Let your mouth speak archive

Well she Is not young anymore.

Why Americans need that. Because Its relaxing.

Still she looks good.

The popular however inevitably controversial online betting site InTrade shut down abruptly on Sunday, citing an ongoing investigation and casting skepticism on Irish law in a vaguely worded statement. "With sincere regret we must inform you that due to circumstances recently discovered we must immediately cease trading activity on www-intrade-com," the statement says, detailing that all trading on the site must cease, accounts must be settled and all transactions stopped immediately. There's nothing in the statement that boldly says InTrade is gone for good, and the company ends the statement on an almost optimistic note, asking customers to "bear with us as we do all we can to resume operations as promptly as possible." If they can't figure it out, that means no more betting on election results or Oscar winners or anything fun. Back to boring old cards and horses.

Now, the InTrade shutdown was abrupt but not altogether surprising. The Dublin-based company's been in United States regulators' sights for ages, and last November, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued InTrade for running an informal exchange and accused it of breaking an online gambling settlement. This also meant that InTrade would have to cease its U.S. operations prompted pundits to start wondering when the whole house would come crashing down. But then, just over a week ago, those same pundits started wondering if the new wave of states legalizing online gambling could bring InTrade back to the fun, legal center of things. While nothing is final or really even clear at this point, things aren't looking great for InTrade right now. They are however looking pretty good for Archbishop Angelo Scola, an Italian cardinal favored to succeed Benedict XVI.



The Online Betting Adventure That Was InTrade Is Over (For Now) - Adam Clark Estes - The Atlantic Wire

When new legislation legalizing online gambling goes into effect, New Jersey residents will be able to hit the blackjack table, slot machines, poker table and any other casino game from the comfort of their homes.

But while it’s been heralded as a way to reinvigorate a sluggish gambling industry and provide much needed state revenue, it also brings dangers.

Particularly, increased access to games of chance can have an impact on the 3 to 4 percent of the population who have a serious problem with gambling.

“We’re making gambling easier and more accessible,” said Jeff Beck, assistant director for clinical services, treatment and research at the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.

A recovering compulsive gambler himself — his last bet was more than 16 years ago — Beck said that the council is neutral on gambling, as the vast majority of people who choose to gamble never develop a problem. Beck worries, though, that if compulsive gamblers don’t have to drive to race tracks or Atlantic City like he did, online gambling can exacerbate an already serious issue.

“The idea of being able to roll out of bed at midnight feeling like playing blackjack — and you can just click on the Internet and be able to — is a little scary. The idea you can be on drugs and alcohol and not aware of what you’re doing is a little scary,” Beck said, adding that gambling at home could increase the already isolating nature of compulsive gambling, which can have serious effects on mental, financial and emotional health.

“Twenty percent of compulsive gamblers have attempted suicide,” Beck said. “That's higher than any other addiction activity.”

The new online gaming law is just one of the reasons the council, the Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), and the New Jersey Lottery have joined together to get the word out that March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month in the state. They’ve jointly announced the increased initiatives the state sponsors to promote responsible gambling.

It helps too, said DMHAS Assistant Commissioner Lynn Kovich, that the American Psychiatric Association has officially recognized compulsive gambling as an actual addiction and not an impulse control disorder, since studies have shown that the pathways in the brain lit up by alcohol or drug addiction are the same that are activated in compulsive gamblers.

“That’s a big deal,” Kovich said. “It’s the first time that anything’s been categorized as an addiction that doesn’t involve ingesting a substance.”

But she said when the governor signed online gambling legislation into law, it also came with a significant increase in funding for the council to help raise awareness of the problem and address individuals who have a gambling addiction.

“It’s more of a hidden addiction,” Kovich said. “It’s not something you can outwardly see, but the signs do become evident.”

She said the tell-tale signs can include gambling away large sums of money, gambling for longer periods of time, gambling alone, onset of financial problems, problems at work or with family members, to name a few.

About 50 percent of problem gamblers also have a drug or alcohol addiction, Kovich said.

Donald Weinbaum, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling, said that anyone suffering from a compulsive gambling addiction or anyone who has a loved one who addicted, can address the problem either by calling their 24-hour hot-line, 1-800-GAMBLER, attending Gamblers Anonymous meetings, having family members attend a support group as well, signing up for the self-exclusion list, seeking one-on-one counseling, finding new hobbies, and more.

“What we try to do is conduct outreach around the state to get the message out that it’s OK to call, it’s OK to talk with us,” Weinbaum said. “And it’s never too early and never too late to make that call, but it’s important to talk to someone who has been there and who understands.”

Since it is easy to hide bets, and since they can be fueled by credit cards, many compulsive gamblers don’t seek out help until their financial problems became unbearable. Beck said only 9.1 percent of compulsive gamblers actually reach out for help.

“The debt can be overwhelming,” Weinbaum said. “In a rather short period of time, a compulsive gambler can spend more money than they’re likely to be able to make in a lifetime. It’s not self-limiting in the same way drugs or alcohol are. On those, you can overdose or be satiated and have enough of a fix. That isn’t as clear-cut when it comes to gambling.”

Support groups and Gamblers Anonymous — which has meetings throughout the state — offer financial assistance programs and support in working out a plan for repaying debts, budgeting and managing finances, Weinbaum said.

With the expansion of online gaming, the state also plans to expand its self-exclusion program that allows compulsive gamblers to sign up for a block on gambling for a certain period of time, or even for a lifetime. Weinbaum said there are currently 1,316 people on the list, and Beck said he’s number 11. He signed up for a lifetime self-exclusion in 1998 soon after the program began.

The key to helping problem gamblers realize they have a problem, and give them the courage to seek help, is to let them know that they aren’t alone, and that they don’t have to live with their addiction, Weinbaum said.

“People aren’t sure whether it is possible to recover, whether things can get better. They really can,” Weinbaum said. “Usually, that’s going to involve stopping gambling, taking stock, and connecting with a support system that can help put their life back together.

"One of the things we’re really trying to get across is that there’s help, and there’s hope.”


[url=www-nj-com/gloucester-county/index-ssf/2013/03/online_gambling_raises_concern-html]Online gambling in NJ raises concerns for compulsive gamblers with 'hidden addicti

Batman's transformative years are getting a few new twists.

DC Entertainment is going back into Bruce Wayne's past to see how he began his transformation from socialite with money to the scourge of Gotham's criminal underworld.

But key elements of the character's history are staying the same — the murder of Wayne's parents, for example — says Scott Snyder, the writer of "Batman" since its relaunch debuted in 2011.

"It's not 'let's redo the origin,'" he said Monday. "It's time for a new story showing how Batman became who he is in the New 52."

Instead, Snyder said readers will see how the crime fighter found his calling and what challenges he faced when first donning the costume of the Dark Knight.

It is Batman's zero year and explores the "transformative years that shepherded him from who he was to who he would be," Snyder said.

The augmented origin begins June in the pages of "Batman" in an 11-issue story called "The Year Zero" that is illustrated by Greg Capullo.

Snyder said the decision grew out of the success of the first year-and-a-half of DC's New 52, a sweeping reorganization of the publisher's characters that saw many given new origins and costumes that blended those from their first appearances decades ago with contemporary changes in line with the relaunch.

Now, it's time for Batman's history to see similar changes.

"We tried to preserve as much of Batman's history as we could and keep what we could of this history intact," Snyder said of the change. "It's 'The Zero Year,' the one that no one has told the story of before. We see how Bruce became the Batman, built the cave, faced off with his first super villain."

It's not so much an origin story as it is a view into Batman's formative years.

"We're not going to take apart 'Year One,'" Snyder said, referring to the Frank Miller-David Mazzucchelli four-issue arc that recounted how Wayne began to fight crime after years away. "There's no touching the hem of that book."

Instead Snyder, an Eagle Award-winning writer whose other efforts for DC include "Swamp Thing" and "American Vampire," said the "Zero Year" story will give readers new glimpses into the Bob Kane-created character who made his first appearance in the pages of "Detective Comics" No. 27 in May 1939.

"It's time for a new story showing how Batman became who he is in the New 52," said Snyder. "It builds up the mythology."

Read more: Batman's mythology, history getting new boost from DC Entertainment, writer Scott Snyder

The long-awaited review of the online gambling laws has been rejected by bookmakers and gambling critics with the federal government accused of ''copping-out''.

Fairfax Media on Tuesday morning reported that the Australian online gambling market would not be opened up to more legal betting avenues until a uniform harm minimisation and consumer protection guidelines were in place.

More than $1 billion is estimated to be punted on 2200 illegal overseas gambling websites by Australians every year, with growth expected to continue strongly.

Online casino-style games, such as poker, are banned in Australia and a suggested five-year trial of online poker will not go ahead, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says.

The review's key recommendation is for a national uniform harm minimisation standard for online gambling. Senator Conroy has written to state governments to begin talks on the standard.

Many other recommendations are contingent on a national standard being set up.

Long-time gambling critic independent MP Senator Nick Xenophon labelled the report as a ''cop-out'' that could create a new wave of problem gamblers.

Senator Xenophon said instead of working with the states for a national standard it should legislate rules, as it had with new poker machine laws.

''The government fails to acknowledge the Commonwealth has the power to intervene now and fix up the current loopholes in the legislation,'' Senator Xenophon said.

''Instead, it has adopted a fence-sitting approach of waiting for the states and territories to come on board – that's a recipe for delay and inaction.''

Fellow anti-gambling campaigner, Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie agreed with Senator Xenophon that the federal government should legislate.

"Previously I have indicated that the best response to the proliferation of overseas-based online gaming sites is to allow Australian operators to offer limited gaming options with safeguards,'' Mr Wilkie said.

"But having seen more evidence and taken more advice I've decided that the best response is not to liberalise the Australian market, but rather to tighten it up and put in place strategies to deter Australians from accessing the dangerous offshore sites."

One part of the national standard is to force punters to set deposit limits, which has raised the ire of online bookmakers.

The Wagering Council of Australia, which represents online bookies, have rejected plans for precommitment on gambling websites, saying the best way to promote responsible gambling online is to have a regulated Australian industry.

Chief executive Chris Downy said while the council had always supported a national standard for harm minimisation and consumer protection, the introduction of mandatory pre-commitment was not supported by evidence.

Mr Downy said there was no definitive evidence to suggest that online wagering and sportbetting has led to a proliferation of problem gambling.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's spokeswoman said the Coalition supported strengthening the Interactive Gambling Act and was now carefully consdiering the report.

"But [we] will not support any changes to the IGA that weaken the current prohibition on online gambling,'' the spokeswoman said.

The review did not recommend any changes to allow ''in-play'' online betting – allowing punters to make bets on games that have already started via the internet. Currently people are allowed to bet on matches that have started using a phone or in person.

Both the gambling industry and major sports had backed allowing online in-play betting. They argued that by allowing it the integrity of sports is better protected because sports and domestic bookies share information so it is easier to track corruption.

Sportsbet-com.au chief executive Cormac Barry said: ''The best reform package is one that protects our one-million-plus Australian punters by allowing them to bet with regulated Australian companies rather than forcing them offshore, into the hands of unregulated foreign websites.''

Read more: Government And Online Gambling Laws

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email [email]ftsales-support@ft-com[/email] to buy additional rights. 888 to launch online gambling brand in US - FT-com

888 Holdings, the online gaming operator, has signed a joint venture in the US in preparation for the country’s expanding legalisation of internet gambling.

The UK operator of online poker, sport, casino and bingo games said on Monday that it had signed a deal with Avenue Capital Group, the investment firm, to form a new company called the All American Poker Network.

888 already has joint ventures with Caesars, the owner of four Atlantic City casinos, as well as a strategic deal with WMS, a gaming machine manufacturer, while rival Bwin.party has a partnership with MGM and Boyd Gaming. High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email [email]ftsales-support@ft-com[/email] to buy additional rights. 888 to launch online gambling brand in US - FT-com

888 said the All American Poker Network would launch 888’s brands into the US market when federal or state-based regulation is finalised and after licences are obtained.

Avenue Capital will provide the financial backing for the deal, although 888 declined to confirm the amount.

“This is the perfect deal for 888, providing the ideal platform through which to launch our business-to-customer brands into the US market, once regulated,” said Brian Mattingley, chief executive, who added that the move “completed our online strategy”.

“The agreement sees a leading US financial institution backing one of the largest gaming platform operators in the world, joining forces to tackle a potentially huge market.”

Last month, New Jersey legislators passed a long-awaited bill legalising online gambling, following the lead of Delaware and Nevada.

The New Jersey bill, due to come into effect later this year, permits land-based casinos in the state to apply for licences to offer online casino and poker games.

“Today’s news is a clear positive, although returns are reliant on final implementation of state online gaming,” said James Hollins, an analyst at Investec, who reiterated his “buy” recommendation on the stock.

888 on Monday also announced that it was poised to launch an online poker operation in Nevada after agreeing a deal with Treasure Island, a Las Vegas gaming group.

Shares in 888 Holdings rose 5.2 per cent to 166.75p.



888 to launch online gambling brand in US - FT-com

Every week, it seems more individual states in the US decide to begin legislation for online gambling. States are realizing the want for online gambling as well as the potential that online gambling can bring. Currently, three states have passed legislation to offer online gambling in their individual state. many other states are also exploring the possibility of legalized online gambling. This now leads to the question: will individual state laws have the say so with online poker or will a federal bill soon be enacted?

According to Representative Joe Barton of Texas, a federal law is needed. Barton tried back in 2011 to have an online poker bill pass but was unsuccessful. Barton stated in a recent Bangor Daily News Article: “I think the states’ passage gives some incentive to the federal government to act. Whether you’re for or against Internet gambling, you don’t want 50 sets of state laws. You want uniformity.”

Barton is currently planning on releasing a new online poker bill this spring. Working alongside Barton is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is Nevada. The two men both want to see online poker legislation approved in the US and while Barton works on his piece of legislation, Reid is working to find people to support the measure.

The thoughts on federal law for online poker go two ways. Those for legalization and regulation state that federal laws for online poker would create a uniformity and help safeguard players against fraud. Those against legalization sated that a federal bill would take away the states’ power as well as take revenues which are needed badly across the board.

State Representative Joe Heck spoke with the Las Vegas Sun on the subject and stated: “There have been several discussions. There’s still a sense of urgency to try and get something done sooner rather than later. Now that the state’s going, we may need to reassess where we’re going federally. We’re still trying to codify something around a unified delegation, the industry and folks with a vested interest in trying to get an internet poker bill done.”


Online Poker Legislation: Will the State Laws or Federal Law Prevail?

A giant cutout of the tribal war shield from the Oklahoma flag greets you as soon as you step inside the Buffalo Lounge in Austin.

It's an odd site considering you're in the heart of Texas, but once inside, you are greeted by even more reminders of the Sooner State and its talented and intrepid musicians, filmmakers and innovators.

After starting at the 2010 South By Southwest festival, the Buffalo Lounge has grown every year. This year, more than 40 bands will take to two stages inside The 512 bar on Sixth Street.

Ginger Roddick, a partner with the Oklahoma City-based creative firm The Idea Collective, said Buffalo Lounge has grown exponentially the past three years and that she thinks this year it will have the best gathering yet.

“We are really amazed at our turnout,” Roddick said. “We are just happy so many people took advantage of being around some really Oklahoma bands, thinkers and moviemakers.”

A lot of the focus this year has been placed on the film and interactive portions of SXSW, with hopes that the Buffalo Lounge will help promote Oklahoma's growing industry and support economic growth in the state's cultural department.

“I think we are at a crossroads,” said Jill Simpson, Oklahoma Film and Music Office director. “The vision has been evolving, and I feel like we are just now really poised to not only have this at SXSW but to have events in Oklahoma as well and not only to showcase talent and provide a performance space but to do some education components and some business skills and incubation. We are just trying to grow it every year.”

On the first day of the lounge, a panel of experts from the film industry did a webinar that highlighted the incentives of filming big-budget movies in states such as Oklahoma instead of the normal go-to places like New York and California.

A featured guest on the panel was Shannon McIntosh, who most recently worked as the executive producer for the 2012 blockbuster “Django Unchained.” McIntosh, a Norman native, said she still has family in the state and hopes to one day film in Oklahoma.

“There are so many positives to filming in Oklahoma,” she said. “But mostly I think it's the people. They would be there to rally and support me, and they have the attitude and the spirit of the people I want to be around.”

Toward the end of the day, the focus of Buffalo Lounge shifted to smart ideas from small business owners.

Roddick said Buffalo Lounge has tried to make a big push for local startups to make the trip to Austin to help showcase the state's innovative side.

“We have a budding industry of interactive, and we've had companies written up in major publications like Wired magazine and other places,” Roddick said. “We are trying to make a push to Oklahoma companies to start coming down to South By and promote Oklahoma and the great ideas we have.

“We think there are some diamonds at Buffalo that we want to showcase.”

The long-awaited review of online gambling laws has been rejected by bookmakers and gambling critics with the federal government accused of ''copping out''.

Fairfax Media reported on Tuesday that the Australian online gambling market would not be opened up to more legal betting avenues until uniform harm minimisation and consumer protection guidelines were in place.

More than $1 billion is estimated to be punted on 2200 illegal overseas gambling websites by Australians every year, with growth expected to continue strongly.

Online casino-style games, such as poker, are banned in Australia and a suggested five-year trial of online poker will not go ahead, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says.

The review's key recommendation is for a national uniform harm minimisation standard for online gambling. Senator Conroy has written to state governments to begin talks on the standard.

Many other recommendations are contingent on a national standard being set up.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon, a long-time gambling critic, labelled the report a ''copout'' that could create a new wave of problem gamblers. Instead of working with the states for a national standard the government should legislate rules, as it had with poker machine laws.

''The government fails to acknowledge the Commonwealth has the power to intervene now and fix up the current loopholes in the legislation,'' Senator Xenophon said.

''Instead, it has adopted a fence-sitting approach of waiting for the states and territories to come on board. That's a recipe for delay and inaction.''

One part of the national standard is to force punters to set deposit limits, which has raised the ire of online bookmakers.

The Wagering Council of Australia, which represents online bookies, has rejected plans for pre-commitment on gambling websites, saying the best way to promote responsible gambling online is to have a regulated Australian industry.

Chief executive Chris Downy said while the council had always supported a national standard for harm minimisation and consumer protection, the introduction of mandatory pre-commitment was not supported by evidence.

Mr Downy said there was no definitive evidence to suggest that online wagering and sports betting has led to a proliferation of problem gambling.

Read more: Canberra 'cop-out' on online gambling laws

Online gambling is legal in many places overseas, but it is mostly banned in the United States. Yet shares of both companies have risen on hopes that a domestic opportunity for real-money gaming may soon be possible.

The gaming industry has lobbied Congress to relax online gambling bans, arguing that games like poker are based on skill rather than chance, and it seems likely that those legislative changes will happen. Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware have all recently legalized online gambling.

"We're cautiously optimistic about Zynga's potential in [online gambling]," said Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia. "But there are a lot of unknowns. Until we know more, it's going to be more of a promise than reality."

Should online gambling become legal in the United States, Zynga will have to partner with the right companies and price its games well in order to make the most of this market, Bhatia said. But even then, Bhatia doesn't think Zynga will reap an immediate benefit.

"It will take a few quarters to work out," he said. "It's not a 2013 earnings driver -- more like 2014." Zynga is banking on that increased revenue potential: The company built its brand on Facebook (F😎 games like FarmVille, but the popularity of those titles is starting to wane. Zynga has shuttered about 15 titles since October.

After shares fell by nearly 80% in 2012, Zynga began to rebound in December when the company announced it had filed an application for a gaming license in Nevada.

The Nevada application came just weeks after Zynga struck its first real-cash gaming deal with international gaming operator bwin.party. Zynga plans to launch poker and casino games in the U.K. early this year.


Online gambling deals boost Zynga, Glu - Mar. 12, 2013

This week, Antigua and Barbados’ Finance Minister told the Caribbean press that its ambassador “is engaging officials and technicians at the office of the United States Trade Representative in Washington, DC, to try to once again bring their long-running Internet gambling dispute to an end.” This news comes after the announcement in late January that Antigua “was granted authorization by the World Trade Organization (WTO) to suspend certain concessions and obligations it has under international law to the United States in respect of intellectual property rights.”

As noted in an earlier Infojustice blog, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DS😎 previously found that the United States discriminates against the Antiguan online gambling industry, in violation of the GATS agreement. Therefore, the DSB has decided that Antigua may “suspend obligations under the TRIPS Agreement” on goods up to a $21 million as a form of cross-retaliation under Article 22.3 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding.

The United States objected to the idea that Angitua would suspend TRIPS obligations, but it seems that the threat of cross-retaliation has brought it to the table. Antigua’s attorney Mark Mendell noted after the cross-retaliation was authorized that “we’ve heard a lot more from them (the US negotiators) over the past two weeks than over the past 10 years.”
Caribbean Nations Support Antigua and Barbados and the WTO

At the February 27 meeting of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body, a representative from Dominica had spoke on behalf of Antigua and Barbados, highlighting concern over the U.S.’s failure to suggest a negotiated outcome to the dispute, and its use of terms such as “theft of intellectual property” and “government-authorized piracy” to describe WTO-authorized retaliation for the U.S.’s GATS violation. According to the WTO Dispute Settlement Body’s account of the meeting:

“In Antigua and Barbuda’s view, the use of such intemperate and dismissive language by the US was a fundamental challenge to the WTO and a reputational assault both on the DSB that had given the approval for intellectual property (IP) suspensions and on Antigua and Barbuda that had sought its right to exercise it. Antigua and Barbuda called on members to defend the WTO’s fundamental principles and to ensure that its rulings are applied equally by all countries despite their size.”

This statement was supported by Trinidad and Tobago (speaking on behalf of CARICOM), Haiti, Jamaica and Barbados.


U.S. and Antigua Negotiating Solution to Online Gambling Dispute: Caribbean Nations Support Right of Cross-Retaliation » infojustice

Argentine singer Diego Torres announced on Tuesday that he and model and show host Debora Bello are the proud parents of a daughter.

"Nina is born, our daughter we have so been waiting for, at 1.16 pm today. Thanks for the messages! She's perfect and beautiful!" the artist said on Twitter, where he also posted a picture with the baby's footprint.

Media said that Bello, 37, gave birth at the Otamende hospital in the Argentine capital.

Torres, the 42-year-old creator of such hits as Color Esperanza (The Color of Hope) and Tratar de Estar Mejor (Trying to Be Better), is preparing to resume his acting career and has already begun filming the telenovela Vecinos en Guerra (Neighbors at War), which will air this year.

Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll has resigned amid fallout from an investigation into internet cafes that are fronts for gambling.

Carroll's resignation was announced Wednesday, one day after she gave her resignation letter to Gov. Rick Scott. His chief of staff, Adam Hollingsworth, said her resignation was spurred by an investigation into the Allied Veterans of the World.

Officials from that non-profit internet cafe company were recently arrested on racketeering charges. The owner was arrested Tuesday in connection to allegations that he made $290 million after supplying illegal gambling software in Florida and claiming the games' proceeds would benefit a veterans group. Authorities also interviewed Carroll.


Fla. Lt. Governor Resigns Amid Online Gambling Investigation - Reason 24/7 : Reason-com

The people who bring you The Greatest Show on Earth will be taking Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor and the Fantastic Four on a worldwide road show.

Feld Entertainment Inc., which produces the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, along with a host of other live shows such as Disney on Ice, is announcing a partnership Wednesday with Marvel Entertainment to produce a live arena show featuring the Marvel universe of characters.

Exact financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. But Kenneth Feld, CEO of Vienna, Va.-based Feld Entertainment, said he expects the show to open in July 2014, and tour arenas domestically and internationally, as the company's other shows do. Production costs will likely exceed $10 million, Feld told The Associated Press in announcing the partnership.

Feld Entertainment has expanded in recent years to acquire several motor sports and monster truck shows aimed at expanding its appeal beyond the young children who go to the circus and girls who flock to the Disney shows. Feld expects the Marvel shows to appeal to older boys, comic book fans and family audiences.

Marvel's chief creative officer, Joe Quesada, said dozens of people have approached Marvel about doing a live show of some sort over the years. The partnership with Feld Entertainment was the first with which he felt comfortable.

"You always have those questions - how are you going to keep it from being goofy, or silly, or unbelievable?" Quesada said. But the level of showmanship in Feld Entertainment's other shows made an impression.

"They're already doing feats that are superhuman to begin with," Quesada said of the performers that Feld Entertainment recruits for its circus and other shows.

Feld said his company's long-standing partnership with Burbank, Calif.-based The Walt Disney Co., which acquired Marvel in 2009, helped establish a level of trust between Feld and the Marvel executives.

The show is in the early stages of development in a new training center that Feld runs in Ellenton, Fla. Feld and Marvel said there is close collaboration to ensure the characters act in ways consistent with fans' understanding. Quesada said the director - veteran choreographer Shanda Sawyer, who has directed various iterations of the Ringling circus and won Emmy awards for her television work, took a deep dive into Marvel mythology that took him aback.

"We had to pull her back," Quesada said. "I told her, `I think you're even geeking me out.'" Trying to bring superhuman characters to life in a live show can be daunting and even dangerous, as evidence by the difficulties suffered in launching the Broadway musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark." Several performers suffered injuries ranging from concussions to fractured skulls in what became the most expensive show in Broadway history. The $75 million show has since become one of Broadway's top earners.

"What they tried to do was new for them, but it's the stuff we do all the time in a lot of our businesses," Feld said.

The Marvel universe has thousands of characters - some household names and others known only to the most devoted fans. Feld said a live show provides an opportunity to present a wide variety of Marvel characters in a way that will appeal to even casual fans.

"There's so much mythology and lore with all of these characters - it's like going into this treasure chest of unbelievable gems," Feld said. "There are almost unlimited stories and shows we can create off these properties and characters."

While details of the show remain either under wraps or under development, Feld said the basic plotline is a no-brainer: "The world will be in jeopardy, and the Marvel superheroes will save the world."

Ontario should scrap its "empire-building" plans for more casinos and online gambling and focus instead on bolstering the horse-racing industry, the Progressive Conservatives said Thursday.

They wouldn't reinstate the slots-at-racetracks program that brought in $345-million a year if they formed the next government, the Tories said.

But race operators, who are still reeling from the Liberals' decision to cancel the program, should be able to buy existing slot operations at "fair market value."

It could save an industry that employs about 60,000 people, the party said in its so-called "white paper" on rural and agricultural affairs.

Shelving the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.'s plans for online gambling and building 29 new casinos in places like Toronto won't cost the province new revenue or new jobs, Opposition Leader Tim Hudak argued.

The province still needs a "pro-jobs agenda" that will re-ignite the economy and draw investment in the face of a $12-billion deficit, but more gambling is not the solution, he said.

"I think in fact closing down racetrack slots across this province is going to compound that problem by tossing 65,000 people out of work," Hudak said.

He also slammed the province's plans to set up online betting by the end of the year, which the governing Liberals say will bring in much-needed money.

It's a waste of taxpayers' dollars, Hudak said.

"I just think that what the Wynne government is doing is not a jobs plan, it's a tax plan," he said. "And I think it's an effort to increase taxes that will result in about 65,000 job losses across our province."

Gambling should be handed over to private operators, with the government acting as a regulator only, he said.

But that would also eliminate a large source of revenue for the province, said New Democrat Taras Natyshak.

Hudak is talking out of both sides of his mouth, he said.

"In one breath, he says he wants to stop the government from ramming casinos into communities that don't want them," said Natyshak, whose party opposes the OLG's casino expansion plans.

"But on the other hand, he's promising to privatize all gaming and gambling and let the Donald Trumps of the world decide where to build casinos."

The Liberals are advocating "privatization by stealth," allowing private operators to run all OLG facilities and finance the corporation's expansion over the next few years.

Currently, only four facilities -- Casino Rama, Caesars Windsor, Niagara Fallsview and Great Blue Heron charity casino -- are privately run.

As for his plan for slots, all the Tories would be doing is ensuring the viability of a racetrack, Nayshak said. It does nothing for the horse-racing side.

But the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association praised the Tories' proposal.

"Horse racing needs to play a prominent role in any gaming strategy in order for our industry to survive and to continue playing an important economic role as it does in rural Ontario," president Sue Leslie said in a statement.

Last week, the Liberals announced the sector would be integrated into a provincial gambling strategy with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. to find new revenue streams.

Premier Kathleen Wynne said they'd reached "transition funding" agreements with six racetracks, and is negotiating with eight others.

The gambling proposals are among a number of ideas the Tories are floating in a series of so-called white papers. But it's not official party policy.

The paper proposes to wind down the feed-in-tariff program for wind and solar energy projects and give part of the gas tax to all rural municipalities.

The Tories are also floating a two per cent biodiesel mandate for all diesel sold in the province, a new regional food terminal and an increase in the amount of Ontario-grown food bought by the broader public sector.

Read more: Tories want to scrap plan for more casinos and online gambling | CTV Toronto News

A recent amendment to the latest gambling expansion bill being considered by Illinois politicians includes modifications of “bad actor” provisions in the sections related to internet gambling that may remove roadblocks for previous US-facing online poker sites.

The previous language in amended Senate Bill 1739 contained a bad-actor provision as follows: “No Internet gaming license shall be granted to any applicant who has accepted wagers via the Internet in contravention of this Section or United States law in the 10 years preceding the application date.”

The latest amendment now requires operators and vendors to have “been convicted of accepting” wagers in violation of US law. The change alters the ambiguity of the original terms regarding online license suitability.

The change in language assures that an automatic blackout will not drop into place that would affect all previous US-facing online poker entities, even those who departed the American market after the late-2006 passage of the UIGEA.

Among the companies that left the US in late 2006 is 888 Holdings PLC. 888 Holdings has already been approved by Nevada regulators, announced plans for its own All American Poker Network, and has already struck two major deals with other Nevada online-poker licensees, including Caesars Entertainment and WMS Gaming, Inc.

WMS Gaming, in turn, is part of the WMS family of companies, a prominent manufacturer of casino slot machines and other equipment, with offices in Chicago and Waukegan, IL. The language in Link’s original proposal might have adversely affected possible future business deals for WMS should the company’s business agreement with 888 be endangered. Legislation that would legalize online gambling in Illinois was introduced last week and was promptly approved by a state senate committee. The 555-page proposal included provisions to authorize various forms of online gaming, including poker, amid a more heated battle within Illinois over the possible issuance of several new licenses for land-based casinos in the state.



pokerfuse-com/news/law-and-regulation/il-amendment-gambling-expansion-bill-softens-bad-actor-clause-14-03/

Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz pulled his sports and entertainment conglomerate Anschutz Entertainment Group off the market Thursday and parted ways with its longtime CEO Tim Leiweke, moves analysts attributed to lower-than-expected bids, strained relations with the NFL and internal politics.

The sale of Los Angeles-based AEG, which has venues around the globe, generated more interest from buyers than expected when Anschutz placed the company on the market six months ago in a move that caught industry watchers largely off guard.

But the actual offers for AEG, which Anschutz wanted to sell as a whole rather than in parts, fell short of expectations, sources said.

"There is extraordinary interest in all of AEG's assets. Not everybody places tremendous value on them as a bundle," said David Carter, a professor of sports business at the University of Southern California.

Some experts said Leiweke's strained relations with the NFL, reflected in his failure to land a team to occupy Farmers Field in downtown Los Angeles, factored into his departure.

"There have been rumors since early 2012 that Tim wasn't going to stay with AEG on a long-term basis," said Marc Ganis, CEO of Chicago-based Sportscorp.

Leiweke's departure and the flux it created in turn made it more difficult to complete a sale, according to a source close to the deal.

Anschutz, who rarely talks to the press, went on the offensive Thursday, telling Los Angeles reporters he was ready to work with the NFL to bring a team to Farmers Field, where he has invested $45 million.

Ganis said he wasn't surprised that Anschutz would push his stadium deal into the spotlight.

"He would like to have that investment pay off for him. Even though Leiweke, the person most closely associated with Farmers Field is gone, he is still personally committed to it. Anschutz is also reminding people, that oh, by the way, the "A" in AEG stands for Anschutz, not Leiweke."

Three serious contenders emerged in the bidding for AEG, but their bids all came in below the $8 billion that The Anschutz Co. reportedly wanted, according to earlier reports.

Interested buyers included Los Angeles billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong; Guggenheim Partners, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers; and a consortium of Colony Capital, owner of the Neverland Ranch and the Miramax film library, and Qatar's sovereign fund.

"You had real bidders at real numbers," said Steve Horowitz, a partner at Inner Circle Sports in New York, which advised some interested buyers who dropped out early.

Different parties wanted different pieces of AEG, and those assets could be valued individually. But it was harder to put a price tag on the whole ensemble, he said.

Among AEG's wide array of assets are the Staples Center, the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings, the music festival Coachella and the world's second-largest concert promoter, AEG Live.

"From the very beginning of the sales process, we have made it clear to our employees and partners throughout the world that unless the right buyer came forward with a transaction on acceptable terms we would not sell the company," Anschutz said in a statement.

Anschutz, who got his start in oil and gas, is known for taking undervalued assets, bundling or redeploying them and eventually selling at a premium.

His insight to lay fiber-optic cable along Southern Pacific Railroad right of way resulted in Qwest Communications.

Anschutz, however, wasn't a "motivated" seller in the sense of needing to raise money from AEG, his highest-profile holding to date.

Dan Beckerman, a 15-year veteran who has served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer at AEG, will take over as president and CEO. Anschutz also said he would assume a more active role in the company, which he demonstrated Thursday, and spend more time in Los Angeles.

Carter said the failed sale is not a waste of time or energy and provided the company with useful information.

"They have an idea of what the marketplace thinks of the entity rolled up," Carter said. "It was important for AEG to get a valuation of the firm for a variety of reasons."

The company plans to stick with its strategy of owning as much of the entertainment experience as possible - from the venue to the teams, from organizing concerts to selling tickets and controlling media content.

AEG owns, controls or is associated with more than 100 arenas and facilities that host the company's sports teams, events and musical concerts.

AEG also owns retail, office and residential developments that pair with its sports-related properties to form an entertainment hub, such as L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

Very interesting.