His original Internet gambling bill passed through both houses of state government earlier this year only to be vetoed by Gov. Chris Christie in March.
The day of the veto, Lesniak told PokerNews that he would not reintroduce the bill unless he reached an agreement with Christie that would guarantee the bill would not be vetoed again. No such compromise has been reached.
Lesniak said Wednesday that he is introducing the bill anyway because the horse-racing industry in New Jersey may die in the next couple of years without the revenue it could get subsidized from online gambling. The timing of the reintroduction coincides with the announcement last week that Perretti Farms, the largest breeder of standardbred horses in the Garden State, will be closing down. Horse farms are a large part of the economy in central New Jersey.
"Nothing has changed in terms of (Christie's) opinion as of yet," Lesniak told PokerNews in a phone interview. "I'm hoping that the governor will realize what is happening to the (horse-racing) industry by him not supporting any subsidies online gaming can provide. I'm hoping the governor will reassess his position, and that Republican representatives from that area will help him change his mind. I think the opportunity is here to get together and change his view."
Lesniak said the bill, S-3019, will largely be what he previously put on Christie's desk. The biggest change, in an effort to address one of the concerns Christie mentioned in his veto, will be language to prevent Internet gambling cafes from popping up across the state. Lesniak said he didn't think that was a realistic expectation, given that people could play online from their homes if the bill went through, but that it was an easy fix to make. Lesniak's bill includes casino games in addition to poker.
It seems unlikely that the modifications will be enough to change Christie's mind on the bill, but perhaps pressure from Republican representatives in central New Jersey with concerns about the future of the state's horse-racing industry can make an impact.
"It's not going to be a long road, but we're just not sure where it leads," Lesniak said. "We'll put the bill back on his desk before the end of the year, and hopefully by that time we'll have changed his mind."
Lesniak is also irked by indications that potential federal legislation, if it comes from House Majority Leader Harry Reid, would favor Reid's home state of Nevada. Last month, Lesniak wrote a letter to Att. General Eric Holder contesting a letter written to Holder by Reid and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) asking that he reiterate the Justice Department's stance that intrastate online gaming is illegal under federal law.
Out of all the intrastate bills introduced by states in the country, New Jersey's bill was the only one that seemed like it would create a system beneficial to poker players. After Black Friday, there are undoubtedly more people in New Jersey who would value a safe and secure platform on which to play online poker.
"There's a big concern that New Jersey would be left behind in federal legislation," Lesniak said. "If New Jersey starts operations first, it would be very difficult for them to exclude us or diminish our role."
Being a mega movie mogul has been keeping Dina Lohan pretty busy lately. She has been hard at work firing off business plans to investors hoping to score over $5 million so she can make a movie – starring some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Lohan is hoping to fund the R-rated movie called "Growing Defiant," which, she says, takes "a hard look at the social pressures that can lead a kid in the wrong direction," (familiar territory for the Lohan clan).
According to the business plan, the actors Dina is intending to use in the flick include Dakota Fanning, Selena Gomez, Michael Cera, James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Tina Fey, Amanda Seyfried, Hayden Panettiere, Emma Stone, Mila Kunis and Dina's son, Michael Lohan, Jr., who will play the starring role of a heroin addict. Interestingly, perhaps Dina does have an eye for the movie business, since her daughter Lindsay Lohan is not included in the cast as she's too costly to insure. Besides, Lindsay would probably be a diva on the set and show up late and hungover, etc.
The most hilarious part of the business plan comes at the end, when an asterisk at the bottom reads, "The cast listed above is a suggested cast list only. Michael Lohan is the only cast member who has been signed."
So basically, Dina has no one for her movie. Not a Fey, Sarandon or Cera. Just a friggin' Lohan.
News travels at the speed of light now and with the way things are going it may be getting even faster. Facebook the vast and free online social networking phenomenon that over four million people are logged on to has decided it will allow gambling advertizing. The catch is there will be special administrative rules to observe in order for this to happen. Facebook is an advertisement driven platform that has recently changed its Ad Guidelines in order to expand its market into other segments of business. The new changes explain the rules for the application for gambling spots on Facebook. All online gambling adverts must be targeted outside of the USA. Only specified nations are allowed to advertise lotteries, casinos, sports betting, poker, and others including games of skill.
Compliant government run lotteries will be allowed spots with stringent rules for jurisdictional targeting.
The spots don’t cost too much considering the potential coverage, and can only be purchased through a direct sales partnership with Facebook, which requires a monthly spend of $30,000. The other Facebook sales options such as the self-serve ads tool or the Ads API cannot be used to purchase advertising for gambling.
There are a few online casinos already on Facebook with their own pages. These online casinos are not considered to be advertisements by Facebook. Check out All Star Slots, Platinum Play, Spin Palace and InterCasino on their Facebook pages, to see for yourself.
The advertising revenues from online gambling, lotteries, poker, and casinos and other gambling venues where they are allowed is sure to put some serious coin in Facebook’s bank account. The issue will be debated around the world for sure as those on Facebook will either say they like gambling ads or give it a thumbs down. Advertising works and with Facebook its usually a positive thing.
A state senator is making a second go at bringing online betting to New Jersey.
Sen. Raymond Lesniak reintroduced a bill Thursday that Gov. Chris Christie previously vetoed out of concern it would harm the gambling district in Atlantic City.
Lesniak says he's willing to make changes to address Christie's concerns. A draft of the bill obtained by The Associated Press says all bets will have to be routed through Atlantic City casinos.
About a dozen other states are considering offering instate Internet gambling, even though federal law is hazy on the subject.
Lesniak wrote U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in July arguing that individual states have the legal authority to do it.
The online gambling software firm Playtech has again outperformed many other firms this quarter even though the odds were against them. Playtech withdrew from the French jurisdiction recently which some analysts considered a good move.
Revenues for Playtech in the first half of the year rose by an astounding eighteen percent to €76.3m not taking into account the French market exit. A gross income increase of nineteen percent was realized bring that figure up to €95m and even if you include the withdrawal gross income rose by 8% with revenues up by 5%.
Non-executive chairman for Playtech, Roger Withers, said, “Playtech has continued to make strong progress in an uncertain market, winning new licensees, exploiting opportunities in existing and soon to be regulated markets and identifying valuable acquisitions which will add to the Group’s offering.” Withers continued, “Despite the complexity and uncertainty of moves towards regulation in Europe and the US, Playtech has positioned itself, both independently and through its joint ventures, to benefit from the continued growth of the online gaming market. As more jurisdictions move towards regulation, Playtech is able to offer new and existing operators a market leading suite of products and services, helping them to navigate the complexities of changing regulatory environments. With a strong pipeline of new opportunities and the continued development of our offering, we look to the second half and beyond with optimism and are excited about the future as Playtech is increasingly consolidating its position as the supplier of choice for technology and services for the worldwide online gaming industry.”
There is confidence that the company will be able to meet their goals this year with the second half off to a good start considering the daily revenues for the licensing and sale of online gambling software created by the firm was up over twenty three percent over last year at this time. Chief Executive Officer Mor Weizer did not comment on Playtech’s acquisition plans.
It looks like NY Yankees superstar Derek Jeter and his girlfriend, star of the upcoming Charlie’s Angels reboot Minka Kelly, have called it quits after three years together. The split seems to be amicable and with all the rumors about marriage, cheating and herpes, there has been no word as to the reason behind the breakup but according to People, these guys are still friends.
The complexities of keeping a relationship going in the spotlight must be overwhelming and especially when dealing with a hotshot baseball player who is known for his suave nature with the ladies. In three years time, did we hear about cheating rumors or scandals? Not so much, but mainly we heard of rumors that these two were getting hitched.
In an interview back in January with GQ, Minka was quick to put an end to marriage rumors by telling the magazine, “I promise you, I’m not getting married in the next month.” So their relationship was never a marriage thing and probably because the two are really busy people, with Jeter working on getting his batting average up to a decent .299 and her being the star of the television series Friday Night Lights and an upcoming Drew Barrymore reboot of Charlie’s Angels.
The true reasons behind their split will probably never be known since these two were so tight-lipped about their relationship, but one thing you can count on, Jeter will have another hottie by his side in no time – to help him get over his break-up of course. Other ladies Jeter has been linked to in the past include Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Scarlett Johansson and Mariah Carey.
ITV has signed deals with two companies to produce a range of free and paid-for games based on Simon Cowell's new big-budget primetime show Red or Black?
The show, which will be fronted by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, gives contestants the chance to win £1m on the spin of a wheel.
ITV has signed a deal with online gambling company Gamesys to produce a series of four pay-to-play games based on the branding of the gameshow.
The games – called Red or Black Slots, Red or Black Instant, Red or Black Hi Lo and Red or Black Stacks.
The games will be promoted with a TV ad campaign and will cost from 5p to 50p to play. They will not be made available through ITV.com.
ITV and Cowell's Syco, which is co-producing the show, initially tried to negotiate a deal with Camelot, which runs the National Lottery, but failed to reach a deal.
The broadcaster has also struck a deal with Monterosa, a company specialising in social TV, to create a play-along experience to go with Red or Black?.
The free game, which will be made available at ITV.com, will allow viewers to play along with contestants on the show.
They will also be able to compete with Facebook friends.
"A primetime production of the scale of Red or Black? clearly has a huge amount of potential off air," said Denise O'Donoghue, managing director of ITV Studios UK. "Working with Syco we have been exploring the best opportunities to fully exploit this fantastic programme idea."
An ITV spokeswoman said: "It made commercial sense to license the brand to market leaders, who run the UK's leading gaming website. ITV.com has strong plans to support Red or Black?, which includes the play-along game."
Channel 4 has had huge success with online play-along games for its gameshow Million Pound Drop.
Like Cowell's other ITV1 shows, The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, the production will be filmed in an arena – in this case, Wembley Arena. It airs from 3 September.
In June, ITV signed a £1m deal with Domino's Pizza to sponsor Red or Black?.
Spain is pushing ahead with plans for expansion into the world of online gaming following new reports concerning the potential economic benefits of the industry. The latest government investigations have revealed that the market could look set to generate €137.5 million worth of extra income for the country as well as a series of employment opportunities for its inhabitants.
The move arrives as nations throughout the continent review the terms of their existing gambling legislation. Many European countries are increasingly recognising the financial benefits afforded by the gambling industry with taxation rates and licensing fees generating much needed revenue for administrations. The rise of new technology, meanwhile, has also resulted in a surge in gaming activity. The availability of high speed broadband connections now means that players can enjoy a range of sophisticated titles at their convenience – making the industry one of the most rapidly evolving and attractive sectors in the world today.
Politicians have also been keen to note that the introduction of fresh regulatory measures will play a crucial role in protecting the interests of online players. Regulation is, they say, essential to the management of social issues including the question of problem gambling. Such measures would also prevent underage users from accessing inappropriate material – amounting to a safe, secure and fair online gaming environment for all concerned. Filled with opportunities, it’s clear that online gaming is poised to enjoy a promising future in Spain and Europe at large. Gamers will surely be looking forward to trying their luck online in what look to be some very exciting months ahead indeed.
Think your four-year-old can give you some tips on naming their brothers and sisters? Well, a British man named Ian Clark seems to think so, and apparently took the advice of his four-year-old stepdaughter, Maddie, naming his second child "Meggie Maisie Lady GaGa."
Now, Clark, 36, has decided to name his next child Tommy Will.i.am, after the rapper, based on another of Maddie's suggestions.
Ian’s partner, 28-year-old Melanie Robinson, of Cramlington, Northumberland, who is four months pregnant with the couple's first son, said: “I’m trying to convince him not to, but he’s done it once so I’m sure he will do it again."
This isn't the first time a parent has chosen a dubious name for their child. Earlier this year an Egyptian man named his daughter 'Facebook', to mark the impact of the social network site's massive role in his country's recent revolution.
Let's hope Meggie Maisie Lady GaGa doesn't share the same fashion sense as her namesake.
Many people do not think twice about paying taxes on their winnings from online casino websites. Greek online casino gamblers who have not paid taxes on all their winnings or have been avoiding paying taxes are going to have to start thinking twice about it now. The Greek government has set up a new police squad specifically designed to locate tax evaders and, well, make them pay.
One prosecutor has already launched an investigation into a number of criminal activities arising from Proton Bank. This investigation is targeting those who are evading payment of taxes. The prosecutor has the authority to legally obtain records of bank account personal details from those they believe to be tax evaders. The prosecutor also has the ability to look into online gaming activities and all stock market activity. Those accused of dodging payment on their taxes, no matter the reason, including on all online gambling winnings will have an investigation launched against them.
The current government in Greece is determined to lay punishments on those who are not paying taxes on their online gambling winners in an effort to increase transparency throughout the country. Therefore, they have created a new force called the Financial Police Electronic Crimes Squad. It will be headed up by the Protection Minister. The squad has determined that online gambling in the country has a large turnover rate of approximately five billion Euros. This means that an estimated two billion Euros in taxes are currently not being paid. Although banks in Greece do not support these crimes, they are contributing to this tax evasion crime as a majority of these transactions are paid via credit cards. The new squad has more than 200 officers and a majority of them have previous experience with financial technology and/or accounting.
Country artist, Taylor Swift is enjoying her incredible success by giving back to her folks in an incredible way, by buying them a swanky $2.5 million mansion in a ritzy Nashville neighborhood. These days Swift has been recognized as number 7 on the Forbes list of top earning celebrities chiming in at $45 million, not bad for a 21-year-old.
So thanks to Taylor, her parents Andrea Gardner and Scott Kingsley will be rubbing elbows with their high-profile neighbors, among them including Nicole Kidman and her husband who also happens to be a country star, Mr. Keith Urban, claims the Daily Mail.
It was only about four months ago that reports surfaced that the songstress had purchased a home for them worth $1.4 million but it looks like she felt the need to upgrade them to a $2.5 million mansion. The singer currently owns another home in Beverly Hills worth $3.55 million and it was also reported that she owns a third property in Nashville, her hometown.
The singer, who is currently on her Speak Now Tour, can definitely be added to the overachiever list especially after having achieved so much at such a young age, with 80+ awards and counting including a nomination in tonight’s MTV Music Awards show. The girl is definitely entitled to splurge a little isn’t she?
In anticipation that the Federal Government legalizes online gambling in the coming future, the State of Nevada and Las Vegas have jumped the gun and written up a draft of rules and regulations. State lawmakers proposed that Nevada have some regulations inplace before January, to ensure that the state will be ready to license and regulate online gambling in Nevada by then.
Las Vegas casino owners and operators want to position themselves as the industry leader, and not a follower, and are preparing to take charge of the online gambling community immediately, so long as of course, the government legalizes online gambling.
Mark Lipparelli, the Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Board said in regards to running things “Our technology is not perfect as of yet, but we believe it has improved enough to guarantee the State can properly regulate companies that want to offer online gambling.”
Regulations that are in place now include taxation and games. In terms of taxation, it’s fair. Operators for the online gambling/poker industry will be taxed the same rate as Nevada land based casinos. In terms of game regulation, there are limitations in what games will be allowed to be wagered on, as these games will only be games where players wager against each other, and not against the ‘House’. That means games like Blackjack, Craps and Roulette are out.
Every year, there's always some sort of shocking VMAs moment everyone is Googling the next day after they hear about it at the water cooler. However, I'm sorry to say, there was nary a nip slip, girl-on-girl makeout session or an unruly Kanye West. This year, everyone was well-behaved and even the cast of Jersey Shore seemed sober. Justin Beiber donned a pair of spectacles to inadvertently highlight the dullness of the evening.
The silver-lining to the show was some seriously fantastic performances, courtesy of Adele and Beyonce, who had announced her pregnancy on the red carpet.
Extra weird parts include:
a confused-looking Britney Spears somehow earned a special award – the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award? Ever heard of it?
Lady Gaga's alter ego, a greasy guy who claims to have dated her named Jo Calderon took the stage.
Katy Perry and Kanye West win a VMA for Best Collaboration. Perry jokes about West interrupting.
for some reason the MTV folks decide to shock all the parents but lining up young girls on the stage dressed up in Britney Spears' slutty costumes from yesteryear.
Tony Bennett plays a recording of a duet he did with Amy Winehouse in March – and it's amazing.
And without further ado, here are the winners of the 2011 VMAs:
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Katy Perry, “Firework”
BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Lady Gaga, “Born This Way”
BEST NEW ARTIST
Tyler, The Creator, “Yonkers”
BEST MALE VIDEO
Justin Bieber, “U Smile”
BEST COLLABORATION
Katy Perry featuring Kanye West, “E.T.”
BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO
Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass”
BEST ROCK VIDEO
Foo Fighters, “Walk”
BEST POP VIDEO
Britney Spears, “Till the World Ends”
BEST VIDEO WITH A MESSAGE
Lady Gaga, “Born This Way”
BEST DIRECTOR
Adele, “Rolling in the Deep” (Director: Sam Brown)
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Beyoncé, “Run the World (Girls)”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Katy Perry featuring Kanye West, “E.T.”
CONTROVERSY MAY have forced the District to delay the launch of online gaming, but its advocates haven’t given up. The lottery operator is running help-wanted ads for a Bingo Chat Moderator and other employees who would be needed if the District is to become the nation’s first jurisdiction to legalize these games of chance, and D.C. Council members say they are under pressure not to reverse course.
Reversing course, though, is exactly what needs to happen. Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) should succeed in his effort to repeal the legislation permitting this dubious effort. D.C. lottery officials had hoped to offer online casino games such as Poker, Bingo and Fantasy Sports for fun in July, followed by money wagering in September. But concern about how the operation was authorized (surreptitiously slipped into an end-of-the-year budget) and revelations that its sponsor, council member Michael A. Brown (I-At Large), had been in the employ of a firm with an interest in the issue (he denies any conflict), caused officials to put on the brakes. No launch date has been set. A spokesman for Intralot, the Greek firm that runs the D.C. lottery, said it’s only prudent to start looking for people to fill the positions but that the city will have the final say about whether to proceed.
The council’s Finance and Revenue Committee, bypassed when the measure passed the council last year, held a public hearing in June and its chair, council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), insisted that community meetings be held to gauge public views on the issue. The meetings had been set to take place in mid-August until there was an outcry over doing so when many people are on vacation. We’re glad the council finally woke up to some of the implications of this issue and have started to ask questions. But the process has been so tainted — no public vetting, some council members having no idea what they were voting on, Mr. Brown’s questionable involvement — that the council should start over. “This is too big a thing to do by sleight of hand,” said Mr. Wells.
Maybe, as supporters claim, online gaming can help cash-strapped governments raise money and revitalize lottery operations. But states that have investigated such ventures have backed off because of technical challenges and worries about compliance with federal law. The manner in which the District has proceeded gives rise to doubts about what games are really being played.
Facing severe budget shortfalls, a number of states and the District of Columbia are looking to online gambling as a substantial new source of tax revenues. New York is considering legalizing non-Indian casinos, allowing commercial gaming operations to move beyond racetrack casinos, significantly adding to the hundreds of millions of dollars the state now takes in from "racinos." It remains unclear whether intrastate online gambling complies with federal law, and permitting full-scale casinos in New York would require amending the state constitution. Nevertheless, many officials around the country are convinced that a dire fiscal situation warrants legalizing forms of gambling now barred in their states. Does it?
These officials are surely right that sharply increasing gambling opportunities would boost revenues, even in a struggling economy. However, as critics are quick to point out, because of the social costs, legalizing gambling is a moral issue, and the economic potential of additional gambling does not mean it is morally justified. After all, states could generate new revenues by legalizing and taxing prostitution or the sale of recreational drugs.
It is important, then, for legislators and governors exploring such policies to address legitimate moral concerns about dealing with budget deficits by enlarging the range of legal gambling activities. There are at least two kinds of worries that motivate moral opposition to such policies. These can be expressed as questions that politicians favoring the policies should, in good conscience, be able to answer in the negative in order to maintain -- credibly -- that enacting them would be morally defensible.
The first question is the utilitarian query, "Will the overall costs of legalizing more gambling in the state exceed the overall benefits?"
Critics contend that legalization would exacerbate the social problems associated with gambling, such as addiction, bankruptcy, and family hardship. On this score, online gambling is especially troubling. As Les Bernal, executive director of the Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation, told the New York Times, "It's the equivalent of opening a lottery retailer in every home, office and dorm room in America." It isn't unreasonable to assume that the sheer ease of Internet gambling will tempt many people -- especially when their judgment is impaired -- into ruinously irresponsible betting behavior.
Legalization advocates may well reply that, because of the states' urgent need for revenues to help fund law enforcement, firefighting, education, road construction, and other vital public services, the total benefits of loosening restrictions on gambling would outweigh the costs, including even the social harms.
This response could be true, but supporting it would require rigorous and comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. Moreover, while such analysis is a valuable decision-making tool, the intrinsic difficulty of quantifying social impacts entails that policymakers need to take into account the nature of the costs and benefits as well as their assigned magnitudes. Even so, it could turn out that policy research provides a plausible utilitarian argument for legalization.
The second critical moral question is this: "Is legalization (of online gambling or more casinos) designed to incentivize individuals to engage in economic behavior contrary to their interests, making them and their dependents financially less well-off?"
A fundamental purpose of state government is, within limits, to protect the health, safety, and welfare of residents and visitors. Thus, states properly regulate commercial activities, passing and enforcing laws to protect consumers from fraud and other kinds of abuse.
Fraud involves one party, through misrepresentation, inducing another party to hand over money or other valuables. From an economic point of view, cases of fraud are bad because, although represented as market transactions, they are not genuine exchanges of economic goods, where both parties are better off. Rather, they are merely zero-sum transfers of wealth from one party to the other -- transfers that impose costs not only on the victim but also on the community (e.g., the time and expense of criminal prosecution). From a moral point of view, fraud is wrong because the harm to the victim is due to his being intentionally deceived, making the transaction inherently unfair.
Historically, states have believed that gambling activities are not ordinary transactions, but are exchanges that must be either tightly regulated or prohibited altogether. Why? Isn't one of the reasons that, from an economic point of view, gambling (like fraud) consists only in zero-sum transfers of wealth that carry external costs? Might another reason be that, although organized gambling (including lotteries) is not fraud, it earns profits by encouraging false hopes in "players" -- hopes which then motivate them to take actions that (usually) make them worse off? Critics rightly ask how, in moral terms, this is much different from misrepresentation.
Defenders of legal gambling will insist that players are buying "entertainment." But gambling vendors are not in business to entertain people, nor does their advertising invite people to gamble in order to be entertained. Any entertainment value is incidental.
In contemplating legislation intended to spur people to give up even more money -- to operators and the state -- through gambling, lawmakers will have a hard time arguing, convincingly, that the proposed legalization is morally justified.
Last night, while you were watching Vienna and Kasey prevail once again on Bachelor Pad, a very important announcement was made. Yes, the much-anticipated cast of Dancing with the Stars was announced!
Although the cast was leaked long before the announcement, people still got excited anyway.
In fact, this might be one of the most B-listed group of celebs the notoriously D-listed show has seen, with names like former movie star turned weird, separated from his wife guy David Arquette and The Hills bitch Kristin Cavallari. They even went so far as to get George Clooney!! Oh, ahem, make that George Clooney's ex, Elisabetta Canalis. They also got Kim Kardashian!! Oh wait, nevermind. Kim Kardashian's brother, Rob Kardashian.
Oh and remember that really popular show (like 8 years ago) Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? They've managed to scoop Carson Kressley!
Other notables include Chaz Bono, the daughter turned son of Sonny and Cher, former talk show queen Ricki Lake, everyone's favorite women's soccer player Hope Solo? and one of the singers of your favorite band, Wilson Phillips, Chynna Phillips.
Soap star J.R. Martinez will also be on the show, as well as NBA player Ron Artest.
Pairings won't be officially announced until Wednesday's edition of Good Morning America, but it's never too early to start predicting who's got the goods to take home the Mirror Ball trophy and so Bodog's oddsmakers are currently hard at work compiling a list.
Think you know who will win? Bet on the latest entertainment props in the Bodog Sportsbook today.
Bwin Party has been suggesting that it will try to negotiate deals with partners in the USA pending the possibility that regulated online gambling will be available there sometime in the future. The company is obviously in the game for the long haul looking at the stalemate situation regarding the laws on internet wagering in America.
Co-Chief Executive Jim Ryan commented on the company plans recently, "We are in contract negotiations with a partner from New Jersey," adding that the group is in discussions with companies that have a country-wide reach and is also negotiating partnerships with companies that operate in states that are most likely to open up online gambling in the near future.
It has been said that the firm should be concentrating on orders of business that are more pressing and immediate. Bwin.party has just released its latest financial figures revealing a 3% drop in revenue to €398 million (£352.2 million) for the first half of 2011 to June 30th.
With the recent merger the new operator became the world’s biggest online gambling firm, valued at over $2.1 billion with a full range of gambling products such as bwin, PartyPoker, PartyCasino and Foxy Bingo. The lack of enthusiasm after the huge merger resulting in the slumping financial results was blamed on the pulling out of the French market and closing of it’s online casinos there and the increased competition in the internet poker market.
Jim Ryan and Norbert Teufelberger, who are co-chief executives for Bwin Party Gaming commented on the first half financial picture, “The results for the first half reflect our transition to becoming a global leader in all four product verticals with strong market positions in all key regulated markets. The expansion of online gaming in newly regulating markets has delivered promising levels of revenue growth, albeit with additional costs in the form of gaming taxes and compliance costs.”
Las Vegas has always been a city where just about anything goes and this week it was proven by city officials who seem to be upset by the fact that the U.S. is out of the running to host the 2020 Olympics and in their efforts to remain included, they seemed to take matters into their own hands, Vegas style.
We’re not really sure it it’s Las Vegas that’s looking to host the 2020 Olympics or if they just want the U.S. to remain in the running but either way, their methods of pushing their bid forward were definitely ambitious. According to the Associated Press, there was a letter sent directly to International and U.S. Olympic committees from Las Vegas leaders claiming the following:
“This is intended to serve as the Vegas 2020 Bid Committee’s Application Letter to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.”
Normally such a bid has to be backed by the Olympic Committee which in this case seemed to be left out of the process. It turns out that Vegas’ efforts for inclusion to the 2020 Olympic bid were turned down but you've got to give these guys some credit. Were they looking to become Olympic hosts? We don’t really know this but imagine all the crazy distractions the city would offer to Olympic athletes, talk about temptation.
The U.S. may be out of the running for the 2020 Olympics but that doesn't mean that you can't experience all the fun and excitement of the games with Bodog's Casino's own Olympic Slots. Check it out!
Join us for more and more daily casino action here at Bodog Casino. Find over 70 online casino games that pay out day after day. Make a name for yourself at Bodog Casino today.
David Hasselhoff is desperately trying to stay relevant. After he was fired from America's Got Talent, was the first voted off from Dancing with the Stars last season and his short-lived reality show was canceled, he has now suffered another career blow – being axed from the judging panel of Britain's Got Talent.
Britain's Got Talent suffered a dramatic drop in ratings and producers are pinning that drop on the Hoff because, they say, he "lacked sparkle" with the other judges, Michael McIntyre and Amanda Holden.
Making for a really awkward show, was also the fact that the Hoff couldn't understand many of the thick British accents of the contestants.
An insider added, "David was a great booking at the time. We thought he'd bring loads of laughs and warmth but it didn't work out. He was fun but had no connection with the acts. The panel lacked sparkle and it was reflected in the acts that went through."
Moreover, it looks like Hasselhoff's firing might be the start of more to come. An insider said, "ITV want a new panel as it didn't work this year. Most acts were below par and the chemistry just wasn't there."
The European Union is doing everything it can to come to a solution to the online gambling issues facing member nations. In order to find a consistent online gambling template for all countries within the Union the European Commission has called on stake holders to input their requirements and add as much information as possible to the process of creating that regulatory framework.
This process has been difficult to bring to a conclusion with so many variations in local customs and laws that have strong monopolies built into them. Nations are quick to point out that they depend on revenues from localized gambling venues and sharing those revenues with other online gambling operators does not sit well with them. Rules regarding free e commerce among nations set out by the European Commission are not being applied across the board leading to a patchwork of regulations that doesn’t work.
New director Michel Barnier, of the European Commission, made the decision to publish a Green Paper covering all aspects of online gambling in Europe. At the beginning the European Gaming and Betting Association, a collection of Europe's top online gambling operators has been active in the process and has now submitted a 105 page document to the European Commission in response to the call for information.
Secretary General of EGBA, Sigrid Ligne, has responded in a policy statement by the group saying, "Unnecessarily high regulatory costs act as a barrier to an attractive legal offer that can channel the consumer away from the black market and to the regulated operators." The issues are clearly not being resolved in a timely manner as Ligne criticizes the EC for failing to act in accordance with the EU Treaties.
The European Gaming and Betting Association, proposes the development of a European regulatory authority to oversee enforcement of regulations once they have been established and to coordinate cooperation among nations to engage in meaningful dialogue to achieve a universally accepted regulatory framework.
The day of the veto, Lesniak told PokerNews that he would not reintroduce the bill unless he reached an agreement with Christie that would guarantee the bill would not be vetoed again. No such compromise has been reached.
Lesniak said Wednesday that he is introducing the bill anyway because the horse-racing industry in New Jersey may die in the next couple of years without the revenue it could get subsidized from online gambling. The timing of the reintroduction coincides with the announcement last week that Perretti Farms, the largest breeder of standardbred horses in the Garden State, will be closing down. Horse farms are a large part of the economy in central New Jersey.
"Nothing has changed in terms of (Christie's) opinion as of yet," Lesniak told PokerNews in a phone interview. "I'm hoping that the governor will realize what is happening to the (horse-racing) industry by him not supporting any subsidies online gaming can provide. I'm hoping the governor will reassess his position, and that Republican representatives from that area will help him change his mind. I think the opportunity is here to get together and change his view."
Lesniak said the bill, S-3019, will largely be what he previously put on Christie's desk. The biggest change, in an effort to address one of the concerns Christie mentioned in his veto, will be language to prevent Internet gambling cafes from popping up across the state. Lesniak said he didn't think that was a realistic expectation, given that people could play online from their homes if the bill went through, but that it was an easy fix to make. Lesniak's bill includes casino games in addition to poker.
It seems unlikely that the modifications will be enough to change Christie's mind on the bill, but perhaps pressure from Republican representatives in central New Jersey with concerns about the future of the state's horse-racing industry can make an impact.
"It's not going to be a long road, but we're just not sure where it leads," Lesniak said. "We'll put the bill back on his desk before the end of the year, and hopefully by that time we'll have changed his mind."
Lesniak is also irked by indications that potential federal legislation, if it comes from House Majority Leader Harry Reid, would favor Reid's home state of Nevada. Last month, Lesniak wrote a letter to Att. General Eric Holder contesting a letter written to Holder by Reid and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) asking that he reiterate the Justice Department's stance that intrastate online gaming is illegal under federal law.
Out of all the intrastate bills introduced by states in the country, New Jersey's bill was the only one that seemed like it would create a system beneficial to poker players. After Black Friday, there are undoubtedly more people in New Jersey who would value a safe and secure platform on which to play online poker.
"There's a big concern that New Jersey would be left behind in federal legislation," Lesniak said. "If New Jersey starts operations first, it would be very difficult for them to exclude us or diminish our role."