everyone said his career was ruined, but no look at him and how successful he is after 30 rock.

RIP Elizabeth Taylor. She was the last actress of the golden age surely.

Previously, land-based casino operators were opposed to the idea of legalized online gambling in America. Now that they have seen the profitability in the industry, they are changing their tune. As a result, some of the country's biggest land-based gambling operators are lobbying for the legalization and regulation of the American online gambling market.

Wynn CEO Steve Wynn states that online gambling can no longer be ignores. Thousands of Americans are taking part in the activity and he believes that the government should take steps to regulating the market to create a fair and safe environment for players. If the UIGEA is repealed, Wynn plans to launch a partnership with PokerStars.

However, Caesar's has already beat Wynn to the punch. The company has teamed up with the popular European operator 888 Holdings. This marks the first time that an American land-based operator has been allowed to work with an offshore online gambling website.

Nevada currently stands to make a great deal of revenue if online gambling is legalized. The activity is estimated to generate up to $3.5 million per year for the government.

The European Commission is reviewing online gambling laws across Europe and will use the evidence it gathers to decide whether or not new laws are needed.

The Commission has launched a consultation on the state of the industry, which it says generated revenues of €6 billion in 2008 and will generate double that by 2013.

"The primary aim of the Green Paper consultation, launched today, is therefore to obtain a facts-based picture of the existing situation in the EU on-line gambling market and of the different national regulatory models," said a Commission statement. "The Commission seeks the views of stakeholders and wishes to collect detailed information and data on key policy issues such as organisation of on-line gambling services and enforcement of applicable laws; consumer protection and other relevant public policy challenges as well as commercial communications and payment services."

The results of the consultation will be used to decide what "follow up action" is required from it. The Commission said that the process will help it to decide on "the appropriateness and effectiveness of current rules applicable to on-line gambling services at EU level in terms of ensuring the overall coherence of national systems and ... whether further cooperation at EU level might assist Member States to more effectively achieve the objectives of their gambling policy".

Internal Markets and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier said that the Commission wanted to make sure the laws in place were the right ones because online gambling has a social as well as a commercial role in society.

"The on-line gambling market in the EU continues to grow rapidly and generates important revenues that are sometimes channelled into good causes," he said. "Its expansion must go hand-in-hand with a determination to protect our citizens, especially minors, and to ensure that offers of these types of services within the EU are sound and well-regulated. It responds to calls from the European Parliament and the Member States for us to address these questions jointly."

The consultation would focus on consumer protection; public order, and enforcement amongst other issues, the Commission statement said.

For those who do not know who or what eCOGRA is, they are a company that provides protection of players who gamble online, they also test the integrity of the software programs used by online casinos. Founded by three major owners in the online gambling industry, Microgaming, 888 and Bwin, it has provided a service to online gamblers for many years. Even though it is founded and owned by three online gaming companies, eCOGRA has always alleged independence in their audits and approvals of all online gambling establishments. But as with all companies that are owned from the inside, there has been and probably always will be questions regarding their integrity and their un-bias treatment for all involved. So now with the news of this buy-out all questions regarding eCOGRA’s independence will be unfounded because they are being bought out by its management with the promise that new management will “never” include another software provider, online casino operator or any other player in the online gaming industry.

The buy-out, which has already taken place, went quickly with no problems and all founding members where in approval. All previous directors will stay on board and will be headed by Michael Hirst. Hirst reinforced that the importance of eCOGRA and its mission to accredit online gaming sites and the industry as a whole is the same and their dedication to player safety and protection is unwavering. ECOGRA’s log term goals are to grow with the ever-expanding online gambling industry and with US federal and state legalization looming in the future it’s vital that eCOGRA evolves with the industry and prepares to go forward.

In recent days there’s been a lot of controversy swirling around Natalie Portman’s performance in Black Swan after her body double came forward and claimed that at least 95% of the dance scenes where performed by her and not Portman. These are charges that the Oscar-winning actress and Director, Darren Aronofsky are denying and are willing to challenge.

The body double, Sarah Lane, told Entertainment Weekly that apart from completing 95% of the dance sequences, the American Ballet Theatre dancer claims that they simply digitally added Portman’s face to the footage. “All the other shots are me,” she claimed.

In response to Sarah’s claims, Black Swan director, Darren Aronofsky, released a statement claiming that he had his editor count the shots of the film which totaled 139 and he claims that 111 are of Portman untouched. He also touches on the fact that digital face replacement was used but only for two complicated scenes.

“Natalie sweated long and hard to deliver a great physical and emotional performance. And I don’t want anyone to think that’s not her they are watching. It is.”

Portman won an Oscar for “Best Actress” in her performance as the ballerina who becomes plagued by her obsession of delivering the perfect performance. You can’t deny Portman’s acting abilities and the fact that she worked her ass off to pull off the role but maybe it’s just the fact that her double was only credited as being a “stunt double” in the credits that set her off. Hollywood cover-up? What do you think?

Cool,perhaps it would be a good company to buy stock in,if/when the usa enacts some decent online gaming legislation.Plus Im glad there are groups like this trying to keep online games safe and fair.

It seems onlime gaming support is slowly growing each time,specially as the economy worsens.Ive heard of some behind the scenes deals being made this time around,and I will bet that online gaming will become law very soon.Lets hope its a decent bill that gets passed.

As online gambling companies become bigger and more profitable, more operators are making sponsorship deals with sport teams across Europe. In some countries, these deals are lawful while they remain illegal in others. As such, the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) had made a statement on the situation surrounding sport sponsorships in the online gambling industry.

Not only is the online gambling market in Europe fragmented in terms of tax regulations and laws; the ESA also states the market has differing opinions on the sponsorships of sports teams. Currently, the Spanish gambling monopoly has launched a lawsuit against Bwin for sponsoring Real Madrid, but in other countries, this type of business partnership is perfectly legal.

The European Commission is currently in the process of trying to harmonize the online gambling industry across European, and the ESA has announced that it wants to help in the process. The harmonizing of the market as a whole should mean the same thing for laws concerning sponsorships. As such, the ESA has been speaking with the European Commission to ensure that sponsorship laws are made a priority when the online gambling industry is reworked.

Pop singer, Beyonce, made a big decision this week involving her career and that was cutting ties with her father, Mathew Knowles, who managed her career since her days in Destiny’s Child. She claims that it was a business decision on her part and that walking away from their label, Music World Entertainment, has not affected their personal relationship. “I am grateful for everything he has taught me,” she said.

Beyonce and her dad have been through it all and together they have managed to conquer the world with chart-topping albums, her foray into movies and even her own clothing line. There is no doubt that Beyonce will continue to rock the charts and it seems that both of them seem to have a healthy attitude as far as what constitutes business and family. “He is my father for life and I love my dad dearly,” she said in a statement.

Beyonce, who hired her mother as her stylist and shares a clothing line with her, will continue this part of the business but as far as management, there has been no word as to who she will hire next.

As for her dad, he will continue running his label Music World Entertainment, where he works with other soul, gospel and R&B artists. “The decision for Beyonce and Music World Entertainment to part was mutual,” he said. “We did great things together, and I know that she will continue to conquer new territories in music and entertainment,” he said in a statement via CNN.

That was a huge decision on her part and no doubt a tough one to make but then again, he did also shape her into becoming a savvy business woman.

Rather it be music,actors etc. this always seems to happen,for better oe worse.we as people eventually have to take that one big step in life for indeoendency.im sure she will do well.

Texas legislators are preparing to hear arguments on whether to allow casino gambling in the state – a move that would increase tax revenues for Texas, but which some lawmakers oppose on moral grounds.

According to the Texas Gaming Association, plenty of Texans are gambling now. However, they aren’t spending their money in the Lone Star State. Instead, Texans travel to Oklahoma, Louisiana, Nevada and other destinations, spending as much as $4 billion each year according to some estimates.

“We see the buses,” said Texas State House Representative Mike Hamilton, a Republican. “We see the cars traveling over there. If we don't have gaming, maybe we could put a toll road right there on the Louisiana border and charge people going back and forth."

Given that level of gambling, and including the amount of local gamblers who would contribute business and the gambling tourists the casinos would attract, the Texas Gaming Association estimates that taxing casino gambling in the state could raise as much as $1.2 billion each year. This would be a welcome boost for Texas, which faces massive budget deficits in the coming years.

In order to attract as much business as possible, the proposal calls for the creation of casino resorts. Rather than just gambling houses, these projects would include hotels, night life destinations, golf courses and more.

According to the proposal, the money raised from casino gambling would go towards financial aid for higher education, as well as the property tax relief fund. The bill would require a constitutional amendment, and would allow each county to decide independently to allow or prevent casino gambling.

However, not all Texans are in favor of the move. According to Pat Carlson, President of the Texas Eagle Forum, casino gambling would hurt those who could least afford it.

"[Gambling] exploits the poor, because the very people who don't have resources to gamble are the very ones who gamble, hoping to hit the big jackpot," Carlson said.

Opponents of the gambling expansion have also said that the tax revenue numbers are inflated, and that Texas would not see nearly the revenue increase that supporters are suggesting.

The casino expansion is not the only gambling bill being considered by the Texas legislature. Other options include adding slot machines to the state’s horseracing tracks, or allowing Native American tribes to provide gambling operations.

It’s all a big mystery this morning as to why Spanish pop star Enrique Iglesias dropped out of an arranged tour with Britney Spears’ upcoming summer tour just hours after she made the big announcement on ABC network's Good Morning America talk show.

Enrique, who is currently carrying out the European leg of his tour, has not personally commented on the matter but TMZ claims that he has been in talks with tour organizers to cancel the engagement after finding out he was the opening act.

Other reports from Reuters claim that the star’s current tour schedule conflicts with Britney’s June kickoff date – making it difficult for him to join the tour.

“Unfortunately, Enrique Iglesias and Britney Spears will not be touring together. Despite initial reports based on formal discussions of the possible run, Enrique will continue on his solo tour in support of his new album “Euphoria,” a rep for Enrique said.

Both stars are currently promoting new albums, with Britney promoting her massive comeback with “Femme Fatale” and Enrique with “Euphoria”. Both stars have mass appeal and are on the high end of the pop star spectrum which means that settling for an opening act gig just doesn’t cut it. Maybe if they give Enrique equal billing then they can work things out??