Let your mouth speak archive

Phung Tien Cong, Deputy Director of MV Corporation, when asked about the revenue of the market of the content services for mobile phones, said the revenue is roughly 12 trillion dong.

However, Cong said, content providers (CP) can pocket 2 trillion dong only, while the other 10 trillion dong falls into the hands of mobile network operators.

The noteworthy thing is that the revenue from the mobile services has been mostly sourced from entertainment services. MV Corporation, for example, has 38 percent of revenue from lottery – soccer business, 32 percent from online games, 11 percent from ring tones services, and eight percent from offline games. Meanwhile, other services only bring modest income to the company.

Regarding the content development, mostly apps for mobile phones, Cong said that piracy remains a big problem that hinders the development of the market. Copying other products and re-processing the products to turn them into completely new products has become so popular in Vietnam.

Nguyen Duy Hien, co-founder of Appota Vietnam, the company that distributes digital content on mobile phones, agrees that the mobile apps in Vietnam mostly serve the entertainment needs, such as games or music. The majority of enterprises have limited production capability, poor digital content and high proportion of pirated content products.

The cartoons about Conan or Seven Dragon Pearls, for example, have been provided by many companies in unlicensed different versions through Appota.

Though realizing that the content versions are unlicensed, Appota would have to accept them, but it would remove the versions once someone claims about the copyright.

In fact, an expert said, if distributors tighten their rules and refuse unlicensed content products, there would be very few products to be provided to clients.

Non-entertainment apps – where are they?

A lot of Vietnamese people complain that they cannot find any apps needed for their lives and works, such as the apps in education or healthcare.

It is simply because the firms and individuals who once tried to develop the apps, have failed with their projects.

However, there is a very important reason behind this – the profit the firms expect is not high enough for them. In general, it would take the firms a long time to see the products make profits. Therefore, the Vietnamese firms, which remain weak in financial capability and labor force, would prefer designing apps for entertainment, which allows them to get money soon.

However, experts have also affirmed that the opportunities remain open for the app developers who focus on making the apps useful for people’s daily life.

Nguyen Duy Hien from Appota Vietnam said that the firm’s statistics showed that some education apps always stayed in the top 10 of the apps which have the highest numbers of downloads for many weeks, affirming that the apps of these kinds are always in the high demand in Vietnam.

Nokia has joined forces with InfoDev, an arm of the World Bank, to set up Mlab app research center in Vietnam. Ellen Olafsen from InfoDev said InfoDev tries to set up the centers with an aim to generate the apps serving people’s daily lives, push up the socio-economic development and the knowledge-based economy.

She emphasized that mobile apps would help connect people, businesses and government public services more easily.

Zynga is officially in the gambling business!

It just announced a partnership with a British firm, Bwin.party, with plans to launch online-casino offerings, including a FarmVille-branded betting game, in the first half of 2013.

Wall Street loves this.

Last quarter, the company announced that it was exploring the real-money gaming business—which is legal in Europe and parts of the rest of the world, though not in the United States.

It hired an executive, Maytal Osha, to lead that charge.

With Zynga's stock trading at not much more than its cash on hand, some investors view the company as basically an option on online gambling.

Now it's exercised that option.

Read more: Zynga Is Launching Online Gambling Next Year (ZNGA) - SFGate

Apple surprised online gambling industry by introducing the new iPad4 model with double CPU and GPU power.

When the new Apple boss Tim Cook started his flashy presentation in San Jose, California, everybody was waiting for the new iPad mini.

Then, just accidentally, Apple announced the release of its new ‘regular’ iPad model. The news were a big surprise to the gaming and gambling industry, as the Cupertino company has only launched the previous model, iPad 3 around the beginning of this year.

Actually, Apple calls the new model simply ‘iPad’, but the media named it iPad 4 as quickly as it has labeled its predecessor the iPad 3.

The new toy is identical to the previous model from the outside, as the real difference is in its processing capabilities.

Had problems running a graphics and animation rich live video online casino? According to Apple, the iPad 4′s new A6X SoC delivers double CPU and GPU power and speed of the A5X used in iPad 3 models.

When you use alive-dealer iPad casino, your connectivity speed greatly defines your gambling experience. With the upgraded LTE to support the Sprint wireless network in US, iPad 4 delivers a near-live experience wherever you are.

Some minor upgrades include a new 1.3MP front camera with 720p video recording capabilities replacing the current 0.3MP one.
Gamble with Apple: iPad 4 has the same price as an iPad 3

The price? Apple is offering the basic iPad 4 for $499 in the USA. This was the price the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad 3 has cost when it was released and this is pretty much what you would be paying for it now. Imagine the iPad 3 owners who purchased their device a few days ago seeing this new and better device for the same price… But then again, if you are an Apple fan you know you always have to wait with your purchases until the big boss speaks up.

The LTE capable version will cost considerably more at start price of $629. iPad 2 will still be available with a new $399 price for the basic model.

The iPad 4 Wi-Fi model is in the US stores on November 2, the LTE models are scheduled for premier two weeks later. Queues are expected.

Thank Goodness there was no Steve Jobs ‘one more thing’ this time, another new Apple toy would have canceled Xmas plans for many families worldwide.

The Dutch government is having some success in managing its online betting and poker market ahead of regulation.

DutchNews.nl reports that over 20 of the 40 companies which the lawmakers have written to to request they stop targeting Dutch customers have complied including Unibet, Ladbrokes, and bwin.

The sites are closing in the hope of getting a license to operate in Holland when the liberalisation of the gambling market takes place.

Earlier this year the Dutch Supreme Court ordered the online gaming companies to install software which would identify and block Dutch citizens.

In 2010 a government commission recommended the opening up of the gambling market but the process of adoption by the state has been slow and largely stalled.


Companies Move Out Of Dutch Online Gambling Market - European Poker News

For those who pay close attention to news in the online gaming community, much of the news over the past several month has revolved around the bidding war between competing gaming companies Zynga and Amaya. Following the news that Bwin.party, one of the world’s largest and most influential gaming companies, would be selling its popular, profitable and reliable gaming network, the OnGame Network, Zynga and Amaya promptly began vying for this invaluable prize. And, while many believed (or perhaps assumed) that Zynga – already a powerhouse in the world of online gaming – had the inside track, news recently broke of an enormous deal being reached between Amaya and Bwin.party. It seems that Amaya will indeed complete its purchase of the OnGame Network, in a transaction that will provide instant revenue for Bwin.party, and which will put Amaya on the map in an enormous way.

The tangible benefit that the OnGame Network provides to Amaya as a gaming company is incredibly significant. The OnGame Network is not only recognized as an extremely safe and reliable gaming platform for online casino games and gambling experiences, but also already includes over 20 popular online poker brands. This essentially means that the business, activity, and profits from these sites automatically transfer to the Amaya company, increasing both profits and potential for expansion. And, with regulation of Internet gambling in the United States potentially right around the corner, Amaya could look to build on this purchase in a very significant way. A regulated U.S. gambling market would provide virtually endless opportunity.

The potential for U.S. regulation actually factors into the purchase of OnGame itself, and makes it a very intriguing transaction. While the overall amount of money involved in the transaction is $32.2 million U.S., a large portion of it is contingent upon U.S. regulation. Amaya will pay $19.3 million up front, with the remaining $12.9 to follow only if and when the U.S. regulates online gambling at some point in the next five years. This structure in the deal allows Amaya to fully integrate the OnGame Network, but does not lock them into payments that would be excessive in the event that regulation in the United States is delayed.

Ultimately, the deal between Amaya and Bwin.party ought to be considered an extremely beneficial one for both parties. Bwin.party is an enormously successful and influential company, and will maintain its hold on popular gaming platforms such as partycasino, while bringing in a significant amount of money. Meanwhile, Amaya will be able to assert itself as a more significant player in the online gambling community with the potentially vast addition of the OnGame Network.
Read more at Amaya wins the OnGame Network - Nerd Reactor

Alec Baldwin's accused stalker is refusing to lie low now the actor is a married man, insisting she can prove she had a relationship with the 30 Rock star.

Canadian actress Genevieve Sabourin was arrested in April after allegedly turning up outside Baldwin's New York City home uninvited.

The actor claimed he enjoyed a night out with the 40 year old in 2010 and was subsequently bombarded with emails and unwelcome visits.

The two parties are still trying to reach an out-of-court settlement and avoid a trial after a Manhattan Criminal Court judge refused her legal team's request to throw out the charges, and now she has agreed to sit down for a TV interview to discuss her links to Baldwin.

Sabourin tells Entertainment Tonight Canada she was in love with Baldwin and that the feeling was mutual, stating, "It was love, for me it was love... I felt it. I don't think it could be a one-way thing."

And she insists she was simply looking for closure when she was arrested outside Baldwin's home: "I'm not crazy, I'm not a stalker.

"How come I have his cell phone number? How come I know he's got a scar... on his bikini line that is round?"

I now because i'm already playing on my iphone.

Online gambling is making regulation more difficult, luring children to gambling and introducing new types of problem gambling, a British researcher told a conference on Thursday.

Mark Griffiths, professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University, told a few hundred participants at a conference sponsored by the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling that technology will make gambling more accessible as gamblers turn to online sites and avoid casinos.

And children may be too trusting of websites and mistakenly believe that points they win on social network sites can be cashed in for money, he said.

"How do we legislate stopping children from gambling on Facebook from home?" Griffiths asked.

U.S. laws prohibit Internet gambling across state lines. But after the U.S. Justice Department last December narrowed the application of the federal Interstate Wire Act of 1961 only to sports wagering, several states began taking steps to allow online betting.

Chuck Bunnell, chief of staff for external affairs for the Mohegan Tribe, which owns the Mohegan Sun casino in eastern Connecticut, told the conference that a federal approach to regulate online gambling is preferable to a "patchwork of 50 different regulatory systems across the country."

Hundreds of online sites that now operate do not verify a gambler's age or provide other safety features, he said.

Don Feeney, research and planning director at the Minnesota State Lottery, said despite the popularity of online gambling, surveys show reluctance among some players who say they are concerned about the legitimacy of websites, security, the presence of professional players and providing financial information.

Griffiths said underage children are learning to play poker online at free sites and will be accomplished gamblers when they may legally play for money at age 18.

He warned of other developments with growing online gambling sites and the rising use of mobile devices and interactive TV for gambling. Internet gambling is drawing in huge numbers of women, many of whom pretend to be men in a practice known as "gender-swapping" to be taken more seriously by male gamblers and avoid unwanted approaches by men, he said.

"These are gender-neutral environments," he said. "These are environments where females do not feel alienated and stigmatized."

In addition, technology allows gamblers to play at numerous sites at once, increasing their risk of problem gambling, Griffiths said.

Problem gambling is more prevalent online than at casinos because gamblers are not observed, he said. Gambling while drunk, for example, is generally not permitted at casinos but is undetected online and gamblers are more prone to gamble recklessly, he said.

The rising use of technology in gambling also will lead to more technological advertising and marketing of gambling and prod more online help and therapy for problem gamblers, he said.

Technology makes electronic payment in numerous currencies easy, provides attractive and sophisticated gambling software and allows gamblers to avoid regulations such as smoking bans in casinos, Griffiths said. As a result, he said, some studies show that problem gambling is significantly worse among Internet gamblers than among those who do not go online.

Read more: Researcher warns of online gambling luring kids » Ventura County Star
- vcstar-com

The Minister of Finance and the Economy for Antigua and Barbuda said today that last week's release of the text of Senator Jon Kyl's (R-AZ) online poker legislation wrongly argues that the United States has never been in violation of international trade law – when, in fact, the U.S. has been engaged in a decade-long trade dispute with Antigua over online gaming.

Minister Harold Lovell made clear that for the last decade the U.S. has unilaterally ignored repeated rulings by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that found their prohibition against online gaming is in violation of international trade law. Sen. Kyl's legislation would provide the gaming industry in the U.S. with the exclusive ability to offer online poker services.

"The wording of Senator Kyl's legislation misrepresents the facts," Minister Lovell said. "Given that the U.S. has been immersed in a trade dispute for the last decade with Antigua and Barbuda, the evidence is there for all to see that remote gaming was always at issue. This is nothing short of legislating historical fiction."

The legislation doubles down on the U.S. track record of protectionism for its domestic gaming industry. The draft bill would continue to unfairly block international gaming operators from having access to the U.S. market. Additionally, the bill would create an artificial advantage for U.S. casinos in an effort to prohibit consumers from utilizing international gaming products. Finally, the legislation continues to criminalize any services that are offered by non-U.S. gaming operators.

Specifically, the draft legislation makes the assertion that: "The United States never intended to include Internet gaming of any kind with the scope of its commitments under the General Agreement for Trade in Services (GATS), and therefore, no World Trade Organization member had any competitive expectation of access to the United States Internet gaming market."

Mark Mendel, the attorney who has represented the Antiguan government since it first came before the WTO in 2003, said: "In point of fact, a substantial majority of the WTO members who adopted schedules under the GATS either excluded gaming services directly, modified their commitments in particular ways to suit their domestic concerns, or excluded the entire section under which gaming services were contained.

Read more here: New Gambling Bill Seeks to Pardon U.S. From Decade-Long Trade Dispute - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee

Zynga's playing a new game, and this time, it's hoping to cash in by letting gamers cash out.

Alongside its third-quarter earnings report yesterday, Zynga announced an interesting but not altogether surprising partnership with bwin.party, one of the largest online real-money gaming operators, to bring users in the U.K. a host of games they will be able to play using (and potentially winning) cold, hard, real cash.

Zynga joins competitors in the space such as Big Fish, which in August announced it would start letting U.K. players cash out on casino games. It's worth nothing that Zynga's old ball and chain, Facebook, also announced in August it would partner with Gamesys, a U.K.-based online gambling operator, to let 18+ players of its Bingo Friendzy app play for cash.

Through the bwin.party partnership, Zynga says its real-money games service across the pond will bring 180 online casino games, including slots, roulette, and blackjack, to the U.K.--where online gambling is legal, unlike in the United States--in the first half of 2013. The company says to also expect a real-money version of Poker, as well as a FarmVille-branded slots game.

"Partnering with an established leader like bwin.party is a strategic and prudent way for us to enter a key RMG market while giving local players the real money games they've been asking us for," Zynga's corporate and business development EVP Barry Cottle said in a statement.

Zynga CEO Mark Pincus has made it known for a while that the social games company would eventually move into the real-money space. In August, the Wall Street Journal reported Zynga was investing in lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., and California to bring real-money gambling stateside.

Zynga's signaled interest in the real-money games space makes sense for its bottom line. According to bwin.party, the global online casino market is expected to reach $8 billion by 2015, while a BI Intelligence report pegs the social gaming market at $5 billion in the same period. When you're raking in more revenue per individual user, versus the pennies-on-the-dollar monthly returns from massively popular social games such as Words With Friends, it's helpful not to have to depend on revenue streams such as advertiser spending, which Zynga reported was down 24% in the last quarter. (Though some industry experts say similar deals tend to drive little revenue for the brand--in this case, Zynga--after both the operator and the affiliates through which it distributes the branded games claim their respective shares.)

The tradeoff is that although each real-money game will be more niche focused--and thus reaching a smaller core group of users than a Words With Friends--they will each drive higher average revenue per user.

"We need to do a better job segmenting our audience and bringing more games to them that may be for somewhat narrower parts of the audience, but that achieve higher [average revenue per user]," Pincus said on the post-earnings conference call yesterday.

Although the news of the partnership prompted some, including investors, to throw Zynga a bone for making a significant first step toward better monetizing its portfolio, the conspicuous lack of details offered up by Zynga execs during the post-earnings call left more to be desired by others.

"The deal, to be blunt, is not at all interesting. It's a traditional, plain-vanilla, run-of-the-mill branding deal with bwin.party," says Chris Griffin, CEO of Betable, whose platform allows developers to bake a real-money component into their games without having to obtain their own appropriate gaming licenses.

Zynga execs repeatedly declined to share more information about the financial breakdown of the deal during yesterday's call, but a bwin.party rep confirmed the Zynga-branded casino games portfolio "will include both slots that we develop in-house as well as those we license from other developers." The FarmVille-branded casino slots, for example, are being created within bwin.party's Games Studio, which runs on a two-week release cycle for new slot games.

Griffin said the deal's provisions involve little more than Zynga slapping a prominent brand such as FarmVille on a generic casino game created, operated, and distributed to an affiliate network by bwin.party. That's a very different concept than Zynga adding real-money support to games it produces in-house, he says, which stifles the company's ability to play to its strengths: creating and marketing compelling games.

"These are not Zynga games," Griffin says. "These are basically bwin.party games wearing Zynga clothing."




Zynga's New Game: A Bet On Real-Money Gambling | Fast Company

Too old to trick or treat?

Then you might be old enough to dress up, head to a local pub and try to win a Halloween prize.

Plenty of goodies can be had at nearly each of these venues, so here are the highlights.

(1) Bung’s Tavern at 2031 Route 130 North in Florence offers pumpkin-carving, costume contests, holiday-inspired drinks and an appearance by the Bacardi Girls on Friday starting at 9 p.m. Information: 609-670-6067.

(2) Consolidated Fire House at 20 Crosswicks St. (at Farnsworth Avenue) in Bordentown hosts a costume party Saturday with prizes plus the music of the Zombeatles, the Young Werewolves and the Gomers at 8 p.m. Information: 609-424-3766.

(3) Dadz Bar and Grill at Route 38 East and Madison Avenue in Lumberton presents two evenings of Naughty or Nice parties: On Friday, Musician Impossible plays from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Saturday finds DJ Emma Dilemma spinning tunes from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., while patrons enjoy contests and giveaways. Information: 609-265-8344.

(4) The Record Collector at 358 Farnsworth Ave. in Bordentown also has two nights of entertainment, with one Halloween Bash Friday at 8 p.m. featuring costume contests and music by Living Deads and April Mae & the June Bugs, and another Saturday at 8 p.m., with more contests and music from Delco Nightingale and Big Chris & the Rhythm Ropers. Information: 609-324-0880.

(5) Rho Ristorante Discoteca at 50 Riverview Plaza in Trenton hosts its first Halloween Party Saturday from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., complete with DJ music and costume contests. On Sunday, the club continues the celebration with more of the same from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Information: 609-393-7300.

AND ELSEWHERE THIS WEEK

BOWMAN’S TAVERN, 1600 River Road, New Hope, Pa., 215-862-2972. Friday: Bob Egan, piano, Open Mike Night, 8 p.m. to midnight.

BUNG’S TAVERN, Route 130 North, Florence, 609-499-1355. Saturday: Halloween Party with pumpkin-carving, costume contests, special drinks, DJ and an appearance by the Bacardi Girls, 9 p.m. Sunday: Appearance by the Falcons Girls with a former Eagles glass giveaway, 1 to 3 p.m. Watch your favorite NFL teams play here.

CAFÉ MADISON, 33 Lafayette St., Riverside, 856-764-4444. Friday: Mike Corman, 5:30 p.m. to closing. Masquerade Dance Party with prizes and music by To the Max, 9 p.m. to closing. Saturday: Giorgio, 5:30 p.m. to closing. Tuesday-Wednesday: Johnny, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday: Giorgio, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Joe Piscopo, variety show with orchestra, 7 and 9 p.m., $35; optional dinner, $30.

CUNNINGHAM PIANO CO. CONCERT HALL, 5427 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, 215-725-4171. Saturday: Delaware Valley Opera Company presents “Masked Melodies,” celebrating Broadway in costume and song. Wear your own costume for a chance to win one of three prizes, 8 p.m., $15.

DADZ BAR AND GRILL, Route 38 East and Madison Avenue, Lumberton, 609-267-4344. Sunday: Watch NFL Ticket games here on three jumbo screens and 25 HD TVs. Tuesday-Wednesday: Beer pong tournaments with cash prizes and music by DJ Mat Midnite, 10 p.m. to closing, free. Thursday: Radio station WXTU-FM’s Razz & the Street Team, 9 p.m.. DJ Mat Midnite, 9 p.m. to closing.

DEMPSTER’S SPORTS PUB & RESTAURANT, 437 Pine St., Mount Holly, 609-261-0500. Friday: DJ, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday: Watch college football all day. Music by Stellar, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday: Watch the Eagles-Falcons game and your other favorite teams, 1 p.m. Texas Hold ’em poker, 3:30 p.m. Monday: Mexican Monday, noon to closing. Texas Hold ’em poker, 7:30 p.m. Beer pong, 8 p.m. Watch Monday Night Football here, 8:30 p.m. Tuesday: Shuffleboard league. Wednesday: Darts league. Thursday: DJ Chris, 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Horseshoes league.

FIREHOUSE CAFÉ, 20 Washington St., Mount Holly, 609-261-4502. Friday: The Eddi Lambert Axis — A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix, 7 and 9 p.m., $10. Saturday: Halloween Costume Ball with dancing, music by Philayva, costume contests and giveaways. Doors open at 6 p.m., $15.

GREAT STAIR HALL in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and the Parkway, 215-763-8100. Friday: Art After 5 series with Margaret Leng Tan performing piano pieces by John Cage, 5:45 and 7:15 p.m., $14 to $16.

HAVANA, 105 S. Main St., New Hope, Pa., 215-862-5501. Friday: Slamm, covers, 8:30 p.m. to midnight. Saturday: Simon Kirke (Bad Company, Free), 8 p.m., $20 to $22. Pre-Halloween DJ Dance Party, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday: John Eddie, all-ages Halloween show, 4 p.m. (postponed). Thursday: Bonerama, 8 p.m., $22.

HEBE MUSIC, 4 Mill St., Mount Holly, 609-267-2050. Friday: Late Ancients, 8 p.m., free. Saturday: Socio, 8 p.m., $5. Thursday: Open Mike Night with The Body Rampant, 8 to 10:30 p.m., free.

JOHN & MOLLY’S, 1291 Woodlane Road, Eastampton, 609-702-1701. Friday: Keep the Pint Day. Saturday: Halloween Party with prizes for best costume. Tuesday: Open Mike Night with Sharis. Thursday: Karaoke Night with Tommy. Monday-Friday: Happy Hour, 3 to 6 p.m.

MILKBOY COFFEE, 1100 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, 215-925-6455. Saturday: Dawns, 9:30 p.m., $10.

NEW HOPE WINERY, 6123 Lower York Road, New Hope, 215-794-2331. Saturday: Southside Johnny & the Poor Fools, 8 p.m., $35.

NORTH STAR BAR, 2639 W. Poplar St., Philadelphia, 215-684-0808. Friday: Funk Ark, 9 p.m., $10. Saturday: Shiny Toy Guns, 7 p.m., $17 to $19. Tuesday: Sylvan Wolf, 7 p.m., $5 to $7. Wednesday: Disco Machine Gun, 8 p.m., $8. Thursday: Radical Something, 7 p.m., $12 to $15.

OTT’S DOWNTOWN PUB & GRILL, 29 Mill St., Mount Holly, 609-265-1250. Wednesday: Open Mike Night with The ‘Rents, 8 to 11 p.m.

PEACOCK INN, 20 Bayard Lane, Princeton, 609-924-1707. Thursday: Bob Egan, piano, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

PUCK, 1 Printer’s Alley, Doylestown, Pa., 215-348-9000. Friday: Ben Arnold, 7 p.m., $13. Saturday: Andrea Carlson, Deb Callahan, 7 p.m., $10 to $12. Wednesday: Open Mike Night with JD Malone, 7 p.m., free.

RED HOT & BLUE, Route 70 and Sayer Avenue, adjacent to Hol

Members of an Internet gambling panel agreed Thursday that steps must be taken to protect those who engage in the activity, which soon could be legal.

Clearly, prohibition has not worked, Minnesota lottery official Don Feeney told an audience of clinicians, health care providers and gaming experts during the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling's annual event at Water's Edge Resort & Spa.

"That horse has left the barn," he said, referring to the ineffectiveness of the federal government's years-old ban on online gambling.

"There are 500 sites out there where you could place a wager right now," said Chuck Bunnell, chief of staff of the Mohegan Tribe, which owns Mohegan Sun casino. "Your wager would not be protected, though, and there would be no verification of the player's age."

Bunnell said the tribe's position is that Internet gambling should be regulated by the federal government and it should be limited to poker only. He said state-by-state approval could create an untenable "patchwork" of conflicting laws.

"We believe the federal solution is better; it creates more protection for players," he said.

The Mohegans and the Mashantucket Pequots, who own Foxwoods Resort Casino, could corner the market on online gambling in Connecticut by virtue of the terms of their gaming compacts with the state. Bunnell said the Mohegans don't expect legalization to create a lucrative new market.

"People have been gambling illegally online for 10-plus years, so we don't think legalizing it will lead to a whole lot more, but if it does, we want to be ready," Bunnell said. Aside from the revenue it could generate, an online gaming site could be useful in marketing the casino, he said.

The conference's keynote speaker, Mark Griffiths, discussed the "psychosocial impacts" of online gambling, a subject he's studied as a professor at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom, where online gambling has been legal for years.

Data show the rate of problem gambling, or addiction, is significantly higher among Internet gamblers than among non-Internet gamblers in the U.K. The research also indicates that Internet gamblers are more likely to be male and to be relatively young adults, single, well-educated and have professional/managerial jobs. The number of women gambling online is increasing, and adolescents are gambling on the Internet, too, according to the studies.

Evidence also suggests, Griffiths said, that online problem-gamblers prefer to seek help online. And, he said, the ability to track the behavior of online gamblers provides valuable information for researchers. He said he has determined, for example, that an online gambler who "reloads his wallet" during a gambling session is almost certainly a problem-gambler.

Jeff Beck, clinical coordinator for the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, noted that the governor of his state, Chris Christie, vetoed an online gambling bill approved last year by the state legislature. A new bill is pending. The state also is proceeding with plans to issue sports betting licenses to horse racing tracks and Atlantic City casinos, prompting the professional sports leagues and the NCAA to file a lawsuit.

New Jersey has approved gambling on mobile devices at casinos and has authorized off-track betting on horse racing at bars and restaurants.

"Every time gambling expands, we need more money for problem gambling," Beck said.


The Day - Panelists: Online gambling will need to be regulated | News from southeastern Connecticut

Even though prospects for the legislation have faded this year, the nation's governors on Thursday told Senate and House leaders that they oppose draft legislation that would tighten restrictions on Internet gambling while allowing for the legalization of online poker.

In a letter to House and Senate leaders on Thursday, the National Governors Association called on lawmakers to include state input before moving any online-gaming legislation. States have begun taking steps to offer online gambling within their state borders after the Justice Department last fall revised its interpretation of the Wire Act, which deals with state gambling activities. The department said the 1961 law only applies to sports betting, essentially opening the door to other kinds of online gaming.

In response to the Justice Department's reinterpretation of the federal Wire Act, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., earlier this year crafted their draft bill that would legalize online poker and off-track horse betting, while specifically outlawing other forms of online gaming. The Justice Department's move cast doubt on a 2006 law, which Kyl helped author, that barred payment processors from handling payments for online gambling bets.

"The draft would preempt emerging state regulatory authority recently established by the U.S. Justice Department under a reinterpretation of the federal Wire Act, which could restrict state revenues derived from gaming," the NGA said in the letter signed by Govs. Tom Corbett, R-Pa., and Steve Beshear, D-Ky., the chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the group's Economic Development and Commerce Committee. "We oppose the draft Senate legislation in its current form as an unnecessary preemption of state authority."

Prospects for the draft bill, however, have dimmed over a dispute on how to move the measure. Kyl and Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., whom Reid asked to help line up GOP votes for the bill in the Senate, said last month that they think the House should take up the legislation first, before the Senate acts. Reid has rejected that idea and has criticized Heller, who is in a tight race to win a full Senate term, for not doing enough to round up Republican votes for the legislation.

Despite this, Heller told the Las Vegas Review-Journal earlier this month that he still thinks he and Reid can work together to pass the legislation.



NGA says it opposes draft Internet gambling bill - Nextgov-com

The latest blockbuster in the ever-popular James Bond film series is set to his cinema screens in the UK and around the world from this week, and online sportsbooks are calling on people to place their bets.

Bond to break records?

The 22 previous James Bond films have only captured two Oscars between them, but such is the excitement behind this one that William Hill, Britain's largest online bookmaker, is offering 6/5 odds on Skyfall to break the UK's highest opening weekend gross record set by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004.

Skyfall is being quoted 10/1 odds that it manages pick up at least one of the six Oscars for which it should be nominated. The six awards it will be in the running for are Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.

007 and casinos

Online casino enthusiasts will know that Bond and gambling have always been associated with each other. Many Bond films have included casino scenes, such as the 2006 version of Casino Royale, 1971 hit Diamonds are Forever, and the first Casino Royale in 1967.

One of the best scenes in the newer Casino Royale features a game of Texas Hold'em poker in which Bond and his arch rival Le Chiffre battle it out one on one at the poker table. Bond unfortunately loses $50,000 in this hand after folding on the river card before Le Chiffre reveals he has a full house of 2s and 9s.



What Odds James Bond Breaks Film Records? - Entertainment - Onlinecasinoreports-com

Because we greeting lots off winners!!


Welkome to ixgames

Shortly after firing about 150 people, Zynga has even better news for investors. It’s getting into a sure-thing moneymaker, online gambling.

Gamasutra said on Thursday that Zynga saw a decent bump in its stock price after revealing plans long hinted at. They’re getting into a partnership with Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment, an Austrian online gaming operator. Plans include “a slots simulator based on [Zynga's] Farmville,” says Gamasutra, and that it’s just one step toward a bigger presence in gambling for Zynga.

Considering how many people just straight up don’t come back to play a social game after the first time they try it, and that 90 per cent don’t last a month, this is probably a shrewd move. Still doesn’t mean they make anything I wanna play.


Zynga’s Bringing Farmville To Online Gambling | Kotaku Australia

AARON Talbert, VP Records' vice-president for Sales & Marketing, thinks the real problem for reggae music at the moment is its failure to produce a new superstar.

"What's happened to reggae is that we have not broken a new artiste since Sean Paul in 2002," Talbert said to the Jamaica Observer at last Friday's launch of former Prime Minister Edward Seaga's four-CD box set, Origins of Jamaican Music, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

Sean Paul sold millions of units with his Dutty Rock and The Trinity albums, which were jointly distributed by VP and Atlantic Records.

Dancehall has not had a major figure since The Trinity hit six years ago.

"The problem is not really the market or the love for the music waning. I don't think we have lost the fans of the genre. What's happened is with technology. The medium for communicating the songs, or if there is an album, or this new person coming up is much more fragmented, and doesn't only affect reggae, it's a problem for all genres," Talbert said.

An American, who has been with VP for the past 13 years, Talbert believes creativity is the key to getting music to an increasingly diverse market.

"It takes much more now to make the whole fan base know what's going on. Even for that audience that is committed to the music and the culture, there's a lack of a channel to reach all those people at the same time," he said. "We need to do things with the web, and we will do things with Internet blasts or e-mail and so forth to try to market to people directly. What the CD was, what the album was to people just generally in terms of entertainment 10 years ago, it's just not there anymore," he went on.

Talbert said VP is not concerned about the shifting reggae scene, and the argument that places like California, Hawaii and New Zealand are producing new reggae hits as well as new acts.

He said although a lot of the foreign acts have surpassed Jamaicans in terms of sales and their ability to draw audiences, their advantage is being based primarily in North America, which is still the largest media and music market.

"There is a disadvantage if you don't live there, and for the artiste based in California, it is like the Jamaican artiste touring the island. So for us, the touring market with Jamaican artistes is particularly challenging, and that's one of the areas we're working on that is going to help drive demand," he explained. "It's going to help us create new business, and it's going to help break new acts in the new year."

Read more: Reggae awaits next SUPERSTAR - Entertainment - JamaicaObserver-com

A GROWING number of women are using sports betting sites, attracted by so-called novelty options such as the winner of a reality show or the frontrunners for the Oscars.

Some wagering businesses plan to develop sites specifically targeting women to cash in on the trend.

Examples of the entertainment products popular with women include who will play Ana in a 50 Shades Of Grey movie; whether House Husbands will win a Logie; and whether Les Miserables will win Best Picture.

Betstar's Alan Eskander said female punters used to be irrelevant to his business, but numbers have increased five or six fold in five years as women embrace sport and betting.

The female market skews towards so-called novelty bets, but women also punt on AFL and racing, mostly during Spring Carnival, he said. The company is looking at starting a specific women's betting site.

"From a Betstar point of view, females in betting are more important and prominent and more commonplace, and as a consequence the whole topic has come into our vocabulary," he said. "It's something that we're taking seriously."

Figures from Betchoice show active female members increased from 15 to 22 per cent before the site was taken over by Unibet.

Unibet wants to introduce its European female-focused bingo and online poker site, Maria, to Australia if laws are relaxed to allow online gaming, a spokesman said.

Bookmaker Tom Waterhouse has also noticed an increase in the number of women punting, mostly on novelty or entertainment bets.

Anti-gambling activist, Senator Nick Xenophon says problem gambling doesn't discriminate. "(Gambling) is an equal opportunity destroyer," he said. '

"These figures are worrying. Until now the demographic has been young males, but this just shows you that for the online gambling companies this is a rich untapped market of future misery."



Cookies must be enabled | Herald Sun

Zynga's biggest achievement as a game developer has been to monetize the simple action of playing its games—as in, spending money on FarmVille doesn't necessarily get you more content. It just gets you the normal FarmVille content, but you get it sooner. Now take that principle and apply it to online gambling and we might be on the verge of another great depression.

That's right: Zynga is getting into online gambling. Its first foray involves a FarmVille slot machine, which will launch in January 2013 in the UK in conjunction with online gambling firm bwin.party Digital Entertainment.

Now imagine this: in addition to spending and winning real money on those slots, you can also win in-game FarmVille 2 items. We're not saying that's what's going to happen, but why not let us double up on our addictions? Considering how addictive Zynga's games already are, we're guessing the developer's move toward real gambling is going to be massively successful. Are you ready to relapse?


Oh Crap, Zynga's Getting Into Online Gambling | Complex

The online activist group, known as Anonymous, has threatened to shut down Zynga and Facebook, days after the gaming giant announced it was laying off 5 per cent of its workforce.

The group is targeting the San Francisco based company because of 'the outrageous treatment of their employees and their actions against many developers,' an unidentified member of the group, donning their trademark Guy Fawkes mask, announced in a YouTube video posted on Sunday.

Slamming the tech firm for slashing its employee base while sitting on 'billion dollars cash,' the hackers threatened to release games it has stolen from Zynga's server, in addition to shutting down both Zynga and Facebook on November 5.

Read more: Facebook and Zynga threatened with shutdown by Anonymous hacktivists in retaliation for gaming giant's layoff | Mail Online
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