Let your mouth speak archive

Brooke Mueller and Aspen don't seem to go together well - as it seems like everytime she's there, the long cold arm of the law grips her by the throat and strangles her. No, wait a minute. That's just Charlie Sheen.

With her Charlie off in cocaine land, the mother of Sheen's twin boys (Bob and Max) was busted in Apsen. Mueller apparently assaulted someone at a nightclub, then went to another nightclub, Escobar Nightclub, where she proceeded to dance it off.

While she was dancing, police entered the club and took her away. She was arrested on suspicion of felony cocaine possession and third degree assault. Arrested on Friday, she was released from the Pitkin County jail this morning on $11,000 bond. Mueller's troubles in Aspen began back in 2009 on Christmas Day, when then-husband Sheen was arrested at their house for assaulting her. He was eventually charged with felony menacing, as well as third-degree assault and criminal mischief. He was sentenced to 30 days in a drug rehab center, 30 days of probation, and 36 hours of anger management. However, because Mueller was found to be intoxicated at the time of the incident, what really happened was foggy for both parties.

Brooke has since been in and out of rehab multiple times and had various brushes with the law, being arrested in September 1996 for DUI and property damage after she crashed her Chevy Corsica into a road sign. In 2001 she was arrested for cocaine possession, but the charges were dropped. Think Mueller will straighten out?

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Only weeks after casinos were legalized in Massachusetts, Salem selectmen are sending a letter to Gov. John Lynch, asking him to reconsider his opposition to expanded gaming in New Hampshire.

Selectmen's Chairwoman Elizabeth Roth said Friday she will review a draft of the letter today and it will be mailed tomorrow. The board agreed to send the letter last week in the wake of recent developments they believe could hinder economic growth in the Granite State.

Selectman Stephen Campbell told his colleagues and Town Manager Keith Hickey they should let Lynch know how they feel about the issue.

Millennium Gaming of Las Vegas has an option to purchase Rockingham Park in Salem as part of a $450 million plan to convert the century-old racetrack into a casino.

Two weeks ago, Lynch vowed to veto bills that would legalize video slots in New Hampshire. He also reiterated his concern that expanded gambling would have a detrimental impact on the quality of life in the Granite State. It would also be difficult to restrict the number of casinos approved in the future, he said.

Lynch's comments came shortly after Massachusetts passed a law that authorizes up to three casino licenses in the state.

But Campbell said his suggestion to notify the governor was mostly motivated by Lynch's recent comments to veto any gambling legislation that hit his desk. Selectmen also sent Lynch a letter in August after local officials, including Roth, visited one of Millennium's casinos in Pennsylvania.

"It just struck me to send him another letter to let him know," Campbell said Friday.

Campbell said Salem residents should be given the chance to decide if they want a casino at Rockingham Park. But if the state decides to embrace expanded gambling, it needs to act, he said.

"We can't control what Massachusetts does," Campbell said. "If we are going to do it, it would have made more sense to do it before Massachusetts."

Roth said the redevelopment of Rockingham Park would be a tremendous asset to Salem. A casino could help revitalize the community, she said.

"It makes the most sense to develop that property into a business venture," she said. "The property needs to be developed. It can't be left in ruin."

After visiting the Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington, Pa., this summer, Roth said a similar operation could prosper in Salem, creating hundreds of jobs without increasing crime.

The town didn't receive a response from Lynch's office the first time and doesn't expect one this time either, Roth said.

But she said Lynch is well aware of where Salem stands on expanded gambling.

"I've met with the governor personally and he knows the position," she said.

Colin Manning, Lynch's spokesman, said Friday the governor won't be changing his mind any time soon.

"The governor was clear in stating his position and that position has not changed," Manning said.

During her trip, Roth said, she learned several casinos can coexist in the same area with negatively affecting the other. That means any casinos built in Massachusetts would not have a large impact on one in Salem, she said.

Roth was joined on the trip by Victorian Park owner Larry Belair, Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce executive director Donna Morris, businessman Michael Collins, and Rockingham Park president and general manager Edward Callahan.

Callahan said Friday he was pleased selectmen are taking a stand on the issue. It was just a matter of time before Massachusetts allowed casinos, he said.

"We clearly figured on competition from Massachusetts, so it's no surprise," he said.

The proposed deal with Millennium is still on the table, he said.

There are bills for the next legislative session that would legalize expanded gambling.

EGR Magazine revealed last week that representatives from social networking group, Facebook, met with online gambling industry executives late last month to discuss the possibility of introducing real cash games on Facebook.

According to the report, Facebook met with executives from 888 Holdings, Gamesys, and PokerStars to see how to set the wheels in motion to introduce online gambling in Facebook for the enjoyment of millions.

However, the "Facebook online gambling rumours" are being described as just that, rumours. Although interestingly, Facebook has not denied them outright. In fact, in a statement the social networking site said: "We are always in discussions with companies about lots of different ideas, but we don't comment on future plans or speculation."

Said eGR's editor, James Bennett, "Facebook is looking for new revenue streams and the online gambling industry is looking for new markets. There is a lot of work needed to be done, not least what percentage of revenues gambling companies would have to give away to Facebook and the issue of age verification."

This very point of age verification has triggered fears among UK politicians and social groups, who oppose the fact that online gambling will be introduced to children far too young for this form of entertainment.

Over three million Facebook users in the UK are between the ages of 13 and 17, although it is believed that there are as many as one million more younger members, pretending to be over 13 (the minimum age required to open a Facebook account).

Learning the Mechanics of Online Gambling

According to Prof. Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trenty University, even if real money doesn't exchange hands among younger Facebook members, young children are "learning the mechanics of gambling."

"These games can be a gateway to more serious gambling," he said.

These fears were echoed by Lauri Moyle of Christian Action Research Education (CARE) who said: "Because there is a link between the age when people start gambling and the likelihood of developing a difficulty controlling their gambling, protecting children from the normalisation of gambling is vital."

According to reports, Facebook is planning to offer eight licenses to online gambling companies to offer their applications on its UK platform. Groups such as Gamesys and the London listed 888 are believed to be among the first in line to apply for these licenses, which could be issued next year.

Facebook is planning flotation next year and is estimated to be worth around £64 billion.

Was Charlie just covering for Brooke?
It appears that Brooke might have been the problem all along....lol.
Was Charlie was just keeping his girl happy?

According to a poll recently done by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (or the UGC for short), the popularity associated with remote gambling continue to be on the rise. Remote gambling includes personal computers, laptops, smart phones, and tablets. The online casino industry has especially taken note of the increased use of smart phones for mobile gambling purposes. Research from Ofcom showed that numerous consumers in the United Kingdom are spending approximately half of their time away using communication devices, especially smart phones.

However, one of the problems the United Kingdom is facing is that most of the online casino companies that offer mobile gambling are licensed and located offshore. Often, this is done for tax-related purposes. Unfortunately, the United Kingdom is not ready to revise any of their tax laws.

With the widespread availability of devices that are internet-ready, the government in the United Kingdom is extremely worried about irresponsible gambling. The Minister of Tourism and Heritage, John Penrose, recently announced new plans to combat the irresponsibleness. His proposal is aimed at protecting the public from a possible gambling addiction by requiring that all online gambling companies have a license in order to be able to operate in the United Kingdom, no matter where they are located. Penrose said that the system that is currently in place to regulate remote gambling does not work as operators overseas are provided an unfair advantage over companies based in the United Kingdom. The British consumers end up having little, if any, protection based on where the online casino operator is located.

The goal is to have these offshore websites get a license from the UGC. This would create a level playing field for every single online gambling operator. However, before the UGC is able to do this, they may have to think about revising their tax and trading laws so it will be attractive for these offshore operators to get a license.

With the recent de-regulation of the online gambling industry in Denmark, we are seeing a new sector of the European gambling marketplace open up. This is always good news, and from the 1st of January 2012, Demark will be a new licensing jurisdiction. This will be a new industry for them as a country and when something is so new, it is always good to copy successful industry players. Denmark obviously believes in this practice too, and have signed a bilateral cooperation agreement with the Isle of Man. The agreement forms the basis of their co-operation and will be formalized with effect from 1st Jan 2012. Denmark also has a similar co-operation agreement in place with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission.

In another European gambling scenario; after mistakenly passing legislation, the Czech Republic is furiously backpedaling. The lower house of parliament passed legislation which offers video lottery terminal (VLT) operators a CZK 2b (€77.7m) tax break. This news has been sufficient to cause a media fire-storm. A 20% tax on VLT revenue is to be split into three parts: 1/3 to local municipalities, 1/3 to education, and a 1/3 was left up to the gambling companies to decide on a donation to a charity of their choice. What the government wanted to achieve, was a split of the revenue evenly between municipalities and education…go figure? There was even more controversial wording in the bill, but we won’t go into that now.

Greece has passed laws that look as though they will be seriously challenged in the courts by the Remote Gambling Association. So, another European online gambling court battle is being lined up for the New Year. And Cyprus? Well Cyprus has always been a haven for the remote online gambling industry as well as British retirees, but it looks as though that is about to change too.

Republican lawmakers steadfastly opposed to any tax increases suggested by Democrats say they have other ideas for raising money to help plug a $2 billion state budget shortfall.

Their biggest proposal on the table: gambling.

Republican leaders want to let nontribal casinos offer the same slot machines as tribal casinos, with the state receiving a cut of the revenue. Advocates say it would bring in nearly $160 million next fiscal year and $380 million in the subsequent two years, although the Governor's Office questions those numbers.

"This to me seems like a pretty lucrative option," said Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia, ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee. "Besides generating significant amounts of money, it also hits the other major issue we're addressing, and that is putting people back to work."

Republicans say they want to help level the playing field for small, nontribal gambling halls that struggle to compete with glitzy tribal casinos.

Democrats, who have been saying "everything is on the table" when it comes to balancing the state budget, seem inclined to leave this idea in the freezer. Democrats control the House, Senate and Governor's Office.

Gov. Chris Gregoire doesn't see the proposal going anywhere. "If I had my way," she said, "we would not have any gambling in Washington state at all, on or off reservation."

The GOP grumbles that Democrats don't want to anger the tribes, who are big political contributors.

The state Democratic Party alone received about $1 million in direct contributions from the tribes between 2004 and 2010. The state Republican Party received $4,500.

The tribes say they will fight any legislation that tries to break their monopoly on electronic gambling machines.

And Brian Cladoosby, chairman of the Swinomish Tribe, noted Washington voters have turned down expansion of slot-machine gambling outside tribal casinos.

In 2004, voters rejected with more than 61 percent of the vote an initiative that would have allowed as many as 18,000 new electronic slot machines in nontribal casinos, bars, restaurants and bowling alleys.

"Washington voters have spoken loud and clear that they are comfortable with this kind of gaming being limited in tribal facilities, and I would hope they would look at those past votes," Cladoosby said.

No revenue from tribes

House and Senate Republicans say they plan to introduce bills in both chambers as soon as this week that would allow a limited number of electronic slot machines in 60 existing licensed cardrooms, with a maximum of 7,875 machines statewide.

Alexander said he planned to meet with representatives from several tribes Tuesday in Olympia to discuss the legislation.

"If you are going to have gambling, it should be equal between non-Indian and Indian," said Sen. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, who plans to sponsor legislation in the Senate.

Delvin and others note the state does not receive a cut of the money the tribes make from their 28 casinos. Nontribal casinos pay local gambling taxes as well as business-and-occupation taxes — but tribes do not.

The state Gambling Commission said it knows of 24 states that have tribal gaming. Ten have some type of revenue sharing with the tribes.

Under their gambling compacts negotiated with the state, tribes are required to spend some of their revenues on smoking cessation, problem gambling, impact fees, and charitable contributions in their communities. But there is no revenue sharing.

State records show tribal casinos had an estimated $1.95 billion in net receipts in fiscal year 2011, up from $1.57 billion in 2009.

Gregoire said she convened an emergency meeting of tribal leaders last month, at the request of Republicans, "to see if tribal leadership was interested in revenue sharing or something short of revenue sharing."

The governor said 24 tribes were represented at the meeting in Kitsap County.

"I laid out the crisis that we're in, and the cuts that I was going to make are going to impact not just all of the nontribal folks in the state, but the tribal folks," she said.

The tribes were not willing to budge on revenue sharing, she said.

"Then I simply said, 'Bottom line, is there anything you can do to help us?' "

Gregoire said she's still waiting for an answer.

No leverage over tribes

W. Ron Allen, chairman of the Washington Indian Gaming Association, said tribal leaders reminded the governor that under the gambling compacts, revenue sharing can't be entered into without renegotiating the agreements and receiving Department of Interior approval.

Tribes also would not agree to revenue sharing without a guarantee of exclusivity — cutting other nontribal gambling out of the action, without any grandfathered operations, Allen said.

Further, he said tribal leaders reminded the governor that tribes have troubles of their own. Reducing gambling revenues they need to pay for their programs would shift budget problems to the tribes, Allen said.

Tribal leaders did pledge they would try to help fund services in their communities the state can't afford, something some tribes already are doing, both Cladoosby and Allen said.

Last February the Tulalip Tribes donated $1.26 million to the Marysville School District to help it weather budget cuts, benefiting not only tribal students, but all 11,000 in the district.

Gregoire said the reality is the state has no leverage over the tribes when it comes to revenue sharing.

"If we got revenue sharing," she said, "they'd have to get something in the deal. The court cases have been real clear about that. I don't know what I have to give them, other than unfettered gaming."

That's something the governor said she's unwilling to do.

60 percent threshold

There is nothing to stop the state from allowing slot machines in nontribal casinos, except an apparent lack of votes.

Democrats say 60 percent votes in the House and Senate are

Gov. Dayton, legislative leaders and the Minnesota Vikings are working hard to find a deal they all can support to build a new stadium. Their discussions have brought the subject of expanded gambling to the forefront.

While gambling proponents will always be there to push new casinos and slot machines as a way to solve the state's financial issue du jour, this moment of heightened discussion is a good time to point out major problems with such proposals that seem to get very little attention in the media or at the Legislature.

It is important to understand that Minnesota's Constitution prohibits most gambling. The Constitution has been amended only twice to allow specific types of gambling -- once for parimutuel betting at racetracks, and once to establish the state lottery.

Tribal casinos exist in Minnesota and throughout the country because of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which was passed by Congress in 1988 and supersedes state gambling prohibitions.

An 18-page opinion issued by the Minnesota Attorney General's Office in March 2005 concludes that a state-run casino does not fall under the definition of the state lottery as understood and approved by voters and "that the operation of slot machines, roulette wheels or craps by the State would violate Article XIII, Section 5 of the Minnesota Constitution."

The opinion further states that in order to pursue creation of any state-run casino, the governor and Legislature should "first seek approval of a constitutional amendment from the voters."

There is another constitutional problem with these proposals. The only possible way for these proposals to be considered legal is to conclude that they are authorized under the constitutional provision creating the state lottery.

This is the opposite of the conclusion in the attorney general's opinion.

But even assuming that the attorney general was wrong and that casinos can be built as part of the state lottery, then, according to the Constitution, "not less than 40 percent of the net proceeds from any state-operated lottery must be credited to the [environment and natural resources] fund."

All of the gambling-based stadium proposals that we have seen fail this constitutional test.

The proposals use various gimmicks that will not hold up in court to give money to the state as a gambling tax or fee. They pretend that this money that comes to the state is somehow different and would not be considered as "proceeds" to the state from the lottery.

This gimmick is clearly designed to get around the Constitution and would not be allowed by a court. The attorney general's opinion states that failure to allocate 40 percent of proceeds to the environment and natural resources fund is "clearly unconstitutional."

Expanded gambling isn't the simple "solution" that proponents claim. The current proposals are actually risky and unreliable. They are an invitation for extended court battles.

The governor, the Legislature, the Vikings and all of us would be better served by focusing on solutions that don't violate the state's Constitution.

Radek John, leader of the Public Affairs (VV, minor coalition government member), said yesterday he believed the Senate would reprieve the Czech Chamber of Deputies' mistake on Thursday and municipalities would keep their revenues from gambling.

John said the gambling companies themselves would not decide on the money from gambling.

Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) said after a two-hour meeting of coalition representatives yesterday further steps depended on the Senate.

"We have speculated on what resolution the Senate may or may not pass," Kalousek said.

"We cannot speak about any firm strategy, because it is not the coalition government that is to decide now," he added.

The Senate is dominated by the left, primarily the Social Democrats (CSSD).

Before the meeting, Kalousek said the proposals of Michal Babak, VV deputy and financial expert, were stupid due to the mistake that happened in the Chamber of Deputies when changes to gambling legislation were being passed.

After the meeting he told journalists he had promised that he would not speak about Babak in this way any longer.

The Social Democrats have promised to support a different way of distributing the gambling proceeds so that lottery companies did not have an influence on them.

However, they want to ensure the flow of money to sport.

The parties concur on the preservation of local fees for gambling machines the Chamber of Deputies has cancelled, probably by mistake.

The upper house will debate the legislation on Thursday.

The government reckons with the cash flow from gambling amounting to 20 percent of the difference between the wagered sums and winnings.

At first, the state and municipalities were to divide the money in the 9-1 ratio, while the latter were also to receive all the compulsory payments from gambling machines and other gambling devices.

However, before the debate in the Chamber of Deputies, representatives of the government coalition parties agreed on the division of the money from gambling in the ratio of 70 percent for municipalities and 30 percent for the state budget.

However, the Chamber of Deputies eventually passed the division of the money from lotteries in the same proportion among the sport, municipalities and public benefit purposes, while lottery companies are to decide on the latter one-third in their own right.

Now the Senate is to reprieve the mistake and return the legislation to the original form proposed by the coalition government.

In sad entertainment news today, E! news correspondant Giuliana Rancic has made the difficult decision to undergo a double mastectomy.

Rancic announced she was battling breast cancer about a month ago, but revealed on the Today Show that the treatment she has been undergoing has been ineffective.

“Instead of radiation, I’m going to go ahead and move forward,“ Rancic told Ann Curry about the procedure while seated next to her husband, first apprentice winner, Bill Rancic.

Giuliana said that since she is hoping to start a family, the double mastectomy was the safest option for her, leaving her with just a one percent chance of seeing the cancer return. Husband Bill told her, “I just need you around for the next 50 years, kid -- I don’t care what you look like ... so let’s just get you healthy.

Bill told Ann Curry, “We were faced with a decision to make ... this wasn’t a decision that was made lightly, we talked to as many experts as we could ... in this particular case, this is the best option for Giuliana.”

Giuliana's cancer was diagnosed via a mammogram that her doctor had recommended she undergo during her third round of fertility treatments. She underwent lumpectomies to get rid of the multiple growths, but the treatment was ineffective. Guiliana hopes that her openness about the procedure will help to demystify and take the stigma away from mastectomies.

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The European Gaming and Betting Association and the Remote Gambling Association filed a complaint this week with the European Commission against Greece's new online gambling law, claiming it is too protectionist and breaks EU law.

In Contravention of EU Law

Section of the law that force companies to have a permanent office in Greece and to conduct financial transaction only with Greek banks place unnecessary and unjustified economic burdens on new operators, the EGBA and RGA said in their submission.

The two groups, who represent Europe's largest online gambling companies pointed out that the European Commission itself had criticized these aspects when the law was drafter in June.

Several Problems Highlighted

The EGBA and RGA raised several points with the commission, saying they are particularly concerned about the new tax regulations that will require operators to pay taxes on revenues earned from Greece-based customers retroactively from January 1, 2010 until the new licenses have been awarded.

Another major problem is that the Greek Government is allowing its monopoly offline gambling operator OPAP, to continue operating until 2030 without paying any gambling taxes. This makes thing completely uncompetitive in a country where online operators must pay 30% in taxes.

In addition, the law bizarrely imposes a higher age limit for online gambling than it does for offline gambling, but does not provide any reason to support that restriction.

Decision Pending Soon

European Union Markets Commissioner Michael Barnier recently confirmed to European Parliament that he would assess the compliance of member states gambling legislation within EU law.

All gambling groups are now waiting to see whether he takes action against Greece, in accordance with the EGBA and RGA's complaints. We will report developments on these pages and at Online Casino Reports Greece.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to propose a constitutional amendment in the coming weeks that would allow casino gambling statewide. That will be the easy part.

Section nine of the Constitution prohibits gambling except through state lotteries. A change would grant legislators the freedom to approve Las Vegas-style casinos. “You could remove 10 to 15 words and that would do it,” said Jim Featherstonhaugh, president of the New York Gaming Association, which represents racinos.

Any change to the constitution, however, needs to be approved in two consecutive legislative sessions and by public referendum. Insiders expect the Legislature to approve an amendment in 2012, but they are bracing for a fight in 2013 over the enabling legislation.

Indian tribes are defending what they say is their exclusive right to offer casino gambling. Since video slots were introduced at racetracks, tribes have been losing ground. The Seneca Nation has withheld more than $300 million in state payments and is unlikely to acquiesce unless new gambling legislation allows the tribe to exclusively offer so-called class III games, which won't likely happen

Even without an amendment, racinos have added computerized table games—think blackjack without the human dealer—which is common in parts of Asia where gambling is illegal.

The New York Gaming Association says bringing in human dealers will make racinos more competitive. It predicts that manned table games will eventually lead to 5,600 jobs statewide. But the proliferation of computerized gaming is likely to limit that growth.

“These types of machines are spreading everywhere,” said I. Nelson Rose, a gambling industry consultant.

A change to the state constitution could do more than allow New York to catch up with its neighbors: It could also allow sports betting. Last month, New Jersey voters approved a ballot measure to allow casinos to host sports books, and last week, legislators approved a bill that Gov. Chris Christie is expected to sign. That might help the state challenge the federal prohibition.

If the federal law is successfully challenged by New Jersey and New York allows sports betting, the state could operate sports books.

The online gambling industry continues to expand with an estimated 5 million new player accounts being created each year, despite the risks that player’s face from unreliable sites, according to UKZap.com.

Many regions such as Gibraltar, Alderney and Malta were approved for addition to the UK Gambling Commission’s ‘whitelist’ which approves only the jurisdictions that have sufficient regulation in place to ensure player protection. Licenses from other regions are considered potentially unsafe for reasons such as lack of appropriate regulation, and not providing satisfactory mediation channels for resolving player complaints.

Only gambling sites with licenses issued by the whitelisted jurisdictions are allowed to

advertise within the UK. While potentially risky sites in non-whitelisted regions may not advertise directly to UK citizens, they are still easily found through internet searches and online advertising.

The United States Congress lost its most vocal advocate of online gambling this week with Barney Frank's announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2012. But don't despair, as his legacy lives on and his bills could still be turned into law.

Glittering Career

Frank, a 16-term veteran representative for Massachusetts was known for taking liberal positions on key issues, including gay rights, abortion and of course online gambling. He has been chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, a powerful position, since 2007.

He received praise from some of the most important names in US politics after retiring, including the president himself. Obama pointed out that Frank co-authored one of "the most sweeping financial reforms in history" aimed at preventing the excesses of Wall Street which sparked the 2008 global financial crisis.

Still Positive for Online Gambling

But for the gambling industry and its users, Barney Frank will be immortalized for his advocacy of one of the most important issues of the day - the right of American adults to wager online on poker, sportsbooks and other forms of betting.

Frank himself is positive his efforts to overturn a 2006 federal law effectively banning internet gambling will succeed. At the news conference where he announced his retirement, he said he would continue to promote gaming legislation, and he sees "an opening for success."

Detailing His Advocacy

Barney Frank was everywhere when it came to the legalization on online gambling, even talking about it in detail when he appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno in September 2010. He told Leno it wasn't just a right but was also economically beneficial, and could bring billions in revenue each year just "by making it legal and taxing it."

As chairman of financial services, Frank has been the force behind HR 2267, a bill introduced to overturn the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, and to allow Americans a free choice when it comes to e-gambling.

As states grapple with shrinking revenues, online gambling stands to reap a jackpot, an industry executive said Tuesday on “Fast Money.”

Richard “Skip” Bronson, chairman of U.S. Digital Gaming, said that it was a sector that needs to be taxed and regulated, as illegal offshore operators have taken up to $6 billion of revenue out of the United States.

“It’s imminent. There’s no question,” he said. “The states are broke. They’re looking for revenue sources.” U.S. Digital Gaming develops “legally compliant” gambling systems for Native American tribes, state lotteries and existing casinos. Bronson said already eight or nine states have laws pending to legalize gambling.

“We think it’ll be like the first lottery, which occurred in New Hampshire in 1964. Now there are 43 states that have a state lottery,” he said. “We believe the same thing will happen with online gaming.”

Billionaire businessman and 2929 Entertainment CEO Todd Wagner said it was likely online gambling would move in some form over to an online arena.

“Will it just be the same brick-and-mortar player than transition to this, or will there be room for others to come in because the business is different?” he said. “It’s not just constructing a facility and construction permits and all the things that go with that world. Now we’re on an online world.”

Executives with privately-owned online gaming platform provider U.S. Digital Gaming hit the talk show circuit as momentum grows in Washington and Las Vegas for legalization of online gaming . The future seems bright for the venture, with politicians aware of the endless flow of cash past taxing authorities to offshore betting sites and profit estimates ranging as high as $73B by 2015.

These stocks could heavily benefit from legalized online gambling:

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS): LVS shares recently traded at $45.31, down $0.52, or 1.13%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $36.05 to $51.05. Volume today was 6,040,528 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 16,860,900 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 30.21, while trailing earnings are $1.50 per share.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ:WYNN): WYNN shares recently traded at $113.59, down $4.04, or 3.43%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $99.21 to $172.58. Volume today was 2,164,433 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 3,775,710 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 26.51, while trailing earnings are $4.28 per share.

MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM): MGM shares recently traded at $10.13, down $0.23, or 2.22%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $7.40 to $16.94. Volume today was 6,902,442 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 21,658,200 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 1.75, while trailing earnings are $5.79 per share.

International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT): IGT shares recently traded at $17.36, down $0.14, or 0.8%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $13.38 to $19.15. Volume today was 1,822,162 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 4,259,810 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 18.45, while trailing earnings are $0.94 per share.

Boyd Gaming Corp. (NYSE:BYD): BYD shares recently traded at $6.58, down $0.05, or 0.75%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $4.12 to $12.78. Volume today was 326,353 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 1,625,620 shares. The company’s trailing earnings are $-0.12 per share.

The odds of legalized video gambling finally coming to the Land of Lincoln just got a little better.

Top Illinois gambling regulators confirmed Tuesday that the state has accepted a bid for a system to monitor the thousands of video gambling machine expected to be licensed by the state in the coming year.

Final details are being worked out, said Illinois Gaming Board chief Gene O'Shea.

"We hope to enter into a contract as soon as possible," O'Shea said

The award comes more than a year after gaming regulators canceled a similar contract after officials said there were bidding irregularities.

Under the new contract, the state would pay Scientific Games International $66.8 million for the system, which is an estimated $13 million less than it would have cost under the initial, flawed contract.

Bidding records show gaming giant GTECH was the only other bidder for the system, which is supposed to track money going into and out of each machine from locations throughout the state.

The step is the latest in a more-than-two-year odyssey for the launch of legalized video gambling in Illinois. Lawmakers approved the plan in hopes of raising an estimated $300 million annually for a massive statewide construction program.

But, the launch has been marked by delays and opposition by some local officials.

Last month, Gov. Pat Quinn recommended that video gambling be allowed only in communities that specifically vote in favor of it. Currently, the machines are considered legal in every community unless a municipality votes to ban them.

About 80 cities and towns have voted to keep them out. Morton is the only community in the Pantagraph area to do so.

O'Shea said it will likely take about six months to get the system in place.

"We hope to go live within the third or fourth quarter of 2012," O'Shea said.

Taxpayers in Pennsylvania will have a better glimpse into the workings of the state Gaming Control Board — and could see a little more money to help offset property taxes — under a pair of bills the state House is aiming to pass this week.

The reforms on this week's calendar include requiring the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to:

Post all right-to-know requests and responses on its website;
Inform gamblers how much they have won or lost on a monthly basis;
Close the so-called "revolving door" in which the gaming industry hires members of the board that is supposed to regulate it, which is intended to prevent conflict of interest.

"These bills deal a good hand to Pennsylvania citizens," said Terry Mutchler, executive director of the state Open Records Office, which enforces the state's right-to-know law on behalf of residents.

The bills are part of the legislative response to a grand jury report released in May that was critical of the GCB, which oversees the operation of the state's casinos.

Two-year investigation

The 102-page grand jury report was the result of a two-year investigation into the board's actions since it was formed in 2005 when gambling was legalized in the state.

The report found that the GCB's administration and regulatory process:

"Neglected or wholly ignored" its responsibility to protect the taxpayers' interest in the state's gambling operations, since taxpayers are receiving a portion of the state's profits from the industry;
Was more focused on getting the industry up and running than overseeing it, including a failure to properly vet potential license-holders.

No criminal charges were filed after the grand jury's investigation, which GCB Chairman Gregory Fajt said at the time was proof that no criminal activity was occurring at the agency.

Common sense reforms

Doug Thomas, executive director for state Rep. Rosita Youngblood, D-Philadelphia, minority chairwoman of the House Gaming Oversight Committee, called the proposals "good, common sense reforms" that Democrats support.

"When it comes to the right-to-knows, they are already doing it as policy, but it makes sense to make it a law so there is continuity over time," Thomas said.

House Bill 2012, sponsored by state Rep. Gary Day, R-Berks, would prevent any executive member of the GCB from being employed by the industry within two years of leaving the board, closing the so-called "revolving door."

House Bill 2009, sponsored by state Rep. John Lawrence, R-Chester, would require the posting of all right-to-know requests and would require the GCB to send monthly statements detailing wins and losses to any patrons who sign up for reward cards with casinos.

Property tax relief

Another component House Bill 2009 will redirect about $77 million of state revenue from gambling toward property tax relief instead of the state's general fund, according to a House fiscal note.

Under current law, 55 percent of casino revenue from slot machines is directed to the state through taxes, with 34 percent of the state's share funding the property tax relief fund, to a tune of $2.7 billion last year.

The state also takes a 16 percent cut of casino's revenue from table games, but those funds go entirely to the general fund and local governments in areas with casinos.

If the bill becomes law, money would be directed to the property tax relief fund. That fund pays for property tax rebates of up to $975 for elderly and disabled homeowners in Pennsylvania.

During the 2010-11 fiscal year, taxes on slot machines generated more than $2.7 billion for property tax relief in the state, which would be augmented with Lawrence's proposal.

During the 2010-11 fiscal year, taxes on table games netted more than $71 million for the state, and revenue has been higher during the first five months of this fiscal year, leading to higher projections for the annual total.

The guy infamous for calling his teenaged daughter a "selfish little pig" is making headlines again for his anger issues.

Alec Baldwin, who has enjoyed a career revitilization with 30 Rock, was booted by an American Airlines captain after he slammed the door of the crapper in a rage after being told he couldn't use his cell phone. Apparently, Baldwin slammed the door so loud, the captain emerged from the cockpit to see what was going wrong. When he was informed Baldwin was just mad because he wasn't allowed to play a scrabble game on his smartphone, the captain instructed the crew to boot him.

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Baldwin had tweeted about the incident, writing, "Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving. #nowonderamericaairisbankrupt."

However, Alec's camp is telling a different story, saying that Alec didn't slam the door of the crapper, but actually got out of his so to get the flight attendant's name so he could file a complaint. He was asked to leave because the fasten seat belt sign was illumiated.

He also tweeted that he would never again fly on American Airlines, "where retired Catholic school gym teachers from the 1950's find jobs as flight attendants."

Alec boarded a later flight and he seemed happier with the flight attendants, saying, "Now on the 3 o'clock American flight. The flight attendants already look.....smarter."