Let your mouth speak archive

Very tasty......ha ha ha!!

Juck, but whatever makes her boat float

A bill before the Nevada Assembly removes the final restrictions preventing online gambling's full arrival.

Democratic Las Vegas Assemblyman William C. Horne introduced AB114 during the floor session Wednesday.

Horne says the bill eliminates a provision from last session's online gambling bill requiring Nevada to wait for federal legalization.

Instead, the bill allows the governor to enter contracts with other states to combine Nevada's regulatory structure with other state's larger gambling populations.

AB114 includes a $1 million licensing fee for hosting entities. It's a number Horne says could change, adding conversations with the governor's office and gambling industry have been on-going.

The governor's office says Sandoval opposes the higher licensing fee and wants to find a solution before the bill becomes law.

Gambling isn’t a simple as it used to be, before the internet gave consumers an option to play poker or blackjack online instead of in a casino or other brick-and-mortar location. And now the gaming industry, like so many others, is moving to deal with the digital disruption.

Late last month the Gaming Standards Association (GSA) announced the creation of an Online Gaming Committee, made up of technology experts, to lead the online gambling industry toward standardization. The group is aiming to reduce research and development costs, speed time to market, bring more interoperability, and improve consumer protection.

The first step for the committee “will be to solicit industry input, identify problem areas, and develop a comprehensive framework for technical standards for regulated online gaming,” GSA said in a press release.

The way to achieve success in standards development is through collaboration.

While GSA has been developing technical standards for the traditional gambling industry for 15 years, this is the first time the organization is trying to do so in the online gambling arena. GSA sees these standards as a way to provide proper regulatory monitoring that will benefit developers and consumers and to allow for continued technological innovation.

The association is organizing a forum to encourage collaboration among existing industry associations and other groups. The forum “will solicit support from experts across the industry to ensure that GSA successfully builds a firm foundation for the continued growth of regulated online gaming,” according to GSA.

GSA President Peter DeRaedt says that while online gambling has been around for almost two decades, there is not a good understanding of what exactly it is.

“The way to achieve integrity, transparency, and consumer protection and to combat illegal activity in online gaming is through standards, and the way to achieve success in standards development is through collaboration,” he said in the release. “Collaboration must consist of affiliations with existing industry organizations that can then identify partnerships that will move the industry forward.”

Has your association had success developing standards for its industry?

Keeping up with the technical aspects of online gambling can be expensive and time consuming for operators who know the bottom line in this industry is the most important factor. While many ordinary internet punters don’t really understand or care about how efficient an operator is they do care about the reliability of the services and the speed with which they get their entertainment.

Bet365 the online gambling company offering sports betting, poker, casino, games, and bingo, as well as video streams on sporting events has upgraded its Citrix Netscaler appliance to incorporate a new feature called Datastream, which has allowed the company to reduce the load on its database by twenty per cent. Bet365 is the world's largest online gambling site with over 2,100 staff and some 10 million customers using their website for live internet wagers. With a high volume of customers betting in real-time a volatile environment is created by a 'huge SQL database' that covers over 100 different sports.

Bet365 introduced Netscaler seven years ago to help reduce the load on their data base. Neil Selby, bet365's head of networks and security said, "One of the main drivers for introducing Netscaler was for integrated caching - the ability to resolve queries, or resolve data, without the need to load the database itself," Selby explained, "If you have got the same content being served to multiple customers repeatedly, rather than going through the database every time and asking for that information, it sits slightly close to the customer on the Netscaler appliance - it's cached there." Adding, "Although the Netscaler appliances aren't the cheapest boxes in the world, they are much cheaper than the monstrous SQL databases that sit in the back end. Anything we can do to reduce the load on the database is a good thing, because it means the boxes will live longer and serve us better for that period."

The Datastream function allows bet365 to optimise the loads that have to be sent to the database and is used in parallel to the caching tool. "This has produced a significant increase in productivity and performance, which has resulted in a 20 fold decrease in connections." Selby said.






Online Gambling Operator bet365 Upgrades Infrastructure

All across the UK there are reports of casinos closing down through lack of business. Yes, we may be able to attribute some of this to the economic recession, but is this the sole reason for the downturn of many UKs gambling establishments? Whilst physical casinos may have suffered a little decline in numbers, the rising popularity of online gambling can’t be ignored. If online gambling is one of the reasons behind the decline of offline or traditional gambling, then it has to be questioned why.

There are many reasons why online gambling is so popular and here are just a few of them:

Convenience

One of the biggest reasons that online casinos have become so popular is that they are convenient. There is no need to travel to a nearby (or faraway) casino as all your favourite games are available from your computer, smart phone or tablet. This means you can play whenever you want and from virtually any location; whether that be the comfort of your own home, on the move or at a friend’s house.

Support

Online casinos are also extremely good for beginners, or people who are new to gambling online rather than offline. Many of the best online casinos and gambling websites offer guides and free-to-play trial games. This allows new comers to understand the games that are offered before they have to put any cash down.

A lot of online casinos will offer live web chat and customer service representatives, who are always on hand to answer any questions you have about online gambling. This is another great feature and helps ensures players gamble responsibly and get the most fun out of their time on online casino websites.

Incentives

Just one word: bonuses. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a new customer looking at a first-deposit bonus, or an older customer cashing in his loyalty points, online casinos will always have something to offer you. The premise of most bonuses is to allow you to play casino games without having to spend as much. Some casinos will offer all their players regular reload bonuses, which will top up their account as long as they deposit a certain amount of cash.

Variety

Online casinos also have a wide variety of games from which you can choose, ideal for those looking for a new challenge. Games of skill such as poker are combined with games of pure chance, such as roulette or slot machines, so there is a game suitable for every type of player.

Slot machine games have many different variations online, and it is unlikely you will ever play two that are the same. Similarly, the range of card games is always expanding and it’s easy to learn more at LiveRoulette.co.uk, a leading online casino portal and reviewer.

In 2012, when the toy industry remained relatively flat, MGA Entertainment recorded impressive growth. According to a report from industry research firm The NPD Group, MGA Entertainment posted an impressive 23% revenue gain over 2011 to lead the country's top ten toy manufacturers in year-to-year dollar increase.

The country's largest independently-owned toy company, MGA Entertainment is home to such popular brands as Little Tikes™, Bratz™, Lalaloopsy™, Bratzillaz™ and Novi Stars™.

In 2012, the company experienced dollar increases with its acclaimed brands Little Tikes™ and Lalaloopsy™. In addition, MGA achieved growth from its launches of Bratzillaz™ and Novi Stars™, which rank among the top three new properties in the Fashion Themed Dolls/Figures category for the year.

"MGA is committed to creative ingenuity, a company mission that takes toy entertainment to new levels of fun and excitement. I am proud to salute our talented and dedicated team at MGA and our family of outstanding retailers nationwide in contributing towards this achievement," said Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment.

About MGA Entertainment, Inc. MGA Entertainment, a consumer entertainment products company headquartered in Van Nuys, California, manufactures innovative lines of proprietary and licensed products including toys and games, dolls, consumer electronics, home decor, stationery and sporting goods. The MGA family includes award-winning brands such as Little Tikes®, Lalaloopsy™, Bratz®, Bratzillaz™, Novi Stars™, Moxie Girlz™, and Zapf Creation

Read more here: VAN NUYS, Calif., Feb. 13, 2013: MGA Entertainment Achieves Double-Digit Revenue Growth To Emerge Number One In Year-to-Year Increase Among The Country's Top Ten Toy Manufacturers | PRNewswire | Rock Hill Herald Online

Online gambling will always be there.

A revealing interview recently broadcast on the BBC radio show The Bottom Line featured the CEO of bwin.party Norbert Teufelberger, the Director of Mobile for William Hill Juergen Reutter, and Melissa Blau, director of iGaming Capital consultancy. The interview conducted by Evan Davis brought to light some interesting facts about the online gambling industry. Davis was thorough in his research and presented facts that the participants elaborated on at length touching on social and mobile gambling, the problems of establishing new regulatory frameworks, and the latest new technologies and their impact on the future of online gambling.

Teufelberger, bwin.party’s CEO pointed to some interesting facts regarding gender differences, saying that sports betting remains dominated by men despite some unsuccessful attempts to attract females much earlier in the industry’s development while online bingo, still remains dominated by women. On the question about why people gamble, Melissa Blau, director of iGaming Capital consultancy said, that it's the competitive nature in everyone that makes gambling so popular. Teufelberger added, "It is to enjoy this moment of uncertainty when you take your life under control, that moment is precious."

Blau also revealed that the number of players engaged in social media is estimated at around 800 million people, with 175 million engaging in social gaming that have a poker bingo or casino style about them. Blau explained that real money gaming and social gaming are similar but social gaming doesn’t include the prize at eh end of the game. Blau continued, "The prize is bragging rights, unlocking new games. It is more an entertainment and player experience, rather than getting money back."

Regulation and problem gambling were also addressed by the participants who all agreed that a regulated market is best for everyone and that more support should be supplied to those with gambling issues. The Director of Mobile for William Hill Juergen Reutter opined on the future of online gambling saying technology in the future will allow the audience to experience betting on any size screen from tiny to huge and it will be available while mobile.




BBC Radio Reveals Online Gambling's Interesting Future

US Gaming Survey is a top online polling company that covers a wide variety of topics including online gambling. The group recently conducted a study and posted their findings in iGamingBusiness North America. The article stated that legalized online gambling in the United States would not negatively impact land casino and would most likely give casinos more traffic.

The latest edition of iGamingBusiness North America focuses on United States online poker player behavior and the article is titled: “Poker Players Rebuff Common Gambling Myths”. The article mentions information which was gathered by the US Gaming Survey in 2012. The data was taken from over 8,000 people who play poker online. The survey looked at how players behave to see if online poker legalization in the US would potentially ‘cannibalize’ land based casinos and gaming facilities. The survey looked at how often players gambled online as well as how much was wagered, all the while, trying to see how the mind works with the thirty six question survey.

The iGamingBusiness article goes over several key points from the survey and concluding “more respondents indicated they would increase their state lottery or land-based casino play than those who would decrease it. This was proven particularly true with lottery-based questions. Younger people who indicated they currently don’t buy lottery tickets would consider buying them online if made available coinciding with online poker.”

The article also noted that legal and regulated online gambling in the US would have no effect on the players’ land-based game play. The argument of ‘cannibalization’ is one that is debated often and one that keeps many states from making a decision when it comes to online gambling options. The article is quite informative and speaks on other issues as well including how the US Department of Justice has taken action and how previous online gaming decisions have affected the country.




US Survey Shows Legalized Online Gambling Likely To Positively Impact Land Casino Game Play

Last Tuesday, numerous interesting exchanges were produced as the second hearing on the Draft Gambling (Licensing & Advertising) took place. At this hearing, Jennifer Williams, representing the Gambling Commission of the UK, and Jonathan Stephens, representing the DCMS, faced members of the parliament.

MP Philip Davies, the industry veteran, shared his opinion on the matter by saying that this new law, which is looking forward to implement secondary taxation and licensing on the offshore online gambling operators who offer their services in the UK market, is a nervous decision by the UK government. He said that the UK government is choosing to add more tax revenues by implementing these taxes instead of using proper regulations in order to protect the UK consumers. He also added that if this is truly the case, then the UK government might find itself facing problems with the EU law that is concerned with online gambling. According to the EU law, the governments of the member states have the ability to pass laws that would control internet gambling. This can only be permitted if these laws are needed in order to protect the interest of the public provided that these laws are not disproportionate or discriminatory against anyone. The MP added that there is a great chance that the law will be challenged in the court of law and said that the motives of the government will be questioned.

Jonathan Stephens has denied repeatedly that the government’s objective was to increase the taxes for more revenue but MP Philip Davies was not convinced. He responded and said that from a regulatory point of view, this law is basically a solution that is seeking a problem that did not exist. He said that there are no public protection risks that have raised that would cause the government to take such actions. He said that the government gets two illegal advertising cases per year. He said that all of this shows that the main objective behind this law is to generate tax revenues.

Despite the response of MP Philip Davies, Jonathan Stephens held his ground and he kept insisting that the motivation of the government is to protect the public consumers through this bill. He added that the litigation against the law would not postpone its implementation that is expected to happen in December of next year.




Online Gambling and UK Government Objectives : ADI News

Emirates Airlines has raised the bar on in-flight services for quite some time, offering over-the-top amenities like a shower in first class, Bvlgari amenity kits, dine-on-demand service and more. Now, Emirates has figured out how to add live TV from a variety of sources.

"Installing the type of satellite communication that allows live TV on an aircraft is no easy feat," said Adel Al Redha, Emirates executive vice-president of engineering and operations, in a Breaking Travel News report.

Currently offering a choice of four live TV channels, Emirates allows passengers to choose from BBC World News in English, BBC Arabic or Euronews.

Sports 24 is a channel with exclusive live coverage of sporting events around the world. Upcoming events include English Premier League and Bundesliga football matches, coverage of the Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open Tennis, ATP Tour Masters 1000 Series, ATP World Tour Finals, US Open Golf and the British and Irish Lions Tour.
That's in addition to information systems that allow passengers to follow the progress of their flight and see what's going on outside the aircraft with external-mounted cameras. Already in place are in-flight phone calls both to ground and other passengers on the plane, as well as the ability for sending and receiving text messages, email and over 1,400 channels of premium entertainment.

Available on select Boeing 777 flights flying over the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and North America, Emirates live TV service is provided via expanding satellite technology, soon to be offered worldwide.

There’s a change in the zeitgeist when it comes to online gambling, and at the forefront of that change is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Sure, he recently vetoed a bill that would allow gambling over the Internet in the state of New Jersey. But he did add that he would sign into law a new bill allowing the activity as long as certain amendments were made. Those amendments include, not surprisingly, a higher tax rate on online gaming revenues, which would give more revenue to the state.

Here’s the money quote from Gov. Christie on the issue: “Now is the time for our state to move forward, again leading the way for the nation, by becoming one of the first states to permit Internet gaming.”

If New Jersey allows online gambling, it will join Delaware and Nevada as one of three states to do so. More importantly, the New Jersey stamp of approval is likely to lead to more states getting the go-ahead to permit citizens to wager their money via the Internet.

This push to legalize online gambling hasn’t gone unnoticed by Wall Street. In fact, gaming stocks saw a huge spike recently on the prospects of serving a greater number of online betters.

One company spearheading the online gaming push is Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD), owners and operators of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. The Borgata already has taken steps to test-drive the online gaming technology: offering guests the ability to place bets with their television remote controls. The hotel’s in-room video poker and slot gaming system is seen to provide data and expertise on how New Jersey lawmakers could structure rules that allow them to track online gaming practices. Over the past two weeks, BYD shares have been on a rollercoaster. The stock climbed double-digits over the course of last week but — thanks to a Goldman Sachs downgrade — shares have come under heavy selling pressure this week, losing most of those gains. In a note to clients accompanying the BYD “Sell” rating, analysts Steven Kent and Afua Ahwoi wrote that Boyd is susceptible to competition because 77% of its business is in traditional, regional gaming markets.

Interestingly, the Goldman analysts also think that online gambling, “could ultimately be big,” although they cautioned that “it could take longer than expected to roll out and will be very competitive, with high promotional activity, which in turn could lead to lower-than-expected margins.”

Now, I don’t doubt there will be growing pains associated with any online gaming plans, but that growth is, in my view, a long-term positive for BYD shares — and that’s not the only gaming stock likely to benefit from another source of revenue.

Fellow Atlantic City casino operator Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ:CZR) is also poised to profit from online gaming, as it has the infrastructure in place (gaming license, physical casino, expertise) to hit the virtual ground running. The anticipation of such a future boom caused CZR shares to skyrocket.

As of last Thursday, Feb. 7, CZR shares were trading at just over $8.50. A day later, the shares had soared to a Feb. 8 closing value just under $14. That’s a 64% spike in less than two trading sessions! Obviously, Wall Street liked the New Jersey news; the BYD and CZR price spikes prove it. But here again, these weren’t the only winners in the space. Online gaming site Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA) has seen its shares soar nearly 24% since Feb. 4, and a big part of that is the widespread acceptance that online gambling is an idea whose time has come.

For investors who like to monitor these kinds of trends, BYD, CZR and ZNGA all should be on your watch list. Other gaming stocks likely to do well once this idea becomes reality are game-makers like Bally Technologies (NYSE:BYI), International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT) and SHFL Entertainment (NASDAQ:SHFL). All make the devices that make gambling possible, so each could do well no matter which casino operator attracts the most online gamblers.

I suspect that given the extremely challenged state budgets in New Jersey (and just about every state in the union), we will continue to see a push toward allowing online gaming as a way for government to acquire more spending cash. For investors, the fiscal challenges mean more gaming companies will be able to tap into a new source of strong revenue that will keep their bottom lines — as well as their stock prices — coming up aces.

Online Gambling: This Bet Keeps Looking Sweeter and Sweeter | InvestorPlace

The first proposal to legalize online gambling in Pennsylvania could be introduced in the state House as soon as next week, its sponsor says.

Rep. Tina Davis, D-Bucks County, acknowledges that her plan faces a rough road to approval in the Republican-controlled Legislature, but she predicts Pennsylvanians will be able to gamble online legally someday.

“It will happen eventually,” says Davis, who was elected in 2011.

A federal Justice Department opinion in December 2011 declared that online gambling is legal within states that already allow casino gambling, triggering a rush to establish set-up operations. Nevada passed a bill allowing Internet poker and has issued licenses to operators, although games have not started. A bill introduced this week would allow Nevada to accept players from other states. Last week, Delaware asked for bids on operating a system that would allow not just poker but all other types of casino games, including virtual slot machines.

This month, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie issued a conditional veto of an online gambling bill but signaled support for allowing all types of casino gambling online. The Legislature is expected to tweak the bill to address his objections, and officials hope New Jersey's system will be in operation by Sept. 30.

The American Gaming Association favors a federal bill that would allow online poker nationwide but restrict other forms of Internet gambling.

Davis, whose district is home to Parx casino near Philadelphia, notes that Pennsylvania has surpassed New Jersey as the country's No. 2 gambling state and says it must stay competitive.

“Considering the nationwide efforts to legalize Internet gaming, it is imperative that we maintain the integrity of our gaming industry amid inevitable federal pre-emption and competing states, as well as possible expansion of Internet games through the privatization of our own state lottery,” she says.

She says Gov. Tom Corbett's plan to have the British firm Camelot take over operations of the Pennsylvania Lottery was a driving factor in making her proposal now. Camelot announced plans to market a video keno game, and Davis says online lottery games that mimic slot machines or poker are possible. On Thursday, Attorney General Kathleen Kane rejected the Camelot contract. A Davis aide says that should not affect the timing of the online gambling bill.

Initially, the Davis proposal would permit only online poker and blackjack in Pennsylvania, along with any variations of those games played in existing casinos.

“We tried to determine what the most popular types of online games there were out there, but we also didn't want to discourage folks from going to the casinos,” she says. “We tried to strike a balance.”

Only companies that already hold Pennsylvania slot and table game licenses would be eligible for an online license, according to the proposal. The online games would be run through the casinos' websites. The Gaming Control Board would inspect and approve software and devices for online games, just as it does with slot machines and table-game equipment at traditional casinos.

Before players could wager online, they would have to set up an account through one of the licensed facilities. Players would have to provide an active banking account to be linked with their gambling account; casinos would not be allowed to offer credit to online players. Players would have to sign an agreement prohibiting them from letting others use their accounts.

In-person registration would help guard against minors or gamblers on the state's self-exclusion list being able to access games online, she says.

“We structured the bill to still entice folks to go to the casinos,” Davis says. “Most folks go to the casinos not only to gamble but to go to the restaurants or to see the entertainment that's there. Internet gaming would not take that away.”

The proposed cost of an online license would be $16.5 million, the same as the table-game license fee, and the state's tax rate would be 45 percent, she says. The state gets 55 percent of existing casinos' slot-machine revenue in taxes; the state and local tax on table-game revenue totals 14 percent.

Davis expects the licensing fee and tax rate to change as the bill advances through the Legislature.

“This is simply the first step,” she says of her proposal. “But as New Jersey moves toward approving (online gaming) — and other states around us continue to expand gaming, like Maryland, New York and Ohio — I am hopeful that we can have that debate.”

“There is an urgency to get this done, but I am not naive to believe that it will happen overnight.”

Mark Gruetze is administrative editor for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7838 or [email][email protected][/email].

BORGATA ADDS IN-ROOM BETTING

Gamblers who don't feel like getting up will have a new option in Atlantic City: betting from bed.

The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City says it will become the first casino in the United States to let guests play using hotel room TVs, starting Feb. 18. The technology, now limited to a slot game and four types of video poker, can be expanded to include gambling over hand-held devices anywhere on casino property.

Before playing, a customer would have to post money in an electronic account. The player will need a Borgata player's club card and a log-in code from the front desk to place bets. The system uses the TV remote control.

MONEY TRAIL

Slot players lost $46.45 million at Pennsylvania's 11 casinos during the week ending Feb. 10, the Gaming Control Board reports. That's down from $48.44 million in the comparable week last year, which was before Valley Forge resort casino opened.

The state gets 55 percent of that gross slot revenue, or what's left of players' wagers after jackpots are paid.

Statewide, the slot payout rate is 89.85 percent since the fiscal year started July 1. For every $100 bet

An organization is making efforts to use collaboration for the development of online gaming standards so that both consumers and developers can be benefited. The average gambler has a wider choice today; he/she can choose to play table games either online or at a land-based casino. The online gaming industry also includes mobile gaming, which is rapidly gaining popularity among uses of iPhones and smartphones. It is, therefore, the need of the hour to standardize the online gambling industry for the benefit of all concerned. The Gaming Standards Association (GSA) announced last month that it has created an online gaming committee of technological experts who can help standardize the online gambling industry. The committee’s aim is to identify ways to cut costs of research and development, provide better customer protection, and lead to better interoperability, to mention a few.

GSA recently issued a press statement, in which it stated that the newly formed committee’s first step will be “to solicit industry input, identify problem areas, and develop a comprehensive framework for technical standards for regulated online gaming.” The suggested way to cause development in industry standards is collaboration among key players in the industry.

GSA has got 15 years of experience setting technical standards for the land gaming industry, but this association is attempting to do something similar for the online gambling industry for the first time in its history. GSA feels that these technical standards are essential to properly monitor online gambling sites’ adherence to regulations and thereby benefit consumers as well as gamblers and allow for continuous technological innovation.

The GSA is also creating a forum that “will solicit support from experts across the industry to ensure that GSA successfully builds a firm foundation for the continued growth of regulated online gaming.” One of the objectives of the forum is to bring about collaboration among various groups and organizations related to the online gambling industry.

Peter DeRaedt, president of the GSA, voiced his opinion that, although online gambling is more than twenty years old, the general public does not properly understand it. He said in a press release, “The way to achieve integrity, transparency, and consumer protection and to combat illegal activity in online gaming is through standards, and the way to achieve success in standards development is through collaboration. Collaboration must consist of affiliations with existing industry organizations that can then identify partnerships that will move the industry forward.”

GSA Forms Committee to Standardize Online Gaming Industry

Last year Akshay Kumar was declared the highest grossing star in Bollywood and this year too he seems all set to do the same.

Buzz is that for the latest film that the action star has signed with Reliance, Akshay will be paid a remuneration of nearly Rs50 crore for the remake of the south film Thupakki. This figure also makes him the highest paid actor in B-Town.

A source says, “The makers were keen to have Akshay on board, so they paid him whatever he asked for; approximately Rs50 crore, which is probably the highest in Bollywood.” This remuneration puts him ahead of some of his highest paid peers including Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan who are known to charge approximately around Rs30 to 40 crore apart from being co-producers, which automatically also makes them partners in profit.

Akshay Kumar has always demanded a higher fee than his peers. The actor whose birthday is on September 9 has always charged a fee that added up to number 9. Like Rs27 crore or Rs45 crore but now he has broken his own rule. Who knows 5+0 might become his favourite number. Producers, consider yourselves warned.

Thanks for that great information!

Bruce Willis has purchased a new $8 million home in New York.

The 57-year-old actor - who has daughters Mabel, 10 months, with wife Emma Heming-Willis and Rumer, 24, Scout, 21, and Tallulah, 19, with ex-wife Demi Moore - has splashed out on a luxurious new apartment on Central Park West.

A source told gossip website RadarOnline.com that the 'A Good Day To Die Hard' star bought the property from U2 bassist Adam Clayton, who put in on the market in October for $8.695 million.

The 1930s apartment, located in the prestigious El Dorado building in which Bono and Alec Baldwin also previously owned homes, is described as an ''art deco gem'' that offers views of Central Park from the large master suite and two other rooms.

It also boasts three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and was converted into two separate units by Adam with a custom-made kitchen, slate countertops and terrazzo floors.

Bruce previously lived in Central Park West with Demi.

He also has homes in Ketchum, Idaho, and two mansions in Beverly Hills.

Bruce recently revealed that he sometimes takes on film roles simply to entertain his children.

He said: ''Hopefully my parenting techniques in real life are not about the entertainment of the masses. They are just the entertainment of my children, my four daughters.

''I get a huge kick out of trying to make my kids laugh. It's a great job to try to be the best job you can.''

Silicon Valley is betting online gambling is its next billion-dollar business, with developers across the tech industry turning casual games into occasions to wager.

At the moment these games are aimed overseas, where attitudes toward gambling are more relaxed and online betting is generally legal, and extremely lucrative. But game companies, from small teams working out of the living room to Facebook and Zynga, have their eye on the ultimate prize: the rich US market, where most types of real-money online wagers have been cleared by the Justice Department.

Two states, Nevada and Delaware, are laying the groundwork for virtual gambling. Within a few months they will most likely be joined by New Jersey. Bills have also been introduced in Iowa, California, Mississippi, and other states, driven by the realization that online gambling could bring in welcome streams of tax revenue. In Iowa alone, online gambling proponents estimated that 150,000 residents were playing poker illegally.

Legislative progress, though, is slow. Opponents include an influential casino industry wary of competition and traditional antigambling factions. Silicon Valley is hardly discouraged. Companies here believe that online gambling will soon become as simple as buying an e-book or streaming a movie, and that the convenience of being able to bet from your couch, surrounded by virtual friends, will compensate for the lack of glittering ambience found in a real-world casino. Think you can get a field of corn in FarmVille, the popular Facebook game, to grow faster than your brother-in-law? Five bucks says you cannot.

‘‘Gambling in the US is controlled by a few land-based casinos and some powerful Indian casinos,’’ said Chris Griffin, chief executive of Betable, a London gambling start-up that helps companies negotiate licenses and handle the betting aspects of the business. ‘‘What potentially becomes an interesting counterweight is all of a sudden thousands of developers in Silicon Valley making money overseas and wanting to turn their efforts inward and make money in the US.’’

Betable has set up shop in San Francisco, where 15 studios are using its back-end platform.

“This is the next evolution in games, and kind of ground zero for the developer community,’’ Griffin said. Overseas, online betting is generating an estimated $32 billion in annual revenue, nearly the size of the US casino market. Juniper Research estimates that betting on mobile devices alone will be a $100 billion worldwide industry by 2017.

“Everyone is really anticipating this becoming a huge business,’’ said Chris DeWolfe, a cofounder of the pioneering social site Myspace, who is throwing his energies into a gaming studio with a gambling component backed by, among others, the personal investment funds of Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, and Eric Schmidt, Google’s executive chairman. As companies eagerly wait for the US market to open up, they are introducing betting games in Britain, where Apple has tweaked the iPhone software to accommodate them. Facebook began allowing online gambling for British users last summer with Jackpotjoy, a bingo site; deals with other developers followed in December and this month.

Zynga, the company that developed FarmVille, Mafia Wars, Words With Friends and many other popular casual games, is advertising the imminent release of its first betting games in Britain.

‘‘All your favorite Zynga game characters will be there, except this time they’ll have real money prizes to offer you,’’ an ad says. ‘‘Play online casino games for pennies and live the dream!’’

DeWolfe’s studio, SGN, is ******also on the verge of starting its first real-money games in Britain.

“Those companies that have a critical mass of users that are interested in playing real-money games are going to be incredibly valuable,’’ he said.

Mark Pincus, the chief executive of Zynga, said that the company was just following the market.

“There is no question there is great interest from all kinds of people in games of chance, whether it is for real money or virtual rewards,’’ he said.

Zynga, which has been buffeted by missed revenue expectations in the last year, is making gambling a centerpiece of its new strategy. It has applied to Nevada for a gaming license. The powerful Las Vegas and Indian casinos have mixed attitudes toward online gambling. Caesars Entertainment in 2011 acquired the Israeli start-up Playtika, developer of the popular Facebook game Slotomania, for about $180 million, offering it a springboard into the digital world. But Sheldon Adelson, the Vegas magnate and major Republican Party donor, is opposed to online betting because he thinks children will end up gambling.

In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie has had different qualms. He has vetoed two online gambling bills, the second earlier this month. One concern: The state’s take, a proposed 10 percent tax, was not large enough.

The measure, which is likely to be refined and successfully resubmitted in the next few months, followed the state constitution, which mandates that Atlantic City is the only spot in the state where gambling can take place. And so only the casinos were allowed to offer online games, although they could partner with tech companies; the computers allowing the gambling would have to be housed in the casinos. And, of course, players had to be over 18 and physically located in New Jersey.

Meeting those last two requirements seems a tall order to Doug Creutz, an analyst at Cowen & Co. who follows online gambling closely.

‘‘The Internet isn’t bound geographically,’’ he said. ‘‘There are other problems too, like preventing money laundering. Online gambling is going to be a complex issue that will take a while to sort out.’’


[url=www-bostonglobe-com/business/2013/02/18/silicon-valley-bets-online-gambling-next-billion-dollar-business/q86XnkDKsubgGycmmXhiFP/story-html]Silicon Valley bets online gambling is next billio

Every year there are online gambling industry award ceremonies that honour the most ambitious individuals with trophies and accolades. The internet gambling industry struggles every day with the image factor that in some jurisdictions remains shady while in others has a sterling reputation for honestly and fair play.

The business honours those who have contributed to keeping the good reputation up and making it even better. Most industries have their heroes but the online gambling industry has super heroes because of the competitive nature of the game. Malta has always tried to create a benchmark for the internet wagering regulatory framework that is seen by many to exemplify the strongest in the field.

In a recent story in the Times of Malta news revealed that the Chief Executive of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Reuben Portanier was named among the 50 most crucial people in the global gaming industry. GIQ Magazine, an international publication of Gaming Intelligence posted the profiles of the most talented, innovative and inspiring individuals working in the online gambling industry. During the year nominations are submitted recognizing industry professionals for individuals who have made a significant contribution to the internet wagering business. A prestigious panel of judges selects the annual Gaming Intelligence Hot 50. Mr Portanier is on that list of premier professionals in the field.

The sponsor of the honour GIQ Magazine commented, “Reuben Portanier is one of the industry’s good guys,” a spokesperson for the magazine continued,“He works relentlessly hard, he treats employees, partners and licensees with respect, and is regarded as a proper gentleman. “Malta has often found itself at the centre of controversy and Portanier has fought its corner while also listening to criticism and responding to it with actions. He has placed Malta at the centre of European debate, speaking up for firm and fair regulation at all times. He is an ambassador for his country and for the industry.”

Online Gambling LGA Executive Wins Accolade