Let your mouth speak archive

Online gambling firm Betfair has admitted it did not inform its customers that the details of millions of credit cards were stolen in a major cyber attack 18 months ago.

More than 3.1 million account names with encrypted security questions, 2.9 million usernames, and nearly 90,000 account usernames with bank account details were stolen in an attack in March last year.

Betfair said it did not inform its registered customers of the attack as its security measures made the data unusable for fraudulent activity and it was able to recover the data intact.

A report commissioned into the theft, seen by the Daily Telegraph, was published on September 27 last year - six days after Betfair announced its intention to float on the London Stock Exchange.

Details of the attack come after Japanese computer games giant Sony revealed it had suffered two massive attacks on its PlayStation network, in which the data of around 100 million users were stolen.

A Betfair spokesman said it decided not to disclose the attack, which it reported to the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency, as it determined it was not going to impact customers.

A review of security has been concluded since the attack, he added, and Betfair's systems have been strengthened so they now conform with best practice guidelines on the protection of customer details.

He said: "We have subsequently implemented all of the recommendations from the independent reports we commissioned and have done everything we can to minimise the risk of this happening again."

Betfair confirmed it did not discover the cyber attack, believed to be from criminals based in Cambodia, until two months after it happened when a server at its Malta data centre crashed. In total, nine servers in the UK and two in Malta were affected. As well as Soca, the group said it had also contacted the Australian Federal Police and German authorities over the attack.

Betfair's share price has fallen 41% since it listed at 1300p last October as revenue growth has been lower than expected, while it has also suffered a string of management departures, regulatory problems and a poor performance from its start-up LMax financial exchange.

There have been a few dramatic transformations lately including Kirstie Ally’s recent 100-pound weight loss after appearing on Season 12 of Dancing With the Stars but most recently it’s been Snooki from the Jersey Shore that has shed some serious poundage and it’s all due to cutting down to only one keg stand per night or something like that.

Actually, the actress revealed her secrets and told the Daily Mail that she owes her 15 lb. weight loss to her new workout plan, eating right, switching from margaritas and Long Island iced teas to vodka as well as the use of fat burners which gives her more energy for her workouts.

She admitted that she’s been working out for months and if she could give up drinking, then she would, but what would a sober Snooki do for ratings? Wouldn’t a sober Snooki change the dynamic of the show? There would be no bar brawls, just an O’douls downing Jersey girl, with an attitude. Just don’t know….

On Twitter, she addressed the shout outs from fans that have complimented her appearance and credited her weight loss to some pills called Zantrex-3, “Glad to hear that say that I look good but it’s not because of HGC! Thanks @ Zantrex!

Well, since it’s really the Jersey gang’s job to party and socialize, it may be tough for her to make a conscious effort to give up to juice but we’ll see.

I have one word in response to Rep. Lou Lang's editorial, (Perspective, Sept.25) urging Governor Quinn to sign the gambling bill: delusion. Lang claims a Chicago casino will generate 7,000 to 10,000 jobs at the facility, but provides no figures for other proposed sites contained in the bill. This is a very clever omission as new casinos only cannibalize business from existing casinos.

While the new Rivers Casino in Des Plaines is off to a fast start, business is considerably down at rival casinos in the state. It is absurd to think that new casinos create new gamblers. Casinos are a losing proposition, and wages are being slashed elsewhere to remain in existence. Last year, Atlantic City casinos saw revenue decline to $3.6 billion from a high of $5.1 billion in 2006. The new owners of the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City bought the money-losing casino in a foreclosure sale late last year, and slashed wages an average of 40 percent. Union leaders understand the reality and agreed to the concessions. Last year, there were 340,564 jobs at commercial casinos in the U.S., which is 30,000 fewer than 2006.

Lang accurately outlines the malaise our state is experiencing, such as high unemployment and a $3.8 billion backlog in unpaid bills. What he fails to mention is that these are self-inflicted wounds resulting from a lack of leadership from the governor and majority-party legislature. Do we really want to believe these same politicians, who are now touting increased gambling as the solution to Illinois' budget woes?

What is very peculiar about Lang's editorial is that nearly 75 percent of it is devoted to addressing fears regarding organized crime influence. This straw man argument is intended to distract from the main issue; new casinos don't make business sense. Even if one were to give Lang the benefit of the doubt (I don't) that existing Illinois Gaming Board oversight has adequate controls to prevent the influence of organized crime, this massive gambling expansion is still flawed. Governor: Veto the bill.

KPMG Isle of Man will hold a second online gaming summit in the Island next month.



The aim is to bringing the sector's major players and service providers together to discuss the Island’s potential in the global marketplace.



The event will take place on Tuesday, November 22 at the Mount Murray Hotel, Santon.



Key stakeholders and decision makers will attend, by invitation, to consider and debate how to ensure the Isle of Man remains 'a safe place to play'.



It follows the success of the first summit last year.



The morning programme will look back at the past year and consider issues impacting the sector as a whole, with specific emphasis on businesses licensed in and operating from the Isle of Man.



This will include an update from the Isle of Man Government's Gambling Supervision Commission and Department of Economic Development and the morning session will close with a panel session to consider the changing environment and key issues arising.



Following lunch a lively group of speakers will look to the future, considering how the responsibilities and preoccupations of gaming executives have evolved and where their focus will be as the industry continues to mature.



There will be an opportunity to discuss specific concerns with the panel of local and off-Island speakers towards the end of the day.



Russell Kelly, director responsible for e-gaming services at KPMG Isle of Man, said: "The e-gaming sector continues to expand globally and is a major contributor to the Manx economy.



"It is crucially important that the Island continues to make itself an attractive jurisdiction for the licensing and operation of online gaming companies, maintaining its demonstrated position at the forefront of the industry in this regard.



"This involves input from the government, key industry players and service providers and our summit will once again bring those key players together to discuss key events of the last 12 months and the needs of the industry as it grows and develops."



Archie Watt, KPMG's e-gaming specialist, said: "The e-gaming world has changed significantly since our last summit.



"The actions of the US Department of Justice on Black Friday reminded everyone that the US still disapproves of online gaming.



"Black Friday has also shocked to the core the perceptions of online poker players – not all regulated jurisdictions are the same.



"Players with deposits on the Absolute Poker and Full Tilt Poker sites are still awaiting their withdrawals over five months later, while those who had balances with PokerStars had their withdrawal request honoured almost immediately.



"This reflects well on the management of PokerStars but also demonstrates that player protection is at the forefront of everything the regulator does here on the Island."

After getting some praise from judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who exclaimed that his jive with Cheryl Burke revealed that he was a better dancer than his sister, Kim Kardashian, Rob has turned over a new leaf.

For a guy who seemed to have a lacksidaiscal approach to dancing – often showing his partner Burke a bit of an attitude and refusing to practice for longer than two-hour stints, it seems Rob is determined to reinvent himself.

The 24-year-old Rob Kardashian is now spending time in the gym every day while taking his practice schedule very seriously. TMZ reports that he even brings Burke treats and buys her lunch. Apparently, he now thinks he can win the whole show.

Rob was almost eliminated from competition for his first lacklustre dance.

I agree this feller when were cutting social programs and services trying to reign in the budget why not legalize online gaming and tax the companies and winners neither of which will complain about the taxes !

Michael A. Brown, the independent councilor who drove the online gambling bill as part of a supplementary budget bill, continues to defend his position. He has written a letter to fellow councilors stating that the opposition, though apparently vociferous, does not have the numbers. He reiterates that the law is a win-win way to generate revenue for the District while regulating a very popular pastime that in any event goes on illegally on offshore websites.

If ur against it dont gamble online, it still will leave less taxes for you to supply ! WIN _ WIN
:thumbsupDoc_King:dirol

New online gamblers are always weary of registering an account and putting their personal details in the registration form as well as depositing their own money into a virtual casino. However there are thousands of trusted online casinos that have millions of online gamblers, so if the industry was not trusted we are positive the business would not be so popular and making billions of dollars as well as making some lucky gamblers millionaires! You need to be smart in all aspects of life when trying something new that comes with risk, just like investing in the stock market, it is a risky business, but if you have a reputable stockbroker, you are pretty much guaranteed a safe investment adventure. The same goes for online gambling. If you search and find a good quality website that supports online gambling and advertises for “trusted, safe and secure” online casinos, you are off to a good start.

Some of the most important things to look for when searching for your first of many online casino choices include:

Ÿ Customer support - Phone numbers listed on casino website, Email address, which you can use to contact customer service, Seals of approval like those from accredited webmasters, and gaming commissions and Ecogra.

Ÿ Terms & Conditions - Also make sue to read the terms and conditions for any ‘bonuses’ or ‘free chips’ that an online casino offers. All bonuses and free chips come with terms and conditions but there is a huge difference between satisfactory and outright thieves. Wager requirements are the term used at online casinos when offering bonuses and free chips. This means you need to wager the free money a certain number of times before being able to cash out any winnings. A respectable wager requirement from a recommended online casino can range anywhere’s from 10 times the bonus to 30 times the bonus. If you find an online casino offering a huge bonus or free cash but the wager requirements are 50 or higher, look for another casino. Having a wager requirement that high makes it almost impossible to win anything.

Ÿ Before making a deposit at any new online casino make sure to ‘call’ their customer support center to make sure, it’s a real phone number and there are real customer service representatives answering the phone. Make sure they are knowledgeable of their banking methods, bonuses and any other important questions you may have before depositing your hard-earned money in their casino. If a customer service rep has no idea how to answer your questions, or management is not available to help, I would stay away from this casino. There are literally thousands of casinos to choose from, there is no need to settle for a casino that seems ‘iffy’.

Ÿ Websites devoted to online gambling - There is a world of information at your fingertips to read before starting your online gambling adventure if your have any concerns or worries. Webmasters should be considered your guiding light to the best and safest online casinos, poker rooms and bingo halls. Just do a ‘Google” search for ‘online casino websites’ and look them over and find one that has a great reputation and is highly recommended. There are also plenty of online “gambling forums’ that are specifically for online gambler. These are communities of other online players who can guide and recommend the best online gaming sites on the internet. They can share their experiences with you and help you make the smartest and safest decisions.

French institute finds that only 1.3 percent of the country's gamers have problem keeping gaming in check

A French study says that while there is a quite small percentage of problem gamers in the country, most gamblers play without trouble. The study conducted by the French Institut National de Prévention et D'éducation pour la Santé (the National Institute of prevention and health education) and the Observatoire Français des Drogues et des Toxicomanies (the Observatory of Drugs and Drug Addiction) has found that only 1.3 percent of the nation’s players show problems with gaming. The study also reveals that gambling addiction is linked to other addictions and unhealthy habits, such as alcohol, smoking and drug abuse.

For the small percentage for whom gambling is a problem, the average amount spent on gambling is € 1,500 a year. However, for most players who partake of the various gaming options, most exhibit no issues with addictive behaviours, instead enjoying some time online at an Internet casino or gaming elsewhere as simple, clean, fun entertainment.

For most people, gaming is a fun, exciting way to pass the time. Gambling, whether it is online poker or bingo, or buying scratch cards on high street, is a form of entertainment. Like 98.7 percent of the French population of gamers, responsible players play for fun, not because they're addicted or obsessed with gaming.

In order to play responsibly, experts stress players should make sure to always gamble money they can afford to lose. You should play with money you've set aside for fun and entertainment, the same way you might see a movie or eat in a restaurant, experts advise.

Also, it's important to balance gaming with other hobbies. Make time for other activities, like spending time with friends, listening to music, gardening, or doing anything else you enjoy.

Just after 10 months of dating, actress Elizabeth Hurley and Australian Cricket star Shane Warne are officially engaged after Warne proposed to Hurley in a crowded restaurant while sharing a romantic dinner in the Road Hole Restaurant in the UK yesterday.

Apparently the famous couple wasn’t exactly considered a match made in heaven at the beginning since they lead such different lifestyles, with Warne having a rep for being a bit of a hellraiser but according to several different accounts, he’s one of those guys that has left those days behind and has now “found balance” as his Twitter profile reads.

According to the Daily Mail, the engagement took place while the couple attended Alfred Dunhill Links Golf Championship where while sharing dinner, Warne asked Hurley to marry him in front of a restaurant full of people – talk about confidence. Luckily for Warne, she accepted, and the couple was greeted with cheers after the announcement was made throughout.

As for Hurley, she is now sporting a blinging sapphire and diamond engagement ring which according to The Mirror, could well be worth a cool £50,000. It’s too soon to tell when the actual wedding date will be but what a great start to the weekend for Hurley and Wayne.

While many Americans wonder whether Internet gambling should be legalized, gaming industry leaders are looking a few steps ahead and considering some of the specifics of taking wagers online in a regulated environment.

One thing is clear: Industry representatives know they have to educate lawmakers and the public about Internet gambling, especially in the wake of recent industry scandals, in order to win approval and gain players’ trust.

How online gaming — particularly Internet poker — should be regulated, how it would be taxed and how the industry would prevent the wrong people from playing were discussed today in a panel on online gaming’s legal landscape on the opening day of the four-day Global Gaming Expo at the Sands Expo Center.

G2E’s trade-show floor, featuring gaming floor innovations and new slot machines, opens Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting by actor Dan Aykroyd, whose image is used in IGT’s new “Ghostbusters” slot machines .

About 25,000 people are expected to attend the nation’s largest gaming industry event and hear keynote speakers Penn Jillette, the vocal half of Las Vegas entertainers Penn and Teller, and Jim Murren, CEO of MGM Resorts International.

G2E is open only to industry professionals, and more than 100 panels on various gaming topics are scheduled.

In the online gaming discussion, panelists said the industry expects to get an assist from Fair Play USA, a newly organized coalition of law enforcement officials, consumer protection experts, poker players, casino companies and others concerned about Internet gambling.

Industry officials are hoping the organization can deliver the same awareness of industry technology and specifications that the Poker Players Alliance accomplished with its explanation of online poker market demand.

Panelist Jan Jones, senior vice president of communications and government relations for Caesars Entertainment, said her company is optimistic that federal legislation would be approved as long as the industry explains the safeguards that can be imposed for online games. Caesars has been a longtime supporter of the legalization of online poker to exploit its World Series of Poker brand and attract millions of customers who congregate online.

Reps. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., John Campbell, R-Calif., and Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have introduced Internet gambling and related taxation legislation, but it’s unclear when those bills would be debated.

“The worse thing they (legislators) can do is not do anything,” Jones said when explaining some of the various policies that are being debated in an online environment.

Assurances that underage players or people living in states where play is illegal can’t access games are key to legalization, she said. She said she has seen demonstrations of technology that puts prospective players through a series of checks to verify identity before they can play.

Panelist Dan Walsh, senior director of governmental affairs for the Greenburg Traurig law firm, said players could be asked about their mortgage payments and records could be cross-checked to verify the age of a prospective player based on bank records.

Walsh agreed there could be several “false negatives” in the application process, but that would assure someone under the legal age wouldn’t be able to play.

Panelists said industry leaders also are considering:

• How online poker companies should be taxed. Differing legislative proposals have versions suggesting that a tax be imposed on the company when money is deposited to a player account, while others suggest imposing it after a withdrawal. Industry officials say taxing on deposits could stick companies with paying a tax even if a player changes his or her mind and decides to withdraw without playing.

• What percentage companies should be taxed. Industry officials worry that the government’s insatiable appetite for revenue could lead to a growing tax level over time.

• Whether recent online poker scandals would change the habits of players. Some believe recent problems for players accessing their accounts could result in more players making a deposit, playing and then withdrawing all funds instead of keeping funds in the account, which could create some accounting nightmares.

• Whether state or federal government regulators should have jurisdiction over online poker. Some believe one federal agency should oversee the industry, while others believe states that have experience in gaming regulation should do it.

• Whether Internet gambling should be an “opt-in” or “opt-out” decision for states. The industry would prefer the federal government pass legislation that would enable Internet gambling nationwide, but allow states to make decisions on prohibiting their own residents from playing. “It would be a huge compromise on our part to have opt-in because in many states, that’s a difficult process,” Jones said.

Potential online gambling operators in Denmark have been given less than four weeks for the submission of license applications, to operate online casinos or other gambling websites. License applications approved will be valid from the 1st January 2012, which means they need to get their acts together to fall in line with new gambling legislation. This is another European country that has recently received approval from the European Commission.

New gambling legislation in Denmark falls under the Danish Gambling Authority, and if you can pronounce this, be our guest – we are not even going to try – ‘Spillemyndigheden’. The go-ahead was given after coming to the conclusion that the proposal for lower taxes for online operators compared to traditional live casinos, fell in-line with European state aid rules.

Online betting and gambling providers will be lining up to get their license applications in, as they have been watching the Danish market with envious eyes. French online betting solution – France-Pari – has merged their white label sports betting/horse racing offering together with the SportnCo brand, and it is definitely looking to push its B2B activities across regulated European markets. What’s to bet they also have their eyes on Denmark?

France-Pari already has successful partnerships with JOA, ITECHSOFT GAME and Partouche, and, said that the new SportnCo deal will make the perfect offering for new operators in soon-to-be regulated markets. Denmark is one, and Germany, Belgium and Greece are expected to open up next.

Together with SportnCo, France-Pari is launching two new platforms by the end of the month. These include a betting and horse racing specific betting platform for JOAonline – they are the interactive division of the 3rd largest casino group in France. France-Pari believes this is a highly strategic move for their B2B activities. France-Pari also received a five year horse race betting license from ARJEL – the French regulator – just last week.

The Government’s plan to adopt mandatory pre-commitment systems for high intensity poker machines have attracted strong opposition from Andrew Demetriou, the Chief Executive of Australian Football League.

The government aims to limit poker machines losses by problem gamblers, as part of its agreement with key crossbench MP Andrew Wilkie to secure minority government.

Demetriou said the league estimated AFL club revenue from poker machines would fall by 20 to 40 percent if mandatory pre-commitment was introduced. On the other hand, Senator Nick Xenophon, who is leading Wilkie’s legal team on a pro-bono basis, attacked Demetriou and Wilkie stating that he will withdraw his support for the Gillard government, threatening its survival, if the poker legislation is not passed.

Under the new plan poker machines will be reprogrammed to cap losses at $120 an hour rather than $1200 an hour, while “lower intensity” machines will not require any form of pre-commitment. “Eighty-eight per cent of Australians who play the poker machines won’t be affected in any way,” he said.

Wilkie found opponents such as the AFL and its chief, that always ignored the fact poker machines offering bets of $1 or less would require no pre-commitment. Thus the AFL wanted to help raise awareness around problem gambling and actually tackle that issue, not by putting sports clubs in jeopardy.

Chief executive of Afl wants to prevent Wilkie from imposing the new measure, but Wilkie is supported by Senator Xenophon, who stated that Andrew Wilkie is fearless.

The man who vowed he would never marry has gotten married. After 28 years and two children with former model Shannon Tweed, 54, Gene Simmons, 62, has finally recanted on his promise and tied the knot at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

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A whopping 400 guests witnessed the vows, including, Hugh Hefner, whose former fiancé Crystal Harris is peddling her engagement ring at Christie’s. Other celebrity attendees included Bill Maher and the members of KISS including Paul Stanley, who was in the wedding party.

The couple’s 19-year-old daughter, Sophie, served as the maid of honor. Their son, 22-year-old son Nick also attended the bash.

TMZ reports that Tweed donned over $2.5 million in diamonds, not including her engagement ring. She also wore three different dresses throughout the event, with the actual ceremony dress being an ivory-colored gown designed by Priscilla of Boston.

Gene and and Shannon got engaged this summer when he proposed in Belize, which happened to coincide with the season finale of the intolerable faux reality TV show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels."

The world's largest online gambling operators asked the European Union on Tuesday to investigate a new Greek gaming law, saying it violates the bloc's free market rules to the benefit of the country's sports betting monopoly OPAP.

Cash-strapped Greece last month passed a bill setting rules for online betting operators in a bid to capture a bigger share of the country's 19 billion euro gambling market, much of which currently operates outside the law.

But the legislation also awards OPAP an exclusive license to operate a new breed of gaming machines, called "video-lottery terminals" (VLT), as part of the debt-laden country's plan to raise 4 billion euros from asset sales this year.

RGA, an association of online gambling firms, complained to the European Commission that the law's tax provisions favored OPAP, making it harder for online operators to obtain licenses in Greece.

Under the new law, OPAP's off-line gambling operations are exempted from a 30 percent gross profit tax imposed on online operators, according to the RGA whose members include the UK's Ladbrokes and William Hill.

"We are fully aware of the fiscal pressures on the Greek authorities at present, but they do not justify the imposition of anti-competitive tax provision which benefit the existing monopoly gambling provider," RGA Chief Executive Clive Hawkswood said in a statement.

Greece's stated purpose with the gaming law was also to boost OPAP's market value, currently at about 2.3 billion euros, to maximize the proceeds from the planned sale of a stake of up to 34 percent stake to private investors later this year.

"We urge the European Commission to investigate the new legislation for being in breach of state aid rules," Hawkswood said.

Betfair had also filed a complaint to the EU in June, saying that a blanket ban the country imposed on betting exchanges violated competition rules.

D.C.'s push to become the first jurisdiction to have state-sponsored, online gambling has been delayed, in part because of the lack of public input. Language authorizing the program was slipped into the budget last December without a public hearing.

Officials with DC Lottery, which would implememt the new gaming sites that would benefit the city, now say they will hold community meetings in each of the city’s eight wards over the next two months to address concerns over online gaming.

Some residents have voiced concerns about the lack of transparency and input and two D.C. Council members are now calling for the law to be repealed. In response to the criticism, lottery officials promised to hold community meetings before rolling out the program. The first one is scheduled for Oct. 13 in Ward 5.

Council member Jack Evans, who chairs the Council committee with oversight over the online gaming program, says he will hold a hearing once all of the community meetings finished.

As to what happens next, Evans says the "jury is out."

We know actor and comedian Russell Brand had some immigration issues back in May after Japanese immigration officials denied him entry for something done during his wild party days but was he also turned down by Canadian officials as well? That’s exactly what many of us thought after he published a series of Tweets where he announced that he would be late for a performance at Casino Rama in Ontario due to immigration issues and urged Canada to, “Let me in,” but what really happened?

Among the first few Tweets , included, “Tonight’s Casino Rama show postponed. I’m sorry. I can’t enter Canada. We must abolish the borders between our nations AND our minds.” There was a second Tweet urging the North American country to “Let me In! I must perform at Casino Rama, Orillia tonight at 9 for 5000 Canadians!”

So needless to say that many were wondering why they wouldn’t let the guy in and as it turned out, the guy was completely joking and he never actually left California due to his plane experiencing some mechanical problems, claims, Toronto CTV.

He was totally joking and managed to make some serious headlines in the process leaving anxious fans waiting for his arrival but apparently, it wasn’t really his fault.

What a prankster this guy, and one has to wonder if officials in Canada will perform a little prank of their own once he returns.

Apple Inc co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, counted among the greatest American CEOs of his generation, died on Wednesday at the age of 56, after a years-long and highly public battle with cancer and other health issues.

Jobs' death was announced by Apple in a statement late on Wednesday.

The Silicon Valley icon who gave the world the iPod and the iPhone resigned as CEO of the world's largest technology corporation in August, handing the reins to current chief executive Tim Cook.

Jobs, who fought a rare form of pancreatic cancer, was deemed the heart and soul of a company that rivals Exxon Mobil as the most valuable in America.

(The biggest impact Jobs had was his iPod device that essentially changed the music distribution market from CD-driven to digital download, and touch-screen devices that made phones more accessible and user friendly. His devices have even made a significant dent in the gaming industry. Companies like Nintendo that dominated the hand-held gaming market are currently struggling to keep up with the interactivity and versatility that “apps” from the iPhone and iPad provide.)

Regardless of whether the Iowa Legislature authorizes Internet poker in the 2012 session, some Iowans are wagering and will continue to wager on online poker games, according to a new report.

About 5 percent of adults reported having gambled on the Internet and 2 percent have done so within the past 12 months, said researchers at the Center for Social and Behavioral Research at the University of Northern Iowa. Among youth, some 4 percent of sixth-, eighth- and 11th- graders said they have “bet or gambled for money or possessions” on the Internet over the past year.

Given the ease, convenience and constant availability of online gambling opportunities, researchers said legal Internet gambling could increase the risk of problem gambling. However, they concluded it is impossible to say what social and public health impacts could be exclusively attributable to Internet poker.

The UNI report, presented last week to the Iowa Department of Public Health, was requested earlier this year by lawmakers. A bill to legalize Internet poker will likely be debated during the legislative session that convenes in January. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is working on a separate report due Dec. 1 on regulating Internet poker.

State Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Cedar Falls, chairman of the Iowa Senate State Government Committee, said Tuesday he believes lawmakers have no choice but to seriously consider legalizing Internet poker.

“I believe the technology has gotten ahead of our laws, and if you want to avoid the downsides of some of the economic and social aspects, then you need a thoughtful approach,” Danielson said. “Right now there are billions of dollars leaking out of the U.S. economy and Iowa’s economy to far-away places where we have no idea what the money is being used for.”

Gambling industry officials say that millions of Americans already gamble online by establishing accounts with offshore Internet casino sites that are untaxed and unregulated by the federal government.

In 2006, Congress approved the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which makes it illegal for banks, credit card companies and similar institutions to collect on a debt from an online gambling site. Since then, Congress has considered proposals to establish a federal regulatory and enforcement framework for Internet gambling, but none has been approved. That’s prompted some cash-strapped states to look at offering online gambling within their states.

The idea of Internet poker hasn’t been popular among the general public in Iowa. A Des Moines Register Iowa Poll in January showed that 73 percent of Iowans were opposed to online gambling. Only 23 percent were in favor, and 4 percent were not sure.

Jack Ketterer, administrator of the Racing and Gaming Commission, said in an interview Tuesday that the commission won’t make a recommendation on legalizing intrastate Internet poker. He said some of the issues regulators would face include how to prevent underage players from gambling and to restrict anyone living outside of Iowa from playing. The commission would also want to be sure that problem gamblers banned from state-regulated casinos couldn’t gamble on the Internet, he said.

“I see our role as trying to bring the Legislature up to speed,” on potential regulatory questions and concerns, Ketterer added.

Tom Coates of Norwalk, a gambling industry critic, is opposed to legalizing Internet poker, saying Iowa is already known as a gambling mecca, with 21 casinos. Adding more gambling on the Internet would “set a further bad example for rest of the country” and harm Iowa’s image, he said. In addition, he believes that legalizing Internet poker would introduce more young people to online gambling.

MGM Resorts International is moving into social gaming in an effort to attract more gamblers to its casinos, said MGM Chief Executive Jim Murren at casino industry conference here Wednesday.

The company expects to soon announce a new social media game, he said, that would be along the lines of Zynga Inc.'s popular online game FarmVille. It would allow players to pretend to be casino moguls, he said.

The game-playing industry and gambling industries, he said, "are on a collision course."

Mr. Murren was speaking at the keynote address Wednesday at a conference called the Global Gaming Expo.

Mr. Murren didn't provide more details about the plans. Among hospitality companies, Marriott International Inc. has created an online game that allows players to manage a virtual hotel restaurant. Marriott's game is designed to be an employee recruiting tool rather than for acquiring customers.

Mr. Murren indicated MGM's game would be for trying to grab new customers.

"The demographics of [online] gamers are really right in the strike zone of the gaming industry," Mr. Murren said, pointing to the connection between non-gambling gamers and gamblers.

MGM is also among several large casino companies pushing hard for Internet gambling to become legal in the U.S.

MGM generates most of its revenue from casinos on the Las Vegas Strip and also owns around half of a casino in the robust gambling enclave of Macau. The company's stock price has lost nearly half its value since July on concerns of the U.S. economy and, more recently, concerns about a slowdown in growth in China. The company is still shouldering a heavy load of debt.

Mr. Murren has consistently been among the most upbeat among gambling operators regarding the future of Las Vegas, even in depths of the recession of a couple years ago. He said he sees a wide gulf between what he thinks the company's stock price is and actual financial results and outlook.

"I turned my Bloomberg off about three weeks ago," Mr. Murren quipped.

After a deep downturn, both MGM and Las Vegas as a whole have shown signs of sustained but slow improvement in gambling revenue this year. Still, some observers are concerned by continued bad economic signs.

"We have exceeded our forecast and that of the street the last two quarters and had a nice third quarter as well," he said. "The market is valuing us about where we were three years ago in the teeth of recession and it just doesn't connect with me because we don't see anything inside our business that would suggest that that is accurate."

The company is optimistic about growth in Macau, he said, and has developed designs and plans for a new casino there. MGM and other casinos are awaiting government approval for their new projects.

His comments about Macau echoed those of Michael Leven, president of competitor Las Vegas Sands, who on Saturday said at a conference in Las Vegas that the company doesn't see negative signals there despite investor concerns.

MGM is also working on developing around 20 non-casino projects throughout China, Mr. Murren said.

The Irish government is expected to introduce taxation for online gambling while the Romanian government looks towards censorship.

Two European countries are expected to introduce legislation that will have a significant impact on the online gambling industries in those states.

While it has been expected that the Irish government would introduce taxation to online gambling for some time, it appears that this will become reality in early 2012. The country’s Minister of Justice, Alan Shatter recently announced plans to bring the industry into the tax framework. Shatter explained the government’s concern that the increase in online players includes a significant number of vulnerable individuals who are being exposed to unacceptable risks. This has led to speculation that the new tax regulation will include a levy earmarked to support the treatment of problem gamblers.

Shatter also emphasized the imperative for the treasury to take advantage of the growing online gambling industry. He commented, "The Exchequer is also being short-changed because of the absence of a taxation regime for online and other forms of remote gambling."

Meanwhile, Ireland’s premier gambling operator, Paddy Power responded with muted support. A spokesman said that the company has no issue with increased taxation, so long as it is applied equitably, commenting, "It's the policing of the legislation that is the most important thing. Irish and international players need to be taxed equally."

In Romania, authorities are considering introducing a regulatory body with the power to effectively blacklist websites that are suspected of providing unauthorized gambling activities. The body will have the power to inform the Ministry of Communication of such websites, which will in turn be able to request that Romanian Internet Service Providers take action within twelve hours. As yet, there is no obligation to inform targeted websites before action is taken.