Kelly Osbourne is under fire after commenting on Jay Leno's Tonight Show that Kate Middleton should be wearing a different dress everyday.
Middleton has been seen wearing the same outfit twice, which some have called a faux pas, while others are saying that it's about time the Royal Family gets less royal and more real in the midst of a recession.
On Jay's show, Kelly said, "In England they are like look how thrifty she's being, showing the British public that the Royals are in a recession as well. Only in this country they call it a faux pas. Well I'm sorry but if I had that job I would only wear it once. If I am going to be the future bloody Queen of England I'm going to wear that dress once because I'm giving up the rest of my life, all of my privacy, at least I can get a new dress every day."
Leno then asked, "How about underpants? Would you throw them away?" Kelly replied: "Well, if I could I would. That's a really good idea actually."
Leno then showed Kelly a picture of the last time she had been on the show when The Osbounes was on air and she refused to sit on the seat and instead slouched on the couch.
"That's hilarious," Leno said sarcastically.
"It's not. Its disrespectful and I look like a little shit," Kelly replied.
However, after a bit of a media fallout, with the Daily Mail saying that Osbourne "took a swipe" a Middleton, Kelly took to her Twitter to defend her comments.
"I didn't talk shit about kate middleton saying she deserves a new dress everyday is not talking shit last time i checked thank you DailyFail," Kelly tweeted, later adding, "i just dont get why they feel the need to even make stories up about me when i already do and say enough stupid shit to last them a lifetime."
Bills to legalize online gambling hit the state Capitol more than two years ago – and are likely headed for another year of debate.
Lobbyists and political campaigns are benefiting from the protracted discussion, collecting millions of dollars from the card rooms, racetracks and Indian tribes seeking to shape the future of Internet wagering.
The conversation centers on how it should be implemented and which of the competing interests will reap the benefits. That creates even more business for Capitol advocates, as they sort out differences among their clients.
"Any time there's a major new legislative initiative that is contentious, the details of which have to be worked out, it's good for the business of lobbyists, political consultants and lawyers," said Howard Dickstein, a lawyer who represents several Indian tribes, including the one that owns Thunder Valley casino near Lincoln.
"Any issue where there is this much money involved is going to attract advocacy on all sides," Dickstein said.
Gambling interests have long been big political spenders in California – even more so with the advent of Indian casinos in the 1990s. Moving the business online will require another political push.
It's impossible to say exactly how much is being spent by interest groups advocating Internet gambling. The secretary of state's office does not organize lobbying data by bill number, and some people working on the issue are lawyers or consultants who are not required to disclose financial information because they are not registered lobbyists.
But disclosure forms filed by some of the interested parties provide a glimpse of the business being generated by this debate:
• The Morongo and San Manuel bands of Indians, sponsors of one of the Internet gambling bills, together spent more than $337,000 on lobbying last year. They have spent nearly that much more – $304,000 – on lobbying just in the first half of this year.
• Some tribes, which oppose the Morongo and San Manuel bill because they say it doesn't give them enough opportunity to make money on Internet gambling, spent about $1.2 million on lobbying in 2010. They are on track to spend at least that much again this year.
• Major card rooms and racetracks that want to operate Internet gambling spent another half-million dollars on lobbying last year, and this year are spending at a similar pace.
Those figures don't count how much gambling interests are spending on consultants who are not registered lobbyists.
Former lawmakers Willie Brown and Lloyd Levine are both consultants on the issue. Brown works for the Morongo tribe, while Levine is advising technology companies that operate Internet gambling sites overseas.
Levine said he was the first state legislator in the nation to introduce a bill on Internet gambling when he was an assemblyman in 2008. Now, about a dozen states are discussing the idea.
Two bills, different visions
In California, supporters say legalizing Internet gambling will bring hundreds of millions in new taxes to state coffers.
The two current bills propose different visions for how the state should engage. Both limit the network to players inside state lines. But SB 40 by Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, would legalize only Internet poker, while SB 45 by Sen. Rod Wright, D-Inglewood, would create a system for users to gamble online on all kinds of games.
Correa's bill is sponsored by a group that includes the Morongo and San Manuel tribes and a host of card rooms – all of which stand to make money through legal Internet poker. At a hearing last month, Correa said his bill should be approved before the federal government takes any action on legalizing Internet gambling.
"If we don't move today, this year, California is likely to be completely cut off from this business," he said. "It's time to act."
At the same hearing, Wright emphasized that his bill is not sponsored by an outside group.
"This is my work product," Wright said. "It reflects what I believe to be in the best interests of the people of California."
Both Wright and Correa have financial ties to gambling interests. Tribes, card rooms and racetracks have contributed to political campaigns, legal defense funds and charitable causes associated with lawmakers.
The San Manuel tribe spent close to $43,000 on an independent expenditure committee to support Correa's 2010 run for state Senate. The California Tribal Business Alliance, which opposes Correa's bill, spent $15,000 to support him in that race.
Correa is now raising money for a 2018 run for attorney general. In June, four card rooms sponsoring his Internet gambling bill gave a combined $18,200 to support Correa for that post.
The attorney general's office regulates brick and mortar casinos, though it's not yet clear which agency would regulate Internet gambling if it were to become legal.
Correa did not return calls seeking comment.
Foes struggle to be heard
Wright's 2008 run for state Senate received $30,000 in support from the Morongo tribe through an independent expenditure committee. His 2012 campaign coffer includes $53,800 from tribes, card rooms and racetracks.
Wright is raising money for a legal defense fund to fight charges that he falsified his address in preparation for a legislative race. Gambling interests have contributed $11,500 to his legal defense fund.
And at Wright's behest, casino-owning tribes have given more than $21,000 to Los Angeles community groups.
Wright declined to answer questions about whether financial support from the gambling industry is influencing his bill.
"I don't comment about political stuff," Wright said. "Whatever I say, there's no upside to it."
The two large tribes pushing for Correa's bill recently cut ties with their Sacramento lobbyists. San Manuel terminated a contract with lobbyist Frank Molina in February after the Fair Political Practices Commission fined him for not r
The ladies of Wisteria Lane will be Desperate Housewives no more after a decision was reached by network president Paul Lee and the show’s creator Marc Cherry to bring the popular evening drama to an end after its upcoming 8th season. The big announcement will be made tomorrow during an ABC Network press event. Whatever will we all do without the vicious suburbanites that rocked our Sunday nights?
Desperate Housewives has had an impressive following since its premiere back in 2004 but despite its worldwide viewership, the show’s ratings have taken a dip from 23.69 million in 2004 to 11.85 within the last year, which probably had a lot to do with the show finally coming to an end.
It’s been a long road for the Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross who are the main and original characters of the show and so far we have not heard any official comments from the ladies as the show coming to an end but it will surely be emotional. According to EW, it was suggested that the ladies would like to continue with the series and at $400K per episode, yeah, who wouldn’t.
The final season of Desperate Housewives will definitely be a good one with the ladies covering up a murder that took place in the neighborhood as well as Susan moving back into the area and who knows who else may just come back from the dead. As expected there will probably be plenty more drama to give fans a taste of the juicy goodness that made frustrated housewife anthem it is today.
According to the adverts "it could be you". But if you happen to live within driving distance of Massachusetts, boast a decent understanding of school mathematics and can get your hands on a few hundred thousand dollars in fairly short order, there are times when it almost certainly will be you.
A select group of semi-professional gamblers has exploited a little-known quirk in one of the state's lotteries to make guaranteed profits from the supposed game of chance. By purchasing vast quantities of tickets, they have, on select days, been able to win more than two-thirds of all its individual prizes.
This example of effectively buying your own luck owes its existence to a game called Cash WinFall, whose rules dictate that, on days when the jackpot rises above US$2 million ($2.37 million) without being won, the value of lesser prizes increases, often dramatically.
On these so-called "rolldown" occasions, syndicates of gamblers who have investigated the prize allocation system have toured the state, buying hundreds of thousands of US$2 tickets. As a result, they are able to monopolise the inflated prize pool.
No one knows exactly how many millions of dollars they have won in this fashion, but during one typical "rolldown" day in May, state records revealed that 1105 of the 1605 prizes worth about US$600 each were collected by only three individual organisations.
"Cash WinFall isn't being played as a game of chance," said Mohan Srivastava, an MIT-educated statistician famed for exposing a similar flaw in a Canadian scratchcard game. "Some smart people have figured out how to get rich while everyone else funds their winnings."
To be virtually sure of making money from the "rolldown" system, you have to invest large enough sums to minimise the possibility of missing out on prizes due to a possible round of bad luck.
It looks like 52-year-old pop star Madonna isn’t quite ready to give up her mega pop star status after a recent report claimed that she is back in the studio and gearing up for the release of a new album together with music producer William Orbit who produced her Ray of Light album.
The woman wants to prove that she’s still got it and hopefully together with producer William Orbit and DJ Martin Solveig, it looks like she’ll be giving fans another new set of dance club anthems – in between choosing her latest boy toy of course.
It’s been three years since her last album release, Hard Candy back in 2008, which she collaborated with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake and now together with the talents of producer William Orbit who helped create one of her most well received studio creations, Ray of Light, which helped her win four Grammy Awards.
So what can we expect from Madonna’s new album? We’re thinking more dance beats and electronica possibly but definitely something new and original since has ended her relationship with Warner Brothers and will now be working with new label Live Nation. According to the Daily Mail, Madonna has a big tour in the works so you can expect Madge to make a stellar comeback within the next year but no word as to whether she will be sporting a leotard and leg warmers.
The Isle of Man is one of the most respected online gaming regulators in the world. They have consistently managed to regulate operators for many different kinds of online gaming, including poker and casino. Now the Isle of Man regulatory authority is expanding its operations to include business to business services. By calling on the 2001 Online Gambling Regulation Act they are able to offer a new network service license. The move is in recognition of the importance that business to business operations are starting to have in the industry.
The head of the Isle of Man’s egaming, Garth Kimber, has explained the new move by saying that “The level of licence required is dictated by the type of business-to-business relationships a company intends to pursue and covers all gaming activities from sportsbook to poker and involves the same application process. All levels of licence are still processed in a maximum of 12 weeks.” The license cost is £50,000 per year with another £5,000 per customer to pay. This extra category means that the Isle of Man now offers every kind of license needed in the online gaming industry positioning the territory in the same league as the very biggest gaming authorities, including companies looking to provide online gaming services to other companies.
The licenses are relatively simple to obtain and therefore the Isle of Man is a very attractive license provider to companies looking to get in on the ever expanding online gaming phenomenon. The main focus of the Isle of Man gaming authority is the protection of players. In the wake of the Full Tilt Poker scandal ensuring the safety of players’ money has become a prime concern for regulators everywhere.
A bill to allow California businesses to operate online poker gambling has made for strange bedfellows and split traditional alliances as some Indian tribes -- including two in Humboldt County -- have allied in support of the bill with card-room owners, often their political foes, against other tribes.
A million Californians per week already play online poker on sites that are operated overseas or may be run illegally, says state Sen. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana). The sites operate despite a 2006 federal law that bars gambling businesses from taking and paying out money online, unless the bets are made and paid within a state that has laws regulating it. No state currently does.
A pending, bipartisan House bill would end that federal ban and set up an interstate licensing program giving states authority to run online sites; U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has pledged cooperation.
And Reid's home state of Nevada, where gaming is king, is straining at the bit to see the ban overturned: Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a law in June requiring his state to adopt its own online poker regulations by January.
California could be left behind if it doesn't do the same, Correa said, as Nevada and other states stand to cut into approximately $7.5 billion in annual revenues now earned by California's brick-and-mortar card rooms and tribal casinos. He said his SB 40 instead could bring California 1,300 new jobs and -- with a 10 percent take from all online poker fees -- $1.4 billion in revenue for state coffers in the next decade. Correa's bill is backed by the California Online Poker Association, a coalition of 29 tribes and 30 card rooms, including the Karuk Tribe and the Blue Lake Rancheria.
Karuk Tribal Councilwoman Dora Bernal said SB 40 does not require tribes to give up tribal sovereignty, which is important to the tribe.
”The largest tribes in the state are also the poorest,” Bernal said. “The Karuk Tribe has not had the opportunity to take part in gaming as a means of economic self sufficiency, and that's all we're asking for. The Karuk Tribe supports the SB 40. This bill allows online gambling sites in California to keep revenue in California to ensure the Karuk Tribe has a right to become self sufficient.”
The Blue Lake Rancheria, which owns and operates the Blue Lake Casino, had no comment.
COPA card rooms in June contributed $18,200 to Correa's 2018 attorney general campaign committee. COPA in June even picked a provider to design and operate its game, signing a licensing agreement for software and related technology.
As introduced in December, the bill would have allowed only a handful of licensed online poker sites; Correa amended it in early July so every California tribe and card room eventually could operate one.
SB 40 is opposed by the California Tribal Business Alliance, which includes the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians, owners of the San Pablo Lytton Casino; the Pala Band of Mission Indians, with a northern San Diego County casino resort; and the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, who have the Rolling Hills Casino just off Interstate 5 in Tehama County. Palm Springs' Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, another gaming tribe, also opposes it.
”We think that the bill is tailored to benefit COPA,” alliance Executive Director Chris Lindstrom said. “We want it to be an open, fair process -- we'll compete against anyone if and when it comes to that, but we don't believe preferential treatment should be given to any particular group.”
Lindstrom and his clients believe the bill unfairly benefits COPA because dozens of tribes and card rooms together can more easily raise the $50 million “buy-in” than can individual tribes, thus winning a crucial few years of monopoly in the fledgling industry.
COPA spokesman Ryan Hightower said the alliance should think twice before accusing COPA of being the side seeking a monopoly.
”Every tribe and card room in California was invited to join COPA for the whopping fee of one dollar,” he said, also noting many COPA members are small tribes without casinos. “Without COPA they would have been locked out of the market. This is precisely why some tribes didn't want to join COPA -- they didn't want to share the profits with the smaller, less fortunate tribes.”
The $50 million figure isn't a “magic formula” and is up to the Legislature, Hightower said, while “nothing prevents other tribes or card rooms from pooling their resources either.”
Correa said his door is open; he's willing to hear any proposed amendments so long as the bill advances soon. “Come talk to me, if we sit down and talk we can come up with a win-win solution.”
The state Justice Department has said it needs 18 to 24 months to implement a regulatory system for online poker, but Lindstrom noted SB 40 gives the state just 90 days to adopt regulations and review license applications. “This is going to be a significant expansion of gaming so this is not something you want to put on a fast track -- you need to make sure all the due diligence is done.”
”California is still a can-do state,” Correa replied, and is capable of acting fast to land an extra quarter-billion in revenues this year.
Hightower agreed: “If the political will is there, then there will be a way.”
The state Senate Governmental Organization Committee, to which Lindstrom is a former consultant, held an informational hearing about online poker July 12. Committee Chairman Sen. Rod Wright, D-Inglewood, in December had introduced a much broader bill, SB 45, to establish all kinds of online gambling including poker, but that bill hasn't been amended or moved since and the hearing focused more on Correa's bill.
Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar joined some of the state’s horsemen Monday to encourage Gov. Pat Quinn to sign the pending gambling expansion bill. Edgar supports the measure because he says it would help prop up the horse racing industry, which he says was booming before casinos came in. He rejects the notion that the state and casinos are subsidizing horse racing.
“If you don’t do it, then that industry goes away and you’ve got 30,000 people looking for jobs,” he says. “Many of those people will end up being subsidized by the state, and we can’t afford that.”
The measure would allow slot machines at race tracks, and would allow five new casino licenses. Edgar didn’t say if the amount of licenses is excessive, as Gov. Pat Quinn has said, but Edgar admits riverboat gambling helped lead to lower purses in the first place.
“Do I like everything in [the bill]? Not necessarily,” Edgar says. “But overall, I think it’s a good bill and it will help Illinois. It’ll save racing and it’ll also help the state treasury, which needs help.”
Quinn has not yet received the gambling expansion measure, as the Senate president has it in a parliamentary hold.
For people that gamble online you will only know to well about the unnecessary delays operators add to the time to make withdrawals. Bingo players that make deposits in their bingo accounts will see the money debited from their accounts straight away and in an age where payment can be made instantly you would thing that withdrawals would follow the same suit. However this is not the case and players are clearly being exploited. One punter at Betfair is likely to have to wait a ridiculous two years to receive his money back.
When you gamble at a land based venue your winnings are paid out straight away unless it is a large amount and in such cases a cheques or bank credit is generally sent the following day. However it seems when it comes to online gambling, operators see this as a secondary money making operation, with clear strategies in place to get as much of the winnings back.
When you make a withdrawal from you gaming account you typically have to meet a strict criteria in terms of wagering requirements, which if you have had a bonus added to your deposit maybe as much as 40 times the combined amount. You also have to request a withdrawal which will normally only be considered at a certain time and in some cases only on one or days per week. At the point whereby you request a withdrawal you may also lose also bonus funds in your account. You then have to wait, while the payment is pending until it is sent to your account, which again can take a number of days. The last time I made a withdrawal it took 10 days until the money was actually in my account. It is worth noting if at anytime you decide that you want to use some of the money that is ‘pending’ to add to your gaming account the whole process starts again. Going back to understanding why a gaming operator cannot simply return your money instantly, well as you guessed, it’s because they don’t want you making withdrawals and want you to spend your money!!
If you thought such practices were bad how about if you had a few million in a gaming account after a big win and had to wait two years to get your money? Betfair, the UK gambling group is again the subject of criticism following allegations that a player may have to wait for over two years to receive winnings of $3.1 million paid out in instalments.
Sports Book Review claims that a Russian professional gambler using Betfair had requested payment of $3,5 million in February this year. At that point the player had received only $360 000, although to date, and over a period of five months, a total of $600 000 has apparently been received.
The payment processor used by Betfair claimed: "The current laws restrict transactions to up to $20 000 US a week. We have been paying $10 - $20 000 weekly via bank wire (we are trying to transfer larger increments soon) and in addition give him cash."
Reports suggest that both Betfair and the unnamed payment processor have been contacted about alternative payment means but neither party has commented. It would be interesting to know if the limit is $20,000 why some weeks they have paid as little as $10.Now I know that cheques are being withdrawn in some countries but this is a feeble excuse, maybe they ought to get some advice from the National Lottery.
It seems to me that this is another way of exploiting online punters as I am sure they won’t be paying interest on the late payments. Anyway next time you have to wait 10 days for your money, just think it could be worse!
Kate Gosselin is on the hunt for a man who doesn't mind a little baggage.
Gosselin showed up on the Today show Monday to proclaim that she wants to take a dip into the old dating pool.
"I'm definitely ready to start dating. I think there's a lot of obstacles for me. In all honesty, I talk to my best friend about wouldn't it be great if she could go around the country and collect suitable people because the odds of me sort of bumping into someone are rare."
Sounds like she's pitching a new show, no?
"I have eight kids, I have a crazy work schedule, I'm known, so there are a lot of obstacles. It's sort of daunting."
Kate famously berated ex-husband Jon Gosselin on her former show, Jon and Kate Plus Eight, which has since morphed into Kate Plus Eight. She was quite shocked when he suddenly dumped her to date college girls.
Gosselin added that suddenly finding herself single after ten years of marriage is tough.
"There's some real moments, these shows that are coming up are real and raw moments. I'm not going to lie. It's really settling in two years later being a single mom of eight kids. It's difficult. I have a lot of difficult moments and stressful moments and you're going to see it, the good, the bad and the ugly."
Apparently, Kate's brood of eight are hoping she'll find a mate, as she says, "The kids on a daily basis are just begging for me to get married again. They bring it up all the time and I'm like, 'I'm not dating anyone.'"
New episodes of Kate Plus Eight start Monday night.
The past decade has seen cash-strapped state governments rely more and more heavily on gambling for revenue, authorizing more casinos and setting up slot machines at racetracks. The industry's rapid growth worries critics, who say building more gambling venues drives up more than profits; it's also driving a rise in gambling addiction.
In 2007, Americans lost more than $92 billion gambling, 800 percent more than they lost in 1982, Sam Skolnik, author of the newly released book "High Stakes: The Rising Cost of America's Gambling Addiction," told Daily Finance. From 2000 to 2005, the number of Americans who patronized casinos increased by 20 million. "In 2009 and 2010, officials in 37 states pushed for new or expanded gambling in order to bring in more revenue," Skolnik said. "There are unprecedented budget gaps. Legislators think gambling is a painless revenue stream that is better than raising taxes or making tough budget cuts."
Gambling addiction, though, is associated with bankruptcy, foreclosure, spouse abuse, child neglect and crime, Skolnik said. In this way, Baylor University professor Earl Grinols estimates that addicted gamblers cost the United States between $32.4 billion and $53.8 billion a year.
"When the addiction rate increases, so does the cost to society," Skolnik said.
About two million American adults are pathological gamblers, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. Another four to six million report experiencing problems because of their gambling.
Gambling is now legal in some form in every state but Hawaii and Utah. The closer or more accessible a casino is, the greater the risk a person will develop a gambling addiction, according to a recent study from the Research Institute on Addictions at the University of Buffalo. Living within 10 miles of a casino can increase the chance of becoming a problem gambler by 90 percent.
Not all scholars agree that more casinos translate into an increase in addiction, though.
In an article published recently in the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, Howard Shaffer, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, concluded the rate of pathological gambling has remained relatively stable despite the increase in gambling opportunities.
"When gambling becomes newly available in an area, you'll see some increase in gambling," he told the Chicago Tribune. "Some people who would not have gambled become willing to try."
But, he said, the novelty soon wears off.
Gambling addiction is not "a relentless progressive disorder," Shaffer said. The majority of gamblers are in control. Bad cases of gambling addiction usually indicate deeper mental health problems. "Of people in the U.S. with gambling problems, about 75 percent had a mental health problem first and a gambling problem second," he said.
You can probably think of a handful of 80’s movies that probably shouldn’t be remade and one of the top on that list is definitely Dirty Dancing and another would probably be Ferris Bueller’s Day off; both 80’s movies that while brilliant in their own way should probably be left alone which leads to today’s announcement from Lionsgate that there are plans for Dirty Dancing to be remade, leaving fans in an uproar.
Ok, so there are probably more important things to worry about today such as the riots in London, the Somalian famine, etc. but if you were ever a fan of teeny bopper 80’s flicks such as Dirty Dancing, then you’ll understand the importance of the situation here.
The plan so far is to cast the original choreographer, Kenny Ortega, who worked on the original film back in 1987 and he will be the one to work with the new talent to help bring the project to life. There’s just one slight problem, fans are not happy about the decision and they seem to have very strong opinions urging studios to halt the remake.
Could the chemistry between Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey be recaptured somehow? It’s early days yet as to whom they have in mind for the roles of Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey but it will be Kenny who will be responsible for finding the next triple-threat actors to fill their spots.
Ortega, who has also worked on projects such as High School Musical and Michael Jackson’s This is It Tour has a big job on his hands and for the sake of all the die-hard Dirty Dancing fanatics out there, let’s hope he can really make this happen or otherwise there will be an angry mob of dirty dancers out there out to get you.
While some firms in the online gambling industry are going along as they did when they started years ago other firms are looking at the industry with an eye on its future. The future of online gambling is definitely mobile gaming and companies that are embracing it are making great strides.
One such firm among others is Probability, which has reported impressive results for the financial year which ended on March 31st 2011. The year revealed 175,000 newly registered customers which is accredited to those who have been logging on to the mobile revolution in droves in Europe.
Chief Executive Officer of Probability, Charles Cohen said, “We made real strides this year, generating operating profits in the last quarter as we enjoyed the first benefits of lower operating costs following our move to Gibraltar and increasing our customer acquisition for LadyLuck’s – the group’s primary UK facing brand. Smartphones have also made a huge impact on our business this year, helping to turn mobile from a niche to a mass market opportunity.”
Mr. Cohen continued, “With trading in the new financial year already looking very strong, with new product launches planned for this year and increased interest in our B2B offering, we have every confidence that we can turn our first mover advantage into a serious and sustainable market position in regulated markets globally.”
Mobile customers using the iPhone and Android platforms now represent 37% of all in-game deposits which explains the company’s rising net gaming revenue which increased by 14% to £5.37m from £4.72m last year alone.
Mobile devices have been gaining momentum recently mainly because the technology has improved significantly. The reasons for the increased popularity being the enhanced user friendliness, mobility, accessibility and improved audio-visual animation. All these factors make the games more exciting and being mobile they can be played anywhere and at any time.
The USA is in conflict over rules governing internet wagering and some politicians in the country feel those rules need some clarification.
Republican U.S. Representative from New York, Chris Gibson, has introduced a bill to make things a little less muddy in the murky waters of internet betting in the States. Current federal policy on Internet wagering is causing some financial institutions to block credit card transactions to legal advance-deposit wagering sites. The Congressman is pointing out that betting on the ponies via the internet is still legal in the USA.
The New York Racing Association has been struggling to maintain equilibrium and needs the revenue garnered from off track betting. Advance-deposit wagering (ADW), allows customers to wager by phone or the web, and has become vital in New York since the closure of New York City Off-Track Betting outlets. There has been a significant increase in punters form New York using the internet to place their bets since the changes were introduced.
A release regarding the proposed legislation stated, Recently, the Department of Treasury and the Federal Reserve implemented a new set of rules on Internet gambling which could negatively impact the horseracing industry. While the rules were designed to crack down on illegal Internet gambling, they have unintentionally created confusion regarding the validity of credit card transactions for legitimate Internet-based wagers on horseracing that are sanctioned by the federal Interstate Horseracing Act. As a result, several credit card companies have decided not to process any gaming transactions, even legal Internet gaming transactions on horseracing.
NYRA President Charlie Hayward commented, “We appreciate Representative Gibson's efforts to protect the future of racing for NYRA, Saratoga Race Course, and the entire New York horse racing and breeding industry."
Actor Kiowa Gordon (pictured center), who plays svelte, shapeshifting werewolf Embry Call in the Twilight saga, was arrested in Arizona yesterday on suspicion of DUI.
However, this wasn't your typical DUI bust. When cops ran his license, they discovered the teen heartthrob had a warrant out for failing to appear in court on a prior charges of drug paraphernalia possession and giving alcohol to minors.
Gordon was born in Berlin, Germany and moved to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona to a town called Cave Creek when he was just two. Gordon is the seventh of eight children and he is a Mormon, part of the same ward as Twilight author Stephenie Meyer. He has since left Cave Creek and now resides in L.A.
Gordon will be appearing in the upcoming Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, but for now, the 21-year-old actor is still in custody.
Two months after lawmakers approved a massive expansion of gambling in Illinois, Gov. Pat Quinn has revealed only a few private hints of what his objections may be to the bill as he conducts revolving meetings with supporters and opponents.
But Quinn has vowed not to let the matter drag on too long. He said this week that he has been meeting with lawmakers and expects to deal with the bill well before the Legislature goes back to work in late October during the fall veto session.
It's during that session that lawmakers could accept any changes Quinn might make to the bill or try to override a veto, a potentially daunting proposition because the measure only narrowly passed before lawmakers left the Illinois Capitol in May.
Former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar is among those who have met with Quinn to advocate for the measure, and he came away feeling that the Democratic governor was still undecided.
"He might have something in his mind but my sense was he hasn't finalized what he's going to do," said Edgar, a racehorse owner who met Quinn along with other horsemen to argue the bill would help the racing industry.
The legislation would allow for five new casinos, expanded gambling at 10 existing casinos and the addition of slot machines at race tracks. Among the new gaming facilities would be Chicago's first casino, an element strongly supported by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Supporters of the measure are outpacing opponents in calls and emails to the governor's office. A Quinn spokeswoman said 11,064 people have expressed support, while 2,961 are opposed.
Legislative leaders continue to use a legislative maneuver to keep the bill off Quinn's desk until they get a better gauge of what he wants. That keeps Quinn from using his veto to block the bill or rewrite it. He has turned up his nose before at any significant expansion.
Quinn acknowledged he hasn't provided lawmakers with a list of what he likes and dislikes in the bill. But previously, he has expressed reservations about regulatory issues in the bill and seemed to dismiss the idea of growing the number of casinos in the state. He has said he was open to the idea of a Chicago casino if it was done right.
One person Quinn met with was Illinois Gaming Board chairman Aaron Jaffe, who has encouraged Quinn to veto the bill because he says it's full of regulatory loopholes.
"We don't want any bad characters getting involved in gaming," Quinn said Thursday.
One of the bill's chief sponsors, Democratic Sen. Terry Link, said he knows what some of Quinn's concerns are. "And no, I'm not going to tell you," Link said.
Link said giving Quinn these months to study the bill has been a good thing.
"If we would have handed him the bill, he would have never had this opportunity," he said.
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, who initiated the legislative maneuver to keep the bill from Quinn's desk, also has been meeting with Quinn. Cullerton's spokeswoman, Rikeesha Phelon, said lawmakers can deal with any Quinn objections if he makes them clear.
"In any negotiation you need to be able to hear from the opposing party about what their demands are, to have a sense of what their criticisms are in order to formulate a fix," she said.
Quinn says he has been using the time to study and analyze the 400-page piece of legislation. That has meant talking to mayors whose cities would get casinos, including Danville and Rockford, and opponents who want Quinn to arrest the growth of gambling in Illinois.
Quinn's decision-making is similar to the process he went through before he signed a bill earlier this year banning the death penalty in Illinois even though he said he supported capital punishment. Quinn held numerous meetings with prosecutors, victims' families and death penalty opponents before making up his mind just like he's doing with the gambling expansion bill.
"Everybody, I think, will at the end of the day say that they had a chance to speak and get their points across," Quinn said.
AUSTRALIAN gambling companies are expected to report modest growth in earnings this reporting season as consumers rein in their discretionary spending and casino operators face tough competition from overseas.
"Gambling is part of discretionary expenditure, so I'm anticipating that gambling expenditure will be down," Morningstar gaming analyst Ross MacMillan said.
Earnings in the gambling sector may grow two or three per cent, but "It's going to be very subdued earnings growth if we see any at all," Mr MacMillan said.
The outlook for the current financial year was expected to be very cautious and limited in detail.
Mr MacMillan anticipated most companies would hold off providing guidance until their annual general meetings when they would have at least three months of performance under the belt.
The big issue for Tatts Group and Tabcorp would be the source of future growth, he said. Tatts and Tabcorp hold a duopoly over poker machines in Victoria outside of the Crown casino in Melbourne. The Victorian poker machine licence expires in 2012.
Tabcorp was recently awarded a new wagering and betting licence in Victoria, winning it over Tatts. The wagering licence allows Tabcorp to offer wagering on thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing and other sporting events.
Lower gambling expenditure would affect revenues, so gambling companies would have to look at cutting costs, Mr MacMillan said.
He said Tatts would be looking to strip out as many costs as possible from the NSW lottery business it acquired in March 2010.
Tatts also would think carefully about the South Australian lottery business, which is likely to come up for sale in the next 18 months.
Mr MacMillan said the main issue affecting the Tabcorp results would be the recent demerger of its casino operations - now known as Echo Entertainment Group - which would make Tabcorp's accounts "messy".
An issue facing casino operators Crown and Echo was the size of the capital expenditure needed to revamp their casinos so they could compete with big new casino-resorts in Singapore and attract more VIP gamblers (high rollers) from China.
"This is a real issue: whether it (capital expenditure) will continue in the future," Mr MacMillan said.
Fat Prophets gaming analyst Greg Fraser said consumer spending had been weak and was likely to be reflected in gaming results at the "grind end" of the market.
Mr Fraser said he expected a reasonable result from Tatts Group.
Although a larger proportion of Tatts' earnings now came from lotteries, gaming operations were likely to attract attention because that's where uncertainty lay.
"Having missed out on the Victorian wagering licence, it'll be interesting to see what they (Tatts) say about their future now and what their plans might be," Mr Fraser said.
Tabcorp also needed to detail its plans for the new Victorian wagering licence and explain how the company would replace gaming machine earnings once they disappear in 2012, he said.
Among the casino operators, Crown's result was likely to be stronger than that of Echo Entertainment, largely because Crown had spent its money on refurbishments and re-organising its gaming floors sooner and, arguably, more effectively than Echo.
Much of the Star City refurbishment was aimed at non-gaming activities, so the casino's success over the next year should be measured by the increase in visitation numbers.
"In that sense, it's the outlook statement for Echo this time that is perhaps more important than this year's financial result," Mr Fraser said.
Bills to legalize online gambling hit California's Capitol more than two years ago - and are likely headed for another year of debate.
Lobbyists and political campaigns are benefiting from the protracted discussion, collecting millions of dollars from the card rooms, race tracks and Indian tribes seeking to shape the future of Internet wagering.
The conversation centers on how it should be implemented and which of the competing interests will reap the benefits. That creates even more business for Capitol advocates, as they sort out differences among their clients. "Any time there's a major new legislative initiative that is contentious, the details of which have to be worked out, it's good for the business of lobbyists, political consultants and lawyers," said Howard Dickstein, a lawyer who represents several Indian tribes.
"Any issue where there is this much money involved is going to attract advocacy on all sides."
Gambling interests have been big political spenders since California sanctioned some forms of gaming in the early 1990s. Moving the business online will require another political push.
It's impossible to say exactly how much is being spent by interest groups advocating Internet gambling. The Secretary of State does not organize lobbying data by bill number, and some people working on the issue are lawyers or consultants who are not required to disclose financial information because they are not registered lobbyists.
But disclosure forms filed by some of the interested parties provide a glimpse of the business being generated by this debate:
-The Morongo and San Manuel bands of Indians, which are sponsors of one of the Internet gambling bills, together spent more than $337,000 on lobbying last year. They have spent nearly that much - $304,000 - on lobbying just in the first half of this year.
-Some tribes that oppose the Morongo and San Manuel bill because they say it doesn't give them enough opportunity to make money on Internet gambling spent about $1.2 million on lobbying in 2010. They are on track to spend at least that much this year.
-Major card rooms and racetracks that want to operate Internet gambling spent another half-million dollars on lobbying last year and this year are spending at a similar pace.
Those figures don't count how much gambling interests are spending on consultants who are not registered lobbyists.
Former lawmakers Willie Brown and Lloyd Levine are both consultants on the issue. Brown works for the Morongo tribe, while Levine is advising technology companies that operate Internet gambling sites overseas.
Levine said he was the first state legislator in the nation to introduce a bill on Internet gambling when he was an assemblyman in 2008. Now, about a dozen states are discussing the idea.
In California, supporters say legalizing Internet gambling will bring hundreds of millions in new taxes to state coffers.
The two current bills propose different visions for how the state should engage. Both limit the network to players inside state lines. But SB 40 by Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, would legalize only Internet poker, while SB 45 by Sen. Rod Wright, D-Inglewood, would create a system for users to gamble online on all kinds of games.
Correa's bill is sponsored by a group that includes the Morongo and San Manuel tribes and a host of card rooms - all of which stand to make money through legal Internet poker. At a hearing last month, Correa said his bill should be approved before the federal government takes any action on legalizing Internet gambling.
"If we don't move today, this year, California is likely to be completely cut off from this business," he said. "It's time to act."
At the same hearing, Wright emphasized that his bill is not sponsored by an outside group.
"This is my work product," Wright said. "It reflects what I believe to be in the best interests of the people of California."
Both Wright and Correa have financial ties to gambling interests. Tribes, card rooms and racetracks have contributed to political campaigns, legal defense funds and charitable causes associated with lawmakers.
The San Manuel tribe spent close to $43,000 on an independent expenditure committee to support Correa's 2010 run for state Senate. The California Tribal Business Alliance, which opposes Correa's bill, spent $15,000 to support him in that race.
Correa is now raising money for a 2018 run for attorney general. In June, four card rooms sponsoring his Internet gambling bill gave a combined $18,200 to support Correa for that post.
The attorney general's office regulates brick and mortar casinos, though it's not yet clear which agency would regulate Internet gambling if it were to become legal.
Correa did not return calls seeking comment.
Wright's 2008 run for state Senate received $30,000 in support from the Morongo tribe through an independent expenditure committee. His 2012 campaign coffer includes $53,800 from tribes, card rooms and race tracks.
Wright is raising money for a legal defense fund to fight charges that he falsified his address in preparation for a legislative race. Gambling interests have contributed $11,500 to his legal defense fund.
And at Wright's behest, casino-owning tribes have given more than $21,000 to Los Angeles community groups.
Wright declined to answer questions about whether financial support from the gambling industry is influencing his bill.
"I don't comment about political stuff," Wright said. "Whatever I say, there's no upside to it."
The two large tribes pushing for Correa's bill recently cut ties with their Sacramento lobbyists. San Manuel terminated a contract with lobbyist Frank Molina in February after the Fair Political Practices Commission fined him for not reporting $870,000 in lobbying activity. Morongo - which has been represented by lobbyist Josh Pane for 17 years - is now accepting bids for new representation.
Everyone is trying to get their paws on the elusive Ipad – and Apple just keeps coming up with new versions and not making enough of them to create a frenzy over their machines. And as a testament to just how in demand Apple's products are these days, a group of Chinese smugglers were recently caught illegally importing iPads and iPhones across the border from Hong Kong, via zip-line.
The clever group devised a rope-and-pulley system, triggered by a crossbow to get the goods flying over the trees and out of Hong Kong to Shenzhen, where the group of six smugglers were able to make a profit due to the lower taxes.
They were caught and arrested when police quietly spied on their 300-meter-long zip-line, which connected a village house to a 21st floor of a city high-rise in Shenzhen, via a customs surveillance operation. The flight for the Apple products, was only two-minutes long. They would conduct their zip-lining business in the wee hours of the morning, to avoid spectators.
Six smugglers were arrested, while 50 iPad 2s and 50 iPhone 4s, which worth about ￥300,000 yuan (US$46,583) were seized.
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The D.C. Lottery announced Thursday that it will reschedule community forums that will give residents an opportunity to weigh in on the prospect of local businesses becoming hot spots for Internet gambling.
Lottery director Buddy Roogow says the forums are being delayed because some residents don't want them to be held during the summer. So instead of mid-August and September, they'll start in mid-September and run into October.
The D.C. Council approved online gambling as part of a budget bill late last year. It became law in April when Congress did not object. Once it's launched, the district will be the first state or municipal government in the nation to allow online gambling within its borders.
Middleton has been seen wearing the same outfit twice, which some have called a faux pas, while others are saying that it's about time the Royal Family gets less royal and more real in the midst of a recession.
On Jay's show, Kelly said, "In England they are like look how thrifty she's being, showing the British public that the Royals are in a recession as well. Only in this country they call it a faux pas. Well I'm sorry but if I had that job I would only wear it once. If I am going to be the future bloody Queen of England I'm going to wear that dress once because I'm giving up the rest of my life, all of my privacy, at least I can get a new dress every day."
Leno then asked, "How about underpants? Would you throw them away?" Kelly replied: "Well, if I could I would. That's a really good idea actually."
Leno then showed Kelly a picture of the last time she had been on the show when The Osbounes was on air and she refused to sit on the seat and instead slouched on the couch.
"That's hilarious," Leno said sarcastically.
"It's not. Its disrespectful and I look like a little shit," Kelly replied.
However, after a bit of a media fallout, with the Daily Mail saying that Osbourne "took a swipe" a Middleton, Kelly took to her Twitter to defend her comments.
"I didn't talk shit about kate middleton saying she deserves a new dress everyday is not talking shit last time i checked thank you DailyFail," Kelly tweeted, later adding, "i just dont get why they feel the need to even make stories up about me when i already do and say enough stupid shit to last them a lifetime."