Legislation to license online gambling in California, never a sure bet because of feuding among powerful special interests, now faces an even cloudier future.
This month's federal indictments of three prominent online poker outfits threw the multibillion-dollar industry into turmoil.
The charges could create a window of opportunity for California or other states to legalize online games. Or they may give state lawmakers another reason to keep a safe distance from the issue.
Even before the charges, licensing online gambling has divided politically active tribes with casinos as well as veteran members of the Legislature's Democratic majority. The Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Banning and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians near San Bernardino are dominant members of a group pushing one of two legalization bills in Sacramento.
But other influential tribes, such as the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians near Temecula, have been vocal critics of the idea, saying it would hurt tribal casinos. And other tribes, such as the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in the Coachella Valley, have stayed neutral.
Supporters of legalizing online gambling say California is losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from residents playing illegal sites based in Ireland, the Isle of Man and elsewhere. Legalization at the federal level is inevitable, they say, and California would get the most money if it had its own system in place before then.
But skeptics downplay the prospect of quick action in Washington. They also contend that legalizing online poker or other games, such as California 21, could violate parts of revenue-sharing agreements between the state and tribes. And legal online games would increase the number of problem gamblers, critics say.
And among proponents of online gambling, there are deep divisions about the right approach. State senators Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, and Rod Wright, D-Los Angeles, have dueling measures.
Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, recently told colleagues that his office will try to help broker a consensus.
"Obviously, if you have divisions, particularly among Indian tribes, that makes it tough," said Assemblyman Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert , the top Republican on the Assembly committee that oversees gambling. "And you're always going to have some people who believe you shouldn't have any legalized gaming at all."
Nestande has not taken a position on either bill.
FEDERAL CHARGES
The indictments of Full Tilt Poker, Poker Starz and Absolute Poker on April 15 -- what some industry insiders call "Black Friday" -- injected a new level of uncertainty into the California debate.
U.S. authorities allege that the companies, which are based outside the U.S., set up phony businesses to move money to and from U.S. players as a way to bypass the 2006 federal ban on online gambling. The feds seized domain names, and thousands of U.S. players lost access to their money, at least temporarily.
The indictments leave untouched a provision of the federal law that allows states to license their own online games. California would be the first to legalize.
People closely involved in the process disagree on how the latest developments change the chances of legalization.
"In my opinion, this indictment is really going to put a damper on anything happening in Sacramento, and nationally, for that matter," said Jerome Encinas, director of government affairs for the California Nations Indian Gaming Association.
But within hours of the indictments, the group behind the Morongo-backed legislation said it was the perfect time to act.
"By enacting SB 40, sites like those indicted today would be banned from the California market and strong protections for consumers would be in place," said Ryan Hightower, spokesman for the California Online Poker Association. "This is a real game-changer in terms of revenue potential for California."
Patrick Dorinson, a spokesman for several online poker firms that have never taken illegal U.S. bets, said the indictments should eliminate fears that large off-shore sites would swoop in and dominate a legalized California market.
"There's a window that's open now," Dorinson said. "You've now got 6 million people in the country, and 1 million people in California, with no place to play."
TWO BILLS IN PLAY
The issue has attracted a bevy of special interests, including card clubs, the horse-racing industry, software vendors and tribes.
The Correa bill backed by the Morongo tribe originally would have put a single "licensed entity" that was a tribe or already had a gambling license in charge of a legalized online poker network.
Last month, Correa amended the measure to allow three licensed entities at the start, to a maximum of five. The change hasn't ended criticism that the bill's influential backers are trying to limit competition.
"Other than the fact it's illegal, it might be a good idea," Wright said.
Wright leads the committee that oversees gambling issues. Correa's bill faces a May 6 deadline to be considered by the panel and, as of Wednesday, no hearing had been set.
Wright's bill, three times as long, would license games besides poker. He also wants to expand the pool of potential licensees beyond what the Correa bill proposes. What if web giant Google wants to apply and offers to pay the state the most money, he has said.
REVENUE FORECAST
Both sides tout online gambling's revenue potential for the recession-wracked state budget. But experts disagree about how much the state could get, and how soon.
Earlier this year, a study commissioned by the poker association estimated that legalized poker could earn the state more than $1 billion over the next decade.
But a 2010 study commissioned by the California Tribal Business Alliance concluded that online poker would yield little money to the state while voiding more lucrative revenue-shari
It looks like Donald Trump's one and only platform for his presidential bid has combusted into a ball of flames now that President Obama has released his birth certificate to the public.
Sick of hearing Trump and others complain that Obama wasn't a real American, he ordered the release of the certificate to put Trump's rumors to rest.
Obama held a news conference about the document, saying, "We’re not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers."
I’ve got better stuff to do,” he added. “There are a lot of folks out there who are still looking for work. Everybody is still suffering under high gas prices. We’re going to have to make a series of very difficult decisions about how we invest in our future, but also get a hold of our deficit and our debt."
The certificate shows that Obama's mother was a teen mom, at 18 at the time she gave birth and that his father was 25.
However, Trump managed to spin the obvious bitch slap, saying, "Today I'm very proud of myself, because I've accomplished something that no one else has been able to accomplish. I want to look at it, but I hope it's true so that we can get on to much more important matters … he should have done it a long time ago."
He added, "I am really honored, frankly, to have played such a big role in hopefully, hopefully getting rid of this issue."
In a recent Wall Street Journal poll of Republican primary voters, Trump tied with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for second place.
Currently, in the Bodog Sportsbook, Trump has 25/1 odds to win the 2012 presidential election, while Obama is the heavy favorite with 4/7 odds. For the record, Sarah Palin has slightly better odds than Trump with 22/1 odds. Scary.
At holiday to lots of the Caribbean during hurricane time which runs from June thru Nov can be unpredictable or worse. But some Caribbean islands lie outside of the hurricane belt, and costs there drop for the summer too.
Though not bargain-basement inexpensive, a trip to the supposed ABC islands Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao is more reasonable in summer than winter, and you will be outside of the danger area.
Try the Gulf
Yes, that Gulf. A year after the oil spill, Gulf Coasters need folk to come back, and they are prepared to deal.
It's lovely, and hotel rates are still lower than they've been. Staying in numerous Gulf of Mexico resorts now costs approximately what it did in 2004.
Stay close up
Local trips.
Thinking regionally is usually a solution for discounts.
For example, rail trips across the Northeast, along the Pacific Coast or up the Hudson Valley look increasingly cheap as gas prices surge. Trawling the web for Amtrak discount codes can save you 15 to 60 %.
Go to the town
Trips to a major metropolis like new York, Boston or Chicago can be had at a reduction in the summer.
You need to think about alternative choices to what everybody else wants to do.
Particularly in Aug, city dwellers flee in mobs, and top hotels particularly those that serve business travelers are often wanting customers. Also consider leasing a place from one of those vacationing residents through a site like airbnb-com, which connects travelers with folks renting out their apartments for 1 or 2 days or weeks at a time.
Be flexible
Above all, if you stay flexible about every aspect of your trip, you'll save the most.
For deals, find "flash" travel websites which take the strategy of members-only clothing and accessories sellers like Rue La La or Gilt and offer travel at steep deductions for brief periods. Options include Trip Advisor's sniqueaway-com, VoyagePrive-com and jetsetter-com.
Because these websites are new, they're awfully competitive.It's an excellent time to milk their need to deliver hot packages.
Click here wildwood new jersey
A Palmerston North woman stole money from the failed Signature Homes franchise she was working for and at the same time claimed benefit money which she used to fund her gambling habit.
At Palmerston North District Court yesterday, Debra Kay Price, 49, pleaded guilty to one charge of wilful omission for not telling Work and Income about her employment.
While working she continued to receive the domestic purposes benefit and a smaller accommodation supplement, disability allowance and temporary additional support payments.
Between March 23, 2009, and January 24, 2010, Price received $16,517 taxpayer support to which she was not entitled, Social Development Ministry prosecutor Phillipa Transom said.
At the same time, she stole $31,397.04 from her employer, Signature Homes. And at her previous job, working for Mag and Tyre Direct and Fore Cars Manawatu, she stole $134,327.12.
Price has not paid the benefit money back, but at her last court appearance in early March she said she had reimbursed Signature Homes in full and paid $33,000 to Craig Laird, director of Mag and Tyre and Fore Cars.
On that occasion Judge Nevin Dawson delayed sentencing Price until May 6 so she could try to get money together to repay her debt.
She will also be sentenced on that date on the wilful omission charge.
Mrs Transom said that when Price was interviewed about her benefit over-payments, she claimed she had advised Work and Income about her employment at Signature Homes.
However, she could not explain why Work and Income had no record of her doing so.
The benefit payments continued and Price said she used the money to fund a gambling addiction, Mrs Transom said.
At Price's March court appearance, Mr Laird read a victim impact statement in which he said Price's offending had caused him to slash jobs at his business and take out loans to stay afloat.
He had poured all his savings into his companies and, as a result, was forced to live with his partner in a rented house.
Price told the Manawatu Standard her gambling addiction was under control and she was remorseful about her offending.
The iPhone 4 is ideal for visiting online gambling sites.
Those who love to visit online gambling websites and virtual casinos from their handset may be interested to note the white version of the iPhone is released today (April 28th).
Apple has confirmed it is making the long-awaited model available to users via its website and through a number of official retailers.
It could provide the ultimate portal for those hoping to engage in games of poker, roulette and blackjack while on the go.
"The white iPhone 4 has finally arrived and it's beautiful. We appreciate everyone who has waited patiently while we've worked to get every detail right," said Apple's senior vice-president of worldwide product marketing Philip Schiller.
A four-inch touchscreen with sublime resolution and excellent crispness will make it easy to view websites on the mobile.
Apple released the iPhone 4 – in its standard black shade – in the US, UK, Germany, France and Japan in June last year, although it is now available across the world.
Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump was just served by CBS Evening News correspondent Bob Schieffer, who called Trump's latest accusation about President Obama – that he may not have had "the grades" to get into Harvard Law is "…just code for saying he got into law school because he's black. This is an ugly strain of racism that's running through this whole thing."
Watch Schieffer's rant here.
For the record, Trump had said, "I have friends who have smart sons with great marks, great boards, great everything and they can't get into Harvard. We don't know a thing about this guy. There are a lot of questions that are unanswered about our President."
After Trump made his statement, Cher chimed in on her Twitter page, writing "Donald Trump is a pompous asshole! Saw him in Aspen with one Dcup chick after another. Everyone up there thought he was a complete idiot."
Trump immediately went to TMZ to defend himself, saying "That is a terrible statement for a newscaster to make. I am the last person that such a thing should be said about."
TMZ asked Trump if he was saying that Obama got into Harvard Law School via affirmative action. He responded, "Affirmative action is out there. It's a program that is available. But I have no idea whether it applies in this case. I'm not suggesting anything." Of course, when asked if he supported or opposed affirmative action, he would not comment. He's already a politician!
Currently, in the Bodog Sportsbook's political odds, Trump has 25/1 odds to win the 2012 presidential election, while Obama is the heavy favorite with 4/7 odds. Who do you think will win the 2010 presidential election? Place your bets now!
Like Frankenstein, the bill-with-a-new-brain only lived briefly.
Senate Bill 1247 proposed creation of a gambling casino in Waikiki. It died today but one of its backers, lobbyist John Radcliffe, said it is sure to rise again in the future.
The bill began life as a measure to change management of the Aloha Tower Market Place and had nothing to do with gambling or casinos. But in the eleventh hour of the legislative session attempts were made to transform the measure into a proposal that legalized gambling in the Islands.
In a conference committee meeting this afternoon, Rep. Joseph Souki, D-8th (Wailuku), said that House leadership opposed the casino idea and the measure was dead for this session of the Legislature.
“I’m quite disappointed,” Souki said. “We do need revenues in the state of Hawaii and the quality of life as we know it will continue to deteriorate.”
The last-minute push for gambling was propelled by radio advertising, social media and thousands of “robo-call” phone messages financed by a group called Citizens for a Better Way.
The group is headed by local businesswoman Liz Watanabe, former owner of a downtown nightspot called the O Lounge.
How much the group has spent on the pro-gambling campaign and the source of that money are unknown. Radcliffe, who works with the group, said the amount was “surprisingly little.”
According to online records of the state Ethics Commission, the group has not registered with the state Ethics Commission as a lobbyist or as an organization that employs a lobbyist,
But Radcliffe said Watanabe told him she registered with the commission about three weeks ago.
“Something got screwed up,” Radcliffe said.
Under the law, registration must occur within five days of the commencement of lobbying. Disclosure of lobbying activities, including amounts spent, must be made three times a year. The next disclosure deadline, covering March 1 to April 30 period, is May 31.
Several sources said they believed a Michigan firm, Marketing Resource Group, which has lobbied here in the past for legalized gambling, was affiliated with Citizens for A Better Way.
But Radcliffe, who also represents Marketing Resource Group here, said the two groups are only connected to each other through him.
Marketing Resource Group provided no money to Citizens for a Better Way, said Radcliffe.
Tom Shields, an executive with the Michigan firm, said by phone today his firm has employed Radcliffe for the past eight years “to promote the idea of a casino in Waikiki” but has no connection to Citizens For A Better Way.
“I have clients that are interested in investing in Hawaii gaming if the people decide that they want to legalize it,” Shields said.
Radcliffe was paid some $3,800 for his work from January through March of this year by Marketing Resource Group, according to Ethics Commission filings.
“He’s been our eyes and ears out there to just sort of keep track of things for us,” said Shields.
Today minority Republicans in the state House of Representatives castigated the casino bill.
“We strongly object to a clumsy attempt to hi-jack a bill relating to the Aloha Tower Development Corporation and turn it into a bill to establish a casino in Waikiki,” Republican Policy Leader Rep. Barbara Marumoto said.
Marumoto and her colleagues asserted that using a bill for a purpose that does not match its title violated the state Constitution and introducing it in the closing days of the Legislative session violated the rules of the House.
“Efforts by pro-gambling lobbyists have increased in the last few days. Constituents have reported receiving automated phone calls telling them they need to choose between gambling and increased taxes,” the Republicans said in a press release.
“This is simply not true and clearly is a desperate effort by gambling interests to push through a self-serving proposal in the final hours of the Legislature,” said House Republican Leader Gene Ward.
A member of the House Democratic majority, Rep. Chris Lee, 51st (Lanikai, Waimanalo) said some of his constituents were confused by the robo call messages and believed he was responsible for them.
Instead, the calls advised Lee’s constituents to contact his office to express support for the gambling bill.
Lee said his office will mail clarifications to voters in the next few days.
“This automated call left many people believing that it was me who was calling.
However, I have absolutely nothing to do with this,” Lee’s mailer says.
“In fact, I oppose this proposal to legalize casino gambling in Hawaii because it may hurt our local economy more than help it,” Lee’s message says.
Radcliffe said the casino proposal will rise again.
“This Legislature has done precious little to solve the fiscal problems of the state,” he said.
Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday that he believes he and leading lawmakers will “find our way to something’’ on an expanded gambling bill, but “we’re not there yet.’’ Patrick said he, House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, and Senate President Therese Murray continue to negotiate on the issue, which ended in finger-pointing last year when they failed to reach agreement on bringing casinos to the state, something they all said they supported.
DeLeo, nonetheless, held out for slot machines at the state’s four racetracks.
“We’re talking,’’ Patrick said during his monthly “Ask the Governor’’ segment on WTKK-FM yesterday. “The only agreement we have . . . is to resume the hearings and refresh some of the data that we have.’’
Patrick said that expanding gambling is “much higher’’ on DeLeo’s agenda than on his, but that he continues to support it.
On the same radio program yesterday, the governor said questions about the authenticity of President Obama’s birth certificate — and thus his legitimacy as the country’s leader — represent “a new low in American politics.’’
“I hope and I believe that the American people are bigger and better than this,’’ said Patrick, a close friend of the president.
Asked whether he felt the questions about Obama’s birthplace and his academic record were motivated by race, Patrick — like Obama, the first African-American to hold his job — said:
“I have no idea, but whatever is motivating it, it feels like a new low in American politics, particularly when you consider the extraordinary challenges facing this country and this president, that we would spend our time on stuff like that and attempts to marginalize our president.’’
The governor said that while Obama is “a proud Democrat, he is serving as the president for all of us, for the people who voted for him and the ones who didn’t.’’
Donald Trump, the New York real estate tycoon, has vaulted into the spotlight among prospective Republican presidential contenders by raising questions about the authenticity of Obama’s birth certificate and his qualifications to attend both Columbia University and Harvard Law School.
This week, during his first visit to New Hampshire as a potential presidential candidate, Trump claimed credit for forcing Obama to release a full copy of his birth certificate, rather than the standard short form that Hawaii officials gave him.
The certificate shows the president was born in Hawaii on Aug. 4, 1961.
On the radio yesterday, Patrick said of Trump: “How many bankruptcies has he presided over? Please, let’s move on.’’
Early this morning (for us North Americans), Kate Middleton became Princess Catherine when she said "I do" to Prince William.
And now, this weekend in the Bodog Casino, we are celebrating William and Kate's – ahem – Catherine's union by offering some spectacular offers fit for a King… or Queen.
All players have to do is play Blackjack between April 29th – May 2nd and get draw entries for King or Queen cards or the "royal" combination of both. Prizes are also “royal” themed, which include:
* VIP tickets to Royal Ascot for our UK players
* Stay at the Queen Elisabeth Hotel in Montreal for our Canadian friends
* While U.S. players can enjoy VIP tickets to Triple Crown (Belmont Stakes)
During the ceremony at Westminster Abby, William looked nervous as his bride walked up the aisle, while his brother Harry kept turning back to glance at her and whisper in his ear. When she arrived at the altar, William whispered something to her, which looked like he said, “You’re beautiful.” Can we get an "awwww"?
The couple emerged from the Westminster Abby where about one million people had flocked to London to try and catch a glimpse of the royal couple, while 500,000 alone crowded around the palace to watch them kiss on the balcony. The world's most famous couple then surprised everyone by emerging from the palace in a blue Aston Martin Volante convertible with balloons tied to the bumper – an incredibly confident move considering the security element of the situation, with terrorist groups threatening the grand event.
An Aston Martin Volante? Finally, the Royals did something cool! The new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are beginning a new, fresh era in the monarchy.
There will be a small reception this evening hosted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess from all of us here at Bodog! And for those of us who aren't Royal, we can certainly feel Royal by playing Royal Wedding-themed Blackjack!
It was a teary exit for fans of NBC’s “The Office” as Steve Carell’s lovable yet clueless character, Michael Scott, made an exit from the show after six years of inappropriate comments and scenarios that helped lead the beloved employees of Dunder Mifflin.
He spent his final hours saying goodbye to each of his employees who he seemed to have shared an awkward story or two with at some point during their six year relationship including Angela who he approached by asking, "Was it just me or did you think we were going to have sex at some point."
It was an emotional exit as he said goodbye to Jim, his partner in crime and co-manager who after years of cleaning up his messes, admitted to Michael that he was after all “the best boss he ever had.” As they shared lunch together, it was a struggle for them to say goodbye but somehow it was all just understood how the two felt about each other with Jim admitting that “It’s just that sometimes, goodbyes are a bitch.”
During the show, Michael was attempting to be discreet about the fact that he was leaving and sneak off a day before he was scheduled to leave to Colorado, without telling his crew but somehow his intentions came through loud and clear.
While the goodbyes were sad there oh so many classic Dunder Mifflin moments and a fare share of jokes including one final “That’s what she said” joke as he prepared for his exit and took off his microphone.
His exit wasn’t overplayed since there are three episodes left and while the focus was on Michael Scott, they had to leave the door open for the next bunch of newbies including Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey and many others that are rumored to join the cast temporarily. It was definitely a sad moment but as wel all know, the show must go on…
Our gambling laws make about as much sense as the government banning gin, but not vodka, during Prohibition.
Some laws allow gambling, some encourage it, and some ban it. You can run an online business for people to bet on horse races, but not on a poker hand. So instead of collecting taxes on the $30 billion that is bet in this country every year on online poker sites run by offshore companies, our government is investing tax dollars in an attempt to close down the games. It's time to fix this absurd system.
While our nation's leaders fret over our debt, there are millions of American poker players willing to throw coins into tax coffers in order to test their skills. But the national love for Texas Hold 'Em brings in no taxes while our prosecutors pursue the dealers.
On April 15, a day the online poker world dubbed Black Friday, the Justice Department unsealed indictments against 11 players in the online poker world, including the founders of popular sites PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker. The government also, at least temporarily, seized and shut down the websites. Using the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, a law passed in 2006 but steeped in archaic concepts of virtue, the feds are looking to convict these defendants and reap forfeitures of some $3 billion.
To identify those forfeited dollars, prosecutors had to build a complex case based on how people paid to play, including securing restraining orders on 75 bank accounts. Now, they will have to prove these 11 defendants guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This complicated and greedy grab by the Justice Department is totally unnecessary.
The government is spending millions of dollars on the chance of raking in $3 billion. Who is gambling now? Why not instead collect a steady stream of tax dollars on online poker, like many other countries do every day?
Because our laws now make some online gambling legal and other online gambling illegal, we have a likely unconstitutional Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. We also have to appease leaders in other World Trade Organization member countries who are miffed at our illogical and shortsighted law that violates the treaty in spirit and has ensnared offshore companies that run online poker sites. It is likely that WTO countries will come after the U.S. again for the April 15 roundup.
We need not make this a no-limit game. The estimated 2.5 million Americans who play online poker know there is some skill to the game, unlike other sports that can be rigged. There can be online safeguards built in to stop underage players and to warn and screen for problem gamblers, just like casinos do on a regular basis.
We don't need more charges of bank fraud and money laundering against poker companies. Instead, we need to end this madness with a solid challenge to the constitutionality of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which is aimed at preventing financial services firms from processing funds for online gambling. It's worth noting that Congress hasn't targeted the online poker players in this country, where lawmakers know full well its popularity.
Forbes has reported that in 2009, online poker took in revenue of about $1.4 billion in the U.S. with PokerStars and Full Tilt, whose founders are now indicted, bringing in about 70 percent of the total. Let's stop taking a double hit here. Stop spending to prosecute under an inconsistent law and start taxing online poker sites under the proven model used by other countries.
The current poker prosecution echoes "the Noble Experiment" of Prohibition. It is an attempt to enforce a morality that average citizens don't find immoral. Just as the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution begat the 21st Amendment to repeal it, if Congress won't legalize online poker, we should go all in and let the U.S. Supreme Court take a good look at this cockeyed prosecutorial tool.
Flood is a Houston-based white-collar defense attorney and former prosecutor who represented the owner of BetonSports.com in what was the largest online gambling case in U.S. history until last month.
Another online gambling domain has been sold. This domain, Gambling.com, has one of the best keyword names and has been described as the perfect gambling domain. The domain was owned by the UK based Media Corporation group and its new owner has chosen to remain unidentified for now. The deal was brokered through the domain marketplace Sedo.
The price that Gambling.com fetched is $2.5 million. Many experts have opined that this is a much discounted price for such a valuable domain name. In fact when the Media Corporation group bought Gambling.com in 2005, they paid a whopping $20 million. Six years down the line they have received just over 10% of their purchase price. In January 2011, Media Corporation had indicated a reserve price of $9 million. However, Media Corporation chief executive, Justin Drummond, is not perturbed. He said that he was very pleased with the sale and the price received. Drummond explained that the sale of Gambling.com will considerably boost the group's already substantial cash reserves. He added, "We have recently seen a number of exciting acquisition opportunities in the online gaming and online advertising space. The successful sale of Gambling.com has given the group more than adequate financial resources to pursue these acquisition opportunities aggressively."
One of the biggest reasons in the fall of the market price of Gambling.com is the UIGEA. Media Corporation purchased this domain when the online gambling market in the United States was at its peak. After the UIGEA things have been going from bad to worse. Many online gambling operators and other service providers have exited from this market. The present seizure of online poker domains has triggered a fresh exodus. Another factor in the lower valuation of Gambling.com is the problem it had with Google. In 2007 Google imposed an inexplicable penalty on the domain name, which was only lifted in 2009. This drove down the gross margin from the domain by over 60%.
Two major online gambling domains were sold in 2010. Both had great keyword names and the price of Gambling.com falls squarely between those. PokerCompany.com had bought Poker.org for $1 million. At that time it was said that .org domains generally fetch lower prices than .com ones. The more high profile transaction was the Bodog brand purchasing Slots.com for $5.5 million. Bodog now has a Realtime Gaming powered online casino running at Slots.com. The online casino does not display the Bodog pizzazz as yet, but it is early days.
The identity of the new owner of Gambling.com will surely be revealed in due course. Right now all that Sedo is willing to say about the UK-based company is, "[It will be] well placed to capitalize on the benefits of such a memorable keyword domain considering the health of the online gambling market in the UK."
For years, Jon Cryer has played the straight man juxtaposed against Charlie Sheen's character's boozing, womanizing ways on Two and a Half Men.
Now, without Sheen, creator Chuck Lorre, who Sheen is currently feuding with, has reportedly decided that Cryer will become the main character, which is quite the decision, since Cryer has for years played the sidekick.
With Sheen suing the show for $100 million for breach of contract, the show is moving full steam ahead with the remaining parts of the eighth season and the forthcoming seasons focussing on Jon Cryer’s character, Alan, while a still unknown new character (rumored to be John Stamos or Rob Lowe) will be introduced.
Meanwhile, when he got wind of the news that Cryer would be the star of the show, Sheen fired off a letter to Lorre saying, "No one cares about your feeble show without me," adding, "The ratings right now are not a fluke. It's a big fat mess. A 2.0 demo. That sucks."
Lorre responded to Sheen in a weird announcement referring to Sheen as a monkey, saying its "behavior became increasingly erratic, to the point of refusing to come out of his trailer to rehearse."
Lorre added, "The monkey is a heroin addict. Yes, hard as it may be to believe, the monkey had a monkey on his back."
Lorre has presented the idea to Cryer as well as the network and studio of intentions to overhaul the series and for now, it's a green light. Somewhere Sheen is steaming.
The mastermind behind 911 is dead, sources are now saying. Apparently Osama bin Laden was killed a week ago by a U.S. bomb, but U.S. military officials had kept quiet about his death while DNA tests were pending.
Yes, the manhunt for the Al Qaeda leader is finally over. Osama bin Laden was reportedly killed in Pakistan as the result of a US special forces and CIA operation, according to the first leaks from the media. His body is reportedly in the possession of U.S. special forces.
As the word has got around via social networking, crowds gathered outside the gates of the White House in Washington DC, singing the national anthem and cheering, while President Obama is preparing for a speech on the matter later this evening, scheduled for 11.30 p.m. ET.
The news of bin Laden's demise comes eight years to the day when President Bush embarrassingly declared "Mission accomplished" in Iraq. This is good news for Obama, who has had a tough time in the polls lately but during his presidential campaign back in 2008, Obama repeatedly promised: "We will kill Osama bin Laden."
Bin Laden was a Saudi-born zealot who commanded an organized, terrorism campaign with subsidiaries operating all over the Middle East, recruiting young Muslim men and boys to train in bootcamp-like terror schools. They raised money and plotted terror against mostly westernized countries, mainly the U.S.
Bin Laden's terrorism was funded by an inheritance he got from his family, estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. His ultimate goal was to finance al Qaedat for a new pan-Islamic religious state.
Do you think Osama bin Laden's death will help Barack Obama sustain his presidency in 2012? Currently, in the Bodog Sportsbook, Obama is the heavy favorite with 4/7 presidential election odds. Place your bets before the elections, folks!
American Wagering Inc., a subsidiary of Leroy’s Sportsbook has software currently being tested with an application for Google’s Android OS smart phones, within the state of Nevada.
If successful, the sportsbook software application could lead to other casinos looking to offer their patrons the same betting software, but until that happens, the Nevada lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow hotel guests to play ‘real money’ casino games via a mobile device throughout all public areas.
Once guest check in, they would be given a device that they could use in places such as the bars, restaurants, swimming pools, attractions, shopping areas and even entertainment shows and sporting events with the hotel complex. They would not however work on the casino floor.
It is proposed that the gambling devices would players’ comp system that is already in use in each casino, so as to encourage visitors to use the system.
Recently purchased by William Hill, Leroy’s currently has 72 locations in Nevada, and considering recent drops in revenue in Las Vegas, other operators would love to get their casino involved in either the mobile sportsbook software for use throughout Nevada, or on the betting software for in house only use.
MGM Casino VP Scott Voeller said that falling profits are forcing the company to go ‘on the offensive’ by introducing new methods of doing business such as gizmos, gadgets and innovative technology. “Now it’s time to invest further in our technology and in our programs.”
The games proposed for the mobile casino games will include all the standard table games found on the gaming floor, including blackjack, baccarat, roulette, keno, betting on sporting events and slots.
Vegas Casino operators are aiming their sights at younger, high-tech gamblers with the social media and mobile gaming betting software.
“They want to get in on the latest gadgets,” said industry consultant Bill Palermo.
And Nevada isn’t the online state thinking of new ways to draw in the younger, savvier clitentele.
“We are interested in upgrading our technology in order to be competitive with existing gaming markets,” said Lois Rice, executive director of the Colorado Gaming Association. “We definitely want to offer as many options to our guests as possible.”
New research indicates that Asians prefer playing at mobile casinos over online casinos and have the highest percentage of smartphone users.
The recently released sixth annual Mobile Life survey, conducted by TNS market research in over 43 countries, has once again documented the overwhelming growth rate of the smartphone industry.
After interviewing 34,000 smartphone owners to determine their mobile habits and to uncover new trends, some interesting conclusions were drawn based on the data.
The Asian countries that took part in the survey were China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Japan. Between those eight countries, 1.8 billion mobile phones are in use with 5.7% being smartphones.
The total number of smartphones in Asia is expected to grow to 200 million by 2015, an annual 12.5% growth. The Android mobile operating system is forecasted to dominate the entire Asian mobile market within 4 years, which is great news for the Android casino industry.
Singapore, South Korea and Japan have the biggest penetration of smartphones that account for 70%-90% of all mobiles in use.
Tablets are already a much hotter commodity in Asia than in Europe with 31% of Asian mobile owners intending to purchase a tablet as a replacement for their PC.
The survey showed consumer brand loyalty in Asia with 51% of Apple and 49% of Android users ‘very likely’ to remain with the operating system. Only 30% of Windows Mobile OS and 31% of Symbian OS users expressed satisfaction with their brands.
This loyalty could be directly linked to Apple’s and Google’s ability to quickly jump on the latest trends which consumers demand, especially social networking and a huge variety of apps including mobile casino software.
While Europeans and North Americans overwhelmingly prefer to use their PC to gamble online, the trend is completely opposite in Asia. Asians overwhelmingly prefer to play mobile casino games over PC based online casino games.
We’re sure you've lost some sleep over wondering what Hollywood celebs have to say about the major announcement of Osama Bin Laden’s death and guess what? We’ve got the lowdown on what the stars are tweeting in reaction to the President Obama-ratings-boosting event.
It seems that overall the consensus is that most of Hollywood is giving thumbs up to Bin Laden’s recent demise and while we obviously can’t speak for all the stars out there, here are a few viewpoints/tweets that have been released from the stars via Eonline and Celebs Gather:
Jim Carrey
“Wow! They killed the Boogieman! I felt something was in the air tonight! Bin Laden era over! S’next?
Jimmy Fallon
“Got Bin Laden AND interrupted Celebrity Apprentice? Win for Obama all around.”
Bill Maher
“Somali pirates, Gaddafi’s son, now bin Laden – do NOT f-ck with Obama, he’s Gangsta!!”
Katy Perry
AMERICA F-CK YEAH, HERE TO SAVE THE MOTHER F-CKIN DAY
Piers Morgan
World’s most nervous man right now – Moammar Gadhafi.
Paris Hilton
Just landed back in LA, so happy to hear the news of Osama bin Laden’s death. He was the face of terrorism and such an evil man. The world is a much better place with him not in it.
So yeah, there you have it folks, some of Hollywood’s most prized reactions to the big event. Oh, and for your info, there’s already a movie in the works about the whole event from the director of The Hurt Locker. According to the NY Post, Director Katheryn Bigelow’s movie about the capture of Bin Laden, Kill bin Laden, was already in production and it looks like now, there need to be some serious script changes.
The recent seizure of the online poker domains in the United States has elicited somewhat identical, though not unified, responses from the five legally licensed online gambling operators in the Czech Republic. These operators are Sazka, Synot Tip, Chance, Fortuna and Tipsport and are allowed to offer only fixed-odds games. They are at a disadvantage as compared to the large number of offshore online casino and poker operators who are servicing the Czech market without fear.
Zdenek Brazdil, CEO of Chance, averred, "We are trying to play by the local rules and to respect this country's laws." He advocated that the government should open up the online gambling market with complete regulation to products like casino and poker. The local operators are ready with these products but would like to compete only in a localized environment. Petrarain, the press spokesman of Fortuna, expressed the same sentiments. He added that he was disappointed because the government was not showing any inclination to legalize and license the other products.
Lubomar Jeayek, the external relations manager of Tipsport, was a bit more aggressive in voicing his disappointment at the online gambling scenario in the Czech Republic. Commenting on the unfairness of the situation he said, "While we have to fight for a license, they ride into this place like it was the Wild West." Unlike Chance and Fortuna, Tipsport is not ready to roll out online casino and online poker at a moment's notice. Jeayek said that there was no clarity as to what would happen over the next few years. Therefore they do not want to invest in the development of software. He added that once a legalized and regulated regime is created they would enter with other online gambling verticals.
Synot was one step ahead of the pack. Its founder, Ivo Valenta, said that they had online casino and poker products ready in conjunction with some of the largest names in the industry, such as Boss Media, G-Tech G2 and Lottomatica. They are venturing into regions where online gambling is already permitted or is set to be legalized within the next few months. However they would not offer banned products in the Czech Republic unless the laws are amended. He added, "We believe that this market will be opened up in the Czech Republic and that our politicians will at last understand, as they do in other countries, that the state will also benefit in terms of tax receipts and fees."
Government sources said that the enforcement agencies like the police are unwilling to take action against the sites operating illegally from offshore destinations. They cite lack of legal clarity and powerful lobbies acting in favor of Internet freedom as the reasons.
This month's federal indictments of three prominent online poker outfits threw the multibillion-dollar industry into turmoil.
The charges could create a window of opportunity for California or other states to legalize online games. Or they may give state lawmakers another reason to keep a safe distance from the issue.
Even before the charges, licensing online gambling has divided politically active tribes with casinos as well as veteran members of the Legislature's Democratic majority. The Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Banning and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians near San Bernardino are dominant members of a group pushing one of two legalization bills in Sacramento.
But other influential tribes, such as the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians near Temecula, have been vocal critics of the idea, saying it would hurt tribal casinos. And other tribes, such as the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in the Coachella Valley, have stayed neutral.
Supporters of legalizing online gambling say California is losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from residents playing illegal sites based in Ireland, the Isle of Man and elsewhere. Legalization at the federal level is inevitable, they say, and California would get the most money if it had its own system in place before then.
But skeptics downplay the prospect of quick action in Washington. They also contend that legalizing online poker or other games, such as California 21, could violate parts of revenue-sharing agreements between the state and tribes. And legal online games would increase the number of problem gamblers, critics say.
And among proponents of online gambling, there are deep divisions about the right approach. State senators Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, and Rod Wright, D-Los Angeles, have dueling measures.
Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, recently told colleagues that his office will try to help broker a consensus.
"Obviously, if you have divisions, particularly among Indian tribes, that makes it tough," said Assemblyman Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert , the top Republican on the Assembly committee that oversees gambling. "And you're always going to have some people who believe you shouldn't have any legalized gaming at all."
Nestande has not taken a position on either bill.
FEDERAL CHARGES
The indictments of Full Tilt Poker, Poker Starz and Absolute Poker on April 15 -- what some industry insiders call "Black Friday" -- injected a new level of uncertainty into the California debate.
U.S. authorities allege that the companies, which are based outside the U.S., set up phony businesses to move money to and from U.S. players as a way to bypass the 2006 federal ban on online gambling. The feds seized domain names, and thousands of U.S. players lost access to their money, at least temporarily.
The indictments leave untouched a provision of the federal law that allows states to license their own online games. California would be the first to legalize.
People closely involved in the process disagree on how the latest developments change the chances of legalization.
"In my opinion, this indictment is really going to put a damper on anything happening in Sacramento, and nationally, for that matter," said Jerome Encinas, director of government affairs for the California Nations Indian Gaming Association.
But within hours of the indictments, the group behind the Morongo-backed legislation said it was the perfect time to act.
"By enacting SB 40, sites like those indicted today would be banned from the California market and strong protections for consumers would be in place," said Ryan Hightower, spokesman for the California Online Poker Association. "This is a real game-changer in terms of revenue potential for California."
Patrick Dorinson, a spokesman for several online poker firms that have never taken illegal U.S. bets, said the indictments should eliminate fears that large off-shore sites would swoop in and dominate a legalized California market.
"There's a window that's open now," Dorinson said. "You've now got 6 million people in the country, and 1 million people in California, with no place to play."
TWO BILLS IN PLAY
The issue has attracted a bevy of special interests, including card clubs, the horse-racing industry, software vendors and tribes.
The Correa bill backed by the Morongo tribe originally would have put a single "licensed entity" that was a tribe or already had a gambling license in charge of a legalized online poker network.
Last month, Correa amended the measure to allow three licensed entities at the start, to a maximum of five. The change hasn't ended criticism that the bill's influential backers are trying to limit competition.
"Other than the fact it's illegal, it might be a good idea," Wright said.
Wright leads the committee that oversees gambling issues. Correa's bill faces a May 6 deadline to be considered by the panel and, as of Wednesday, no hearing had been set.
Wright's bill, three times as long, would license games besides poker. He also wants to expand the pool of potential licensees beyond what the Correa bill proposes. What if web giant Google wants to apply and offers to pay the state the most money, he has said.
REVENUE FORECAST
Both sides tout online gambling's revenue potential for the recession-wracked state budget. But experts disagree about how much the state could get, and how soon.
Earlier this year, a study commissioned by the poker association estimated that legalized poker could earn the state more than $1 billion over the next decade.
But a 2010 study commissioned by the California Tribal Business Alliance concluded that online poker would yield little money to the state while voiding more lucrative revenue-shari