Let your mouth speak archive

Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday made his first public appearance since returning from China and said he plans to detail proposed changes to a major gambling expansion later this month.

The governor remained tight-lipped about what exactly he wants from lawmakers, who approved the gambling bill at the end of May but won't send it to Quinn out of fear he'll veto it. Quinn said he plans to "lay out principles, I think, that will be good for the Legislature to listen to." Lawmakers return to Springfield at the end of the month for fall session. Sponsors have said they are willing to work on a compromise, but say that's difficult without specifics from Quinn.

As passed, the gambling bill would allow new casinos in Chicago, southern Cook County, Lake County, Rockford and Danville. It would also authorize slot machines at racetracks and nearly year-round horse racing and gambling at the state fairgrounds in Springfield. All told, the number of gambling positions in Illinois would jump from 12,000 to 39,000.

Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, has said that lawmakers can reduce the number of gambling positions without eliminating any of the five new casinos.

On Wednesday, Quinn said the number of gambling spots needs to be lowered, but he also expressed concerns that increasing the overall number of casinos would cause them to draw business away from one another. Cullerton, however, has argued the locations designated in the bill were picked to stop gamblers from crossing state lines to place bets, and not compete with other Illinois casinos.

Still, Quinn said other major changes must be made to the gambling bill, including shoring up oversight and ensuring enough money is set aside for education. Quinn contends the legislation would give major tax breaks to a Chicago casino when that money should instead be funneled into schools.

"The whole idea of this gambling, whether it's the lottery or casino gambling, is to help some good cause," Quinn said. "And the cause I think all of us believe in is education, and I don't feel the bill that I read through over the last several months properly invests in education in Illinois."

Aristocrat has announced the first customers for its new online gaming solution that allows land-based casinos in the U.S. to offer their players a play-for-fun online casino experience. The first casinos to launch the innovative new platform will be the soon to be opened Maryland Live! Casino in Arundel Mills, Maryland, and Island Resort & Casino in Harris, Michigan.

Aristocrat's nLive online gaming platform powers a fully-branded virtual casino on behalf of the land-based casino operator. Players can visit the virtual casino and access a full suite of online games for fun, including poker, table games and slots, including some of Aristocrat's most iconic titles.

Ahead of the potential legalization of internet gambling in the U.S., nLive offers land-based operators the opportunity to build their online brand and presence and extend their existing player relationships online. nLive offers casinos a unique channel for player promotions.

Casinos that use Aristocrat's Oasis 360(TM) casino management system can also implement nLiveLink to integrate players' online and land-based profiles, allowing players to log-on online and earn reward points in the virtual casino. The nLiveLink solution provides the casino with a comprehensive suite of advanced reports.

"Aristocrat has a long history of helping our operator customers to create a great gaming experience on their casino floor, and now we're helping them to extend that experience online," said Aristocrat Americas President Nick Khin.

Aristocrat's online gaming platform for the U.S. market has been developed through an exclusive relationship with GameAccount Network, a major platform provider in the regulated European internet gaming market. The Aristocrat solution utilizes GameAccount Network's core internet gaming system which is licensed in key European jurisdictions and has proven to be a robust and compliant solution for online casino operations.

Aristocrat's General Manager of Group Strategy and Online Gaming, Gillian Findlay, said that this solution was part of the broader online strategy for Aristocrat. Aristocrat is making a range of games available for play on European online casinos. "The nLive virtual casino will provide players with access to a continually expanding range of Aristocrat slot games as we deploy many of our most iconic and high performing titles online. nLive also offers multi-player poker, a key requirement for the U.S. market, as well as table games.

"We're very pleased to have signed up our foundation partners in Maryland Live! Casino and Island Resort & Casino. For Maryland Live! Casino, this will be a great opportunity to build its brand and presence ahead of its grand opening in June next year, and for Island Resort a way to expand its existing player base."

Aristocrat Online is a division of Aristocrat Leisure Limited (asx:ALL). ALL is a leading global provider of gaming solutions. The Company is licensed by more than 200 regulators and its products and services are available in over 90 countries around the world. For further information, visit www-aristocratonline-com

Apple founder Steve Jobs, who died Wednesday night of pancreatic cancer, has been rightly eulogized by such dignitaries as US President Barack Obama and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates as "a visionary" and as one of "the greatest of American innovators."

The mobile gaming industry should also pay tribute to Jobs as he has been the most influential person behind its rise, even if indirectly.

Jobs' impact on online gambling

The introduction of Apple's first iPhone in 2007 changed the face of the gaming industry, ushering in a new era in which users of online gambling services could access casino, poker and sportsbooks straight from their mobile devices. Although other smartphones existed before, the iPhone was the first to gain mass popularity.

In 2010 Jobs did it again, launching the first iPad tablet device. It only took a few months before leading casino and sports betting operator Betfair launched the first betting application designed especially for the first iPad. The launch of the improved iPad2 this year saw the proliferation of more betting apps.

Spirit of innovation will continue

There has been plenty of speculation over the direction Apple will head since Jobs handed the position of CEO to Tim Cook several months ago. Some say the next big thing will be a revamp of television devices.

Whatever happens, Jobs' legacy to Apple will be the spirit of innovation that has changed our world. And for that, we would like to join the rest of Steve Jobs' admirers in taking a moment to remember him and to appreciate what he did for our world.

There is considerable activity at the state level in the United States in establishing intra state online gambling regulatory mechanisms. Massachusetts is currently discussing its bill in the state Senate. The New Jersey legislators are making a second attempt after the governor vetoed a bill passed by the House and Senate earlier this year. The latest news comes from Washington D.C. and Iowa.

As per the guidelines of the Washington D.C. Council, D.C. Lottery was to hold public consultation meetings in each of the city's eight wards to enable the public voice their concerns and opinions on online gambling. These consultations were put on hold because of the summer holiday. Now D.C. Lottery has announced fresh dates for the consultations. These will be held from October 13 to November 17, 2011. Making the announcement, Buddy Roogow Executive Director of D.C. Lottery said that he looked forward to the community meetings and gathering inputs from the residents. He added, "Our goal is to educate residents, constituents, and stake holders alike on what Internet gaming is, what it isn't, and highlight the potential benefits this new gaming platform may have in the District of Columbia." The next hearing on the online gambling law will probably be called in early December by D.C. Council member Jack Evans, once the required public consultations have been completed and their outcome known. That hearing will determine whether Washington D.C. will implement the online gambling law or will repeal it.

In Iowa, the state Legislature had delayed debate on online gambling legalization to 2012. However, there is considerable activity taking place outside the Legislature. A new study conducted by the University of Northern Iowa has shown that a significant numbers of Iowans are currently gambling online at illegal offshore sites, and will continue to do so if the legalization of online gambling does not take place next year. The research was unable to determine the extent of potential social and public health impacts attributable to online gambling. The study, which was presented to state health officials late last week, was commissioned by Iowa lawmakers so that they had some basis for discussing the legalization of intra state online gambling during the legislative session that convenes in January 2012.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is working on a separate study for establishing a regulatory framework for intra state online poker. The results are to be submitted by December 1, 2011. Jack Ketterer, administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, said that the report would present facts and not make a recommendation to state lawmakers. He added, "I see our role as trying to bring the legislature up to speed on potential regulatory questions and concerns, which are changing on almost a daily basis because of rapid development of Internet policy issues."

Actor Tom Cruise doesn’t seem to be the type of person to turn down a challenge and especially not a challenge to show off his best dance moves in front of a wedding party. While attending Mission Impossible producer Dave Ellison’s wedding in Palm Springs, the actor seemed to have really let his hair down and as part of dance challenge where he broke it down for us on the dance floor while doing the worm.

So now we know Tom Cruise can bust-a-move but little did we know that it could be done quite like that. According to NineMSN, it was while the song, “Moves Like Jagger” was playing that Cruise proceeded to make his way to the dance floor while playing out some enviable break dancing moves as well as what seemed to be some type of leg splits.

Lucky for Cruise there just happened to be a guest who caught the action all on video and well, now he’s making headlines for what clearly seems to have been a hidden talent.

Was this an alcohol fueled “ Oh yeah, watch these moves” kind of moment? We don’t really know that for sure but it was awesome to see the guy in full party mode.

A non-legislative resolution by Creutzmann was passed by Internal Market Committee MEPs of the European Union on Thursday October 6 with 30 votes in favor, 1 against and 3 abstentions. It sets out the EU's initial position on the consultative European Commission Green Paper of March 2011.

Briefly the resolution states that EU member states should be free to maintain their own rules on online gambling, but at the same time should step up EU-wide cooperation to counter the unregulated black market and protect children and vulnerable consumers. A statement from the committee pointed out that about 10% of all gambling in Europe is done online, via mobile phones or interactive TV platforms. The estimated market volume is in excess of €10 billion.

Though there has not yet been any response from the online gambling operators or their representatives, this resolution will not do anything to bring cheer to the industry. The biggest drawback of the resolution is that it rejects the concept of a common EU law leading to a harmonized online gambling market in Europe, which is something that the online gambling operators have been pressing for all along. Instead, the resolution proposes that EU member states are free to control their own online gambling activities, and this would imply the continuance of state monopolies and even total ban on Internet gambling.

The only recognition that has been given to the cross-border nature of online gambling is in an EU-wide coordinated approach in areas of the fight against illegal gambling and preventing addiction. The resolution calls for more cooperation among the national regulatory bodies, with the EC acting as coordinator. The role of the EC would be to develop common standards for taking joint action against unlicensed online gambling providers and blacklisting offenders. The resolution suggests the involvement of the Internal Market Information System, which is an electronic network linking public authorities within the EU.

The most alarming part of the resolution from the point of view of the industry is the call to consider a legally binding instrument obliging financial services providers to the online gambling operators to block transactions between their clients and blacklisted gambling providers. This is the clause in the UIGEA in the United States that has been troubling the online gambling industry there. The resolution also ignores the present statistical evidence and wrongly concludes that online gambling may involve a greater risk of addiction due to increased ease of access and the absence of social control.

The Committee's report on online gambling is scheduled for a plenary vote in Strasbourg in November 2011. The online gambling industry is sure to press hard for the removal of the objectionable clauses. The question is will they succeed.

Just how far would you travel to see some of actor and former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most prized memorabilia? The actor traveled back to his home town in Thal, Austria to inaugurate a museum which is fully dedicated to the muscle man himself which includes some of his childhood workout gear, movie props and pictures of his pre-divorce family days.

While it seems like more of a museum you’d find in Vegas, the self-tribute welcomes visitors with a larger than life likeness of the actor’s Mr. Universe days where he flexes his beefy muscle bound body while wearing a Speedo. Yes, those are the days to remember….

According to CBS News, the actual museum opened in July but the bronzed statue of the actor wasn’t actually unveiled until today. The museum highlights the actor’s humble beginnings from his time in Austria, his multiple Mr. Olympia titles and all the events which led to the actor’s successful career in Hollywood.

These are all things that you definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on but whether you’d want to travel to Austria to check out Arnold’s museum is another story. “It is a symbol of will…everyone has a chance,” he told the Associated Press.

Out there somewhere is a child who will go to the Arnold Schwarzenegger museum and think to him or herself, “I too can be the Terminator some day.”

Two countries in Europe are looking to introduce legislation that will have a very important impact on the online betting shop industries there.

While for some time it was expected that the Irish government would be introducing taxation to online gambling, it appears that early in 2012 this will become a reality.

Alan Shatter, the country’s Minister of Justice, recently made an announcement of plans for the online betting shop industry to be taken into the tax framework. Shatter explained concerns by the government that the rise in online players includes an important amount of vulnerable individuals exposed to risks that are unacceptable.

This led to speculation that the new tax regulation will include a levy that was earmarked to support treating problem gamblers.

Shatter also stressed how important it is for the treasury to take advantage of the growing online betting shop 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.”

In the meantime, Paddy Power, Ireland’s premier betting shop, responded with muted support. A spokesman for the company said that they did not have a problem with a rise in taxes, as long as it is equitably applied, commenting, “It’s the policing of the legislation that is the most important thing. Irish and international players need to be taxed equally.”

Authorities in Romania are thinking about introducing a regulatory body that can blacklist websites that are suspected of providing unauthorized gambling activities.

The body will be able to inform the Ministry of Communication of such betting sites, which will in have the power to request that Romanian Internet Service Providers take action within twelve hours. There is currently no obligation to inform targeted betting sites before action is taken, and the members of the industry wonder what will happen in the country.

Developments on the situation in both countries will be very closely followed by betting shop services everywhere.

Florida is on the cusp of becoming the Disney World of gambling.

Uh, make that gaming -- sounds a little more Disney-like.

This is the vision of state Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, a Fort Lauderdale Republican and co-sponsor of a bill to allow three multi-billion-dollar "destination resort casinos" in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

"Basically, we could become the Disney of gaming," Bogdanoff said to the Naples Daily News. "Disney was built here and brings in tourists from around the world. Gaming can do the same thing."

Bogdanoff and other lawmakers who want to expand gambling have entered the Magic Kingdom. They're looking at a down economy and another lean state budget and imagining that there is a politically painless solution to these problems. And whenever public officials start looking for an easy way out of their budget dilemmas, the nation's massive and hugely profitable gambling industry is there with an answer.

We'll turn your state into one big Disney World of slots, poker tables and roulette wheels! Step right up and place your bets on the new tax -- make that gaming -- revenue machine!

It's a sucker's bet. Florida will never become the Disneyland of casinos. Even if "destination" casinos pop up all over the state, legislators will still struggle to balance the budget, the schools will still need more funding and Medicaid will continue to devour a large percentage of state revenues.

"Gaming" is pervasive in the United States. Various forms of it are legal in 48 states. More than half the states have casinos. Las Vegas and Atlantic City are "destination" resorts -- and states like Mississippi lure tourists and locals with gambling and entertainment complexes.

Florida already has plenty of gambling: Parimutuel betting at 23 sites, the Florida Lottery, poker rooms, slots in Broward and Miami-Dade and eight Indian casinos. And then there are dozens of Internet cafes that operate within what some law enforcement authorities call a "gray area" of the state's gambling laws.

All this gaming hasn't turned Florida into a wonderland of prosperity and good jobs. A few mega-casinos won't do the trick, either.

Most state lotteries were sold on the idea that they would relieve all worries about funding education. Now we hear that casinos will cure all budget ills. We're always just a few billion bucks in lost bets away from salvation.

Volusia County Chair Frank Bruno offers a realistic view of the impact of gambling. Bruno, a New Jersey native, told The News-Journal, "The thought is, why should our people be going to places like Biloxi and Gulfport and Las Vegas or even Atlantic City? But let me tell you, (in Atlantic City) that whole area is like an oasis in the middle of the slums. It was not the catalyst to clean up the area around it."

An "oasis in the middle of slums." Doesn't sound like Disney, does it?

Bruno's comment indirectly makes another key point. It's "our people" who would be pumping money into the one-armed bandits. Not Europeans in search of the perfect casino destination.

And our government would bear the social costs associated with the dark side of gambling. Earl L. Grinols, an economist and a former economic adviser to Ronald Reagan, calculated those costs eight years ago and came up with an annual price tag for the nation's growing obsession with gambling: $54 billion.

Grinols included increased crime, bankruptcies, domestic violence and lost workdays in his analysis. You don't hear much about these things when legislators talk about "gaming," but they most definitely are part of the deal officials make when they decide government should profit from the losers.

Lawmakers should abandon their dreams of Disney with slots and focus on the hard work of balancing the budget. Floridians will be better off if their representatives don't shoot for an illusory jackpot.

A progress report on its attempt to acquire online gambling firm Sportingbet may top the agenda when bookmaker Ladbrokes gives a trading update on Thursday.

The bookie first made an approach to Sportingbet in June, but under takeover rules has until October 17 to make a firm offer or else walk away.

Having failed to conclude a deal with another online gambling group, 888, earlier in the year, management will be under pressure to seal something this time.

Analysts say the sticking point is likely to be Sportingbet's Turkish operation, where discussions are under way for a sale to Gaming VC.

If that disposal goes through, analysts expect an offer from Ladbrokes to follow soon after.

Ladbrokes' interest in Sportingbet is part of a strategy to move away from the traditional over-the-counter shop operation and to boost its presence in faster growing areas such as "in-play", or live betting during a sports match, an area where Sportingbet specialises.

Chief executive Richard Glynn launched a revamp of the brand in February this year to reinvigorate the Ladbrokes name, which included investment in technology, especially mobile, as well as adjusting formats for games machines to suit local areas.

Machines revenue was strong in the first half of the year, with the gross win per terminal rising by 15% per week to £821. Stripping out the impact of the World Cup in 2010, first half net revenue rose by 2.8% and operating profit by 16.9%, but shares in the group have tumbled by 25% due to fears abut the impact of the consumer squeeze on betting.

James Hollins, an analyst at broker Evolution, said betting was a resilient business and despite the consumer squeeze, he expects Ladbrokes to show continued resilience even though the third quarter faces strong comparative figures from favourable football results and a good July in 2010 from the World Cup.

For the full year, Bank of America Merrill Lynch's estimates are for pre-tax profits of £147 million.

Sex and the City actress Kristin Davis, who played Charlotte York on the hit show, has adopted a baby daughter named Gemma Rose, using a domestic adoption service.

"This is something I have wanted for a very long time," Davis told People. "Having this wish come true is even more gratifying than I ever had imagined. I feel so blessed."

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It has been no secret that Davis has wanted to adopt for a while, not unlike her former Sex and the City character, Charlotte. In 2010, Daivs spoke about the possibility of adoption with Access Hollywood, saying, "You have to obviously think it through," she shared. "Best case scenario, you're obviously raising it with a father. It does give me pause to think about doing it alone. I feel like it's a really hard job."

Forty-six-year-old Davis, a recovering alcoholic, has been sober since her 20's.

"Alcohol freed me," she has been quoted as saying. "I was really shy and I didn't know how to come out of my shell. I drank for the same reason I loved acting. I wanted to feel things and express myself and be free. And I'm not naturally that way."

Davis will next be seen on the big screen in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

South Jersey lawmakers, who have jealously guarded Atlantic City's hold on gambling and the millions of dollars it generates in tax revenue, now say they are willing to loosen their grip. Whether in the northern or southern part of the state, among Democrats and Republicans, there is a growing consensus that spending tens of millions of taxpayer dollars rejuvenating Atlantic City while leaving the struggling racetracks to fend for themselves is not the answer.

"We can no longer afford to keep our heads in the sand and pretend that we do not have direct competition to our Atlantic City casinos in Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York," said Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, D-Essex, a member of the Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee.

5-year revenue slide

Atlantic City is caught in a five-year drop in revenue, fueled by the troubled economy and increased competition from casinos in neighboring states. Betting on horse races in the state has plummeted 74 percent, adjusted for inflation, from its peak in 1977 through 2009, according to the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.

To stem the loss to the state, Governor Christie signed legislation during the summer that sets the stage for a private takeover of the Meadowlands and Monmouth racetracks.

Christie's opposition to gambling outside Atlantic City - at the Meadowlands and off-track wagering elsewhere in the state - has not stopped lawmakers from pushing for online gambling, sports wagering and video slots to respond to the challenges posed by the proliferation of legalized gambling in the other states.

Two weeks ago, the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee heard testimony from casino and horse racing executives in support of sports betting.

And Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union, recently renewed his pitch for online gambling after revising legislation vetoed by the governor.

Caputo and three Republican legislators from Monmouth County are urging Christie to reconsider his opposition to video lottery terminals outside Atlantic City. And proponents of slot machines at the Meadowlands say they can generate $500 million to $700 million in net revenue for the state.

Federal ban

As for sports betting, a federal ban imposed in 1992 must be overturned.

First, a referendum amending the state constitution is on the Nov. 8 ballot. Passage of legislation authorizing betting comes next, and the Senate committee is drafting the measure to allow betting on non-college sports teams at Atlantic City casinos and at the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park race tracks.

Once those steps are taken, supporters vow to go to court to try to overturn the federal ban.

Though Christie has opposed sports betting, citing the federal ban, he hasn't indicated what he will do if voters favor lifting it.

New Jersey could have joined Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana in gaining an exemption from the 1992 ban had the state Legislature acted within a year of its passage. But the bill died in the Assembly after intense lobbying by the bill's sponsor, former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, and Christie Whitman, who was mounting her first campaign for governor.

Five months after getting engaged, Paul McCartney walked down the aisle today with his girlfriend Nancy Shevell, who he met in 2007 in the Hamptons in the wake of his volatile split from Heather Mills.

Shevell is a member of the board of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority as well as vice president of a family-owned transportation conglomerate which owns New England Motor Freight.

They couple married in a civil ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall, London in a "low-key affair" attended by group of around 30 family and friends. The Old Marylebone Town Hall is the same place McCartney married his first wife, Linda Eastman, in 1969. Sadly, Linda died of breast cancer in 1998.

Hopefully, the third time will be the charm for McCartney, who divorced Mills after a rocky four-year marriage.

Heather had once called Paul "a boring old fart", and wondering why he had no social life, as well as saying "he has no friends and it's driving me mad". After their divorce, she said, "I will never get over it. I will always love Paul. He is the father of my child, but I just have to move on and deal with it and there is nothing I can do … I have never spoken badly about my husband. I never will, he is the father of my child."

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Batam, a city which thrives on tourism, is finding itself in a fix over what is proving to be a money-spinner with tourists, but goes against religious beliefs of this predominantly Muslim nation.

In recent weeks, special anti-gambling squads from the Indonesian police have descended on Batam, raiding and shutting down more than 70 covert gambling arcades filled with gaming machines, and arresting dozens of people.

These arcades, known in Indonesia as "gelpers", masquerade as sports arcades and are a big draw for tourists.

National police senior spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam said police stepped up enforcement on these illegal operations in Batam after increased complaints against them by local residents.

Indonesia, where more than 85 per cent of the country is Muslim, bans gambling because Islam does not allow it. But with other countries in the region benefiting economically from gaming, it is facing pressure from two of its more touristy cities - Batam and Bintan - to give some concession on this blanket ban.

Several years ago, the local Bintan government presented a detailed plan to build an integrated resort with a casino on the island. But after months of debate, the plan did not get the nod because lawmakers in Jakarta shot it down due to religious reasons.

The recent crackdown on gelpers in Batam has reignited the debate.

The head of Batam's tourism agency, Yusfa Hendri, said gelpers are a main tourist attraction in his city, which attracted more than 900,000 tourists last year. "The presence of gelpers has especially boosted the tourism industry, and indeed provided jobs," he said in an SMS message to The Straits Times.

But Inspector General Anton was firm in his response on that: "Gelper is a form of gambling, although the local government lets them operate. We hope these operations end."

He also promised more raids on such illegal gaming activities.

Sociologist Adrianus Meliala from the University of Indonesia said there have been calls by academics, tourism industry players and other citizens to amend Indonesia's law on gambling, accommodating at least restricted operations such as casinos which allow only foreigners in.

Another option being discussed is having a casino on an island, which would help to restrict who can gain entry.

"A law should reflect the reality on the ground," Professor Adrianus told The Straits Times, adding that there are aspirations from some quarters to legalize gambling. "A law should adjust to the current reality."

Bagus Sudibya of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies told The Straits Times: "It's a difficult decision, but do we want to continue seeing thousands of Indonesians spend money on gambling overseas? That is capital flight. So it's high time the government did something."

Batam and Bintan are not the only Indonesian cities where covert gambling is rampant. Big cities like Jakarta have seen illegal gambling activities, mainly catering to Chinese Indonesians who see it as part of the culture and entertainment.

"Covert gambling operations are organized by certain entrepreneurs who allegedly get backing from rogue senior police or military officers," Musni Umar, a sociologist at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University in Jakarta, told The Straits Times.

Economically speaking, allowing gambling to restricted people could be considered, said Musni. But he doubts that Indonesia would do it because none of the political parties would dare support gambling as the majority of the population are opposed to it.

"They are afraid of losing in the elections if they ever come out and say they support gambling," he said.

Musni agrees that gambling should be allowed in Indonesia as long as there are tight restrictions banning Muslims from entering the casinos. "Or else, Indonesians with enough money would go to Singapore or Malaysia to play there anyway."

Es, you read that correctly. Rodney King will fight a cop. King, who recently emerged as one of the saner patients on Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab and who was made famous for being the victim of a police beating that was the catalyst for the L.A. riots, will be hitting the "celebrity boxing" ring against Simon Aouad, a former Pennsylvania cop who was busted a few years back in a drug/illegal weapon raid.

Aouad and King appeared on the Howard Stern Show today, with Auoad telling King, "I'm gonna beat you so bad Rodney, you're gonna wish you were in LA."

The fight will go down at Philadelphia Airport Ramada Inn in this Friday night at 7:30 pm. Bodog has all your boxing odds and more! Don’t have an account yet? Join Bodog Sportsbook now for free!

Ladbrokes could still buy an online gambling company despite turning its back on Sportingbet over regulatory concerns – the second deal it has spurned in seven months – said Richard Glynn, the betting group’s chief executive.

Mr Glynn, under pressure from investors to build an online gambling division to compete with rival William Hill, said there were still online gambling companies that Ladbrokes could buy in the right circumstances, but that the group would focus on growing the division organically.



He embarked on a round of media interviews on Monday to defend the board’s decision to terminate talks with Sportingbet after four months spent trying to resolve Ladbrokes’ legal concerns relating to potential liabilities.

However, several analysts struggled to envisage how Ladbrokes’ risk-averse stance would enable it to consider other acquisitions and questioned whether an organic-only growth strategy was sufficient to compete with its main rivals.

The outcome bore similarities with the group’s decision four years ago to walk away from an offer for 888 Holdings, another online gambling company that would have given Ladbrokes a big uplift in international online gambling, the group’s weak spot.

Another approach for 888 last year also became a drawn-out saga until Ladbrokes pulled the plug on talks in April, this time because of a disagreement on price.

Sportingbet believed the imminent sale of its website in Turkey, which takes a hardline stance against online gambling, would be sufficient to allay Ladbrokes’ legacy risk concerns. But it is understood that Ladbrokes was also worried about other liabilities from other countries where Sportingbet traded.

Ladbrokes is also thought to have wanted a complex deal that involved buying Sportingbet assets rather than the company itself.

It was also seeking to ringfence the money from Sportingbet’s sale of the Turkish asset because the proposed buyer, Gaming VC, was planning to stagger payments for the business. That ringfenced money would have been paid to shareholders over a six-year period, depending on a risk assessment by a liquidator.

Mr Glynn denied that Ladbrokes was risk-averse, but said there were issues regarding past and future Sportingbet liabilities. “It doesn’t matter what structure you put in place, you have to cauterise both of these,” he said.

In some quarters, there was relief the deal had broken down. One leading institutional investor said it would have been a “dreadful” deal. Mr Glynn himself said: “Sometimes the best deals you do are the ones you don’t.” Ladbrokes shares fell 0.9p to close at 119.7p.

Where Ladbrokes goes from here is the immediate quandary. Mr Glynn has already put in place a two-year £50m ($78m) investment programme for online gambling, and said it was “on track” with that plan.

Nick Batram, analyst with Peel Hunt, said it was unlikely that any deal in online gambling would give Ladbrokes’ lawyers and its board comfort in the short term, and doubted that the organic plan would be enough to drive up the share price.

“Time will tell, but I can’t see any organic turnaround delivering immediate significant results. The retail business was not far behind William Hill, but they are not narrowing the gap in online,” he said.

“The right deal would have been an important shot in the arm for them. There is nothing fundamentally broken with online that can’t be fixed, but there is no quick fix.”

Paul Leyland of Investec, who had been bearish on the Sportingbet tie-up, said a mergers and acquisitions deal was still an option. But he added: “While we see considerable merit in an organic strategy, we are sufficiently concerned about the M&A track record, and what it potentially suggests regarding the current management’s thinking. We are therefore increasingly worried about execution.”

For Sportingbet, the long hoped-for exit strategy must wait. Simon Davies of Collins Stewart said the breakdown was “undoubtedly disappointing”. Shares in Sportingbet fell 8.75p, or 19 per cent, to 37p.

While indirect, Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, has had a major influence on the increase in the utilization of mobile gambling. While Jobs passed away this past Wednesday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, his memory lives on as a pure visionary and one of the greatest inventors in history. One area where his presence is felt is the burgeoning mobile gambling industry.

When Apple first introduced the iPhone in the year 2007, it literally changed the entire gaming industry by introducing a new era whereby online casino and gaming participants could access the casino, poker room, or sportsbook right from their mobile device. While iPhone was not the first smart phone to hit the market, it was the first one to gain massive worldwide popularity.

In 2010, the global public saw the launch of the iPad tablet by Jobs. In just a few months time, some of the most prominent sports betting and online casino companies launched betting applications specifically designed for the iPad tablet. With the eventual launch of the iPad2, more online casino companies created their own gaming applications. Today, people everywhere no longer need their computer to access their favorite online casino games; they can easily access them from their iPhone and iPad.

There has been a lot of speculation concerning the new direction of Apple since Jobs stepped down months ago and gave the CEO position to Tim Cook. One of the theories floating around is that Apple will now be looking to revamp current television devices.

Well, no matter what may happen concerning future Apple developments, current innovations have allowed the online casino industry to easily make the profitable move to mobile devices. It is good to take a minute and remember Jobs and how he helped the advancement of the online gaming industry.

Schleswig-Holstein became the first of Germany’s regional states to introduce legislation that will see online gaming become a legal form of entertainment. This has been done despite the national government voting to continue to restrict online gaming in the hope of protecting its sports betting and lottery monopoly.

Companies are now being invited to apply for a license to operate in the area, and successful applicants will be expected to pay a tax of 20% on operating profits. Both Bwin (which includes PartyGaming) and Betfair have already indicated there desire to be enter the German market and have advised that they intend to apply for licenses. Due to the extra tax revenues the new legislation will create for the Schleswig-Holstein public coffers, it is expected that other German states will shortly follow suit. This throws into question the National Government’s plan to introduce a new German State Gambling Treaty which would see its state monopoly protected. An estimated 2.2 million Germans already have an online gaming account with international companies, and this number is expected to rise as legal sites move into the German market.

In a statement Betfair praised the new legislation and confirmed its support for a licensed and regulated German market by saying, “Betfair is committed to participating in the online gambling market in Germany, ready and willing to pay taxes there and offer German consumers competitive, innovative and safe products. The resolution passed today is an important and groundbreaking step on the way to an open and regulated gambling market in Germany. We are now hopeful that the other 15 German States will make the regulated amendments to their proposed State Treaty, in order to bring it into line with EU law.”

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore represented something that inspired middle-aged women all over America to start getting into shape, injecting their foreheads with botox and trading in their sweat pants for leopard-print mini dresses. Yes, a new class of woman was born known as "the cougar."

It was assumed that the cougar would be able to snag men in their 20's and 30's – and that with these men, like Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, the cougar would live happily ever after.

However, now that facade has shattered and the naysayers have been proven right – at least, in this case. Ashton went out and began cheating on his 48-year-old wife with 20-something girls. The horror.

Now, a heartbroken Moore reportedly met with a divorce attorney on Friday to discuss ending her long-time relationship with Kutcher. The nail in the coffin? Kutcher reportedly had a three-way at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego with a blond named Sara Leal and her pals on the night of his and Moore's six year anniversary.

While Moore was out pomoting her directorial work for the Lifetime short film project, the Two and a Half Men star was in a hut tub with three girls. Kutcher was "totally into it," a source told US Weekly. "Within five minutes, they were all naked in the hot tub, making out!"

Moore, meanwhile, is "struggling. She's been alone a lot lately."