Let your mouth speak archive

A recent budget amendment for 2014 has now placed the state of Massachusetts up to offer online gambling options in the United States. According to a recent article by the Taunton Gazette, a new budget amendment was created for next year to allow the fully licensed gaming facilities in the state as well as a new slot parlor licensee to offer online gambling options.

These facilities will also be allowed to purchase an online gaming license. The new amendment will tax online gaming revenues at a 20% rate and those allowed to purchase an online gaming license will have to pay a startup fee of a minimum of $300,000. An annual fee will also be charged for renewal which will be no less than $150,000.

Those who are licensed to offer online gaming options will not be allowed to offer any games that could disrupt the state lottery. Players will have to be 21 years of age or older to be allowed to access the online options. Players will also have to be located in the state to be able to access the sites.

A four member group of the Senate GOP created this new amendment as part of several proposals to help boost the Massachusetts‘ economy. The allowance of online gaming would certainly do so. However, in the past, the state has seen casino gaming as a threat to the state lottery and many see online casino gaming as this same threat. Online gaming may now be considered a threat to both the current lottery system as well as casino options in the state.

It may be an uphill battle to see this type of legislation passed in the state unless the supporters of the changes are able to convince those who may be opposed.



New Massachusetts Budget Proposal Includes Online Gambling

It’s a slow time for home video, with studios saving up their big releases for summer and consumer eyeballs glued to the big screen as the parade of summer tentpoles begins marching into theaters. The top spot on the national home video sales charts the week ending May 26 went to Lionsgate’s The Last Stand, an actioner starring Arnold Schwarzenegger with a perhaps prophetic name for the former California governor: His comeback film only earned a little more than $12 million in theaters, despite a supporting cast that includes such heavyweights as Forest Whitaker, Luis Guzman, Johnny Knoxville (of Jackass fame) and legendary character actor Harry Dean Stanton. The film’s low box office earnings, coupled with its stellar cast, translated into a big hit in video stores, with the film debuting at No. 1 on both the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart, which tracks overall disc sales, and Nielsen’s dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart.

The No. 2 spot on the sales charts was a split decision. On First Alert, it went to Sony Pictures’ Parker, another actioner that underperformed in theaters ($17.6 million) despite a cast loaded with big names, including Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez and Nick Nolte.

On the Blu-ray Disc chart, the No. 2 spot went to HBO’s True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season, which bowed at No. 3 on First Alert.

Parker bowed at No. 3 on the Blu-ray Disc chart and also topped Home Media Magazine‘s rental chart its first week in stores. Another new release that was among the week’s top sellers: Warner’s Beautiful Creatures, a supernatural romance, which also didn’t do well at the box office but is apparently finding an audience on home video. The film, with a cast that includes Jeremy Irons, Emmy Rossum, Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert and Viola Davis, earned $19.5 million in theaters (against an estimated budget of $60 million) but should appeal to the Twilight crowd. The film bowed at No. 4 on both First Alert and the Blu-ray Disc sales chart.

LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Superheroes Unite debuted at No. 5 on First Alert and No. 6 on the Blu-ray Disc sales chart, while Universal Studios Side Effects – a crime drama that made $32.2 million in theaters and stars such well-known actors as Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jude Law – bowed at No. 7 on First Alert and No. 5 on the dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales charts.

Online gambling will be legal soon.

Officials who write and enforce rules for America's nascent online casino industry could learn important lessons from the handling of allegations of rigged software at two popular European gambling sites.

However, key participants disagree on whether the five-month investigation by the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority is something to emulate or avoid.

Gibraltar's gambling commissioner says it demonstrated a high level of openness necessary between regulators and casino operators, “something many other regulators have failed to achieve.”

A gambling mathematician who questioned the fairness of two games says the probe opens the door to future abuses.

The case interests U.S. gamblers because legal online gambling sites are beginning to emerge in this country. Online poker rooms are operating in Nevada, while sites offering an array of casino games are on track to open in New Jersey and Delaware within a year. Several other states, including Pennsylvania, are considering legalizing in-state Internet gambling.

America's land-based casinos have flourished because strict government regulation give players confidence that luck and skill determine whether they win or lose — not loaded dice, a stacked deck or a rigged machine.

Online, unscrupulous operators can have games programmed to increase the house edge without players' knowledge. Adaptive software can recognize how a player bets and increase the chances of a loss.

That was the thrust of the complaint involving the European sites. In games called ReelDeal and HiLo, bettors wagered on the rank and suit color of a card pulled from a virtual deck. One player documented more than 19,000 hands in which the results were skewed beyond what random chance would allow, according to Eliot Jacobson of Santa Barbara, Calif., operator of Certified Fair Gambling, which audits Internet gambling software. He voluntarily examined the complaint.

Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner Phill Brear investigated after the case drew attention on Online Casino Information - Advocate of Fair Play - Casinomeister, which bills itself as an online casino watchdog. In a report posted there May 20, Brear acknowledges that dishonest operators or software producers can enter the online gaming industry, but “in Gibraltar, we proactively guard against this by a very restricted licensing policy.”

He says he found no evidence of adaptive software or of dishonesty by casino operators. He says the complaining player violated casino rules by using multiple accounts and computer “bots.” An email from Brear to Player's Advantage calls the player “the original cheat.”

The email says casino regulators and operators must be open with each other.

“We will not be able to maintain that trust if the disclosure of minor errors results in disproportionate or unwarranted public embarrassment for the operators; but, if that trust is breached, the outcome may be fatal to a (licensee). For this reason, this episode warranted no more than the significant inconvenience the suppliers have been put through in dealing with my requests for material and explanations/meetings.”

Jacobson says the authority botched a chance to explain what happened and determine remedies, including ordering repayments to affected players.

“(The report) exposes that the regulatory agencies for online gaming — at least the GRA, which is one of the biggest anywhere — are not only not regulating, but barely competent,” Jacobson tells Player's Advantage.

As states devise rules governing Internet play, they must ensure regulators avoid getting cozy with those they oversee and that casinos have protection against cheats.

Most importantly, casinos online or on land must be required to adhere to the toughest standards for fair play.

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

44th annual WSOP shuffles up and deals

The World Series of Poker officially started May 29 with a No-Limit Hold 'Em tournament for casino employees.

The 44th annual WSOP, the world's biggest and richest series of poker tournaments, will award gold bracelets in 62 events during its 50-day run at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Last year's WSOP had 74,766 entrants overall, including 6,598 in the $10,000-per-seat Main Event. About 100 Western Pennsylvania players were among the contestants last year.

Money trail

Slots players lost $48.24 million at Pennsylvania's 11 casinos during the week ended May 26, the Gaming Control Board reports. That's up from the $47.76 million in the comparable week last year.

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

Statewide, the slots payout rate is 89.92 percent since the fiscal year started July 1. For every $100 bet, the machines return an average of $89.92. Highest payout rate: 90.63 percent at Parx in Philadelphia; lowest: 89.37 percent at Harrah's Philadelphia and Hollywood Penn National near Harrisburg.

Figures for Western Pennsylvania casinos:

89.89%

Rivers; weekly slots revenue of $5.62 million, up from $5.35 million last year

89.84%

Meadows; weekly slots revenue of $4.58 million, down from $4.67 million last year

89.87%

Presque Isle in Erie; weekly slots revenue of $2.67 million, down from $2.82 million last year

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

How come the column hasn't been appearing every week lately? (various calls and emails)

Unfortunately, I've been beset with eye problems worse than seeing a blackjack dealer draw a six-card 21 to beat your pat 20. That has kept me from reading or writing for several days at a time. I'm still on sick leave but will write as I'm able. I hope to return to work by the end of June.

Read more: [url=triblive-com/aande/gambling/4110108-74/casino-online-gambling#ixzz2Uwot6a7I]U.S. gaming regulators c

People are very social beings as is witnessed in very large cities where millions of people live in relative harmony. The internet in many ways connects the world of people of all races colours creeds together in a way nothing has done before. Today anyone who is computer literate and has the internet can access the biggest libraries, art galleries, casinos, sporting venues, and get slow motion playback. There are many studies to suggest that the internet is addictive and therefore a dangerous past time.

Cognitive scientist Tom Stafford at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. has been quoted as saying in a Live Science article that the internet is not like a substance addiction, “But it’s compulsive; it’s compelling; it’s distracting.” These are similar words that have been used to describe online gambling, at least by those who think online gambling is addictive.

The correlation between internet addiction and low risk high reward gambling such as lotteries is an argument that looks to be true especially when the research point out that the cognitive-reward structure offered by services like email and social media are similar to those of a casino slot machine.

Research provides valuable clues into the way people behave and think just knowing that 81 percent of American adults use the Internet as of survey, with 74 percent of users going online “just for fun or to pass the time,” according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
An Ipsos Media poll revealed that the amount of time “affluent” Americans spend online increased by almost 20 percent from 2010 to 2011 to more than 30 hours per week and affluent Millennials spend more than 40 hours a week online, “essentially a full-time job.”

These stats are American but they are likely just as useful to gambling companies in Europe who are about to try their hand at the online gambling market in the USA. The conclusion is clear online gambling is going to grow and fast.



Research Reveals Internet and Gambling Links

To celebrate the release this month of a new documentary on his life, “Mel Brooks: Make a Noise,” Brooks spoke with its maker, Robert Trachtenberg, and choreographer Susan Stroman and comedian Joy Behar at the 92nd Street Y in New York.

Brooks reminisced about growing up—like Behar–in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, not the chic place then it is today. “There were barrels and barrels of herring and of sour pickles. Everybody was funny. Everybody that walked past we had a comment for,” he said.

He also talked about an encounter with Cary Grant at Universal Studios in Hollywood, when the latter wore a double-breasted, gray, chalk-striped suit and a yellow boutonniere. The two went to the commissary and Grant told Brooks, “I can’t believe it’s Mel Brooks—I’ve got your (“2,000-Year-Old Man”) record.” Brooks said Grant “took me to lunch. We talked about his life, and it was so thrilling. We told each other everything.”

Another fan of Brooks’ record, according to his former writing partner, Carl Reiner, was Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain, though “she’s the biggest shiksa in the world.”

Brooks discussed working on Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” in the 1950’s with Reiner, Neil Simon and Woody Allen. “I got $40 a week, every week like clockwork. If it wasn’t for Sid Caesar, there’d be no Mel Brooks, I can tell you that,” he said.

The show’s writers, he said, “weren’t desperate for personal attention. If the sketch worked, if the monologue worked, if the pantomime worked, then we were all very happy and there was only love in the room.”

“The Lawrence Welk Show” “beat Sid in the ratings,” Brooks said, adding, “We didn’t have any bubbles, we didn’t have any champagne, music. All we had was the best comedy ever done on television.”

When TV came to the middle of the country is when Welk overtook Caesar, Trachtenberg said. “As soon as farmers got television, we were finished,” Brooks added.

Asked by Behar if he crossed the line when he used the n-word in Blazing Saddles, Brooks said he did catch a lot of flack. He also said he told Richard Pryor, who wrote the film with him, “You’re only hired to bless the n-word. He was brilliant.”

Also asked by Behar how the musical of The Producers went over in Germany, Brooks said he would not go to see it there because “there would always be someone in the balcony with a rifle.”

Stroman said in Germany there was a “huge cheer in the audience” for the “Springtime for Hitler” production number, but “in Vienna, it was so silent. They didn’t want any of us to know what their real reaction would be to that. They were just going to at the end tell us they loved it, not in between.”

Describing every “bad review” as a “knife in your heart,” Brooks said his creative motto is “please yourself. You’ll never be able to please the audience. And it’s a longshot you’ll ever be able to please the critics. So, your duty is to please yourself, make yourself laugh, make yourself cry.”

Asked about his favorite of his movies, Brooks said, “I like all my movies, I’m very proud of all my movies. Maybe The Producers because it was the first-born, and that’s always a miracle.”

Brooks also said his “very favorite” film was Swing Time, while his favorite Hitchcock film was Strangers on a Train. Among his favorite comedians was Jack Benny, whom he said he found “most funny, exciting and delicious” as a child.




Mel Brooks Discusses His Career, Youth In Brooklyn, And Favorite Entertainment - Forbes

In many ways it’s not surprising that statistics released recently by Spain’s regulator DGOJ have shown that the market for online gambling services has leveled off.

Spain has been in deep recession mode for a long time now with unemployment hovering around 27 percent and the economy is still in bad shape. The government, nonetheless, said the worst of the down turn has passed and expects quarterly growth before the end of this year mostly because the country has become more competitive and exports are growing.

Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said, "All the indicators which look forward in Spain point to recovery, and a much better economy than one year ago,"

The gambling regulator’s report said, gross gaming revenues in the Spanish market reached 60.4 million euro in the first quarter of 2013, around 1 million euro less than in Q4-2012. Wagering was up the small amount of less than 1 percent reaching 1.37 billion euro.

There is the possibility of those numbers changing dramatically in the future as the Spanish online gambling authority has not allowed online slots to be offered yet in the market.

The report for the first quarter of 2013 also revealed that new player acquisitions also fell with the monthly average dropping to 51,342 compared to 72,453 during the fourth quarter of 2012 and 107,353 in the third quarter of 2012. It has been an excepted fact that the market has leveled off after a strong beginning when the market was liberalized.

Interestingly the betting on sports via the internet pulled in fifty percent of the markets gross gaming revenues. This represents a minor increase over the preceding quarter. Other gambling venues such as bingo declined further and cash poker stayed at the same level, although tournament GGR increased.

It has been suggested that the Spanish gambling authority has been discussing the possibilities of a compact with France & Italy to increase player liquidity.



Spain Reports Online Gambling Growth Leveling Off

The Netherlands is planning to open its online gambling market to outside competition in 2015, effectively ending a state monopoly, according to draft legislation published last week.

Dutch online gambling reforms

Operators of online casinos, poker rooms and sportsbooks will be required to meet very strict conditions in order to qualify for a licence under the new legal online gambling regime. This includes making contributions to a special fund for responsible gambling and assisting with a national register of players who break self-imposed limits.

Proceeds from online gambling will be taxed at a rate of 20 percent, compared to the 29% currently payed by state monopoly Holland Casino and arcade owners. According to the government, this lower rate is designed to encourage new operators to enter the Dutch egaming market.

If passed, the proposed legalization would overturn a 50-year old law that bans foreign firms from operating in the Netherlands. The European Union has long pressured the Netherlands and other countries to overturn anti-competitive laws that are widely ignored by illegal gambling sites.

Amsterdam gambling conference

As the Netherlands gears up for legal reforms, its biggest city Amsterdam is preparing for the iGaming Super Show on June 11-14. The world's biggest online gambling exhibition and conference brings you seven different shows in one location, including parleys on local gaming, social gambling and a whole lot more.

Speakers at the various events will include American Gaming Association CEO Frank J. Fahrenkopf and Playtech CEO Mor Weizer, which means that attendants can expect the most up-to-date information on the gaming industry.



Dutch Legal Online Gambling to Go Ahead in 2015 - Industry Coverage - Onlinecasinoreports-com

ROBBIE Cooke admits he had no experience in the online world or travel business when he took the helm of Wotif.com back in 2006.

But he now hopes to apply the lessons he learned growing the online accommodation provider to his new job presiding over the Tatts Group gambling empire, which has relocated its headquarters from Melbourne to Brisbane.

After nearly five months as chief executive, Cooke said promoting the brand of the $4 billion group and ramping up its internet muscle are among his top priorities.

"Wotif really opened up my eyes to just what it takes to be very effective in a pure online business," Cooke, 46, said last week.

"It gave me a very good understanding of marketing and the power of marketing and the power of brand, which I think is critical in the wagering space and the lottery space.
Share on email
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on google_plusone_share
From the Homepage
Solar panel windfall is safe, for now
Premier Campbell Newman
Boy, 8, disciplined with chili, court told
court

"Online is the biggest opportunity and how do you make that really work well in the context of the businesses we have?"

Hoping to emulate Flight Centre's success in making its bricks-and-mortar presence and web-based sales work in harmony, Cooke said Tatts had more betting shops dotted across Australia than McDonald's had restaurants.

"But we don't actually use our physical assets as well as we could to build our brand," he said. "So we're really having a close look at our marketing strategy and I do think we have very good opportunities to market our brand more effectively."

Online transactions account for 19 per cent of wagering revenue and 8 per cent of lotteries income. The goal is to boost each by 2 to 3 per cent a year over the next five years.

Key to making this happen is a plan to more than double the information technology team, which had fewer than 20 staff when Cooke took over from well-regarded predecessor Dick McIlwain in January.

Another 10 staff have been hired and Cooke expects the team to swell to up to 50 within the next 12 months.

The rapidly shifting landscape is nothing new for Cooke, who worked under McIlwain at UNiTAB for six years before it merged with Tatts in 2006.

Back in those heady days of growth through multiple acquisitions, lotteries were not even part of the mix. Today they account for about 55 per cent of pre-tax earnings.

Wagering has also changed significantly, with the breakdown of one-time restrictions on advertising which allowed Tatts to promote itself without competition.

Cooke laments the "land grab" by corporate bookmakers and other players who have ramped up activity in the wagering sector.

"So it's incumbent to look at ways we can fend off that competition and do it in an intelligent way and leverage the assets we've got," Cooke said.

What has not changed is Tatts' appetite for growth.

It snared a 40-year lock on South Australia's lotteries business in a $427 million deal in November and Cooke said its integration had gone very smoothly.

The focus has now shifted overseas, where Tatts is in the running to secure the 20-year licence to operate Ireland's national lottery.

Cooke declined to discuss details of the potential $400 million deal, citing a confidentiality agreement. But he said Tatts had the IT skills, along with the marketing experience, to make it work.

Looking overseas for opportunities is natural, given that Western Australia is now the sole domestic region where Tatts does not operate a lottery. Similarly, Tatts and its rival Tabcorp cover all wagering jurisdictions except for WA and the ACT.

"For the business, if you want to stay in the wagering and lotteries space, your opportunities are now going to come in offshore markets," Cooke said.

Yet Tatts has reason to be cautious, given its first foreign buy, the Talarius gaming machine business in the UK, has proved such a disappointment.

Suffering from regulatory changes and economic stagnation, Talarius reported a $1.38 million pre-tax loss in the half-year to December and "continued to underperform expectations", Tatts said in February.

Cooke said any foreign acquisitions on his watch would be canvassed "very conservatively" to make sure adequate efficiencies could be extracted. A raft of unwelcome legal distractions in the year ahead are also certain to occupy Cooke's time.

The well-flagged loss of the Victorian poker machine business last year has prompted Tatts and Tabcorp to both launch court challenges against that state's government. The Tatts claim, which seeks $490 million in compensation for the state's failure to renew its license, is set down for a hearing before year's end.

In a related move, Tatts announced last week it was suing the Victorian Government over its demand for the payment of a $42.6 million health benefits levy. The charge relates to just 46 days of gaming operations in the financial year before the licence expired, with Tatts arguing its pre-tax earning for the period was only $29 million.

While these two issues are within Cooke's control, the awkward matter of Bob Bentley is not.

Bentley temporarily stepped down from Tatts' board last month, ahead of a commission of inquiry probing the former management of Racing Queensland, where he was chairman. The inquest will examine issues including Bentley's possible conflict of interest in serving on both entities.

Cooke regrets Tatts has become "collateral damage" in the inquiry. He said no one asked Bentley to stand down but he welcomed the move.

"Bob's done the right and proper thing," Cooke said. "It's not something you welcome, headlines in the paper with a director being mentioned. It's not good for the business. . . It's going to consume resources."

Whatever problems he might face, Cooke remains grateful he took over a business in good shape.

Tatts reported a 23 per cent drop i

Kim Kardashian was joined by a string of celebrity pals including Kelly Osbourne, Mel B and Kimberly Stewart at her baby shower yesterday.

Kelly Osbourne and Mel B were among the guests at Kim Kardashian's lavish occasion.

The Fashion Police co-host, who is a long time friend of the reality TV star and her family, was spotted arriving at the home of Kardashian's friend Shelli Azoff in Beverly Hills with a gift bag for the all white affair.

Osbourbne shared her excitement on Twitter before the event, writing: "On my way to a very special baby shower!"

But it seems Kardashian's A-list pal Beyonce Lnowles and pregnant singer Fergie, who was at Heidi Klum's 40th birthday bash the night before were unable to attend.

Kimberly Stewart, who has a 21-month-old daughter Delilah after a brief fling with actor Benicio del Toro, celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, Extra host Maria Menounos and reality TV star NeNe Leakes were also present to help the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star celebrate at the elegant "ladies' brunch" before of the arrival of her first child with rapper Kanye West early next month.

Kardashian's mother Kris Jenner hired top Hollywood events planner Sharon Sacks to organise the intimate affair with the help of Kims sisters Khloe and Kourtney, who arrived in white dresses.

They sent out music box invitations to the bash last month, featuring twirling ballerinas to friends with an ode, Hey Mama, written by Kanye West about his mother, who died after complications during cosmetic surgery in 2007.

The Mercy hitmaker planned to make a brief appearance at Kim's baby shower with Khloe's husband Lamar Odom and Kourtney's boyfriend Scott Disick. Khloe previously revealed: "It's girls, but Kanye will come at the end. I said I want Rob [Kardashian] to be there the whole time because I feel bad he's like left out of all this stuff. So I said come the whole time, but I don't know if he is.

"I think Scott and Lamar might bring Kanye at the end, because Kanye feels it's a little weird if he's the only guy."

Since 1932,Las Vegas-based Bally Technologies has been designing, manufacturing distributing and operating, advanced gaming devices, systems and technology solutions worldwide.

Bally’s product line includes reel-spinning slot machines, video slots, wide-area progressives, interactive and mobile applications, and Class II, lottery, and central-determination games and platforms. Bally also offers an array of casino management, slot accounting, cashless and table management solutions.

Recently the firm announced it will be offering its online slot games on the U. K. based online gambling operators site Mr.Green. Mr. Green also plans to offer Bally developed games on tablets and mobile phones in the coming future.

Mr. Green Chief Product Officer, Markus Aurala commented, “I'm very excited that Mr. Green can be one of the first ones to offer Bally's games to its customers online” Aurala continued to say, “Bally's proven game concepts and innovative features have been successful in land-based casinos around the world, and I'm sure our customers will enjoy them. The games surely bring the feeling of Las Vegas everywhere.”

Bally’s Interactive General Manager and Managing Director, Michael Probert also commented on the arrangement, “This is a significant moment for Bally Technologies in the online market,” adding, “Partnering with Mr. Green makes perfect sense as Bally continues to take steps into the global online casino business. We believe our popular games will be enjoyed by online players.”

Mr. Green was the first online casino to offer games from several different casino vendors through an in-house developed seamless solution. This makes it possible for players to change vendors without exchanging chips or coins. With Mr. Green, players can set their own limits as to how large a risk they want to take. Mr. Green operates with gaming licenses for casino issued by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority, in Malta and Mr. Green was voted the best online gambling web site by magazine Internetworld over the past five years.



Mr.Green Online Gambling Teams Up with Bally Technologies

The gambling industry in the USA contains many sectors and one which holds a big stake is the Tribal offering. Now the first iGaming conference dedicated to tribal gambling offerings will take place June 3-4 2013 at the Pechanga Resort and Casino close to San Diego.
The purpose of this event is to help tribes realize and take advantage of the opportunities they have in the online gambling market. Sessions are built to deliver action items and anecdotes while the event itself provides a perfect opportunity to build partnerships and make new contacts.

Hosting the inaugural Indian Country Online 2013 Congress the owner of Pechanga-net Victor Rocha is pleased to announce a partnership with Spectrum Gaming Group. Pechanga-net has been a leading news source for the gaming industry for more than 14 years. Spectrum Gaming Group is one of the world’s leading gaming research and professional services companies. Rocha, commented on the arrangement, “Creating this conference is my way of pulling back the curtains and demonstrating that every tribe in the country can have a role and an opportunity to benefit in some real and direct way. No tribe should be left behind!”

Managing director of Spectrum Gaming Group, Michael Pollock also made a statement regarding the partnership, “With the prospect of online wagering, tribal councils face a combination of opportunities and challenges, along with a cacophony of opinions, interpretations, and legislative issues,” Pollock continued, “This conference has been structured to cut through the noise, identify the opportunities and chart some realistic pathways.”
Spectrum is an independent, full-service international gaming research and professional services firm serving private- and public-sector clients on five continents. Spectrum Gaming Group has performed online gaming research and analysis for the National Indian Gaming Association as well as several tribal governments across the United States, has testified twice before the US Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and has been a leader in developing online gaming policies for more than ten years.




First Tribal Online Gambling Conference USA

In a further sign of how much the online and mobile gambling markets have taken off in recent years, independent standards, testing and certification authority eCOGRA this week revealed it is expanding.

eCOGRA expansion

eCOGRA has selectively recruited 10 professional staff members in the fields of chartered accountancy, certified information systems auditing and software test engineers, Executive Director Tex Rees revealed in a recent management update. It has also made significant financial investment in new audit software and programs, internal control systems and testing laboratory infrastructure.

Rees said the latest expansion would extend eCOGRA's capacity to service a growing client base of online gambling operators and software suppliers who have chosen the company to test and monitor their certification work in regulated markets.

More operators on board

eCOGRA was founded in 2003 when online gambling was still in its infancy, but it has grown from strength to strength and now tests most of the leading operators in the industry. It recently signed a deal with Swedish software development firm Net Entertainment, and has won an eGAP standards and monitoring contract with Scandinavian operator Paf.

Bet365 is just one of the online gambling giants that have signed up eCOGRA in the past year, as part of a policy of ensuring regulatory compliance in a diverse range of newly reformed European and global markets.




eCOGRA Expands Online Gambling Certification - Industry Coverage - Onlinecasinoreports-com

Those in-charge of America’s policies on online gambling should learn some lessons from the handling of allegations of rigged software at two popular European gambling sites. A five month investigation was carried out by the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority which it claims demonstrated a high level of openness necessary between regulators and casino operators.

According to one gambling mathematician who questioned the fairness of two games, the probe opens the door to future abuses.

The case involved games called ReelDeal and HiLo where players bet on the rank and suit colour of a card pulled from a virtual deck. One player kept track of over 19,000 hands which showed that the results were skewed beyond what random chance would allow.

However, the report from Gibraltar’s Gambling Commissioner Phill brear said that no evidence was found of adaptive software or dishonesty. Furthermore, he said that the player violated the casino rules by using multiple accounts and bots.

As states look into rules governing online gambling they must ensure that the regulators avoid becoming too close to those they oversee and that casinos have adequate protection against cheats. Furthermore, it is absolutely essential that casinos are forced to adhere to extremely high standards of fair play.




America Should Look to Europe for Online Gambling Regulation - Online Casino Archives

Hollywood actor Michael Douglas did not say he developed throat cancer because of oral sex, his publicist has said.

Douglas, diagnosed with cancer three years ago, was quoted as telling the Guardian his strain of cancer had been caused by HPV (human papillomavirus).

But in a statement to the BBC, the 68-year-old actor's spokesman sought to clarify that Douglas was not talking about his own cancer.

The World Health Organization says HPV can cause cancer of the head and neck.

In his emailed statement on Monday, Allen Burry said: "No. He [Douglas] did not say oral sex was the cause of his cancer."

The publicist referred to medical evidence linking oral sex to head neck cancer, adding "but [Douglas] did not say it was the cause to his specific cancer".

The Guardian stood by its story, releasing audio of the interview.

In the British newspaper's article on Sunday, Douglas was asked if, given his illness, he regretted his years of smoking and drinking.

The actor was quoted as saying: "No. Because without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV, which actually comes about from cunnilingus."

He continued: "I did worry if the stress caused by my son's incarceration didn't help trigger it. But yeah, it's a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer."

The actor's illness is now in remission, following treatment.

His son, Cameron, is serving a prison sentence for drug possession and dealing.

Douglas, who is married to Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, was treated in the early 1990s for an addiction which some at the time claimed to be sex.

He himself denied this and said he was in rehab for alcohol abuse.

That perfectly right.

LaserLock's proprietary technology was developed to prevent counterfeiting and fraud through advanced authentication. It’s a new addition to the world of online gambling that will simplify the process of identifying the authenticity of the location of the player.
LaserLock Technologies, Inc. creates proven innovative security technologies that protect industries, governments, and individuals from the rising threat of counterfeiting and fraud. Whether covert or overt, LaserLock’s solutions are secure, trustworthy, and cost effective and have been protecting businesses and their customers worldwide for more than a decade.

Since the introduction of legal online gambling in some of the American states companies are now faced with the challenge of establishing virtual identity verification processes. The only way to maintain age restrictions as well as location verification on all platforms is the use of geo trackers and biometric facial recognition.
The President of LaserLock Technologies, Neil Alpert, commented on the announcement, "Verifying a player's identity is a simple process in a casino, but has become a major hindrance for legislators looking to legalize Internet gambling," Alpert continued to add, "In an online environment, the risks for fraud increase dramatically as there are few ways to truly verify identity, age or location. LaserLock's patented technology brings Internet gaming companies a solution that lowers that risk substantially by verifying a player's identity each time they play and by providing an ethical component that protects the user."
The LaserLock Technologies solution VerifyMeTM platform verifies all necessary identifying information easily and once registered the player is reviewed quickly.
Michael Sonnenreich , Chairman of the LaserLock Board of Directors said, "This platform is one of several potential game changers for LaserLock," Sonnenreich added , "The future will see more states legalize online gaming and LaserLock's solution is all encompassing and ensures the security and safety of internet gaming that lawmakers, casinos and the public all demand."


US Internet Gambling New Security Specialists Required

Business is business and sometimes the scaling back of original plans and reconstructing the infrastructure is necessary to stay afloat. Once back on an even keel a business can rehire and build a bigger or maybe more effective team.

It looks like the game developer and social networking entertainment firm Zynga is going with this strategy for now. Zynga recently announced that it would eliminate about 18 percent of its workforce, which will result in around 520 people cut from the pay role saving the firm $70-$80 million pre-tax. This figure coincidently is about the same as the decline in revenues of 18 percent in the first quarter of this year.

The restructuring of Zynga to a for real money game provider on social networks the company has decided to cross four or its games off the list and concentrate on the mid-core games, real-money gaming and franchises that have demonstrated success in the recent last few quarters. Zynga has high hopes for its mid-core games. This genre keeps users engaged for longer periods of time. The target of the mid core game is to attract a larger user base thus the social aspect potentially driving some advertizing to the customer while engaging the casual and more serious players.
This company can make a big difference to its business if it can tap the $32 billion dollar online gambling market successfully. The strategy has been deployed already with Zynga’s online poker for real money and The Zynga plus casino offering in the regulated gambling environment of the United Kingdom.

Mark Pincus, Zynga’s CEO said in a letter that Zynga was "making these moves proactively and from a position of financial strength." This refers to the amount of cash on hand $426 million after the initial public offering that’s less than half its total take from the IPO. The move hasn’t impressed investors as the Zynga value still declined further on the news.



Zynga Will Concentrate on Online Gambling

The United States has been struggling with the legalization of online gambling and now as Tribal communities voice their rights to the gambling market the issue become even more complicated.
California looks like it’s shaping up to be the battle ground for the right to offer online gambling. Chief William Bills of the Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada has stepped up to the plate to voice his opinion on the situation in California. The Chief is asking all the Tribes of California to strengthen their Sovereignty and voice their objection to the online gambling bill as it is proposed by California Senator Rod Wright.

Chief William Bills has commented, "I believe Senator Wright is doing his best to bring forth the legalization of online gaming to the State of California however his approach is off the mark from where the vast majority of Tribes stand on this issue. I have been traveling across the nation meeting with Tribal leaders who are moving towards e-Commerce tied to their economic development strategy and Online Gambling plays significantly in those plans as a starting point to Cyberspace.”

The surrendering of Tribal rights to self government will happen should this bill be approved. It is imperative that Tribal leaders get together and opposed this bill. The fear is this bill opens the door to major casinos having total control over online gambling in America.

Chief William Bills sent a message to Senator Wright explaining the position the Tribes find themselves in, “Senator I am not from your State however the Tribes span many States in America and our concerns are tied to blood lines that cross all borders not only State lines they include the border north to Canada and south to Mexico. I would welcome an opportunity to have an open discussion with you about your intent with this bill and understand how it will benefit the Tribes.”




American Tribes Want Online Gambling Rights

Legislation proposed by Mike Huval earlier this year has been approved by the Louisiana House of Representatives and is now awaiting the attention of the state Senate.


Louisiana House of Representatives Concurrent Resolution 3 was approved by a vote of 62 to 22 before being subsequently referred to the Louisiana Senate’s Judiciary Committee for its input.

If approved the legislation would see the Louisiana House of Representative’s Criminal Justice Administration Committee work with the Judiciary B Committee of the Louisiana Senate “to study the feasibility and practicality of authorising internet gaming in Louisiana”. The findings would be reported before next year’s first legislative session.

This news comes alongside a string of states testing the online gambling water. Despite Nevada being the first state to legalise online poker in February this year, proposals in both Massachusetts and Illinois have recently failed to gain support.


Louisiana to consider online gambling possibilities | News | i-Gaming | InterGame