After spinning the celebrity wheel today it seems to have landed on none other than Jennifer Lopez who after having divorced Marc Anthony, it seems that we’ll soon have to have an infographic to outline her latest flavor of the month. Last we heard, Lopez was spending quality time with Hangover star Bradley Cooper but we’re guessing she’s mixing it up because we just heard the news of her latest fling with dancer Casper Smart.
The 42-year-old singer and dancer is obviously free to date who she wants and I guess it’s our job to keep track of such things. The news of her and Bradley Cooper getting cozy was a bit surprising but a welcome union by many, so what happened there Jenn?
No word on Brad and Jenn but one thing we do know is that she has been dating back up dancer Casper Smart on the down low for the last few weeks. Smart is a young twenty-something dancer who has danced for Lopez, Beyonce and according to People Magazine, he’s also had several television and film appearances including Glee, Step Up 3D as well as an American Idol dancer.
He may be an unknown to us but in the dancing world, he’s been around and known for going shirtless in order to show off his own "situation." People Magazine also claims that Jenn and Casper are just having fun right now and that she’s focusing more on career and home above anything else.
The chairman of Caesars Entertainments, Gary Loveman, has estimated that it would take his company just over a year to get an online poker site running in the United States, should Congress pass legislation to legalize the game. He put a figure of “12-14 months” on the timescale for undergoing licensing procedures.
Caesars, along with other leading US gambling operators, has positioned itself to prepare to enter the US market if federal legislators ever decide to legalize online gaming. Earlier this year Caesars signed an agreement with UK-based company 888 Holdings, parent of 88 Poker, giving Caesars an online presence in Europe.
Loveman also stated that he considers the figure of $5 billion estimated as the potential revenue that legalized poker would bring to the United States in the form of tax receipts as “a conservative figure.”
US gaming rivals MGM Resorts International and Boyd Gaming have recently concluded a similar deal with Bwin.party, the newly formed parent company of PartyPoker, as they position their businesses for the potential opening of the legal US markets.
Loveman’s comment suggest, however, that even if legislation to legalize the game in the United States is passed in the early part of 2012, it may be a year later before the requisite licensing procedures are in place to allow gaming to begin. And with a fierce cross-section of interests still ranged against online gaming it is by no means certain that any change in the status quo is imminent.
Today, most of the talk in Northwest Florida about gambling revolves around vacations to Las Vegas or road trips to Biloxi.
But that could change in the near future.
The Florida Supreme Court could decide soon whether it will hear an appeal of a lower court’s decision that said the Legislature can approve slot machines anywhere in the state.
If allowed to stand, the ruling would allow lawmakers to permit destination casino resorts in Florida. Bills have been filed for the 2012 legislative session to license three such resorts in South Florida.
Mark Bellinger, executive director of the Okaloosa Tourist Development Council, said if the Supreme Court lets the decision to stand, he would schedule a discussion on casino gambling with his tourism board and likely bring the issue to the County Commission.
“It would be a whole new topic for the area to do a due diligence on,” Bellinger said.
Adopted by voters in 2004, the contested constitutional amendment permitted slot machines at seven horse and dog tracks and jai alai frontons that had been in business in Miami-Dade and Broward counties in the two years before the amendment took effect if approved in local referendums. Broward voters authorized slots in 2005. Miami-Dade voters followed in 2008.
A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal last month upheld a 2009 law allowing slots at Hialeah Park, although the horse track had been excluded from a 2004 constitutional amendment.
The casino legislation is being opposed by some on moral grounds as well as by competing interests. Tourism-related businesses such as Walt Disney World also are lining up against casinos because of the fear they will tarnish Florida’s family-friendly image.
Appeals also have been filed by competing parimutuels that received slots approval through the amendment.
The Supreme Court first must decide whether to take jurisdiction of the case. If it does, the justices then will hear arguments.
As in Okaloosa County, the issue of casino gambling has not been discussed yet by the TDC boards in Walton or Santa Rosa counties.
However, the executive directors of both boards said that would change if the Supreme Court allows the Legislature to approve slot machines.
“I’m sure it will (be discussed) if it becomes legal. As of yet, we haven’t addressed it,” said Kate Wilkes, executive director of the Santa Rosa County TDC. “I think it will be very controversial. People are going to feel very strongly about it one way or another.”
Dawn Moliterno, executive director of the Walton County TDC, said her board will wait to see what happens in Tallahassee. She said the TDC will look at the issue at the appropriate time.
“At this point it’s too early to tell,” Moliterno said. “I know that there’s conversation in Tallahassee through proposed legislation. For us … it’s too premature to come out with a position because a lot can change. The bill can get molded and modified in many shapes and forms, so for us we tend to want to make sure whatever we are commenting on is what is being presented.”
A nun with a habit for gambling has escaped being jailed after a court heard she stole over $1million to spend on slot machines.
Sister Marie Thornton stole the cash from a Catholic college where she worked as a financial officer.
The 65-year-old would spend thousands on slot machines in casinos in Jersey's Atlantic City.
She often lost up to $5,000 during a single visit to casinos with money stolen from Iona College over a ten year period. Thornton, who was known as Sister Susie, was spared jail when she pleaded guilty to one charge of embezzlement.
A court heard that she submitted false invoices to cover her theft and also arranged for the college to pay her credit card bills racked up at the casinos.
At her sentencing in Manhattan federal court, Thornton said she was deeply sorry for her crime and for the embarrassment she caused her religious order, family and friends.
'Somehow the words 'I'm sorry' fall short,' she told U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood. 'They don't convey the gut-wrenching sorrow I feel all day, every day.'
She said she was particularly pained to have harmed 'the institution I loved ... and gave my all to.'
Thornton was fired as vice president of finance in 2009 when school officials learned of the embezzlement.
But they never contacted law enforcement.
The federal probe was launched after the school revealed the missing money — without naming Thornton — in its tax filings last year.
Thornton had faced up to three years in jail but the judge said it appeared she had been rehabilitated through extensive treatment for her addiction.
He also said she had been punished enough by the strict oversight she must endure from her religious order in Philadelphia.
Thornton was arrested a year ago and pleaded guilty in March.
Her sentencing was postponed several times at the defense's request, including twice for medical reasons as she had cataract surgery and a double-hip replacement over the summer.
Iona College in New Rochelle, New York has recovered $500,000 of the losses through its insurance.
Ms Wood ordered Thornton to repay the balance of what she took, but admitted there was little chance she could raise that much.
Politicians are rushing to get the casino gambling bill passed before the holiday break.
According to the Boston Herald, lawmakers are burning the midnight oil in order to put the bill on Governor Deval Patrick's desk by Wednesday, which is the last day before a two-month time-out on Beacon Hill.
The joint conference committee is set to meet Monday to finalize provisions on the bill.
The House and Senate reportedly still differ on the Happy Hour Amendment, as well as a one-year cooling off period that would prohibit lawmakers from working for casinos for a year after leaving the legislature.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is just about three weeks away from releasing its report on internet poker. Division administrator, Jack Ketterer, says the report will give information, but not advice.
Ketterer says the legislature asked them to look at internet gambling in the state and a regulatory framework for it. He says lawmakers did not ask for a recommendation on moving ahead with internet gambling. Ketterer says they want to provide the information to let the legislature make its own decision on the issue.
Ketterer says their role is to gather information and collect facts so the legislature is up to speed when bills are introduced so “they can make an informed decision on what’s the best public policy for Iowa.” Ketterer says the issue of internet gambling is one that’s hot nationwide.
“It’s somewhat fascinating in that you see something on it about every day, it changes,” Ketterer says. He laughed and said there may be changes to the report. Ketterer says nailing down one key factor on the impact of internet gambling has not been easy.
He says one of the things the legislature and everyone else wants to know is how many people would do it and much money it would bring in. Ketterer says the answer to that is “pretty speculative.” He says they are getting information from the sources they feel are the best informed and they will reveal those in the report.
Ketterer says they did see a survey of some of the people who play poker in state-licensed casinos and about half of them said they would play on-line if it was available, and half said they wouldn’t. The report will be released to the legislature on December first.
The legal status of online gambling operators in Europe is changing quickly with the European Commission forwarding information to various jurisdictions slowly and inconsistently. The opening up of the internet gambling opportunities available in places such as Denmark, Spain and Germany has spurred operators to look for the best way to go about expanding their services.
A must attend summit for all online gambling operators is coming to London England at the end of November. The second annual International Gaming Law Summit 2011 will take place Tuesday, November 29 to Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at the Le Meridien Picadilly Hotel.
The Summit web site says those attending will increase player potential in light of new legislation in Europe. The European Commission has recently published a Green Paper which is the first step towards the harmonization of regulations across the E.U. although there have been exceptions to the rules that don’t comply with the framework the commission is trying hard to establish.
While the focus lately has been on the process for entering the possible US market the potential in Eastern European countries is vast. Operators are on alert for the latest law changes in those markets that were previously blocked by government monopolies and old regulations. Governments move slowly and don’t always make the right decisions that comply with European Commission guidelines.
The speaker list is impressive with top legal and industry leaders attending to share their wealth of experience and knowledge. Executives such as Robin Le Prevost Director of E-Commerce Development, and Philip Taylor of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission and Andrew McCabe who is legal council for online gambling giant Betfair will be there.
Morten Ronde Head of Legal issues for the Danish Gaming Board will present an address that covers issues in Germany, France, Italy, Denmark and Spain. The schedule is full of vital information for all companies large and small that want to expand the customer base in Europe.
Facebook, by far the internet's largest and most powerful social network, has amended its advertising guidelines to enable online casino advertisements to be posted on its website.
Chasing Revenue Increase
Facebook previously prohibited online gambling advertisements on its website, as part of its old guidelines. However, the website has now changed tact, realizing the awesome revenue-raising potential of allowing gambling sites to target its audience.
Under the new regulations, online casinos, poker rooms, sportbooks, lotteries and other internet-gambling related companies will be able to advertise on facebook. The rules presumably will also allow mobile gaming firms to advertise their wares on the social network.
Still no USA
Despite the change in regulations, this new advertising scheme will not be applicable to the United States. All online casino will still be prohibited from placing ads targeting customers in the American market, because of local laws on online gambling.
Most online casinos don't base themselves in the US anyway, so this shouldn't be a problem for them. But the rule will place restrictions on American casino affiliates who would have hoped to target potential new players through Facebook.
What's your iGame -- Texas Hold'em Poker, Black Jack, Bingo? Or maybe it's E-Scratch, a virtual way to scrape your way to winnings.
If you live in Washington, D.C., this may not just be an "iDream" and you could soon be living in the first jurisdiction in the country to allow iGaming. But it may not be a done deal, although it was part of D.C.'s Budget Support Act passed in late 2010. The iGaming provision was the brainchild of D.C. Councilmember At-Large Michael A. Brown, as a budget enhancer he projects will bring in $13 million over the first four years.
So what exactly is iGaming? Very simply, it's internet gambling. According to the D.C. Lottery Commission, which would oversee D.C.'s iGaming, the internet is used to "wager money on games of skill or chance... and fixed odd games." That includes the very chancy virtual E-scratch. In order to iGame, you have to be at least 19 years of age and be within city limits.
Online gambling also means no casinos blighting the nation's capital's cityscape. Instead, people can gamble in the privacy of their own homes or in "Secure Commercial iGaming Locations (SCILs)," located in existing commercial establishments, such as hotels, coffee shops, bars and restaurants. In other words, to get a license, a business has to already be in operation. Theoretically, a SCIL could be in a gas station or a gym (gamble while you're on the treadmill!).
Viewed by iGaming proponents as a possible revenue-raiser for a city with struggling schools and social services, the law has met with vociferous opposition over questions of who the internet gambling revenue will actually benefit, local authority over the location of online gaming sites, and challenges over the process of enacting the iGaming measure, the "Lottery Modernization Amendment Act of 2010," into law. According to opponents, it was slipped into the D.C. budget bill at the end of last year without public hearings.
But is the "Lottery Modernization" law really just a way for D.C. to get an online seat at the gambling table? Desperate for revenue, many states are exploring iGaming as a budget-booster, so D.C. is not alone. But how much is the take for the vendors, which, in D.C.'s case, is "DC09 LLC," a joint venture between Intralot, an integrated gaming supplier based in Greece (currently the world's most notorious debtor nation) and the D.C.-based Veterans Services Corporation (VSC).
According to Gabrielle Barry, Chief of Marketing & New Products for the D.C. Lottery, net
iGaming revenue is split 50/50 between the D.C. government and DC09, with DC09
responsible for implementation and operating costs. David Umansky in the office of D.C.'s
Chief Financial Officer said that means D.C. will be splitting an estimated $26 million over
four years with DC09, with Intralot paying all program expenses.
And who would benefit from the iGaming revenues? Opponents aren't convinced it would be social programs. As a result, activists created Stop D.C. Gambling, a blog to educate D.C. residents about the law's flaws. Meanwhile, local iGaming advocates believe online gambling revenue will fix the schools, create jobs and help human services programs, even though the gambling funds go into D.C.'s general fund, and are not dedicated to education or social programs.
"Anything that brings revenue into the city is a good thing," said a man at a recent evening public meeting, one of the last in a series being held in the District's eight wards. In opposition, a woman vocalized others' concerns asking "how do we know where the money will go?"
Generally, supporters of iGaming in D.C. stress that gambling goes on regardless, only outside of the District, depriving the city of revenue. A woman with parents in their 70s who drive outside of Delaware to gamble and don't return until five in the morning, would rather have them iGaming at home.
Others see bringing iGaming into trendy commercial areas like Adams Morgan as dangerous, with the potential of mixing alcohol and gambling, a fear Councilmember Brown rebuffs because there is no cash involved. Some who oppose iGaming are appalled at the legislative process creating the online gambling law. Brown disputes that as well claiming in a "Dear Colleague" letter that "the iGaming provision was properly vetted through Council procedures ..." Since being enacted, D.C. Council members Tommy Wells and Phil Mendelson have sponsored repeal legislation while other local officials have backed off from their support of the law as passed. Some local community bodies are also calling for repeal.
Buddy Roogow, executive director of the D.C. Lottery Board says "It's here, it's happening."
Spain will be the next European country to establish an online gambling regulatory framework. The target date is January 1, 2012 and things are now moving at a brisk pace. A major event was the Spanish Cabinet's approval of the decrees on online gambling licensing and technical requirements.
The Spanish online gambling trade association AEDAPI has expressed its satisfaction over the completion of this important administrative step. The doors are now open for online casino operators to apply for online gambling licenses. However, AEDAPI has tempered its praise with words of caution. It has pointed out that the attractiveness of the Spanish market has been lessened by the high 25% taxation on operator's net income and the temporary exclusion of some forms of gambling. Because of these issues the online gambling operators will find it difficult to be profitable in Spain. The AEDAPI statement says, "In this sense, we believe there is still much work to be done and many ways to improve gambling laws for the Spanish market."
Online gambling operators are also gearing up to meet this deadline. One of the first groups to make an announcement was Rank plc, which has been upbeat about the Spanish market for quite some time. Rank will launch its new Spanish online gambling site enRacha.com next year. This will offer a wide range of Spanish card games, online slots, skill games and casino and poker games.
The United Kingdom betting company Ladbrokes has announced its intent to enter the Spanish and Danish online gambling markets. Ladbrokes has announced an agreement with the Isle of Man based online casino software provider Microgaming for the latter's online casino and poker products. Ladbrokes' site for the Spanish market, LBApuestas, is ready to go live as soon as the license is received in January 2012. LBApuestas and the Danish site will offer a major suite of premium online casino titles from Microgaming's Flash and download casino clients. Ladbrokes will also be leasing Microgaming's online poker software, so that online gamblers in Spain and Denmark can enjoy a variety of poker cash games and tournaments.
Adam Greenblatt, director of corporate and strategic development at Ladbrokes, said, "We have a strong relationship with Microgaming and our players have always reacted well to their products; we are pleased to be working with them as we target new licenses in Spain and Denmark, markets familiar to Ladbrokes already." Andy Clucas, head of business development at Microgaming, said that once it receives a license, Ladbrokes will be able to offer the most competitive range of products.
The legal status of online gambling operators in Europe is changing quickly with the European Commission forwarding information to various jurisdictions slowly and inconsistently. The opening up of the internet gambling opportunities available in places such as Denmark, Spain and Germany has spurred operators to look for the best way to go about expanding their services.
A must attend summit for all online gambling operators is coming to London England at the end of November. The second annual International Gaming Law Summit 2011 will take place Tuesday, November 29 to Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at the Le Meridien Picadilly Hotel.
The Summit web site says those attending will increase player potential in light of new legislation in Europe. The European Commission has recently published a Green Paper which is the first step towards the harmonization of regulations across the E.U. although there have been exceptions to the rules that don’t comply with the framework the commission is trying hard to establish.
While the focus lately has been on the process for entering the possible US market the potential in Eastern European countries is vast. Operators are on alert for the latest law changes in those markets that were previously blocked by government monopolies and old regulations. Governments move slowly and don’t always make the right decisions that comply with European Commission guidelines.
The speaker list is impressive with top legal and industry leaders attending to share their wealth of experience and knowledge. Executives such as Robin Le Prevost Director of E-Commerce Development, and Philip Taylor of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission and Andrew McCabe who is legal council for online gambling giant Betfair will be there.
Morten Ronde Head of Legal issues for the Danish Gaming Board will present an address that covers issues in Germany, France, Italy, Denmark and Spain. The schedule is full of vital information for all companies large and small that want to expand the customer base in Europe.
Towards the end of last week two of the leading members of the gaming community gave very different opinions over the future of legislation that would allow legal online poker in the US. I. Nelson Rose, one of America’s top gaming lawyers and Gary Loveman, CEO of Caesars Entertainment both shared their opinions with the gaming community.
Rose was talking at a two day conference on online gambling held at the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas. Rose said that he does not expect an online poker bill to be passed by the U.S. Congress “anytime soon” despite the intense pressure from players and gaming companies. Rose is pessimistic about the legislation as the current Congress has shown that they are not capable of coming to an agreement on any significant legislation. However, he did say that New Jersey, Iowa, California, Florida, Massachusetts and Nevada have the potential to pass intrastate poker legislation. Nevertheless he expects that most gaming companies would prefer federal legislation so as to ensure uniform laws across the country.
Loveman on the other hand had a more optimistic view. He thinks that his company needs between twelve to fourteen months to set up an online poker service for U.S. customers. He believes that Congress will pass legislation as there is a “sense of inevitability that this ought to be something people should do and that we ought to clean up the regulatory and policing environment for it and that’s what we’re seeking”.
Loveman believes $5 billion is a conservative estimate of the yearly revenues legalised poker could bring in. Early this year Caesars Entertainment and 888 Holdings PLC signed an agreement to provide an online “World Series of Poker” website to players outside of America. Should legislation be passed in the US then they will very quickly be ready to start serving American players.
Actor Brad Pitt who is best known for playing roles that make him so damn charming and likeable to his audiences such as Tyler Durden from Fight Club or Rusty Ryan from Ocean’s Eleven has announced that he will be giving up acting within the next three years. Is his reign of coolness starting to wind down in Hollywood?
Brad Pitt will be one of those guys that couldn’t shake the cool even if he tried and according to People Magazine, he actually does enjoy acting but is thinking of focusing on more of a behind the scenes type gig. “I am really enjoying the producing side and development of stories and putting those together, he claims.
Currently, Brad together with Jennifer Aniston and Brad Grey, own Plan B Entertainment – a company out of Los Angeles which is responsible for bringing projects such as Eat, Pray, Love; The Departed and his upcoming zombie flick World War Z to the light.
So we’re guessing he’ll put more energy into Plan B in a few years and if he is serious about giving up acting let’s hope he picks some truly amazing roles that we can truly savor like dare I say this, a real heart-wrenching love story. Can’t you see him following in the footsteps of Clint Eastwood or Robert Redford who focused their acting energy into directing and producing….yeah.
The European Commission opened a legal, political and cultural can of worms when earlier this year it said it would take a closer look at the murky waters of online gambling in the EU.
The announcement sparked a flurry of interest around the EU, not least from a Spanish charity for the blind which fears its charity gambling model will be undermined by any drive to deregulate the sector.
Around half of all EU member states allow charity gambling but Spain’s National Association for the Blind (ONCE) has a monopoly in the area.
Set up in 1938, and working with a licence from the government, ONCE derives around 80 percent of its revenues – last year €1.86bn - from selling lottery coupons.
But it fears that a blithe deregulation of the online gambling sector could potentially decimate its profits.
Angel Sierra, managing director at ONCE, says that allowing gambling operators to set up shop in Spain would "cannabalise" the potential profits it makes from its lottery.
He admits that less than one percent of last year's revenue came from online gambling but points out that the sector is about to explode in growth. The commission itself backs up these growth projections, suggesting that online gambling services accounted for 7.5 percent of the overall gambling market in 2008, a figure that is expected to have doubled by 2013.
"There is a danger of liberalising the market. In Malta, for example, there are more than 500 gambling licences. If all of them operated in Spain, then they would cannabilise the income of ONCE," says Sierra.
He adds: "If they sell, let’s say €1 billion, then of course that billion euros will eat into ONCE sales."
ONCE, which expanded its umbrella to cover all persons with disabilities in Spain in 1983, prides itself on being unique in Europe for ploughing back all of its profits into helping people with disabilities.
It has been lobbying in Brussels to keep its status on social-service grounds.
"I think they understand the uniqueness of ONCE, a lottery totally devoted to the social service of integrating people with disabilities into Spanish society," says Sierra.
The commission published its green paper in March and allowed interested parties to comment on it until the end of July. It is expected to publish plans for the sector in 2012.
In a sign of the interest the area, a short report by German liberal MEP Juergen Creutzmann voted on in parliament on 15 November, attracted hundreds of comments by MEPs. While it says there is a need for more co-ordinated regulation in the EU, the report also suggests that the “traditions and cultures" of member states need to be taken into account.
The commission, for its part, has said that its examination of the area is not simply about liberalising the market.
Rather, says internal market commissioner Michel Barnier: “It is about ensuring that the market for on-line gambling services within the EU is well-regulated for all."
A study by the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law looking into the situation across member states shows the commission could clamp down on restrictive gambling laws even if member states say they are for social reasons.
All member states have restrictions in place for public-interest reasons, but these vary considerably, says the Swiss study, and often result in restrictions in the fundamental internal market freedoms of providing services and the right to establishment, breaching EU law.
But the EU's highest court has in the past upheld national rights to impose restrictions to online gambling under certain narrow conditions.
The European Parliament today voted to adopt a new report which urges a harder line on harmonizing online gambling law across the European Union.
Among the recommendations in the report, drafted by German MEP Jurgen Creutzmann, are a common set of rules for consumer protection in the realm of online gambling across the continent.
This is a definite shift away from the previous stance of supporting the status quo and allowing online gambling law to be decided at national level and includes a move towards a framework directive, formal cooperation between national regulators and more consistent use of infringement procedures by the European commission.
Sigrid Ligné, Secretary General of the EGBA welcomed the report saying, “This vote constitutes a very welcome shift in the position of the European Parliament. Time is of the essence given that it is precisely now that Member States are pushing ahead and reregulating their national online gambling markets.
“Today the Commission has received political support to initiate EU actions. But any EU level action can take years to be adopted and this cannot be a pretext for inaction against Member States that infringe EU law. As the guardian of the Treaties, the Commission must act to curb further fragmentation of the Internal Market by consistently declaring protectionist national regimes to be incompatible with EU law.”
A number of EU countries are currently in the process of following France and Italy in regulating their online gambling markets including Denmark, Spain and Germany.
A recent press release from the European Parliament is calling on a more concerted effort by the European Commission to bring in new rules to govern the way online gambling is regulated in the Euro Zone. Members say the need for protection of consumers from illegal internet wagering and real guidelines for operators to ensure underage gambling is not permitted is paramount.
The issue is a double edged sword that is full of implementation difficulties. The Members of the E.U. parliament are saying that EU Member States should be free to maintain their own rules on online gambling. Yet to ensure safe play and services for the social issues that do arise, a total European Union coordinated approach is necessary. The Commission Green Paper that came out in March of 2011 and the non-legislative resolution by Jürgen Creutzmann (ALDE, DE) sets up the Commission’s position.
It was noted prior to the debate on a resolution to move forward that, "Member States must work must closer together on this issue. However, this will not suffice to solve the problems outlined. In the future, the EU will also have to play a stronger role,"
The MEPs also were looking for ways to combat illegal gambling and said blacklisted gambling providers should have all financial transactions blocked by payment processors and the banks.
To combat the proliferation of illegal online gambling operators MEPs suggested a licensing model with enforceable requirements.
Also the MEPs are calling for the Commission to set up common standards for operators or a framework directive and a European code of conduct for online gambling should be established to protect those vulnerable to gambling addiction. The resolution also asks for controls such as age verification and restrictions for electronic payment which the Parliamentary officials say need to be in place before any gambling begins.
Miley Cyrus is dealing with something she's never dealt with before, ever. Yes, after photos of Miley surfaced with a slightly rounder face, the teen queen went to her Twitter to blast the media, who began calling her the "F" word – yes – fat.
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"By calling girls like me fat this is what you're doing to other people. I love MYSELF," the 18-year-old tweeted to her 3.5 million followers. The comment was posted with a highly creepy picture of an anorexic woman. Warning, it might freak you out.
Miley added, "I love MYSELF & If you could say the same you wouldn't be sitting on your computer trying to hurt others."
Friend and fellow Disney star Demi Lovato posted, “I love you, whoever called you that has it coming.”
Miley also posted a pic of Marilyn Monroe with the caption: "Proof that you can be adored by thousands of men even when your thighs touch."
She finally tweeted, "I don't wanna be shaped like a girl. I LOVE being shaped like a WOMAN & trust me ladies your man won't mind either 😉"
What do you think? Do you think Miley Cyrus has packed on some weight? If she has, is it anyone's business to comment on it? Sound off in our comments section!
South Shore legislators say they hope Tuesday’s passage of a casino bill will pay off in jobs, additional state revenue and the return of Massachusetts gamblers who have left billions of dollars on the tables of other New England casinos.
“This bill wasn’t an issue of should we legalize gambling or not,” said Rep. Marc Cusack, D-Braintree. “Gambling was legalized in ’71 with the establishment of the Lottery Commission. This is about expanded gambling to create jobs and increase revenue.”
The final bill establishes up to three casinos and one slot machine parlor. Casino developers will pay the state at least $85 million in initial licensing fees and promise to invest at least $500 million in each casino resort.
Rep. James Cantwell, D-Marshfield, voted for the bill despite his concern about the slot parlor. But he said the bill addressed one of his other concerns: gambling addiction. The bill would require gambling sites to provide free on-site counseling and display information on gambling addiction.
“We have people right now who (gamble) in Connecticut and Rhode Island and they have those same problems of bankruptcy and we don’t have the ability to help them,” Cantwell said.
An amendment to the bill establishes a cooling-off period that would bar public officials who had been involved in gambling legislation from working in the industry for one year after leaving government.
The final bill does not include the “happy hour” provision approved by the Senate on an amendment by Sen. Robert Hedlund, R-Weymouth, but instead requires a two-year study by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. Hedlund’s amendment would have lifted restrictions on happy hours in bars if casinos are allowed to give away drinks for free.
Hedlund and Sen. John Keenan, D-Quincy, voted against the bill. The Senate passed the final bill 23-14 shortly after the House voted 118-33 for the bill.
Keenan had previously offered an amendment that would have eliminated the slot parlor and limited the number of resort casinos to two.
“Three casinos and one slot parlor oversaturate the market, and the social cost associated with it would outweigh any of the financial benefits,” he said.
House and Senate negotiators agreed to a pact Monday that sets the stage for final approval of legislation to bring three casinos and a slots-only facility to Massachusetts.
The bill, which is expected to easily clear both branches of the Legislature, could reach Gov. Deval Patrick's desk as early as Tuesday afternoon, and Patrick has indicated he supports the broad framework of the bill. If lawmakers pass the plan this week, Patrick would then have 10 days to sign, amend or veto it.
Rep. Joseph Wagner, the co-chairman of the Economic Development Committee and the lead House conferee on the bill, said that backers of the plan don't expect casinos to be operational for three to four years after the expected passage of the proposal.
"I think it's a good bill. I think last year's bill was a good bill, and we have made improvements on that in different areas. If you hold this to the light of day and against laws in other states that do casino gambling, this is a good bill," Wagner said Monday night after the 150-page, 115-section bill had been filed with the House clerk.
Under the compromise bill - negotiated by a six-member panel of lawmakers charged by legislative leaders with forging consensus between House and Senate versions - lawmakers, municipal officials and county workers who vote on or administer gambling policy would be barred from working in the casino industry for a year after they leave office.
That plan, endorsed by the Senate, had initially been cast aside by the House, and the House and Senate's lead negotiators, Wagner (D-Chicopee) and Sen. Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst), have expressed reservations about the policy. Wagner, however, said last night that the one-year "cooling-off" period was a "reasonable solution" to an issue that, in his opinion, could have little impact.
"I understand symbolically how important that appeared to some," Wagner told the News Service. " That said, these facilities aren't going to come online for a period of four years, give or take, so as a practical matter a one-year cooling off period I don't think means a great deal."
The final proposal also eliminates a Senate plan that would have permitted bars and restaurants to offer free or discounted drinks to patrons, within the bounds of regulations established by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. Instead, the ABCC would be charged with studying all alcoholic beverage regulations for two years.
In Boston, Worcester and Springfield, approval of the siting of a casino would be left to the voters in the potential host ward, although city officials would have the option to open a citywide vote.
The final bill also scrapped a House plan that would have counted gambling revenue toward calculations that determine whether Bay State residents are in line for an income tax reduction.
The compromise proposal won the support of all four Democrats and one of the two Republicans negotiating a deal, including Wagner, Rosenberg, Rep. Brian Dempsey (D-Haverhill) and Sens. Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster) and Richard Ross (R-Wrentham). Only Rep. Paul Frost (R-Auburn) withheld his signature from the proposal. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
Backers of the casino legislation cite the potential to create thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. Critics say it will cause irreparable harm to the character of the state, stoke addiction and increase crime and corruption.
Passage of a casino bill would bring resolution to an issue that has been on the Beacon Hill agenda for decades. The issue appeared resolved last year when lawmakers sent Gov. Deval Patrick a plan to introduce three casinos and two slot parlors - specifically marked for the state's racetracks - but talks disintegrated over Patrick's opposition to approving what he called "no-bid contracts" for track owners. The bill died when Patrick returned it with an amendment but lawmakers had already concluded formal business for the year.
"In view of what happened at the end of last session, we were clear we could not afford a repeat of that and took a good deal of care and deliberation trying to understand what might or might not be acceptable to him," Wagner said of the governor.
Under the bill, oversight of the new gambling industry would fall to a new five-member gambling commission, whose members would be appointed by the governor, the treasurer and the attorney general. The commission would be responsible for vetting casino applicants to operate casinos around the state, for collecting taxes from gambling facilities and for ensuring that gambling operators comply with the law.
The bill divides the state into three regions that would each be eligible to host a single casino: an eastern region that includes Boston and extends to Worcester, a southeastern region that includes Plymouth County, Bristol County, Cape Cod and the islands, and a western region that includes the four counties west of Worcester.
Bidders, including the Mohegan tribe, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts have already begun lining up to obtain licenses, should they become available. The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is also eyeing a bid for the southeastern license. Under the bill, Gov. Patrick would have until July 31, 2012 to negotiate a compact with tribes seeking a license before opening the process to other bidders.
Successful bidders would pay $85 million to obtain a casino license and guarantee a minimum $500 million capital investment, or $25 million to obtain a slots-only license with a minimum $125 million investment. Daily revenue at casinos would be taxed at 25 percent, and the slots facility would pay 49 percent in taxes on revenue.
The plan apportions revenue from licenses and taxes to local aid, higher education, health care payment reform, transportation, public health, racehorse development, mitigation for host and surrounding communities, tourism and anti-addiction p
Gov. John Lynch's decision to veto a casino or racino gambling bill, should it reach his desk, is spot on.
On Monday, the New Hampshire governor advised the legislative leadership of his decision.
In a letter to Senate President Peter Bragdon and Speaker William O'Brien, the governor detailed his concerns. These include a lack of regulatory structure, quality of life and the social problems gambling is sure to exacerbate and future proliferation egged on by a moneyed gambling industry that would control a significant portion of state revenues.
Like Gov. Lynch, this newspaper has been long concerned about the downside of gambling when squared with its benefits. But up until recently, it looked like the Legislature was going to take its time working through the pros and cons of any expanded gambling bill. As a result, we have not expressed much editorial angst.
However, the pace of those discussions accelerated greatly when it became apparent earlier this year that Massachusetts was finally ready to give way to gambling interests.
Since then the pressure has been on to expand gambling here in the Granite State in order to fend off the expected increased sucking sound of New Hampshire gambling dollars to the nearby Bay State.
This rush has resulted in much disarray in Concord. Proponents have fought over the number of casinos that should be allowed, the cost of licensing and even what to do with the added revenue, i.e. lower property taxes, lower business taxes or put it in the Rainy Day Fund.
Lost has been a focus on the damage waiting to be done by bringing expanded gambling right to the doorstep of those Granite Staters most susceptible to its intoxicating allure.
The position of this newspaper has parallelled that of Gov. Lynch's. He and we have been waiting to see if and/or how the problems that come as part of expanded gambling could be addressed. In past editorials this newspaper has stressed this need above all else.
But now that the Legislature — from the ranks of both Republicans and Democrats — seem hell bent on expanding gambling. As a result we laud Gov. Lynch for inking his veto pen and getting it ready to use should the Legislature continue on its folly.
The 42-year-old singer and dancer is obviously free to date who she wants and I guess it’s our job to keep track of such things. The news of her and Bradley Cooper getting cozy was a bit surprising but a welcome union by many, so what happened there Jenn?
No word on Brad and Jenn but one thing we do know is that she has been dating back up dancer Casper Smart on the down low for the last few weeks. Smart is a young twenty-something dancer who has danced for Lopez, Beyonce and according to People Magazine, he’s also had several television and film appearances including Glee, Step Up 3D as well as an American Idol dancer.
He may be an unknown to us but in the dancing world, he’s been around and known for going shirtless in order to show off his own "situation." People Magazine also claims that Jenn and Casper are just having fun right now and that she’s focusing more on career and home above anything else.