Let your mouth speak archive

Bwin.Party is the largest publicly-traded online gambling company in the world with a market value of around $2.1 billion.

Online poker also forms a significant part of the company’s gambling offerings with the domain partypoker.com once the supreme online poker giant with a 41% of the worldwide online poker revenue in 2005.

However, that all changed in 2006, with the introduction of the UIGEA and the company’s subsequent withdrawal from the domestic US market, which is worth around $16 billion annually.

However, the amicable agreement struck between the DoJ and PartyPoker including a $105 million fine meant the company could one day hope of returning to the US market. That may now be a step closer after Bwin.Party´s Co-CEO Jim Ryan announced he was currently negotiating with two American companies in order to create a portal enabling Bwin.Party to return to the US online poker market.

Explaining his rationale in seeking partners in the States, Jim Ryan explained:

“We had to be realistic about where we sat in the food chain. We figured if the U.S. regulated it would be unlikely that we would secure a license directly, that the laws of the land would be written to allow existing land operators and equipment manufacturers in the U.S. to secure the licenses.”

Jim Ryan also emphasised that a mutually beneficial deal would help establish a network which exploited their Party Poker and World Poker Tour (WPT) brands, while also those of their potential partners.

Nevertheless, Ryan also pointed out that despite their being no guarantee online poker would ever be regulated in the U.S., it was still important to make preparatory moves in order to take advantage of any possible future opportunities. As Ryan commented:

“We have to be ready for both federal or state. It feels good to have American taxpaying companies finally driving this.”

A British government minister has urged the EU to "respect" each member states' right to regulate online gambling at a national level.

Addressing a debate organised by The Parliament Magazine, John Penrose said that different cultural attitudes and norms "vary enormously" across Europe.

"In the UK we have light touch regulation and an open market but member states such as Poland and Portugal have more conservative views on gambling and their legislation is more restrictive."

Penrose, the UK tourism and heritage minister, added, "These differences have deep roots and spring from fundamentally different religious traditions and managing the always-fuzzy dividing line between things which are harmless and enjoyable for the majority of the population but potentially seriously harmful for a small minority."

He was one of the keynote speakers at a debate on current legislative proposals for online gambling.

The event - on "Responsible gaming day" - was told that parliament will next month be asked to back a report, already adopted by the internal market committee, on the issue.

The report, drafted by internal committee member Jurgen Creutzmann forms parliament's formal response to a commission green paper on gaming.

In his speech, Penrose said all regulators, governments and industry had a responsibility to ensure that consumers enjoy "proper protection" when they gamble online.

"But gambling is a contentious, emotive and political issue, governed by 27 differing national systems," he said.

He said that while there was "scope" for "practical cooperation" at EU-level" policymakers should "avoid unnecessary bureaucracy, duplication and a 'tick box' approach to regulation".

Further comment came from Creutzmann, a German deputy, whose report on the "future of online gambling in the EU" is expected to vote upon in Strasbourg on 14 November.

He said he supported EU-wide harmonisation of current rules in order to bring member states into line with each other.

He said that within a short period of time, the internet had opened up "plenty of new possibilities" for gambling operators to offer their services across Europe.

"However, online gambling is still regulated exclusively at national or even regional level, like in Germany.

"The policy options chosen by member states could not be more different, ranging from outright prohibitions of any form of online gambling to perfectly liberalised markets in other member states."

He added, "However, the internet does not have any physical borders. Therefore, the market is distorted at the moment and the regulation does not work."

Creutzmann said that as parliament's rapporteur on online gaming he had had to reconcile "quite different" views.

"On the one hand, you have the defenders of the free market who would like to liberalise online gambling completely. On the other hand, you have the defenders of state monopolies who think that this is the only way to protect consumers and combat organised crime."

He said, "Lobbies on both sides have been very active in trying to influence MEPs but national interests have also been very influential which explains the large number of amendments that were tabled to my draft report."

"As rapporteur, it is my job to facilitate a sensible compromise which is ambitious but can still be supported by a broad majority of parliament."

UK Tory MEP Malcolm Harbour, the internal market committee chair who chaired the debate, said it was taking place at a "very timely" moment as it came on the eve of parliament's vote on Creutzmann's report.

Harbour added, "All sides are completely absorbed in the issue but I am hopeful we can get a majority in favour of the report next month."

Sigrid Ligne, secretary general of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), which co-organised the event, says there are "varying approaches" to the issue throughout the EU.

"Against this backdrop, EU policymakers are starting to think in earnest about the need for an EU framework and what it might contain."

The hearing heard that the commission's green paper, launched in March, seeks to obtain a 'fact-based' picture of the existing situation in the EU. Some 250 responses were received to its public consultation and the results will be published early next year.

Apparently, the judge was done with the antics of Lindsay Lohan – and just threw the book at her in court.

Lohan, who had been kicked out of the Women's Shelter for blowing off her community service, did not impress Judge Sautner who angrily told Lohan and her attorney that Lohan alone was entirely responsible for being thrown out of the Downtown Women's Center.

The judge concluded Lindsay violated her probation and the former actress was placed in cuffs. The judge also read the section where Lindsay told the Probation officer she didn't find the Women's Center "fulfilling." The Sautner then mockingly questioned whether it was the duty of the court to "fulfill" the offender.

Though Lohan has already posted bail, she has a hearing for November 2, when she could wind up getting as much as a year-and-a-half in jail. However, because of prison overcrowding, Lohan will likely not serve this much time.

Think Lohan will do time in the big house? Get all your celebrity betting in the Bodog Sportsbook. If you need an account, Join Bodog today.

The judge also said that Lindsay must complete 16 hours at the morgue before she sees her November 2.

As a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, it is believed that the committee members will debate Congressman Joe Barton’s HR 2366, known as the Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act.

“The hearing may be more about internet gaming, but the Barton bill will be hard to ignore given that Barton sits on the subcommittee,” said Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas.

The subcommittee is seated by nine Democrats and 14 Republicans. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) is Chairperson and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sits as Vice Chair of the subcommittee. Barton (R-TX) is also a subcommittee member.

HR2366 would regulate and legalize online poker in the United States by allowing state-licensed agencies to act as regulatory authorities. New Jersey and Nevada, the top dogs of brick-and-mortar casino gambling, would get the first opportunity to issue gaming licenses. The typical progression of Barton’s proposed legislation would be that the full committee considers it or that it is sent back to subcommittee for what is known as a “markup.” A markup is the process in which a committee debates or amends proposed legislation. Pappas said that the PPA would “like to accelerate that as best we can.”

The PPA is urging its members to contact the subcommittee and request those sitting on the subcommittee to support internet poker. PPA members received an email recently that outlined the organization’s plan in regard to the scheduled hearing. “The PPA and its lobbying team will continue to meet with members of the subcommittee and their staffs leading up to next week’s hearing. We will be asking PPA members whose U.S. Representative is a member of this committee to contact their member directly before the hearing,” the email stated.

Behind the scenes of next weeks’s hearing is a bipartisan supercommittee, whose intent is to obtain funds for the government. Barney Frank (D-MA), the congressman responsible for supporting legalization and regulation of online gambling in the U.S., said that he’s encouraging members of the supercommittee to legalize internet gambling.

“Several of us are trying to get it into the supercommittee,” Frank said. “It would create $40 billion [in revenue] over 10 years.”

Pappas has been very encouraged by Frank’s attempts to push legalization of online poker to the supercommittee. Although there are no guarantees that the supercommittee will act anytime soon, the progress being made is a good sign.

“The supercommittee has been very receptive,” Pappas said. “I don’t think every member of the committee is making this their priority, but there are benefits of revenue and consumer protection.”

Pappas feels that it’s a good idea for the proposed online poker legislation to undergo an open debate. “This committee hasn’t had an opportunity to examine the issues,” he said. “It gives lawmakers a chance to say they’ve discussed it. It’s important to have an open debate on the issue.”

After Dennis Wright hit it big on the slots last year during a trip to Las Vegas, he bought a new computer and started spending more time online. He discovered that many of his fellow slot enthusiasts were congregating on a social networking site called Player’s Life, where they exchange tips, post videos of their casino triumphs, and arrange what might be best described as “play dates” to Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The garbage dump manager from Greeneville, Tenn., became a frequent visitor himself. “I don’t really get to the casinos that often,” says Wright, 56. “This way I can keep up with what’s going on.”

Created last year by WMS Industries (WMS), the nation’s second-largest slot machine manufacturer, Player’s Life has quickly attracted 650,000 members. It’s an example of how social networking is creeping onto the casino floor—and increasing revenues in a part of the gambling world thought to be the domain of low-rolling retirees with cups of quarters in hand. John Grochowski, a Chicago-based slots columnist and author of The Slot Machine Answer Book, says it’s only a matter of time before these innovations sweep through the global slots industry. “It’s somewhere that everybody is going to go,” he says.

The social aspects of Player’s Life run deeper than just chat and video sharing. The site is connected to a server linked to the company’s more advanced slot games, like The Lord of the Rings. Player’s Life members can battle Orcs in casual online games and then unlock the opportunity to play potentially lucrative bonus rounds when they return to the casino. The site also awards users virtual trophies for their online and offline victories. “We pretty much offer everything you find on Xbox LIVE or Facebook,” boasts Larry Pacey, chief innovation officer at WMS.

Located in Waukegan, Ill., WMS was founded in 1943 by the late Harry Williams, a Stanford University alumnus who guaranteed himself a place in gaming history by inventing the “tilt” function in pinball machines. The casino industry could use such a eureka moment right now. According to the American Gaming Assn. (AGA), U.S. gambling revenue was $34.6 billion last year—9 percent below a high of $37.5 billion four years ago. If there’s going to be a turnaround, so-called one-armed bandits will play an integral role. The AGA says that in 11 states where both traditional casino table games and slots are permitted, at least 63 percent of all gambling revenue flows from slots. In other words, for all the attention paid to the action at the roulette table, guys like Dennis Wright are the industry’s cash cows.

The question for casinos is how to get them to spend more money. WMS claims it has found at least a partial answer. It says the average bet by a Player’s Life member is 10 percent to 15 percent higher than the typical slot devotee. It claims the boost is even greater when members play the bonus rounds they’ve unlocked online. WMS is now focused on getting more Player’s Life-connected slots into the casinos. Although its games are in some of the world’s most prominent casinos, including Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, WMS has only 1,072 socially networked slots in place. That’s a fraction of the 854,000 electronic gambling machines in the U.S., according to the AGA.

Not all casino owners are eager to have the WMS machines, in part, because they’re offered on a revenue-sharing basis only. According to Brad Boyer, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus (SF), slots makers typically pocket 20 percent of the take from high-end machines like The Lord of the Rings. The owners’ other concern is that WMS is using the site to build an online gambling platform should it ever become legal in the U.S., and every member who signs up for Player’s Life today is a potential defector from real-world casinos in the future. Pacey strongly denies WMS is planning anything along these lines, but not all casino executives are convinced. “I can’t imagine that WMS doesn’t want to be in that field,” says Chuck Hickey, vice-president of slot operations at Barona Resort & Casino in Lakeside, Calif. “Come on. This could be a multibillion-dollar business.”

Still, Hickey concedes that Player’s Life may be having some effect. He says he recently removed two Lord of the Rings games because, after sharing some of the revenue with WMS, he didn’t think he was making enough money from them. But he left two others in place because of the passion of Player’s Life fans. “I didn’t want to be shot in the parking lot,” he says. Wright, the Tennessee garbage dump manager, can attest to the commitment of his fellow members. “Some of these people go twice a week,” he says. “I’d be broke if I did that. I’m lucky I don’t live closer.”

The bottom line: WMS Industries is pushing social network slots on casino owners, who are wary of the company’s ambitions and its revenue-sharing model.

One can understand why an organization would want to streamline and standardize online gambling trade mechanisms throughout Europe. This is the European Union after all; members operate with one currency (mostly) and EU Courts address issues of constitutional concern across wider Europe generally. Now the Remote Gambling Association (RMA) has launched “Online Gambling: Key Objectives for a successful regulatory and tax framework’. This plan was recently unveiled in Milan, during the Italian online gambling summit – the EiG Expo.

The Remote Gambling Association is the most significant trade association in Europe. It is based in London and Brussels and concern themselves with the fact that many European countries are seeking to regulate online gambling, but do not necessarily comply fully with EU provisions. Providing a guideline is more or less the best they can do, as they cannot prescribe what legal tack an individual country or operator may take. However, the provision of the guidelines is designed to help to protect players, regulators and operators alike.

The document is divided into three sections, is not a massively technical doc, and Chief Executive, Clive Hawkswood said that the message the RMA wishes to put out is that working in partnership to build modern online gambling regimes offers the best prospects for all stakeholders. The publication specifically caters for those countries or operators respectively, who are thinking about either regulating or getting into the business.

It places consumer interests as tantamount to success, as well as the fact that commercial opportunities are still plentiful. The approach is from a successful fiscal and social perspective, and what it really seeks to achieve is ‘fair, competitive and crime-free’ objectives. They emphasise that regulation is an ongoing effort and that in this relatively new and very vital industry, technology advances quickly. Therefore any streamlining effort has to be flexible to cope with such an environment, and address situations as they arise and change.

OXFORD’S pioneering Internet Institute is celebrating its 10th birthday.

And very few would today question the value of its work as a centre in assessing the dramatic impact that the internet has had in changing the way people work, shop, bank, socialise, find information, stage protests and find life partners.

But when Bill Dutton, Oxford University’s first Professor of Internet Studies, first arrived here from Southern California, not everyone saw it as an area worthy of serious academic study.

“Many people viewed it as a fad that would pass in a couple of years, like Citizens’ Band radio. They did not see it as something to take all that seriously,” he said.

As Prof Dutton prepares to stand down as director of the OII he can point to the fact that the internet now reaches 73 per cent of the population.

Other university’s chose to study the internet within other departments such as media studies, law faculties, computing or socials studies.

But Oxford saw the bigger picture, recognising that there is hardly any aspect of modern life that the internet doesn’t touch in a new technological age of fast- changing trends.

Under Prof Dutton’s leadership, the OII won more than £5m in research grants and has produced surveys and studies into various aspects of internet use such as Facebook, gambling and collective action.

“The internet has exceeded what anybody could have imagined. In every day life, it is reconfiguring how we do things,” said Prof Dutton. “ It is not just changing how we know what we know, but what we know and even who we know.“ Social networking and on-line dating has proved a rich area for study. It was found that in Germany almost one in three couples with internet access,who met since 2000, met online.

The great majority are over 40, with one or two marriages behind them. Younger people, it seems, still prefer to rely on real life social networks.

But he said the risks of dating online – as with gambling and internet addiction – are greatly exaggerated.

Prof Helen Margetts has taken over as OII director, and Prof Dutton plans to write a book.

He argues the internet is the medium to empower networked individuals to hold the Government, Press and other institutions to account. He cited the campaign to save Oxfordshire’s libraries from closure as an example of how the internet allowed groups spread across the county to join forces and forge a highly effective “Save Our Libraries” movement.

Lindsay Lohan may have watched Sunday night's premiere of The Walking Dead, because she skated out on her mandatory trip to the morgue today.

After she was cuffed in court yesterday, but posted bail, Lohan was ordered by the judge to make regular visits to the morgue up through her November 2 hearing.

Lohan cruised up to the entrance of the morgue in an $80,000 Porsche Panamera 40 minutes late before being turned away at the door without credit.

Lindsay's publicist said that the actress was late because she was unaware of which entrance to pull up to, however, the Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter thinks Loahn's excuse is BS because she's been there before and was also given step-by-step instructions.

Before Nov. 2, Lindsay must complete 16 hours at the morgue. Her tardiness today is not a violation of her parole. She just needs to complete said hours.

Think Lohan will do serious time in the big house? Despite overcrowding in the California prison system, L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca says he'll make room for her. Get all your celebrity betting in the Bodog Sportsbook. If you need an account, Join Bodog today.

FYI, for her part, Lindsay tweeted, "With all of the stress and pressure from yesterday and today, I've never been so happy to go to therapy😡 Also, I'm sorry for the confusion that I may of (sic) caused to those at the Coroner's office. Won't happen again, now I know where to go!"

A step in the right direction for legal online poker could be made as soon as next week when the House Subcommittee for Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade will have a hearing on Internet gambling Tuesday. This committee is a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and consists of 14 republicans and nine democrats, who will debate Congressman Joe Barton’s Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act (HR 2366).

Executive Director of the Poker Player’s Alliance (PPA), John Pappas, says “The hearing may be more about Internet gaming, but the Barton bill will be hard to ignore given that Barton sits on the subcommittee.”

If passed, HR 2366 would legalize and regulate Internet poker in the US by giving state-licensed agencies the green light to act as regulatory authorities. The biggest players in land-based casinos, Nevada and New Jersey, would get the first go ahead to issue gaming licenses. The PPA is encouraging its members whose US reps are seated on the subcommittee to communicate their support of the bill to the subcommittee in hopes that the subcommittee will also be in support of online poker.

In addition, a bipartisan supercommittee, whose purpose is to obtain money for the government is being urged by Congressman Barney Frank to support regulation and legalization of Internet gambling as a means of earning funds for the government.

“Several of us are trying to get it into the supercommittee,” says Frank. “It would create $40 billion [in revenue] over 10 years.” While there are no guarantees, it is a sign of progress.

Pappas is optimistic of the supercommittee. He says, “The supercommittee has been very receptive. I don’t think every member of the committee is making this their priority, but there are benefits of revenue and consumer protection.” He also believes that the open debate is a good idea. He says, “This committee hasn’t had an opportunity to examine the issues. It gives lawmakers a chance to say they’ve discussed it.”

In the last few days news items have appeared about some of the biggest online and land based gambling operators preparing for entry to the US online gambling market. The expectation clearly is the online gambling in the US will be legalized sooner than later and one should be ready for it.

Trump Entertainment Inc. and the Avenue Capital Group have filed statutory documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission to establish a joint online gaming venture. Trump Entertainment had filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and was taken over by global investment firm Avenue Capital Management. Avenue Capital holds 22% stake in Trump Entertainment, while Donald Trump has retained 10% for the right to continue using his name. Ivanka Trump, Donald's daughter, is the executive vice president of development and acquisitions of the Trump Organisation. She stated in an interview to Bloomberg that Avenue Capital would provide the required funding and her father would contribute his name. Ivanka said, "The joint venture is positioning itself to be the largest online gaming company if the USA industry is legalized. In terms of the Internet, brand is essential toward attracting players, the Trump brand would be the most powerful one in this space." Ivanka believes that a legalized US online gambling industry would be a tremendous source of taxable revenue for the government and an enormous generator of jobs.

In another report, Forbes magazine has stated that Jim Ryan, joint chief executive of bwin.party digital entertainment, has been doing the rounds of investors in the United States. Formed through the merger of Bwin and PartyGaming, bwin.party is the largest listed online gambling operator in the world. Ryan has spent three weeks in the US presenting the strengths of his company to potential American investors. Ryan clearly pointed out that the two brands with the greatest awareness in the US were PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. Since these brands have been indicted they are unlikely to get space in the legalized US online gambling market. Therefore, Ryan argued, "The brand that has the most consumer awareness is in fact the PartyPoker brand." Bwin.party also owns the World Poker Tour. Party Poker had paid a huge fine for clearing its slate with the US Justice Department for pre-2006 operations without any indictment. Ryan revealed that he was working on partnerships with two US companies.

The US land gambling supplier Bally Technologies indicated at the recently held G2E in Las Vegas that it is optimistic about the prospects of legalized online gambling in the US. Now a report in the Philadelphia Enquirer states that Bally Technologies has launched a new Interactive division to cover the mobile, online and social network gambling markets. In July Bally Technologies had acquired Macro View Labs of San Francisco, which develops mobile apps and mobile websites. Bally spokesman Mike Trask revealed that some of Bally's games were already in the iTunes store. Trask said, "The goal, at the end of the day, is to provide the same experience for a player no matter where he's physically located . . whether inside a casino, on a website, or while waiting in line at the grocery store."

I would definitely follow on this thread about legalizing online gambling is U.S. Show us updates about this news Sir.. Thanks in advance..😁

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction—the Super Committee—is soon expected to present its proposals to cut the deficit by $1.5 trillion. There is speculation that its recommendations could include legislation to legalize, regulate, and tax Internet gambling in the United States. If they do, Congress and the administration should take up the recommendation.

According to some estimates, legalized online gambling could contribute up to $150 billion to the American economy. Therefore, it is a highly attractive prospect that has garnered increased media and legislative attention in recent years with several bills introduced in Congress and about half a dozen states considering legalization on an intrastate basis. And the best way for Congress to stimulate states’ economies while respecting state sovereignty is to repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), and instead allow states to legalize and regulate online wagering how they see fit. A state-based system would promote regulatory competition, strengthen states’ independence and self-sufficiency, and result in far more economic stimulation and job creation than a federally regulated market.

There is no valid reason or right for any government, whether state or federal, to bar its citizens from voluntarily engaging in an activity that does not violate the rights of other citizens. The question over the morality of gambling was resolved long ago. More than 70 million Americans gamble each year and nearly 90 percent say that they have gambled at least once in their lifetime. Every state, apart from Hawaii and Utah, has some form of legalized gambling and all but seven States operate lotteries. Yet, some lawmakers have blocked Congressional attempts to legalize and regulate online betting at the federal level. This has left the legality of such activities up for debate.

As demonstrated by the Department of Justice’s recent crackdown on Internet gambling websites, bans do not work. The open nature of the Internet makes a prohibition on such activity virtually impossible and enforcement is on dubious legal grounds when the websites are owned and operated in foreign nations. Bans simply force consumers to operate outside of the law without the protection of the American government.

It is unlikely that Congress could pass a federal regulatory scheme that sufficiently pleases all states. It is likely that the only way online gambling will become a legal and thriving industry in the U.S. is to have each state determine how licensing and regulation can best serve its residents. Such a system will raise revenue more efficiently and enable the creation of a greater number of jobs than a federal system. A state-based system would allow for competition, innovation, and alteration based on the demands of each state’s constituents. If one state regulated online gambling poorly, businesses could seek greener pastures in neighboring states. Most states already have some form of legalized gambling, and therefore already have the necessary regulating bodies to oversee licensing and regulation of a legal online gambling industry. Federal laws already exist regarding personal income taxes, so online gambling, if officially legalized, could be taxed like any other economic activity. This additional revenue would allow states to get their own fiscal houses in order without requiring the help of federal dollars, thus saving the American public from financing more bailouts.

Americans ought to have the right to do with their own money as they please in the privacy of their own homes. Current US law puts such activity in a legal gray area. Congress needs to shed some light by making the legality of online gambling unambiguously legal. The best action federal lawmakers can take to achieve that is to repeal UIGEA and allow states to legalize and regulate Internet gambling in the way that best serves their residents.

The kickoff of the football season, the school year and the 2012 presidential campaign captured the attention of U.S. Internet users in September.

According to comScore’s latest ranking of top websites, online gambling, education and political news sites were the Web’s strongest categories during the month. Online gambling sites represented the fastest growing category in September, with 9.7 million visitors, up 13% over the previous month. Education information sites and political sites both saw a 12% increase in traffic during the month, reaching 82.7 million and 35.4 million visitors respectively.

The start of the fall television season also provided lift for some sites in September. ABC Television was the top gainer for the month among individual sites, climbing 54%. Pearson Education followed, rising 43%. Encyclopedia Britannica, FedEx and PBS, all up 32%, rounded out the top 5.

Overall, the top five Web properties remained unchained, with Google sites leading the pack. Yahoo sites, Microsoft sites, Facebook and AOL rounded out the list.

Donald Trump sees money — lots of it — flowing away from him. That, he said, needs to change.

The real estate mogul and founder of an Atlantic City casino company says the United States should legalize Internet gambling. The company that bears his name, Trump Entertainment Resorts, is moving forward with plans to establish an online betting venture as soon as it's legal.

The company says it wants to get in on the ground floor of the Internet gambling business, and is close to selecting a joint venture partner to run an online gambling operation. The idea is to be well-placed and ready to go as soon as such activity is legalized in the United States.

"It should be approved here," Trump told The Associated Press on Thursday. "An awful lot of money is leaving the U.S. that should and could stay in this country."

Trump Entertainment, which includes Donald Trump and daughter, Ivanka, and the Avenue Capital hedge fund, would own 10 percent of the new venture.

Donald Trump said the key to success in the online gambling market is having the best brand.

"We think we have the hottest brand there is, the Trump brand, my personal brand," he said. "We think it's going to do phenomenally well."

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Trump Entertainment said it has "determined that such a joint venture represents the most advantageous way for the company to participate in opportunities in online gaming at minimal cost to the company."

No cost estimates were given, and Robert Griffin, the company's CEO, declined to comment Thursday. But in March, after Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill passed by New Jersey lawmakers that would have allowed Internet betting solely within New Jersey's borders, Griffin said the money lost to offshore operators should benefit New Jersey.

The law would have made New Jersey the first state in the nation to allow Internet betting.

"Currently, millions of Americans engage in online gaming with illegal offshore operators, and do so with no oversight, no regulation or no consumer protections," Griffin said at the time. "It makes sense for the state of New Jersey to regulate this activity, enforce strict standards to ensure games are fair and safe, and in turn be able to collect tax revenue instead of having those dollars and the jobs they support leaving New Jersey and going illegally overseas."

Christie said he vetoed the law fearing it was unconstitutional and could lead to an explosion of betting parlors throughout the state. By law, gambling in New Jersey is restricted to Atlantic City.

But a New Jersey lawmaker is asserting that individual states have the legal right to offer in-state Internet gambling within their own borders.

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak wrote in July to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder asserting that New Jersey and all other states can legally offer online betting within their borders.

Lesniak said he will introduce legislation in November to address the main concerns expressed by Christie.

The filing said the company, Donald and Ivanka Trump, and Avenue Capital have signed an agreement authorizing the joint venture once it becomes legal, and that prohibits any of them from seeking other online gambling ventures through May 2012.

Atlantic City is in the midst of a nearly five-year revenue slump brought on by increasing competition from casinos in neighboring states, and worsened by the continuing unsteady economy.

After thoroughly checking Denmark’s plans, the European Commission has given the OK for the nation to establish online gambling. In fact, many industry insiders say that this structure is ideal and other countries in the EU should model their tax structures on the one used by the Danes.

Denmark is offering lower taxes for online gambling than it has done for land-based casinos. Although there were a number of complaints from current gaming operators, the commission has allowed it. The complaints demanded that the lower taxes for online casinos were in essence state aid. The commission did not disagree, but stated that the lower rate is harmonious with European Union guidelines “because the positive effects of the liberalisation of the market outweigh the distortions of competition brought about by the measure.” Denmark’s Gaming Duties Act suggests that gaming operators that put forth online casino and gaming machines be taxed to a flat rate on all gaming revenues of 20 per cent. Currently land-based casinos have a higher levy, of 75 per cent.

Clive Hawkswood of the Remote Gambling Association said there are reasons to allow for different rate structures: “In essence, land-based operations compete within physical national boundaries, whereas online companies are part of a highly-competitive international environment, and fiscal policy should be set accordingly.

“Obviously, this has implications for other jurisdictions and their fiscal policies, both those that have opened their markets and those that are planning to do so in the near future.”

One company that is planning to take advantage of this opportunity is Betfair which is based in the UK. Said Betfair’s Martin Cruddace: “Denmark’s new regulation is a great example of what modern-day gambling legislation should look like across Europe.”

“It is structured in a manner that will provide the Danish government, consumers and international operators with the benefits that only a transparent, safe and competitive online gambling market can bring.”

Former rapper MC Hammer otherwise known as Stanley Kirk Burrell has long since given up wearing those famous Hammer pants that you may have stashed away in your closet and now the rapper turned entrepreneur is focusing on launching his own search engine called WireDoo. The search engine works similarly to Google but offers users an extended list of options based on their original search.

Since Hammer’s rapping career began winding down, he’s been involved in numerous business ventures including running an online site where dancers compete for the best music video, he’s owned a stable with very valuable and competitive thoroughbreds and has even started a company where he promoted and helped to establish brands for mixed martial artists.

Hammer has since made a name for himself in Silicon Valley with the upcoming release of WireDoo, where users will have the benefit of running a search with expanded results that are meant to cover all of your bases. So if you run a search on “Buy MC Hammer Pants” for example, your results will give you a list of possible stores, along with the social consequences of wearing them, a crisis hotline and possibly links to MC Hammer fan club sites.

Basically, the search engine will give you information on possible related searches, “It’s about relationships beyond just keywords,” he told Mashable. WireDoo is currently in its Beta stage and an official launch date has not been announced as of yet.

MC Hammer goes geek, crazy stuff….Go Hammer go!

A new bill, which has the potential to change the face of gambling in Florida, is currently pending in the legislature. If approved, it would allow the construction of three major gambling operations in South Florida.

Erik Fresen, a Republican from Miami who is co-sponsoring the bill, said that one of his priorities would be to establish a gaming commission and/or policy in Florida which would oversee the resorts. “The bill that I am filing, I have the specific intent and purpose of completely reforming gaming in the state of Florida and that includes as a key element the gaming commission,” he said.

The bill calls for the creation of a gambling commission which will comprise of seven members. The Florida House and Senate will nominate a pool of names, although the governor will appoint and select them.

The new commission’s responsibilities would include setting the state’s gaming policy and serving as an investigation agency. As one of the most powerful state agencies created in history, the new gambling commission would also be responsible for the investigation, licensing, regulation and granting of gambling licenses. All casinos, except Native American owned establishments, would fall under the commission’s responsibility.

In the meantime, the Florida Chamber has reaffirmed its opposition to the legislation that could allow the expansion of gambling in South Florida.

“All of the research that we’ve seen suggests that when you move commercial casino gambling into an already established tourism market like Miami, nothing good happens,” said the Florida Chamber President, Mark Wilson. “In fact, what happens is, you end up taking dollars that are going into one part of the economy and moving them into another part of the economy.”

Wilson did say, however, that the Chamber is willing to consider casinos if advocates are able to prove that the new megacasinos would bring down the number of people gambling, instead of expanding the number.

After it was disclosed that US media and real estate mogul, Donald Trump is making plans to enter the online gambling market, he made his views on the issue very clear in a recent interview: That online gambling should be approved in the United States since a lot of money is leaving the country, which should, by right, stay.

Trump Entertainment Resorts is advancing with plans to establish an online gambling venture as soon as it becomes legal in the United States. Trump believes that his brand would ensure that the venture’s success. “We think we have the hottest brand there is, the Trump brand, my personal brand,” he said. “We think it’s going to do phenomenally well.”

In its application to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Trump Entertainment noted that it was “determined that such a joint venture represents the most advantageous way for the company to participate in opportunities in online gaming at minimal cost to the company.”

Trump and his team are keeping a close eye on the events in New Jersey and are hoping that Governor Chris Christie will soon allow a bill that makes intrastate online gambling legal in the state, making it the first in the US to do so.

“Currently, millions of Americans engage in online gaming with illegal offshore operators, and do so with no oversight, no regulation or no consumer protections,” said the CEO of Trump Entertainment, Robert Griffin. “It makes sense for the state of New Jersey to regulate this activity, enforce strict standards to ensure games are fair and safe, and in turn be able to collect tax revenue instead of having those dollars and the jobs they support leaving New Jersey and going illegally overseas.”

The many problems of Black Friday and the issues that Party Poker and other poker sites had with US poker players on account of US banks not being able to process gambling rated transactions to offshore sites can all be pinned down to the UIGEA. In every way possible the UIGEA act has managed to turn the US online poker market upside down and push away nearly all of the biggest online poker sites catering to US players. There for the long term solution for US poker players would be to get proper legislation in place so that they can game online.

The recent call for a hearing on internet gambling scheduled by the US House Subcommittee for Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade is a step in this direction. The date for the hearing on internet gambling has been set for October 25th, 2011.

As of now, there is a bill promoting the legislation of US online poker that is sitting on the table and slowly making its rounds. If this bill should get passed, then it will change the face of the US online poker market completely. This bill is called the HR 2366 and is also called the Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act and may be a strong topic of discussion at the hearing.

John Pappas, the Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) commented on the upcoming hearing. “The hearing may be more about internet gaming, but the Barton bill will be hard to ignore given that Barton sits on the subcommittee,” he said.

The proposed HR2366 would attempt not just to legalize online poker in the United States but also to regulate it. This would be set into motion by the state permitting state-licensed groups and organizations to function as regulatory authorities. It is expected that New Jersey and Nevada, will be the first 2 states to move with this bill, should it get passed.

It is hoped that the HR2366 is fully considered by the committee; in the event that this does not happen, the HR2366 should ideally be sent for a markup or a sort of review, where the bill is amended in a way so that it can pass and then sent for approval again.

In the meantime, the PPA is working on pushing the bill forward and rallying support. “The PPA and its lobbying team will continue to meet with members of the subcommittee and their staffs leading up to next week’s hearing. We will be asking PPA members whose U.S. Representative is a member of this committee to contact their member directly before the hearing.”

KPMG Isle of Man is all set to sponsor an international online gambling conerence to be held next month on the Isle of Man. The goal of the meeting is to provide a forum for the industry’s service providers and gaming institutions, in order to consider future prospects for the industry. In particular, the leading executives who are invited to attend will talk about how to make sure that the island will continue to be ‘a safe place to play’ for the international marketplace.

The conference, scheduled for 22 November, will be held in Santon, at the Mount Murray Hotel. A similar conference was held last year, to great success. Although issues affecting the entire industry will be discussed, a special emphasis will be placed on companies that have operating licenses and facilities on the island.

In the morning the programme will review last year’s operations, with an update provided by the government’s Gambling Supervision Commission and Department of Economic Development. A panel of experts, both Manx and off-island, will discuss changes to the business environment and related issues.

In the afternoon several speakers will provide a forward-looking discussion of the role of gaming executives and how their activities may evolve as changes in the industry continue to develop. Time will be provided to have individual discussions with the panel members.

According to Russell Kelly, KPMG Isle of Man, who manages gaming services at the company: “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.”