Let your mouth speak archive

The by-now notorious casino case has kept the country busy - people, government and Parliament alike - for quite some time already.

Yesterday’s vote in Parliament saw the premier narrowly escape impeachment and the former minister of tourism referred to a tribunal, made up of senior judges and senators, for trial.

The file, one would think, should be left to the judicial system to deal with, away from the limelight and restored to its right proportion, not blown up, as the case has been so far.

The prime minister put his political future and reputation on the line by bringing the casino file before the deputies, with a view to putting an end to the hostile debates and rumours about his alleged role in the manner in which the case was handled.

While the premier was never accused of profiteering, or benefiting financially or otherwise from the initial agreement with a British firm to construct and manage a casino, the deputies who wanted to press charges against him claimed he showed dereliction of duties in handling the case.

That part, at least, has now been laid to rest by the Lower House. And since the casino case caused no financial harm or losses to the country, closing the file altogether would seem like a good course to follow.

Those found implicated in the case should be rightly held accountable, but the energy spent on it could be put to better use by attending to more pressing issues facing the country, rather than on academic or moot cases.

If you believe what you read, Pamela Anderson is a bit on the flaky side. Apparently, the former Playboy sex bomb and PETA spokeswoman is being countersued by a former boyfriend and condo developer who said Anderson failed to make appearances as per their agreement.

So here's the skinny: Laurence Hallier, Pamela's ex who runs a company that built the Panorama Towers in Las Vegas, signed a deal with Anderson back in 2006, in which she promised to promote the sale of the condominiums by making various personal appearances. For her efforts, she'd get a condo, or one million bucks.

However, Hallier claims that Anderson flaked on multiple appearances and was ineffective at marketing the real estate so she got nothing.

Anderson sued Hallier for not paying up, and according to the Daily Mail, she is currently living in a trailer with her two kids in California while she waits on her mansion to be updated – which has also been a source of financial nightmare.

So Anderson is suing for $1 million and Hallier is countersuing for a whopping $22.5 million, the cost of the condos that never sold, since Hallier blames Pam on his company's failure to sell.

It's not a shock that Vegas condos aren't currently selling like hotcakes these days and we doubt that Anderson's appearance or non-apperance would have caused such losses – it's called the real estate slump.

Anderson faced various financial troubles in 2010, with a plethora of tax liens being placed against her by the state of California, however, Anderson paid the bills claiming she wasn't broke, just a bit confused.

"Mistakes may have been made in calculating taxes owed and we are now in the process of ensuring that any taxes owed are paid."

The D.C. government takes in almost $100 million in lottery revenues every year, but a plan to begin limited online gambling in September ran into opposition Wednesday, NBC Washington’s Tom Sherwood reported.

The D.C. Council may delay the launch of the nation's first government-run online gambling program, in part because residents won't have enough time to weigh in on potential gambling “hot spots” near their homes.

The council approved online gambling late last year as part of a budget bill. It was quietly inserted into the budget by Council member Michael Brown and then Chairman Vincent Gray after months of private meetings with gaming officials, Sherwood reported. It became law this spring when Congress did not object.

Now, the D.C. Lottery is preparing to offer online poker, blackjack, virtual slot machines and other games by Sept. 8 for people with computers registered in D.C. The city is putting up practice games with no money next month, Sherwood reported.

Lottery officials plan to initially make online gambling available at businesses like bars, restaurants and hotels. But Council member Jack Evans said the Sept. 8 deadline won't give residents enough opportunity to object if they don't like the idea of local businesses becoming gambling hubs.

Several witnesses complained online gaming never went before a public hearing until today. Other witnesses said they wanted the revenue from online gambling. Some worried the gambling parlors will change the nature of their neighborhoods.

Shai LaBeouf opened up to Details.com in an exclusive interview, where he claims to have hooked up with one of the hottest women on the planet – his former Transformers co-star, Megan Fox.

The trouble for Fox is that she's now married to former 92010 hunk Brian Austin Green and has been with him for years – so the implication is that she cheated on him.

When the Details interviewer asked the actor whether he got romantically involved with Fox, ”LaBeouf nods affirmatively.” LaBeouf explained, 'Look, you’re on the set for six months, with someone who’s rooting to be attracted to you, and you’re rooting to be attracted to them. I never understood the separation of work and life in that situation. But the time I spent with Megan was our own thing, and I think you can see the chemistry onscreen.'"

However she may have been dating her now husband Brian Austin Green during her romantic interludes with LaBeouf.

When the interviewer asked if Megan was dating Brian Austin Green during their hookup, LaBeouf repeated, “I don’t know, man. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. . . .” twelve times.

For his part, LaBeouf has had multiple brushes with the law after a scuffle at a Los Angeles bar after a fan asked for a picture, a weird loitering charge a few years back, a DUI which ended in a car accident, as well as multiple showdowns with the paparazzi.

"I would like to be George Clooney– diplomatic," he told Details. "I just don't have the wherewithal yet or the inner serenity. My bullshit meter is tuned very sensitive. The minute it starts kicking up, I get back to truth, and sometimes that involves, you know, 'I don't want to take a picture.' And if that's the case, am I an asshole for being honest? Or am I an asshole for being dishonest, smiling in your picture and I ************************ing hate being there? Which one is worse? These are the questions I ask myself that George Clooney doesn't ask."

For her part, Fox, who was fired from the Transformers franchise after calling the director Michael Bay "Hitler," has no comment on whether or not she really hooked up with LaBeouf. What do you think? Will this revelation by LaBeouf be a wrench in her recent marriage to Brian Austin Green?

A federal prosecutor played a tape on Thursday of Sen. Quinton Ross asking VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor for financial help with his campaign on the eve of a Senate vote on legislation that would help McGregor and other casino owners.

“If you can give me some more help, that would help ... me out tremendously,” Ross said to McGregor on March 29, 2010, the day before the Senate voted on the legislation.

McGregor and Ross, D-Montgomery, had already talked about the gambling legislation and how much support there was in the Senate.

“I’m a Quinton Ross fan. I’d do anything I can to help you,” McGregor told Ross.

Ross and McGregor are among the nine defendants in a federal corruption case alleging they schemed to pass the gambling legislation.

McGregor, when he called Ross back the next morning, told the senator he had already contributed significantly to Ross.

“The level I helped you, I can’t do that level for everybody, I can’t afford it,” McGregor said.

He said: “My income was cut off. We’re in a heck of a predicament.”

McGregor said he would push his lobbyists, Tom Coker and Fine Geddie and Associates, to encourage their other clients to help Ross.

“I’ll do each and every thing I can to get other people to help you some more,” the casino owner said.

In a conversation on March 31, Coker told McGregor he would give Ross checks from the “medical association” and from the “soft drinks folks.”

The Alabama Medical Association did contribute to Ross’s campaign.

Coker said Ross had helped the medical association.

“I think everybody I know of is going to help Quinton,” Coker said.

Ross and McGregor’s conversations were just before the deadline for candidates to file to enter the 2010 race. McGregor asked Ross if he had an opponent. Ross said he did not, but had heard rumblings about a possible opponent.

Ross said “I definitely appreciate whatever you can do and what you’ve already done.”

He adds: “You don’t know until you ask so I’m just making my calls.”

FBI Special Agent John McEachern, who was on the witness stand Thursday, said that McGregor had deposited $1.9 million into political action committees in December 2009.

Thirty-three-year-old Tudors actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers was hospitalized in London Tuesday night after reportedly attempting to commit suicide by overdosing on pills in his Maida Vale, London home.

According to U.K. paper The Sun, after an emergency call, paramedics found Meyers "slumped on the floor," but he refused treatment until cops arrived and finally convinced him to go to the hospital – about a half hour after he was found.

Officials confirm that officers were dispatched to the Irish actor's home, but were mum on whether he had tried to take his own life.

The British police confirmed in a statement, "Officers were called by London Ambulance Service following reports of a man refusing treatment. The man was taken to hospital."

Meyers, who has been in and out of rehab five times, was released from the hospital early Wednesday morning and has had no comment on the situation.

Back in 2007, Rhys Myers was arrested at Dublin Airport and charged with two counts of violating the Public Order Act after displaying "erratic" and "abusive" behavior. Reportedly, an intoxicated Meyers refused to calm down after being repeatedly asked by Irish police, the Garda Siochana. He was also banned from United Airlines after he was intoxicated on a flight, and spent ten days in rehab just last month.

Aside from his role on The Tudors, Meyers' acting credits include a stunning performance in Woody Allen's genius flick Match Point. He also starred alongside Reese Witherspoon in Vanity Fair and appeared in Bend it Like Beckham. Meyers began his career as a model for Hugo Boss.

The hearing convened by Finance and Revenue committee chairman Jack Evans to discuss certain issues of the Washington D.C. online gambling bill was followed with interest by the industry across the globe. The issues included the legality, practicalities and propriety of legalizing online gambling in the District. The online gambling bill was included in a supplemental budget December 2010, without any hearing or notice. Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray wanted to understand how the online gambling initiative would be regulated before deciding whether he would support it.

On the issue of legality, the District's Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan confirmed that the proposal of intrastate online gambling was legal beyond doubt and that it complied with the US federal laws. Hence D. C. Lottery could proceed toward its September 8 launch date with the required continual monitoring. This will be picked up by the other US states contemplating legalization of online gambling.

Councilor Brown addressed the allegation that adequate notice was not give. He said that the bill was introduced four months before it was voted on and that is sufficient time. He stressed that most of the councilors were aware of the proposal they were voting for. He added that there may have been some councilors who had not gone through the budget.

The bulk of the testimony was offered by Buddy Roogow, executive director of the D.C. Lottery. He outlined the measures that were being taken to ensure that the District's citizens gambled in a responsible manner. No player would be allowed to deposit more than $250 per week. Payments could be made only through debit cards to prevent players gambling with borrowed money. Facilities for player self exclusion was built into the software. Online gambling would not be available between 4 AM and 10 AM. D.C. Lottery would verify the age and Internet Protocol address of every player. The hot spots from where players could wager would be rooms in hotels or other establishments that offer a wireless Internet. They would not be placed in public spaces, such as libraries, schools and recreation centers. The wagering patterns of players would be monitored electronically and those who did not gamble responsibly would be cut off.

In response to queries on the financial aspects of the proposal, the District's Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi said that the estimate of revenue of $13 million over a four year period was a conservative one and that he was confident that it would be achieved. Some of the speakers suggested that a part of the receipts should be earmarked for gambling-addiction services or other priorities in the District.

Evans concluded that nothing is a done deal. Any law that is passed can be un-passed. The D.C. Lottery can delay the start date, if it feels that it is not ready.

Spider-Man actor Tobey McGuire, who has been sued by the bankruptcy trustee of a total hypocrite and imprisoned criminal, hedge fund manager by the name of Bradley Ruderman, is denying any involvement in being a part of any illegal poker games.

Ruderman claims Tobey won more than $300,000 in unlicensed poker games in L.A. and that because the games weren't legal, he's asking for his losses back from the actor.

Now Tobey is finally speaking out, arguing that the hold 'em poker games were not "controlled games," which required the host to have a license.

Ruderman, who is serving time for defrauding a bunch of people out of more than $50 million in a Ponzi scheme, says that Tobey "defrauded" him (perhaps because he was a fish?) The Bodog poker room has plenty of poker play for you to indulge in, without having to worry that you'll accidentally fish for a ponzi schemer.

However, Tobey denies there was any scheme on his part to defraud anyone and while TMZ reports that Tobey "admits that he was invited to participate in the Poker Games" he denies that there was a "regular roster of players consisting of wealthy celebrities, entrepreneurs, attorneys and businessmen."

As we previously reported, Ruderman is trying to seize his winnings from Tobey so he can use the money to pay off the people he defrauded. Other celebrities have been named in the suit, including Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis and Pam Anderson's ex husband, Rick Salomon.

Residents’ phone calls and e-mails in support of the gambling expansion bill, which includes a casino for the city, could be paying off.

As of late this week, Gov. Pat Quinn’s office had received correspondence from 7,530 individuals statewide in favor of the bill, and from 2,289 individuals in opposition, according to Quinn spokeswoman Annie Thompson.

The wider range of support comes as a citywide rally in support of the bill still is being planned, in addition to marketing efforts.

Mayor Scott Eisenhauer said a communitywide rally could be scheduled for the second or third week of July.

The intention is to have state Rep. Chad Hays, R-Catlin, and state Sen. Mike Frerichs, D- Champaign, attend.

“We have put together a presentation booklet, and we are going to run some (newspaper and radio) ads encouraging people to contact the governor’s office throughout July,” Eisenhauer said.

The ads will be privately funded. Eisenhauer is trying to put the money together now for the ads.

In the meantime, the bill still hasn’t reached Quinn’s desk.

To buy some more negotiating time, Senate President John Cullerton has used a parliamentary procedure to hold the bill.

Cullerton spokesman John Patterson said the hold on the bill is a way to “try to address the governor’s concerns and avoid a veto” by Quinn.

The hold prevented the 90-day period — 30 days for the bill to be sent to Quinn and Quinn’s 60-day review — to start.

The Illinois Senate approved the legislation May 31 to allow for five new casinos, including one for Danville.

Patterson said talks and negotiations regarding the bill will continue, with the hope that special concerns by Quinn will be addressed.

The motion to hold the bill, even though it passed the House and Senate, could go on as long as two years, Patterson said.

Cullerton has the power under the state constitution to keep the legislation pending in the Senate through the end of this term of the General Assembly, which ends in January 2013.

Gambling supporters hope adjustments can be made to the legislation so that Quinn will sign it in the fall.

Thompson said Quinn still plans to “thoroughly review” the bill and continue discussions with the bill’s sponsors, meet with the gaming board and continue to seek views from proponents and opponents.

The bill would add casinos in Danville, Chicago, Rockford, Lake County and southern Cook County, in addition to adding slot machines at horse racing tracks, Chicago’s airports and the state fairgrounds.

Supporters of the legislation say increasing the state’s gambling industry would bring in $1.6 billion dollars in upfront fees and $500 million dollars or more annually.

Projections indicate a casino here would generate about 1,200 new jobs and $5 million to $8 million a year in tax revenue for the city.

According to WILL AM 580 radio, during a visit to Champaign earlier this week, Quinn said lawmakers should send him the gambling measure.

“I have 60 days to review the bill,” Quinn said. “In this case they’re holding it. I don’t know what that’s all about. I find it kind of a maneuver. I don’t think that’s necessarily the best way to go, but they can do what they want to. We’re still going to analyze the bill from top to bottom.”

Quinn has previously called the bill “excessive” and “top heavy.”

He also has said he’s open to a Chicago casino.

Quinn has the power of an amendatory veto where he can change the bill. The bill then would go back to the Illinois House and Senate for action.

The legislators need a three-fifths vote in both the House and Senate to reject any changes and pass it in its original form. A majority vote is needed to approve the changed bill.

As of yesterday, Maria Shriver filed for divorce from her husband Arnold Schwarzenegger after the story of him fathering their housekeeper’s love child broke out – making it the final straw that finally ended their marriage. The two will settle out of court in an epic divorce settlement where the two will split their combined earnings worth $400 million.

According to TMZ, the couple never signed a prenuptial agreement which according to California state law; it means that the couple is entitled to split their net worth evenly across the board. After 25 years together, Arnold has amassed a total of $300 million and Shriver $100 million which will be split between them and she will also be asking for shared custody of their underage children Patrick 17 and Christopher 13 as well as for spousal support and comped lawyer fees.

Shriver’s lawyer Laura Wasser – the divorce attorney to the stars who has handled high-profile cases including those of Britney Spears and Mel Gibson – will be handling the couple’s settlement alongside Arnie’s lawyer Bob Kaufman.

It doesn’t look like Arnold is really in the position to bargain here but in the end it’s really up to the lawyers to hash out their belongings to see who is willing to part with what.

TMZ also revealed that the couple will not be going to trial and will simply settle out of court. Will Arnie be willing to give up $150 million plus to Maria? We will find out within the next few months how the divorce settlement will unfold but something tells me that Maria will definitely come out on top here.

A number of reports have been released recently trying to scare the public into believing that any action that the UK coalition government takes in relation to taxing online gambling would have significant negative consequences for online bingo players. The reality is that its not online bingo players that would suffer it would be the operators of online gambling sites. In fact UK bingo players would benefit greatly by the changes the coalition government is reportedly considering. In addition to the tax situation, UK bingo players would benefit from a move from what has to currently be a flawed form of regulation as well.

As everyone in the industry knows, online bingo operators are able to avoid paying UK bingo tax by being based offshore in any one of the countries on the ‘White List’. As such most online gambling operators pay around 1% in taxes compared to land based bingo operators in the UK which pay 20%.

Jesper Soegaard, the founder of BettingExpert.com, has suggested that bingo fans will end up with far less choice if the government cracks down on the industry as a means of boosting tax receipts and getting the UK out of debt.



Mr Soegaard said: "In the current economic climate, with the government desperately seeking to raise funds in every area available to them, it is unsurprising that an overhaul in gambling regulations is being discussed.



A regulation overhaul, however, would be "catastrophic", he claimed. He suggests that smaller operators would cease trading, leaving thousands of online bingo fans looking for a new place to play. He warns that the victims would be the hard-working fun –loving online bingo players.

We would agree that when the UK government gets around to reviewing the online gambling industry that there are likely to be a number of changes such as any operators looking to advertise or take deposits from UK players will have to

a) Adhere to the UK Gambling Commission

b) Pay UK Bingo duty

c) Ban the use of Credits Cards to make deposits for online gambling sites

We would also agree that these changes will MOST of the smaller online bingo sites disappear within a matter of months of the changes. In fact some industry insiders suggest more than 75% percent of online bingo sites would disappear in the first year. Given these statistics it is easy to reach the conclusion that with less supply of online bingo players are likely to see less competition amongst operators and hence bingo players get a worse deal. The problem is that this conclusion ignores some very important characteristics in the way in which online bingo operators currently operate.

Firstly online bingo operators don’t work in the same way as land based bingo sites. They do not reveal how many tickets have been purchased for the games and so it is impossible to work out on any particular game what percentage of the players money is being taken by the ‘house’. If you visit a bingo site, firstly they have charging sheets and secondly they have to display how many tickets have been sold for every single game and hence anyone can work out if and how much the ‘house’ takes from each and every game player. You might be wondered as such what difference this makes. Well it is simple online bingo operators take as much as they can. There is no formula or mark-up they simply take what they can get away with. They pay out what is attractive to get further players to take part. Therefore any increase in costs as a result of UK taxes is unlikely to have any real impact on what the player gets. On most sites they don’t get a great deal now and won’t get a great deal in the future. Operators will continue to pay out what they need to pay out in order to make the most amount of money.

With so many new online bingo sites popping up all the time operators have to work harder at the moment to attract and retain players and this increases the marketing and promotional budgets. If the majority of bingo sites were unable to continue trading then the market would be less competitive and the cost of player retention and acquisition would also fall.

Clearly like many other nations have problems with the public debt and the need to make cutbacks which are likely to be most felt by the majority of people in the UK. While online gambling companies dodge paying UK tax by being paid offshore this hurts us all. In addition it means that there is a cost in potential jobs that could have been created if the companies had been based in the UK. The money being spent on such sites is all being ‘drained’ out of the UK economy.

For the more vulnerable members of society are likely to see greater benefits from any changes. The level of problem gamblers associated with online gambling is significantly higher than UK land based gambling sites. Land based bingo clubs are not allowed to use credits cards and are required to carefully monitor the behaviour of players and take action where players show signs of problem gambling. The UK coalition government is considering the idea of banning the use of credit cards and no doubt increased regulation would also lead to obligations on operators to take problem gambling more seriously.

The last area in which UK online bingo players are likely to see benefits when it comes to expected changes from the UK government will be in the form of regulation. Currently operators are regulated in the country in which they are based. Given these countries are competing for the business of the gambling operators and the ways in which some operators are allowed to conduct their operations it appears that the standards are not that great.

To put it simply regardless of where operators are located if they wish to market to UK players it is expected that they will have to abide by the UK Gambling Commission rules. The benefits are that given there are no conflicting interests, the UK Gambling Commission, is able to carry out the role of a regulator and protec

A new tax rule for Ohio casinos is being developed.
Governor John Kasich will soon sign a piece of legislation that ensures casinos in Ohio do not have to pay tax on the incentives they hand out to customers.

It means gambling complexes in the state that wish to attract new players by dishing out free betting chips will not be penalised financially by the local authorities, reported Cincinnati.com.

During the last financial year, casinos in Ohio are believed to have given away approximately $510 million (£318 million) of free bets, making up almost two per cent of the total amount gambled in the state.

Steve Gallaway, principal of Gaming Market Advisors in Denver, suggested casinos will benefit greatly from the new tax legislation, possibly by as much as two per cent when compared to current takings.

"If a neighboring state has free play and yours is taxed, then [removing the tax] is valuable," he told the news source.

In other casino news, Caesars Entertainment Corporation was this week warned by Moody's Investors Service that its financial problems are not yet overcome.

Vinny Guadagnino has had enough of the Jersey Shore antics, apparently storming out of the Seaside Heights, New Jersey home he shares with his fellow cast members.

TMZ first reported that Vinny left the house after fighting with another cast member, hopped in a cab in the wee hours of the morning, and headed to his home in Staten Island.

TMZ has obtained video footage, where you can see Vinny hop in a cab and drive while an MTV cameraman film the drama close by. It's unclear as to who Vinny fought with, but Pauly D was with Vinny at one point as he loaded up the cab to leave.

However, if you're under the impression that Vinny is just having a little fit and will be back to the Shore to resume taping, think again. Reportedly, Vinny has left "for good" and sources connected with the show say Vinny has been difficult to work with so the folks at MTV won't be begging him to come back anytime soon.

As we previously reported, this will be the final season of Jersey Shore after MTV made good on their threat to replace them, so this upcoming season after Snooki, The Situation, JWOWW, Pauly D, Vinny, Sammi, Ronnie and Deena who once again, all vied for more money, but MTV told them this would be the last season and are now on the hunt for new, cheaper Guido and Guidettes. Meanwhile, The Situation, Snooki, JWOWW and Pauly D got their own spin-off shows, but Vinny, Deena, Sammi and Ronnie were left out in the cold, which may have caused some tension between the housemates.

TMZ also reports that Vinny had been feeling homesick a few days prior to his departure, but that fellow cast members convinced him to stick it out. After finishing taping in Florence, Italy, then immediately going back to Seaside Heights to tape Season 5, Vinny was feeling "burned out."

“Seeing his family the other day [during Jersey Shore's Season 4 shoot in Italy] made him get a little homesick,” UsMagazine.com quotes a source as saying. “He left [the Seaside Heights base camp] and is home [in Staten Island]. I don’t think he will be back.”

A new survey conducted by the Rank Group has revealed a rise in mobile gaming in recent months. The company, which represents one of the leading bingo and gaming firms at work in the industry, has enjoyed revenue increases of approximately 28% within the past ten weeks alone. Many have attributed the surge to the increased popularity of app downloads by smart phone users. The latest statistics indicate that a total of 70,000 apps were downloaded within the first six months of 2011– a figure which looks set to rise further in the forthcoming year.

Experts have been quick to stress the role played by high speed internet connections in the growth of the online gaming sector. The rise of broadband has facilitated fast access to a range of online opportunities which have in turn triggered the development of a host of casino services. The arrival of smartphones has also ushered in a new era of gaming on the move – allowing consumers to enjoy their favourite titles wherever and whenever they choose. Such innovations continue to inspire developers to create even more sophisticated titles compete with state of the art graphics and a wealth of mouth watering prizes.

Others, meanwhile, have noted the growing interest in gaming amongst younger players. Classic titles such as bingo no longer remain the preserve of the older generation. With such promising statistics and the prospect of some of the best entertainment opportunities around, it’s safe to say that the online casinos will be continue to go from strength to strength in the years ahead.

London-listed online betting group Betfair PLC (BET.LN) filed a legal complaint with the European Commission against Germany's draft gambling law, saying the proposed measures are disproportionate and protectionist.

"Although the federal states claim to be opening up the market for sports betting, the current draft treaty is riddled with disproportionate, discriminatory and protectionist measures designed to keep private online operators out of the market," said Martin Cruddace, Betfair's Chief Legal and Regulatory Affairs Officer.

Betfair, which filed the complaint Friday but made the filing public Monday, criticized Germany's proposed licensing tax of 16.67% on betting turnover, which in its view "constitutes a disproportionate, unjustifiable restriction."

It said such a level was "commercially punitive and will render any competitive offer by private operators impossible."

Until now, the German online market has been unregulated, meaning Betfair and other gaming companies like Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment PLC (BPTY.LN), both of which operate from tax-light Gibraltar, can run their international websites without having to pay tax in Germany.

Also, Germany's proposed limitation on the number of licences to a maximum of seven is "purely arbitrary", Betfair said. It said other gaming sectors like slot machines and horse racing aren't subject to such restrictions.

"The objective of Betfair's complaint is to invite the European Commission to open a dialogue with the German authorities with a view to having the proposed draft law amended so that it meets the requirements of EU law," the company said.

The commission confirmed Monday it had received a complaint from Betfair on the draft treaty last Friday.

"The Commission hasn't yet presented its analysis of the draft State Treaty. The deadline will elapse by the middle of July," it said.

Betfair in May welcomed the European Commission's approval of German state Schleswig-Holstein's draft gambling law, which it said is less draconian than that being proposed by the country's 15 other states.

Schleswig-Holstein was the only German state to propose a less-harsh gaming tax. It also said there should be no limit on the number of operators granted licenses, all products should be allowed and that there should be strict consumer protection.

Betfair pulled out of France following its imposition of an 8% tax on gaming turnover last year.

At 1344 GMT Monday, Betfair's shares were trading down 2.9%, or 22 pence, at 748 pence in London, the third-biggest faller in percentage terms in a higher FTSE 250 mid-cap index.

THE PUBLIC GOT its first good look last week at the District’s plans to allow online gambling as part of the D.C. Lottery. As D.C. Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) aptly put it, there were “a whole lot more questions” than answers. Is the technology secure? (Working on it.) Will neighborhoods be affected? (Perhaps.) Will the games pass federal legal muster? (Unclear.) The only real conclusion to be drawn from the session was the need for the District to slow its rush to become the first place in the nation to offer betting games online.

Six months after legislation was surreptitiously passed to permit intranet betting, the council’s Finance and Revenue Committee heard testimony from officials involved in the planning. Demonstration games, in which no money will be involved, are set to start in late July, with a full rollout of the program slated for early September. Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan said the city should be all right legally if it’s able to restrict the games to within the city’s limits. Plans to use the government-owned DC-Net alarmed some council members, as did the idea of locating hot spots in hotels, bars and other public places throughout the city, partly as a way to entice out-of-towners to the games.

The seat-of-the-pants planning that surrounds this venture is evident in the failure of officials to realize that some residents might not welcome casino-like neighbors; or that the innocuously named “random number generated games” essentially amount, as The Post’s Michael Laris reported, to virtual slots — and are an awful lot like the video slots that the city shot down several years ago.

There was, as we have noted, no real discussion about the pros and cons of the District legalizing online gaming, thanks to the machinations of council member Michael A. Brown (I-At Large), who bypassed normal council review by including the measure in an omnibus budget bill. Mr. Brown continues to claim his actions were motivated by the urgent need to find revenue during the budget crisis, but the record shows that he had been working on the issue behind the scenes for months and that he was specifically advised that it was a bad idea to forgo a public hearing.

Mr. Brown is right, though, that other council members — including Finance and Revenue Chairman Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) — should have been paying closer attention to the last-minute additions to the supplemental budget. Mr. Evans persuaded lottery officials not to put hot spots in place until there is a system for community input. He also should consider whether the entire idea ought to be put on hold, at least until there are more answers than questions.

A not-so-smart grandmother left her two-year-old granddaughter unattended in the eastern city of Hangzhou, China recently and neighbors were aghast when they noticed the child dangling from a nearby balcony. The grandmother had astonishingly left the apartment building to run an errand and was not at home to save the child.

A woman below noticed the toddler, threw off her shoes and stood below with her arms outstretched. The toddler dangled for several minutes before losing her grip. She eventually fell a whopping 10 stories, but survived after the woman made a miraculous catch.

The toddler, Zhang Fangyu but known by the nickname Niu Niu, was in critical condition Sunday with internal bleeding and other injuries while the woman who saved her, named Wu Juping, suffered a broken arm.

Wu Juping reportedly "kicked off her high-heeled shoes" and ran under where the child was dangling to make the remarkable catch. The impact of the fall knocked Wu out and sent both her and the child to the ground.

"It was so urgent. I saw her when she was about to fall and rushed there, and after tens of seconds she fell off," Wu told CCTV.

Wu, a 31-year-old who has an infant child herself, told CCTV that when she saw the hanging girl she thought of her own seven-month-old son who had once fallen from a high chair and cut his mouth.

"I thought to myself 'I should stretch my arms to her. Because I am right here, I must get her.' Then I made it. I caught her in my arms."

As for the toddler, although she's in critical condition, she may recover. CCTV quoted an unidentified doctor at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang Hospital as saying that a scan showed no damage to the child's brain but that her abdomen was swollen, which may be a sign of injury to organs.

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A Big hi from me nice to find you all hope we can all have some good games together in the future.. Im 42 love poker and hail from St Helens near Liverpool play live the odd time but prefer online .... easier and dont have to move a lot lol biggest game i played live was a trip i won to Sun City to play for 1.5 million dollars what an experience that was not bad for $5 eh 12k trip!

see you all at the tables in the near future then and good luck in all you play


ste

Hi do we have any buy in leagues about to start anywhere ? i play and have cash on most sites :dance:

ste

Nice catch eh jeez good reactions to see it .. and act like that.. just hope niu niu pulls thru ,,..... hope to see the story on the news in the Uk later.


thanks


ste