Let your mouth speak archive

The momager is a Hollywood hybrid of mother and manager. And like any other hired help, they make a salary, or take a nice cut of their little one’s earnings, for their troubles.

But industry insiders say it’s this conflict of interest – wanting what’s best for your kid, but also wanting what pays the most for you – that makes being a momager way too risky a proposition.

“Parents, when and if possible should trust their children’s careers in the hands of trained professionals who manage talent for a living,” Los Angeles-based talent agent and co-founder of online casting service GotCast, Alec Shankman, told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “The parents don’t have to entirely hand over the reins altogether, but the kids still need parents at home for an entirely different type of support than Hollywood can offer.”

Cautionary tales are many.

In the 1970s, momager Teri Shields marketed her model daughter as Brooke Shields & Co. and came under fire for urging her then minor-aged daughter to appear nude in a movie playing a child prostitute and appear in sexualized Calvin Klein Jeans advertisements.

Today Krista Keller Stodden is in charge of her daughter Courtney Stodden’s career, one that started when mom gave permission for Courtney to marry actor Doug Hutchinson when she was only 16.

He was 51.

“Courtney also has many projects in the works for 2013,” Krista told the Huffington Post earlier this year. “Neither Courtney nor I worry about her 15 minutes being up. She’s like Anna Nicole Smith, without the drugs.”

Not surprisingly, momager/child relationships often end quite badly.

R&B crooner Usher was forced to fire his momager, Jonetta Patton, in 2007, citing their “different view and mind-set,” and pointing to her disapproval of his marriage to now ex-wife Tameka Foster. Then there was “Gossip Girl” sensation Leighton Meester whose dispute with her former momager Constance ended in the Los Angeles Superior Court over alleged misuse of funds. In 2011, the court ruled in the actress’s favor. In 2012. “Modern Family” star Ariel Winter successfully petitioned to have her sister, not her momager, granted permanent guardianship.

And we don’t have all day, so we’re not even getting into Dina and Lindsay Lohan.

“Whether [momager] a positive or negative term depends on who you ask,” said Paula Dorn, co-founder of the BizParentz Foundation, a non-profit corporation providing education, advocacy, and charitable support to parents and children engaged in the entertainment industry. “It seems as though many inexperienced parents believe they should be taking on career-enhancing tasks for their child (such as marketing and publicity) without understanding what is appropriate.”

Dorn warned that is simply “unrealistic for most parents to think they have the necessary skills or contacts to navigate the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry effectively for their child,” and that “being a good, attentive mom is most important.” However, she does admit that there are some circumstance where mom does know best when it comes to management.

Dorn’s Momager of the Year? Cinda Snow, mother to veteran actress Brittany Snow.

“Cinda was a momager to her daughter throughout her childhood career, and is now manager for other children,” Dorn said. “She is a very classy, educated and poised woman who not only took her parenting role very seriously, as evidenced by Brittany’s demeanor, but who also navigated a successful career for Brittany. Her adult career is officially in the hands of others now, but she owes her foundation to her mother.”

According to Shankman, it’s all about balance.

“This type of ‘momager’ relationship has been around forever and will continue to be around for a long time,” he said. “But it’s important to be able to differentiate between business and personal. Young talent needs support in both parts of their lives. If it is all business and the kids can’t ever be kids, you can run into issues. And if it’s all personal and there isn’t someone properly managing the kid's business, you can also run into issues.”

Shankman’s “best momager”?

“Kris Jenner has done an incredible job building on-camera careers for each member of her very large family,” Shankman said.

Whether they’ll still be talking to each other in 10 years, remains to be seen.

Read more: Entertainment pros: Most Hollywood moms should be moms, not momagers | Fox News

Real Entertainment Production (R.E.P) boss and television producer, Andrew Lee Pryce, has secured a deal with an independent film company in the United States to produce Justice System.

Pryce wrote the Justice System script several years ago and submitted it to Spyglass Entertainment. He has finally got a response to his submission.

"It was submitted to them from as far back as 2010, and they replied in the affirmative, they want to go into pre-production next year, shoot it, and release it in a few years," said Pryce.

The movie is about a young footballer from Jamaica who gets in trouble with the law while in the United States.

The scenario allows Pryce to point to certain inequities in the justice system, specifically where a person from a poor background cannot get a fair shake in the system.

According to Pryce, pre-production of Justice System "will start next year and the marketing of a movie typically takes a few years years so it will be ready for release in 2018.

"The producers have also offered me the role to play the attorney-at-law from Jamaica representing the footballer. It will be hard for me as a producer to be cast in the movie, but I want to be the first Jamaican young film producer ever to break big internationally. I'm extra confident in myself and I know what I can do. I am grateful to Spyglass Entertainment for this opportunity," Pryce, who is an Edna Manley School of the Visual and Performing Arts graduate, said in a release.

R.E.P is known for its live broadcast on BESS FM of Sting 2011 that proved to be an ultra-successful revenue earner for the station.

R.E.P is now gearing up for the launch of Real Talk TV, a social and entertainment programme that will air public views on a wide variety of issues.

R.E.P is also focused on the marketing of recording artiste Alty-b with his latest single Island Girls, featuring Richie Loop.


Jamaican cops Spyglass movie deal - Entertainment - Jamaica Gleaner - Sunday | May 12, 2013

Stupid queen..

The online gambling industry is constantly in flux sometimes more so than any other business and following investment trends in the sector are always interesting if not profitable. Watching and wagering on internet gambling firms requires nerves of steel and a quick response time when it comes to selling or buying. Examples of companies that show promise are plentiful especially when considering those that have their foot in the US market. Certain firms stand out far beyond expectations the very best performing one being Multimedia Games whose shares have gone up an outstanding 361 percent in the past two years, going from $5.33 on May 3, 2011 to $24.57 on May 3, 2013, out pacing every other gambling stock listed anywhere on the planet.

The second-best performer on the gambling sector is online gambling operator 888 Holdings, which has more than quadrupled its worth over the past two years thanks to its growth in the European jurisdiction.
The incredible growth of Multimedia Games cannot be attributed to a growing market in the USA for the slot machines that Multimedia Games manufactures. The investment in Multimedia Games is curiously not related to anything this old fashioned business has been doing. The firm made a strategic decision and followed through on their plans. These included paying down the company’s debt, which would be halved between September 2009 and September 2011; applying for licenses in different states to diversify and focusing on sales of equipment rather than leasing and revenue-sharing agreements. These decisions were smart and fundamentally sound. Equipment sales increased 55 percent in the first quarter due to the diversification into 17 states.
Multimedia Games has hit all the right buttons and is making more money than before by bringing down costs being innovative and diversifying their market base. While other firms are moving into internet gaming this firm has stuck to an out dated but proven formula for success good products a well managed financial plan and an in depth review of its own issues.



Online Gambling Stock Research Essential

The debate over Internet gambling has been raging in the U.S. for more than a decade.

Until recently, the federal government treated Internet gambling as an illegal activity. Fueled by the 50-year-old Wire Act, which bans sports betting over communication wires, and a 2006 law that made it illegal to process U.S. payments for online gambling, the Justice Department targeted online-gambling companies and their partners with criminal and civil lawsuits.

But in late 2011, the Justice Department changed its interpretation of the law, opening the way for states to consider some forms of Internet betting.

Earlier this year, Internet gambling scored one of its biggest victories when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill into law allowing current casino operators in Atlantic City to take in-state bets online. While New Jersey’s move could encourage similar measures in other states, the legal picture for Internet gambling remains hazy.

Critics say Internet gambling is a scourge that will fuel addiction, bankruptcies and crime if more states give it their stamp of approval.

Others say Washington had no business trying to ban Internet gambling in the first place, and that states and citizens should be free to make their own choices.

Michelle Minton, a fellow in consumer policy studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, argues in favor of allowing Internet gambling. John Warren Kindt, a professor at the University of Illinois and an editor and contributing author to the U.S. International Gambling Report series, says that would be a mistake.

We shouldn’t be debating whether Washington should legalize Internet gambling, because the federal government didn’t have a right to try to ban it in the first place.

The debate over the morality of gambling has been over for a long time in the U.S. It is a widespread and popular activity: Research shows that more than 70 million Americans gamble in a given year, and some 85% of adults admit to gambling at least once in their lives. Every state, apart from Hawaii and Utah, has some kind of legalized gambling, and all but seven states operate lotteries. Since the 1930s, state governments have happily accepted the hard-earned income of their citizens buying a one-in-175 million chance of hitting the jackpot.

Yet, some draw the line at allowing adults to spend their own money to play games with much better odds, such as online poker, in the privacy of their own homes.

Opponents of legalized online gambling worry that legalization will fuel problem gambling, entice minors and encourage crime. Those are understandable concerns, but keeping online gambling illegal will have far worse outcomes for all of them.

Creating a Black Market

Prohibitions simply don’t work, and banning online activities is especially futile and counterproductive. In 2006, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). It didn’t ban online gambling outright, but rather prohibited the processing of payments related to “unlawful” Internet wagering. Since the law failed to identify what types of online gambling were considered “unlawful,” all Internet wagering was thrust into a legal gray area.

Following UIGEA’s passage, responsible online casino operators began exiting the U.S. market, but that didn’t stop online gambling here. With 20,000 to 30,000 online gambling portals currently active, Americans still managed to spend $4 billion wagering online in 2011, according to a study from the American Gaming Association. The only difference was that they were playing on less reliable sites without the protection of American law. Allowing states to legalize online gambling will subject online operators to regulatory oversight and to prosecution when they violate laws or players’ rights.

Those who worry about minors gaining access to online gambling should be the loudest supporters of legalizing the activity. State-of-the-art technologies exist to restrict minors, protect against fraud, and secure data, but black-market online casino operators have little incentive to use these tools because they essentially have nothing to lose.

Let States Decide

Similarly, when it comes to gambling addiction, the solution is to bring the activity into the light rather than sweeping it under the rug. Problem gambling is much easier to spot and mitigate in the online world than in brick-and-mortar casinos. In the real world, consumers can drain their bank accounts at the casino without anyone noticing. On the Internet, operators can track players through their accounts, credit cards and IP addresses. Sophisticated algorithms can spot signs of problem gambling and cut users off from further play. Even for those players who aren’t addicted but want to voluntarily cap their spending in any given session, platforms can easily offer a way to do so.

The nation is already pretty well set up to support legalized online gambling. There are federal and state statutes in place for players and operators to report earnings and pay taxes. Courts are able to address assertions of fraud and cheating. And as recent Justice Department actions show, law-enforcement agencies already have the tools to track and prosecute illegal online gambling activity.

Washington ought to repeal UIGEA and leave state governments and citizens free to make their own choices about online gambling.

Internet gambling isn’t a libertarian issue of fun and games. It is an issue of national economic security and Wall Street’s financial stability.

Those in favor of online wagering argue many of the same points that led to the repeal in 2000 of the antigambling laws regulating Wall Street. That, in turn, paved the way for credit-default swaps, the side bets on subprime mortgages that fueled the 2008 financial crisis.

Easy access and the speed with which gamblers can lose assets online makes Internet gambling a particularly dangerous activity. Such gambling would be ub

Morgan Stanley, one of the world's leading financial services firms, has made a bold prediction - estimating that in 2020, online gambling in the US will be worth more than the combined amount currently produced by Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

US online gambling boom

The American online gambling industry will be worth a massive $9.3 billion by the year 2020, according to a "conservative market estimate" made in the Morgan Stanley report. This would see it top the combined amount made by Vegas and Atlantic City, which produced $6.2 billion and $3 billion respectively in 2012.

In its report, Morgan Stanley upgraded Boyd Gaming Corporation's stocks. As a Nevada business that owns hotels and casinos throughout the US, including big establishments in Vegas and AC, Boyd is seen as one of the companies best placed to take advantage of the changing legal environment.

Awaiting the online casinos

Online gambling giant 888 appears set to become the first operator receive a license from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, according to various reports on the internet in the past month. So far two tech firms have receive Nevada online gambling licenses, but as yet no online casino operator has been approved.

Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware have all passed laws approving some of form of online gambling in the past month. Nevada's law authorizes local firms to host internet gambling for non-state residents. This effectively creates a nationwide framework for online gaming despite the failure of federal regulation attempts.



Study: US Online Gambling Worth $9.3b in 2020 - Special Reports - Onlinecasinoreports-com

The online gambling market that we see it today is just a small portion of what will come in the future as smart phones proliferate and the Asian online gambling market matures. Asians love to bet on all sorts of things and their awareness of technology to help them do this is widespread. The Asian gambling sector is massive and by most accounts has not been tapped to any degree.
In Asia where millions of potential players reside the rules of engagement are been ironed out in jurisdictions that seem impenetrable from different stand points. Language and the different traditions and culture makes it difficult to break into the Asian gambling scene. The different currencies involved also create a barrier to operators trying to provide a secure service to customers.
In order to accommodate the millions of bets made by Asian customer operators are offering better and more choices for money transfers and accounting with an increasing number of payment methods for players. The online casino industry is focusing on localized payment methods, in Europe and other jurisdictions with Asia also on the list of jurisdictions that online gambling operators are paying more attention to providing services in local languages and currencies. A secure online casino payment method that is popular with players throughout eastern and south-east Asia is Asiapay88. Which is available from many online casinos, poker rooms and sports books, allowing players to make deposits in Chinese Renminbi, Indonesia Ruppiah, Malaysian Ringgit, Vietnamese Dong and Thai Baht.
Some operators are pin pointing some areas in Asia for more specified payment options such as, ECashAsia and PayBay which are both secure and simple deposit methods that allow customers to transfer funds from their bank account to their casino account localized for Thai players.
The offering of local payment options is proving that the industry is paying closer attention to the needs of the growing Asian internet wagering, market.



Asian Online Gambling Localized Payment Options

A waxwork of Coronation Street's Ken Barlow has been removed from display at Madame Tussauds after being attacked.

It used to sit in a mock-up of the Rovers Return pub opposite his on-off wife Deirdre.

But bosses at Tussauds in Blackpool took away their Ken Barlow figure following a number of attacks, 'inappropriate pictures' and complaints from customers about its presence.

Bill Roache, 81, the actor who has played Barlow in the ITV soap since 1960, is on bail after being charged with two counts of raping a 15-year-old girl in 1967.

He has pledged to fight the claims but ITV officials have suspended him from the show until any trial ends.

A spokesman for Tussauds said it was not making moral judgments but had removed the waxwork so it did not get damaged because they cost £150,000 each.

Playtech has been nipping at the heels of giant Microgaming for the honour of being the most sought after software for online gambling for some time now and is finding a place on the computers and smartphones of punters everywhere.
Playtech’s forward surge has been helped by the William Hill Online experience and its extended contract with RAY, the Finnish operator. There are already rumours of a purchase of Sportech providing Playtech with more sporting brands like The Football Pools and Vernons as well as a significant share of the lucrative fixed-odds betting terminals market in the UK.
Playtech’s revenues for sports betting at the moment are at just €4.6 million which is far behind its casino revenues leaving room for a challenge that Playtech is sure to take up.
Playtech’s progress appears unchecked. With huge growth in the newest jurisdiction, Asia, a new deal in place with Ladbrokes and a poker network with more liquidity, Plytech is poised to make some real progress and real money for its investors.
The windfall created by the selling off its 29 percent stake in William Hill Online has investors wondering where the firm will put the capital gain. Playtech’s Chief Executive Officer Mor Weizer’s commented on what Playtech is planning to do with this gain in funds, “We are focused on exploring strategic alternatives that will enable us to continue the growth and development of the business.”
As with most software firms with reputations the American market is on the agenda with Mr. Weizer commenting on the US potential, “We are in certain discussions with various groups with regards to different types of partnerships in the US,”
It has been suggested that Playtech will be looking for immediate returns which it can afford and so it is seeking partnership deals with bigger and more substantial land based casino and hotel operators in the USA. Time will tell how well the management team at Playtech deals with their finances.



Playtech Online Gambling Software Seeks New Markets

Foreign-based gambling operators have been advised to keep abreast of Singaporean Government plans to adopt new rules to regulate online betting.

Gambling law expert Bryan Tan of Pinsent Masons MPillay, the Singapore joint law venture partner of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law-com, said that the issue was "an area for gambling operators to keep tabs on".

On Friday Singapore's Second Minister for Home Affairs, S Iswaran, announced that the Singaporean Government was reviewing how to "restrict access to, and patronage of, online gambling platforms" in a study it expects to complete before the end of 2013.

Tan said that it is currently "unclear" as to whether existing gambling laws in Singapore apply to online betting but that it was as yet not evident how the Singaporean Government plans to address the issue.

"The Betting Act and the Common Gaming Houses Act stem back to the pre-independence days and there is some uncertainty over their extra-territorial effect," Tan said. "Singaporeans, like most Asians, are fervent gamblers and the fear is that unregulated gambling may result in social problems as well as illegal activities. Details of the regulations have not yet been introduced, but it will be interesting to see whether these are targeted at the problem or they adopt a sledgehammer approach."

In a speech Iswaran said that the Singaporean Government was proposing to set new regulations to govern online gambling in a bid to combat specific "social risks" associated with the form of betting.

"In Singapore, we remain resolute in our commitment to especially protect minors and vulnerable groups in our society from the harms of gambling, be it terrestrial or virtual," he said. "Therefore, the Government is studying measures that can be taken against online gambling, and to restrict access to, and patronage of, online gambling platforms."

"We recognise that there are practical challenges to this effort, not least because technological change will render complete eradication difficult. Our officials are working with industry experts to study the issues and learn from other jurisdictions, in order to formulate a strategy that is effective, relevant and sustainable. The study should be concluded by the end of the year," the Minister added.

Iswaran said that the online gambling market was worth an estimated $400 billion and "is expected to grow at an annual rate of 9%", with "significant growth opportunity" stemming from the Asian market. He said online gambling is "potentially more addictive" than traditional forms of betting and that it is more accessible to "the young and vulnerable".

"These risks will likely be magnified as the technology supporting online gambling further evolves," Iswaran said.



New online betting regulations being developed in Singapore

Radio DJ Dominic Harvey is continuing to field a backlash - even from his wife - about a tweet that connected child rape with a New Zealand X Factor contestant failing to progress to the next stage.

In an apparent reference to the Once Were Warriors film, during the programme last night, The Edge's Morning Madhouse host wrote "Poor Gracie! First molested in her own bed by uncle bully. And now kicked out of #xfactornz", after contestant Grace Ikanasio failed to make it through to the next round.

The tweet didn't win the shock jock many friends, with even his wife and fellow radio host Jay-Jay Feeney tweeting: "I love my husband @DomHarvey but I do not always share his views. He is his own person."

Harvey's tweet prompted a barrage of complaints, including one person who said that as a victim of child rape, his tweet made her feel physically ill.

The radio host apologised for the tweet, but not before an online spat with comedian Rose Matafeo who asked her 6000 followers to stop following his twitter feed because of his profile picture which shows him saying to women: "Apologise? What the hell for?".

"Hey, here's a pro tip: go to Dom Harvey's account, check out his profile pic and unfollow him if you haven't already."

He replied by tweeting: "There is this Kiwi who calls herself a `comedian' who is asking her small pocket of followers to unfollow me. This may be her best joke ever."

Harvey also defended his tweet by posting: "I suspect Grace knows she is not that person who played the role of Grace in a fictional film."

However, he later deleted the tweet and today posted: "I have deleted a tweet I wrote last night. It was supposed to be funny. On reflection, it was not. Sorry for any offence caused."

A Mediaworks spokeswoman said the matter had been dealt with through Harvey's apology.

"That's his Twitter account and not an official Mediaworks line - obviously it's not a statement we would endorse...but we're certainly satisfied with the way Dom has amended and apologised on the social media network."

She did not believe they had received any complaints about the tweet.

The Broadcasting Standards Authority said because it was not something he had said on air, the issue fell outside its scope.

But tweeters voiced their displeasure directly to the radio star following its posting.

One tweeter, crystal-cooper tweeted: "Such a shame that @DomHarvey is letting down the side for @TheEdgeNZ everyone else is super funny and not misogynist dickheads!"

Another tweeter, @stamspo wrote ''@DomHarvey yes because joking about a real problem that many face is so crack up😡😡😡!! and hilarious😡😡 wow😡😡''

Others called for sponsors to pull out of advertising on the radio station, with one tweeting: "As I see it, the only way @TheEdgeNZ does anything about Dom Harvey is if sponsors start pulling out, so that's who you should be pressuring."

Ikanasio was due to appear on the radio station this morning and on its twitter feed. The Edge called for fans of the show to vote for her as a wildcard entry to get back into the competition.

Last month Harvey was accused of sexism for a tweet which said it was hardly ever a good idea for women to rap.

Harvey tweeted his views about women rapping while watching the auditions for The X-Factor NZ.

"Girls rapping. Hardly ever a good idea," he said.

The tweet sparked a flood of criticism, with many people calling it sexist and out-of-touch.

Kiwi rapper Coco Solid called for people to let The Edge know Harvey's tweet was offensive in a post on her Facebook page.

PADDY Power chief executive Patrick Kennedy dismissed a recent Davy Stockbrokers report warning that the gambling firm's Italian foray won't come up trumps. Speaking at Paddy Power's annual general meeting in Dublin yesterday, Mr Kennedy said that he disagreed with the report's findings.

Davy analysts downgraded Paddy Power stock from 'outperform' to 'underperform' last month.

The firm had the 'outperform' rating on Paddy Power since 2009. But analysts said they believed Paddy Power's core online business in Ireland and the UK is facing diminishing returns.

They also suggested that the company could face a longer payback time for its investment in the Italian market.

While the shares tumbled after the report was issued, they have since regained much of the lost ground.

Italian market

Mr Kennedy insisted the fundamentals of the Italian market are attractive and that its size, increasing broadband penetration, smart device roll-out and social media will underpin growth.

The Italian gambling market is estimated to be worth €11.3bn a year, but only 9pc of the market there is online, compared to 25pc in the UK.

Mr Kennedy also said that the performance of the Irish retail market and Paddy Power's chain of shops here will be "a function of consumer confidence", as people brace for another tough Budget in coming months.

While the number of bets being made at Irish Paddy Power outlets has increased, the value of stakes bet has fallen. However, in the year-to-date the amounts staked at Irish outlets have risen 3pc.

Paddy Power chairman Nigel Northridge told shareholders that the company's revenue in the year to date is up 20pc, driven by a 29pc growth in online revenue and an 8pc rise in retail revenue.

"Sports results have been favourable overall, with the group's sportsbook gross win percentage above our normal expectations and above the equivalent period last year, notwithstanding a record number of Irish-trained winners at Cheltenham," said Mr Northridge.

In the UK, like-for-like net revenue at Paddy Power's retail outlets rose 2pc, driven by strong sportsbook growth, which offset a decline in machine gaming.



Paddy Power rejects negative Davy report on prospects - Independent.ie

Sports wagering by deep-pocketed private groups could produce a significant spurt in commercial activity as more people with more money arrive to enjoy the fun and games Nevada’s number one industry offers.

But how about those red flags? They mark challenges that need careful study if the proposal before state lawmakers is to become law.

The promise of additional spending and the jobs and tax revenue it generates is appealing, everyone seems to agree. But would these “private entities” attract additional unwelcome attention from the feds? Would it create a massive money laundering problem? And how is the Gaming Control Board to investigate these groups and their principals?

“Right now we do not regulate bettors,” Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett told members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee who furrowed their brows and asked a lot of questions. Action on Senate Bill 346 is expected to come before the end of the week.

Greg Brower, the state senator and former U.S. attorney told the Assembly committee that the answer to all concerns is in the special emphasis on “transparency requirements.” The entities would be based in Nevada. All contact with regulators would be taking place here.

That seemed to ease some of Burnett’s concerns. SB 346 “seeks to take advantage of Nevada’s unique status” as the only state that allows a full menu of sports wagers. New Jersey is challenging the federal prohibition that keeps it from offering sports betting and a number of other state legislatures are paying careful attention to all this drama, readying their own proposals to legalize sports wagering should they sense an opportunity.

How would it benefit Nevada? Assembly Judiciary Chairman Jason Frierson wanted to know.

There was a full range of responses to this question but former Control Board member Randall Sayre probably covered the most important ground nicely when he said, “We anticipate a significant increase in handle as we access untapped markets.”

Another 346 proponent saw private entry wagering as “portfolio diversification” by investment groups looking for opportunities that are not affected by the ups and downs of financial markets.

As for the challenges facing regulators and lawmakers, veteran gaming attorney Bob Faiss, who knows the industry and its evolution better than anyone, saw the private entity issue as roughly similar to the challenges facing lawmakers a half-century ago when they agonized over whether publicly traded companies should be allowed become Nevada casino owners.

“Nevada became the center of legal gambling in the U.S.,” he reminded lawmakers, “by recognizing opportunity.”

Here we are years later with another chance to recognize opportunity and make the adjustments necessary to take advantage of it, Faiss seemed to be telling committee members.

Station stands alone: Station Casinos continues having the cash game Internet poker stage to itself two weeks after dealing the first legal hands to Nevada players. Gaming regulators say there are some operational hurdles to be crossed but the “core process” appears to be functioning as planned.

Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett told GamingToday there are some “issues” that will be dealt with over time as the system, participating players and financial institutions handling cash transactions get accustomed to the rules underlying this newest addition to Nevada gaming.

Burnett was reluctant to talk in detail saying he did not want to discuss proprietary components of the system developed by Station and its company partner Ultimate Poker. He did, however, say there is nothing to rumors of deficiencies in the methods used to determine whether a player is somewhere within Nevada borders as required by law.

“There is much more to it than simply determining the location of a player’s cell phone.”

One of the problems to be worked out over time, according to Burnett is the fact that “some banks” were initially declining credit card activity associated with the poker games. It may take some time, he conceded, for them to become comfortable with the fact that what’s happening is legal in Nevada “and that everything is taking place in a regulated environment.”

Some banks have not yet installed the software that enables a computer to recognize a “7995 transaction,” part of the string of numbers that identifies a legal transfer of cash for gaming purposes. This comes from a gaming industry veteran familiar with the complex coding used to speed credit card cash and transactions through the system that links players and the casino.

The difficulty, he explained, stems from the fact that when the federal prohibitions that prohibit Internet gaming transactions went into effect many banks simply stopped all 7995 transactions rather than try to differentiate between those that were legal or not illegal.

“It’s really a ramping up process that will take a little time and education,” he said, “but I think the biggest banks are well on the way to having the software in place because as Internet gaming spreads customers will be demanding it.”

As for other issues, Mac users do not yet have easy access to Ultimate Poker without loading Windows software. A Mac compatible system will eventually be available. Also, there were reports that at least one of the major cell phone servers was declining involvement during the first days of operation.

When will the next Nevada-based real money game be launched?

Burnett says the Board will issue approvals to prospective operators of Internet games as the underlying systems are approved. These green lights could be given at any time.

There may be at least one other factor affecting the timeline. Las Vegas-based gaming companies with resorts in Atlantic City may be waiting for Internet gaming – not just poker – to get the green light there late this year. Interstate agreements that allow the two jurisdictions to combine player pools may be approved

Atlantic City’s beleaguered Revel casino is now looking forward to a new beginning after a bankruptcy court approved the casino’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan which effectively cuts its debts by a massive $1.2 billion.

The $2.5 billion casino resort opened 13 months ago, but in March this year filed for bankruptcy declaring $1.5 billion in debts but only $1.1 billion worth of assets. Under the new agreement lenders have been granted 82% ownership of the resort in return for reducing Revel’s debt to $272 million, with U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Judith H. Wizmur subsequently concluding that Revel now had a “reasonable prospect for success in the future.”

Following the Judges decision, Revel’s interim CEO Jeffrey Hartmann said: “We look forward to officially emerging from Chapter 11 by the end of this month with a right-sized balance sheet and a significant reduction in our annual interest expense.”

Previously, Revel had to pay $102 million in annual interest payments, a figure that has now fallen to $46 million. Revel said it plans on putting the debt reduction money towards operations and driving growth by expanding its range of amenities and programmes.

Over the past few years, Atlantic City casinos have struggled from increased competition from neighbouring states, such as Philadelphia, and it was hoped that the $2.5 billion Revel would prove instumental in helping attract visitors back to Atlantic City. Nevertheless, despite its 2,400 slot machines, 130 table games, 1,399 rooms, 11 restaurants and two night clubs, the casino has ranked near the bottom of the City’s 12 casinos in terms of revenue since opening.



Revel's Debt Reduced From $1.52bn To $272m

Ukash, one of the most popular online casino payment methods, has been honored by the Queen's Awards for Enterprise for the third straight year for making an "outstanding contribution to international trade."

Royal recognition

Ukash CEO David Hunter was obviously over the moon at the news of the Queen's recognition, calling it "a remarkable achievement." He pointed out that the firm is forging new global partnerships, introducing Ukash to emerging markets and offering consumers around the world access to a safe and secure way to pay with cash online.

The Queen's Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious accolades for businesses and individuals on the United Kingdom. Winners receive a range of benefits including worldwide recognition and extensive press coverage, and are also invited to a reception with Her Majesty herself at Buckingham Palace.

Why use Ukash?

Ukash remains one of the most popular deposit payment options for online gamblers, thanks mainly to its promise of complete anonymity. It offers an alternative to traditional online banking, by providing a simple, cash-like deposit method that excuses users from having to submit personal or banking information entirely.

All you need to do is purchase a Ukash voucher at a local store, log into the casino and go to the cashier. When asked for payment details, enter the 19 digit number printed on your voucher. Your privacy is never surrendered to your online gambling operator as no personal information is ever submitted.




Online Casino E-Wallet Ukash Wins Queen's Award - The Headlines - Onlinecasinoreports-com

After no one won the Powerball in Saturday night’s draw, the jackpot has now risen to a massive $350 million. It is now the third biggest Powerball prize ever and the seventh biggest annuity prize in US history. It is also the sixth largest cash payout, around $222 million, of all time.

While no one won the jackpot, there are 13 new millionaires as a result of the draw. Two in Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina and Michigan and one in Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Louisiana and Arizona. These tickets won $1 million each for matching five numbers.

There were also three tickets in California which matched five numbers, however, they won $573,694 each do to the state’s pari-mutuel system.

The next Powerball draw will take place on Wednesday night.

The largest lottery prize ever won was $656 million in March 2012 from the Mega Millions game. The payout was split between three winning tickets. The largest ever Powerball win was $587.5 million in November last year, the prize was split between two tickets.

At present the Mega Millions jackpot is also pretty big, the jackpot is now owrth $170 million ager no one won on Friday night. The next draw will take place on Tuesday.

Many questions are facing the economies of the seventeen countries in the Euro Zone and one industry that is not necessarily negatively affected by bad financial times is gambling. The additional stress of being out of work and bored silly with little cash to burn having at turn at the slots can be a great relief. The only problem with the gambling to get rich idea is like everything else it may take serious hard work researching the team’s prospects and playing with knowledge of whatever game you’re interested in at least. Even slots have better payouts per amount gambled advertized right on the machine but then again slots and lotteries are more or less real long shots at best.
Getting into gambling while under stress has never been considered a really smart move so statistically problem gambling is going to be o the rise, the social gambling trend may be not quite the same because the players are a different sort of player looking for entertainment and not just money. The get rich quick thing can be a slippery slope that leads to issues like debt and ruin so just be responsible when you’re dreaming of the big win and remember tomorrow is another day so leave yourself a stake for the next day’s game.
Stress management in hard economic times can be having a good time and maybe brushing up on your poker by going to a gambling portal such as Online-Casinos-com for free and honest guides to the huge variety of the betting options on the internet.
The golden rule of every form of entertainment is moderation. That of course includes combining this and that and waking up wondering why your last dollar was spent betting that your team was going to win for sure. Economies of Europe Union members are in a slump but will online gambling increase or will it suffer, it is the stock market that will tell us soon enough.




Euro Zone Economic Online Gambling Speculation

Chris Brown has launched his own entertainment app.

The 'Don't Wake Me Up' singer hopes the Chris Brown Channel App, which is available exclusively from the App Store, will help him to connect with fans ''in a more immediate, intimate and interactive way''.

He said: ''I am so excited to get closer to my fans - to bring them into my world, hearing from me directly, in my own words wherever I am, whenever they want. Through my channel app they can be part of my music, my art and my life, day in and day out.''

Chris, 24, hopes the new innovation will allow his fans to get a deeper look into his everyday life and through the use of polls, may even allow them to choose which song he performs first at a concert.

It's been a good week for Chris, who was just nominated for Best R&B/Pop Artist at the 2013 BET [Black Entertainment Television] Awards against Usher, Bruno Mars, Miguel and Justin Timberlake, and announced as a performer for the ceremony on June 30 at the Nokia Theater Los Angeles Live.

The 'Fine China' hitmaker said: ''I'm just trying to lift up the black community and I'm excited to see the fans and to take part in the BET Awards this year.

''I wanna bring something new and original for the fans during my performance.''

Catch the BET Awards on Tuesday, July 2 @ 8pm only on BET, Sky 187 & Freesat 140 and stay up-to-date with BET International at BET_Intl (twitter) and BETIntl (Facebook).

The language of an Illinois internet gambling bill has emerged in the form of a preliminary 67-page draft proposal, which would create a new Division of Internet Gaming within the Illinois Lottery, and grant licensees the right to offer a broad range of internet-based gambling to the state’s residents.

According to published reports, the working draft was distributed by aides to State Senate President John Cullerton, a long-time supporter of gambling interests in the state.

Large portions of the preliminary measure have been taken in whole from a previous omnibus gambling measure also under debate in Illinois, which includes an expansion of land-based casinos. The topic of internet gaming was stripped from that bill in the face of protests from Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, who had termed the entire concept of Illinois internet gaming “problematic” and in need of further review.

The measure being worked on by Cullerton would return the topic to the front of Illinois’ legislative considerations, with a possibility that the state’s budget committee could address the issue almost immediately. The measure would legalize virtually all forms of internet gambling, including casino games and online poker.

As with other states considering an expansion into internet-based gambling, the measure specifically includes mention of US Attorney General Eric Holder’s 2011 reinterpretation of the 1961 Wire Act, which interprets that bill’s reach to cover only sports betting and not other forms of gambling. That reinterpretation was necessary to allow US states to sell lottery tickets online, for which Illinois itself was one of the leading proponents.

Under the proposal, the new Division of Internet Gaming would be granted the ability to award five-year licenses to gaming applicants, whose application process would include suitability vetting and an initial $250,000 application fee. Eligibility would be limited to applicants already licensed in the state pursuant to Illinois’ existing gambling and horse racing statutes. Successful applicants would then immediately pay a $20 million licensing fee to the state, which would treated as a tax offset against future gaming revenue.

The tax rates charged will be based on gross gaming revenue and are currently split into two categories: 20% for non-fee-based gaming revenue, and 15% for fee-based gaming revenue. However, for the first $200 million in GGR during the initial five years, the tax rate would be half that: 10% for non-fee-based gaming and 7.5% for fee-based gaming.

A 10-year blackout for any applicant “who has been convicted of accepting wagers via the Internet in contravention of this Act or United States law” is included; the specific use of “convicted” implies very few potential applicants for Illinois licensing would be excluded automatically.

The bill calls for a minimum age of 21 for players and includes geolocation tracking requirements to ensure that all wagering is done in-state. Services connected to the offering of games must also be physically be present in Illinois, but the bill’s text currently grants the new Division the right to grant exceptions.



Preliminary Text of New Illinois Internet Gambling Measure Released | Pokerfuse Online Poker News

It appears the time is right for companies in the USA especially in Nevada who manufacture and develop gambling games to extend their reach into online games.
Empire Global Gaming, Inc.is incorporated in the State of Nevada participating in the worldwide gaming market. The company offers custom game manufacturing, gaming solutions, supplies and custom game marketing. The firm holds exclusive licenses for proprietary Class II and Class III grade Table Games for use in the home and casinos.
This firm owns rights through license agreements to 4 U.S. patents consisting of 14 roulette games patents. It also sells a line of public and casino grade gaming products for roulette, blackjack, craps, baccarat, mini baccarat, pinwheels, Sic Bo, slot machines, poker tables, and bingo games; and offers consulting and advisory services to the gaming industry. Empire Global Gaming, Inc. was founded in 2010 and is based in Bellport, New York.
The Empire Global Gaming development strategy says it will implement new technologies in casinos around the world and develop worldwide and online gaming rights to provide for acceleration of our revenue growth.
It recently announced it would engage Intech Creative to redesign its web presence to potentially add on an online gambling website. Intech Creative is a global technical services company that specializes in the development of enterprise web, mobile, cloud solutions and technology support services based on a wide range of technologies. Empire Global Gaming, Inc. is aligning itself with key players in the online and mobile gambling sectors.
President and the founder of Empire Global Gaming, Inc. Nicholas Sorge Sr. commented, "It is our mission to stay on the cutting edge of this technology driven Industry and the enhancement of our website is the first step in doing so."
Intech Creative Chief Executive Officer also commented on the deal, "We are pleased to have the opportunity to help create a marketable tool for Empire Global Gaming, Inc. to expand within this exciting industry and the enhancement of their website."



Empire Global Gaming Prepares for Online Gambling