Let your mouth speak archive

The state-to-state spread of online gambling will fuel terrorism networks and transnational organized crime as it makes money laundering easier for those groups, former New York Gov. George Pataki told CNBC on Wednesday, citing the FBI.

"They have said it's going to be very difficult if not impossible to monitor this," said Pataki, the co-chair of the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, a public campaign backed by Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. "Changing the law that was in effect for 20 years simply by [a] ruling of the Department of Justice, this is not in the American people's interest." Pataki made the claim about money laundering several times during an interview on "Squawk on the Street." His comments come amid an interindustry fight between brick-and-mortar casino interests, led by Adelson, and gambling entrepreneurs who want to expand digital gaming. Last year, New Jersey became the third state to allow online gambling

Online gambling advocates formed the Coalition for Consumer & Online Protection to fight Adelson's public campaign, which released its first video commercial on Monday, styled in the same fashion as political attack ads. Mike Oxley, a former Ohio congressman and former FBI agent, serves as the group's chairman. He told CNBC that banning online gambling on a national level would not protect people.

Millions of U.S. residents already gamble online in states that prohibit the practice, logging on to services based overseas and tied to black markets, he said. Banning the practice would only drive more of those users to less secure platforms, Oxley said.

"The risk of exposure to identity theft, fraud, even money laundering on an unsafe, unregulated, overseas black-market website is serious," Oxley said in a statement to CNBC. "And ignoring that black market, rather than addressing it will only allow those markets to continue thriving and make us all less safe online."

Pataki said the proliferation of online gambling shouldn't happen on a state-by-state level, and that the entire U.S. electorate should decide the issue. The gambling industry, once limited to Las Vegas, has always been tightly regulated and monitored, he added, and it should remain in physical casinos rather than always-connected online services.

"You have to make a conscious decision to travel to a casino," Pataki said. "Those casinos are well-regulated, and subject to tremendous law enforcement and other regulatory authorities. It's completely different from just sitting around a college dorm at 1 in the morning and deciding to play online poker or gamble."



Pataki: Online gambling will fuel terrorism, organized crime

As Pennsylvania studies the potential of legalizing online gambling, state Rep. Mario Scavello wants to set up a road block to web-based wagering.

The Monroe County Republican on Tuesday outlined a plan to penalize people who gamble online, which is illegal but not punishable in Pennsylvania. Scavello believes online gaming poses a threat to children who could easily find the sites and especially dangerous to problem gamblers who could go all-in and lose from the comfort of their living rooms.

“Here again, online gambling is best described as the Wild West. Online, there’s no one around to keep an eye on someone who doesn’t know when to stop,” Scavello said, adding that the use of gaming sites is on the rise.

Scavello’s bill would aim to curb that, making first violation a summary offense that carries a possible $300 fine and up to 90 days in jail. A second violation would be a misdemeanor bringing a chance of a $2,500 fine and up to a year in jail.

“I believe that if you hit people in their wallets, we can start to crack down on the lawbreakers,” Scavello said.

The Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling voiced immediate support for Scavello’s proposal, pointing to a recent Quinnipiac University poll that found 62 percent of Pennsylvania voters oppose the legalization of online gambling.

The national co-chairpersons — former New York Gov. George Pataki, former Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln and former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb — released a joint statement that called criminalizing online gambling “a step in the right direction.”

“We call on the Pennsylvania Legislature to vote in favor of this bill and send a powerful message that online gaming has no place in American society,” they said.

Scavello’s push comes after the state Senate authorized a study of the future of gambling — including online gaming. Many consider it a prime target to help shore up Pennsylvania’s finances, especially with a long-term structural deficit to address.

If allowed, online gambling would mark another watershed moment for Pennsylvania’s gaming industry after slot machines were approved in 2004 and table games OK’ed in 2010.

Pennsylvania approved small games of chance last year. Online gaming didn’t make its way into Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget proposal, but he did call for the addition of keno to the state lottery’s offerings.

Scavello spoke out against the latest gaming frontier, saying online gaming could negatively impact casinos that have brought jobs and revenue to the state. He also contended that online gambling sites could become a haven for criminals looking to launder money — a concern that’s also been raised by the FBI.

State Rep. Paul Clymer, R-Bucks, recommended that the U.S. Congress and U.S. Department of Justice strengthen laws on online gambling. For now, Scavello said Pennsylvania can’t afford to wait, while state Rep. David Millard, R-Columbia, equated it to other public health issues lawmakers must address.

“We know that online gambling leads to a lot of exploitation by various dubious characters that are out there that want to take advantage of our youth and people who do have an addiction,” Millard said. “Being addicted to gaming is like a cancer in our community.”

Read more at PA lawmaker wants to penalize illegal online gaming

Published Thursday February 13, 2014

Omaha honoring best in arts and entertainment
By Kevin Coffey / World-Herald staff writer


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Omaha’s best and brightest creatives will be honored Sunday night.

The Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards will hand out awards in 45 categories that cover music, visual art and performing art.

The OEAAs aren’t simply a bunch of artists hanging out and handing each other trophies. There’s also some pretty good performances lined up for the awards show, as well as pre- and post-show events.

John Larsen, Edem and Omaha Pipe and Drums will entertain during the award show’s cocktail hour at 6 p.m.

Four performances are scheduled between handing out the trophies.

Josh Hoyer and the Shadowboxers: The funk/soul group will bring some energy to the OEAA stage. This will be a fun one.

Purveyors of the Conscious Sound: Hip-hop will grace the stage with this rap duo, but you should keep your eye on singer Liz Graham, who nails all the band’s hooks.

Belles & Whistles featuring Daniel Christian: The country mother-daughter duo will team up with singer-songwriter Christian.

Zedeka Poindexter and the cast of “Clybourne Park”: World-Herald theater critic Bob Fischbach named “Clybourne Park,” a Pulitzer-winning play about race relations and real estate, as one of the top 10 theater productions. This piece will rival the music productions.

You can also check out an after party at Slowdown (free with an OEAA ticket, $5 without) featuring DJ Cake Eater, The Decatures and John Klemmensen & The Party.

Catch the OEAAs on Sunday at 7 p.m. at the downtown DoubleTree, 1616 Dodge St. Tickets are $25 plus fees at EventBrite.com.

Though bitcoin is one complicated payment network, operators foresee a good future to invest on it. Unlike real life resort casinos, bitcoin online casinos are more private and convenient to wager at. Thus, it makes it an ideal gambling environment to all players; add also the fact that you can play with instant tax free payouts and huge bonuses.

What you forgot to say is that with an unlicensed bitcoin casino - scams and fraud will follow.

LOL that's hilarious and embarrassing for the reporter. Is he really that incompetent or does he have an excuse?

The government crackdown on prostitution in southern China's Guangdong province, notably in the city of Dongguan, has now spread to gambling and drug trafficking. Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po reports that several individuals found to be involved in drugs and gambling in Chaoshan include civil servants.

Underground gambling dens have co-existed with a form of gambling website and the situation is widespread in southern China, the paper reported.

Because of the virtual and borderless nature of the internet, the managers of these websites do not have to be in the same physical location and there is little contact among shareholders and bankers, making their activities difficult to pin down.

A police officer experienced in cracking gambling rings said a large gambling website had hundreds of people working for it further down the chain, which has spread all over China. Even if officers catch one group of illegal gamblers, there will still be other similar groups operating elsewhere, he added.

The officer also said that carrying out raids in local areas is difficult enough, let alone tackling vice in other provinces or even overseas.

Most gamblers in China bet on soccer, particularly the British and Spanish leagues, with gambling peaking during the World Cup every four years.

Punters can buy points online with cash and play games on gambling websites before exchanging the winning points for money through bankers. This kind of online gambling is extremely difficult for the police to investigate, Wen Wei Po said.



Guangdong vice crackdown spreads to online gambling

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller said Thursday he expects legislation to be introduced in the next month or so to outlaw all Internet gaming except online poker, putting a stop to what he called “the wild wild West” of gambling if every state were allowed to operate online games of chance that compete with Nevada casinos.

Heller, R-Nev., also said he believes Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson, who is waging an all-out campaign to stop Internet gaming, makes some good points, including how widespread online gambling could cause social ills and how online competition could devastate the Silver State’s gaming and tourist industry.

“I think Adelson brings up some reasonable concerns,” Heller said in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial board. “And to have the wild wild West as an empire of gambling for the country would have some serious social implications. And I think that’s what he’s concerned with.”

Heller said he has talked to Adelson and met with the other side, or the vast majority of gaming leaders who favor unchecked Internet gambling. Steve Wynn recently joined Adelson in opposing Internet gaming, but otherwise the two giants of the industry stand alone against the American Gaming Association.

“I think the devastation for bricks and mortar (casinos) in this state … would just be a final nail, I think, in keeping these businesses healthy,” Heller said.

Asked why he thinks most gaming properties favor Internet gambling, Heller said they think they can make money.

“These are corporate entities and they believe they can play the game,” Heller said. “They’re corporate entities. They’ve got to keep their shareholders happy. … They’ve made the determination that they can compete in that market.”

Heller and U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., have been working together to come up with a bill to restore the Wire Act, which used to prohibit Internet gambling until the Obama administration several years ago loosened the law to allow Illinois to offer lottery tickets online. The two Nevada senators also want to carve out an exception for online poker.

“There is no daylight between where Senator Reid and and myself are on this particular issue,” Heller said.

Now, 16 states are considering online gambling, including California, Heller said, adding there would be no incentive for Southern and Northern Californians to visit Las Vegas or Reno if they can gamble at home.

He said a carve-out for online poker makes sense because it’s a game of skill, not chance.

“Games like poker, I think, it takes a little more skill,” he said.

Heller said he expects legislation in the next month or so. He said he and Reid are working with their Republican and Democratic colleagues to come up with a bill that could have broad support.

“We’re trying to keep it from being just a Nevada issue,” Heller said. “So Harry and I are trying to look for help from members in each of our conferences to come forward with legislation that, hopefully, long term provides a solution for us.”

Any bill could face strong opposition from powerful gaming leaders who are fighting Adelson on the issue.

“Right now there’s a majority probably around here that want nothing done,” Heller acknowledged. “You know, they want it wild wild West when it comes to Internet gambling. And I don’t think that’s good.”

Heller said he and Reid are “trying to do what’s best for the state of Nevada.”

Adelson has said he’ll spend whatever it takes to kill Internet gaming proposals on Capitol Hill and in individual states. The Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, a grass-roots advocacy group funded by Adelson, launched in November.

Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment Corp. and Station Casinos have invested millions of dollars in legal online wagering efforts in Nevada and New Jersey and hope to expand the businesses into other states that allow it. And the American Gaming Association has contracted with several big consulting companies to promote Internet gambling bills.

“You have members of the AGA taking one position then you have members taking a different position,” Heller said. “So it’s kind of tough trying to keep on the straight and narrow … when this is an issue that changes every day — who’s for it and who’s against it.”

Heller addressed many other hot topics during the wide-ranging interview:

— On gay marriage, he said he is still against it. “I think marriage is between a man and a woman,” he said.

— On immigration, he voted for a comprehensive reform bill in the Senate and said he believes the House is ready to approve legislation, too, although not the exact version of the Senate bill. In Reno, the day before, he said he “made some pretty bold comments,” but tempered them a bit on Thursday.,

“I do believe that if you took a comprehensive immigration reform bill — maybe not what the Senate passed, but something that’s worthy of discussion — and you brought that down to the House today, I believe it would pass,” he said. “I also believe that most, if not all, of the members of our (Nevada) delegation would vote for it in the House.”

— On raising the minimum wage, he said it should be left up to the states and not the federal government. He said he likes how Nevada handles it, indexing the minimum wage to inflation so it rises as costs rise. (Nevada’s minimum wage is now $8.25 compared to the federal base of $7.25. President Barack Obama has suggested increasing it to $10.10.)

Heller said a 40 percent increase would cost 500,000 jobs, according to the Congressional Budget Office. He added that in Nevada only 1 percent to 2 percent of those employed make minimum wage and most are teenagers in entry-level jobs.

“I think it’s wrong when the city of New York has the same minimum wage as Elko does, or for that matter Los Angeles or somewhere else,” Heller said.

— On medical marijuana, he said “as long as the public supports it, that’s fine,” but he opposes social us

A rapper that Eminem credits for getting his Shady Records off the ground reportedly has plans take a different route in the rap game.

Curtis Jackson, better known as 50 Cent, has decided to cut ties with Slim Shady's label, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope so he can join Caroline, an independent label at Capital Music Group.

The Associated Press reports 50 Cent made the announcement Thursday "after battling with his major label for years."

50 Cent's relationship with Eminem, however, appears to still be cordial.

A statement Eminem released, reported by the AP, in response to 50 Cent's decision:

"Both myself and Shady Records are grateful to have had the chance to play a part in 50's career. Shady simply would not be what it is without 50 Cent. I've developed a great friendship with 50 over the years, and that's not going to change. We know 50 will have success in his new situation, and we remain supporters of both him and G-Unit."

50 Cent's response, also reported by the AP:

"I have had great success to date with Shady/Aftermath/Interscope and I'd like to thank Eminem and Dr. Dre for giving me an incredible opportunity. I've learned so much from them through the years. I am excited to enter this new era where I can carry out my creative vision."

50 Cent posted Thursday afternoon on Twitter he plans on putting out new music March 18. His last album,"Before I Self-Destruct," was released in 2009.

Even as the Legislature commissions a study on online gambling that is a likely prelude to the state government's approval of it - for an appropriate piece of the vig - a local lawmaker has introduced a bill to punish people who engage in it now.

Online gambling is illegal in Pennsylvania but not punishable by law. State Rep. Mario Scavello, a Monroe County Republican wants to establish penalties, believing them to be deterrents. His bill would make a first violation a summary offense that carries a possible $300 fine and up to 90 days in jail. A second violation would be a misdemeanor bringing a chance of a $2,500 fine and up to a year in jail.

Given gambling pathology, an addicted gambler who is caught wagering online likely would double down to cover the fine.

But Scavello's bill has merit. Online sports and poker gambling is a quiet epidemic on college campuses, where some timely enforcement might help to prevent some kids from becoming addicts.

Yet the problem is as much on the other end - the illegal gambling sites, which continue to proliferate despite laws against them.

And the overarching strategy of state governments clearly is to co-opt the business rather than eliminate it. The Pennsylvania online study follows the introduction of legal online gambling in Delaware and New Jersey. Make no mistake, if online gambling produces significant revenue for those state governments, a majority of Pennsylvania lawmakers will be all in to introduce it here, taking care to include existing casinos so as not to diminish their revenue.

Scavello's bill won support from the national Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, which called it a "step in the right direction."

Unfortunately, on gambling, Pennsylvania doesn't take steps. It plunges.

Scavello's bill is fine as far as it goes. But with Pennsylvania's government so deeply committed to revenue from gambling, it might be the only anti-gambling bet on the table.



Fighting against gambling tide - Opinion - Citizens' Voice

Caesars Entertainment®, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino® and Monster, the world leader in high-performance audio consumer electronics, are joining forces to bring exceptional audio experiences and exclusive offers to Caesars Entertainment guests at The AXIS™ at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The exclusive partnership will also create custom headphone designs to be sold at retail locations at more than 40 Caesars Entertainment resorts across the country.

The partnership will further enhance The AXIS, the newly transformed 7,000-seat live entertainment venue in Las Vegas, with state-of-the-art acoustics Powered by Monster™. With a shared passion for the very best in entertainment, which includes an enthusiasm for a world-class audio sensory experience, Caesars and Monster announce their new partnership by introducing the newly-named theater, The AXIS™ Powered by Monster™. Fueled by the high-performance sound characteristic of the Monster brand, The AXIS gives concertgoers the opportunity to enjoy the exceptional audio experience made possible by Pure Monster Sound®.

“At Monster, we are thrilled to team up with Caesars and Planet Hollywood to partner for this truly amazing theater and to bring the unparalleled Pure Monster Sound® experience to its visitors,” said Head Monster, Noel Lee. “Monster recognizes the global influence of Caesars and its family of brands, known for their unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership – all characteristics that Monster consumers have come to expect from our brand.”

The AXIS boasts one of the largest video and projection installations in the world, with projections from 60 ultra-high-definition projectors that cover more than 200 degrees of the audience chamber. The walls of the audience chamber are wrapped in custom fabric designed to optimize the impact of the video content which will carry over into the stage area with 2,200 square feet of Panasonic® high-definition 10 millimeter LED walls that can be reconfigured to meet the needs of various productions. In addition to an immersive visual experience, a massive array of 21-inch subwoofers ensures guests feel the music as well as they hear it. Monster will now enhance this amazing sound system with Pure Monster Sound®.

“When looking for a presenting sponsor for The AXIS, it was important that we find the right heritage, quality and brand to align with the top-notch entertainment experience at Planet Hollywood,” said Jason Gastwirth, Caesars Entertainment senior vice president of marketing and entertainment. “Monster combines their high-performance, rich audio experience with Caesars premium entertainment to bring the best of both worlds to our artists and fans. As soon as our fans see the Monster name, they will understand the level of dedication we have committed to delivering a powerful music experience.” The AXIS is quickly becoming the epicenter of A-list entertainment in Las Vegas from an all-star roster of celebrity concertgoers along with a soon-to-be-announced lineup of today’s hottest musical acts, courtesy of the venue’s exclusive booking partner Live Nation®. Now, with this partnership, concertgoers will also have access to an exclusive world of phenomenal sound with discounts and special offers on Monster® products, simply by purchasing a ticket at The AXIS.

The AXIS and Pure Monster Sound®

Pure Monster Sound brings high-definition sound to audio systems, including Monster® headphones. Pure Monster Sound® continues to deliver quality audio experiences, featuring crisp, clear and balanced sound; well-defined vocals; live concert-quality sound; and a full dynamic range, including strong, driving bass.

Caesars Entertainment and Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will collaborate with Head Monster Noel Lee, the CEO of Monster, who is internationally renowned and sought after for his golden ear and engineering prowess, to bring the features of Pure Monster Sound® to the high-tech sound system at The AXIS. Caesars Entertainment will also work with Noel to install interactive audio kiosks featuring premium Monster® headphones at several resorts from Atlantic City to Las Vegas.

Caesars Chooses Monster Headphones

As the exclusive headphone provider for Caesars Entertainment, Monster will bring their premium headphone lines, which are designed and engineered by the legendary Head Monster and the world-class Monster design team, to Caesars Entertainment retail destinations.

Monster, the powerhouse that develops premium headphones, is also developing lines of special edition Monster headphones, including exclusive colors and features that will only be available for purchase at Caesars Entertainment retail locations. Retail stores at Caesars Entertainment resorts will also carry an assortment of Monster® headphones, all featuring Pure Monster Sound®, which are specially designed for the music preference and fashion style of each individual, including the Inspiration™ headphones, designed for the stylish and tech-savvy jet-setter; the Diamondz™ line, meticulously designed for the fashion-forward trend-setter; and the Monster DNA® lines, engineered for the live music enthusiast with personally unique style.

Monster® headphones can already be purchased at KOTO, a trendy boutique in Caesars Entertainment’s new $550 million shopping, dining and entertainment district, The LINQ®.

About Monster

For the past 35 years, Monster has been a catalyst for innovation and big ideas. Discovering that cables in hi-fi systems influenced the sound, Head Monster Noel Lee developed Monster Cable® - an immediate hit. Monster engineered Beats® headphones and has since become the world’s leading manufacturer of high-performance headphones, all of which feature Pure Monster Sound® technology. Today, the company offers advanced connectivity solutions for professional musicians, home entertainment, c

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller said Thursday he expects legislation to be introduced in the next month or so to outlaw all Internet gambling except online poker, putting a stop to what he called “the wild wild West” of gambling if every state were allowed to operate online games of chance that compete with Nevada casinos.

Heller, R-Nev., also said he believes Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson, who is waging an all-out campaign to stop Internet gambling, makes some good points, including how widespread online gambling could cause social ills and how online competition could devastate the Silver State’s gambling and tourist industry.

“I think Adelson brings up some reasonable concerns,” Heller said in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial board.

“And to have the wild wild West as an empire of gambling for the country would have some serious social implications. And I think that’s what he’s concerned with,” he said.

Heller said he has talked to Adelson and met with the other side, or the vast majority of gambling leaders who favor unchecked Internet gambling. Steve Wynn recently joined Adelson in opposing Internet gambling, but otherwise the two giants of the industry stand alone against the American Gaming Association.

“I think the devastation for bricks and mortar (casinos) in this state … would just be a final nail, I think, in keeping these businesses healthy,” Heller said.

Asked why he thinks most gambling properties favor Internet gambling, Heller said they think they can make money.

“These are corporate entities and they believe they can play the game,” Heller said.

Heller and U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., have been working together to come up with a bill to restore the Wire Act, which used to prohibit Internet gambling until the Obama administration several years ago loosened the law to allow Illinois to offer lottery tickets online.

The two Nevada senators also want to carve out an exception to the ban for online poker.

Sixteen states are considering online gambling, including California, Heller said, adding there would be no incentive for Southern and Northern Californians to visit Las Vegas or Reno if they can gamble at home.

He said a carve-out for online poker makes sense because it’s a game of skill, not chance.

Contract approved

Casino dealers at three of the Strip’s most popular resorts have overwhelmingly approved a multi-year contract with Caesars Entertainment Corp.

Dealers at Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s and Harrah’s voted 342 to 27 to approve the five-year deal, which retains grievance procedures, seniority rule and paid time off, among other issues, according to a union official.

“It was certainly not everything we wanted, but they didn’t get everything they wanted,” Transport Workers Union Local 721 gambling director Joe Carbon said.

Carbon attributed their success to “moving away from a strategy of getting in your face to trying to work with them.”

He said the Transport union represents around 1,200 employees at the three properties.

Casino fined

State gambling regulators signed off on a $1 million fine against owners of the Peppermill Casino in Reno after the property’s owners admitted they allowed an employee to use a common slot machine “reset” key on games operated by competing Northern Nevada casinos to steal proprietary information.

Peppermill President William Paganetti appeared at the hearing in Las Vegas and read a brief statement, apologizing for the casino’s action.

Paganetti told the commission he had reached out to other Northern Nevada casino owners to apologize for slot machine tampering.

The key — known in the industry as a 2341 key — is a common tool used by slot machine technicians to gather information or reset a game following verification of a large jackpot.

Most of the keys are generic and work on slot machines of all manufacturers.

Schreck told the commission the information gleaned from the slot machines was never used by the Peppermill.

“The information was never used to gain a

competitive advantage,” Schreck said. “It was to satisfy curiosity.”

Visitors undeterred

A widely publicized shooting in the heart of a tourist area apparently had a minimal effect on Las Vegas visitation.

A year ago, prosecutors said, Ammar Harris shot Kenneth Clutch Cherry Jr. while the two were driving separate vehicles on the Strip in the early morning hours.

When Cherry was shot, he crashed his car into a taxi, which burst into flames, killing the driver, Michael Boldon, and his passenger, Sandra Sutton-Wasmund of Maple Valley, Wash.

When the story reached local, national and international news outlets, some said Las Vegas tourism would limp along for the rest of 2013, ailing from the negative publicity.

That didn’t happen.

In 2013, 39.67 million people visited Las Vegas, down 0.1 percent from 2012’s record number of visitors, 39.73 million, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported.

Social gaming

Caesars Entertainment Corp.’s interactive subsidiary has acquired an Israel-based social gaming business, the company’s fourth deal in the past few years to expand its presence in the growing free-to-play gaming market.

Caesars did not disclose financial terms to acquire Pacific Interactive, which owns the slot machine-style, free-play application House of Fun.

Social gaming has become a growing business for several gambling companies, including Caesars, which owns the World Series of Poker and Playtika, and International Game Technology, operators of DoubleDown Casino.

The activity is free to play on Internet platforms, including Facebook, but customers often make nominal purchases — usually of less than $1 — to acquire thousands of virtual gaming tokens.

Justice takes a long time sometimes to sort out if someone was breaking the law in whatever jurisdiction one happens to be in at a particular time. The six year old case involving the seizure of the domain names of 141 online gambling companies by the state of Kentucky is again before the courts.

An appeals court in Kentucky ruled recently that a trade association may represent the owners of the sites trying to stave off forfeiture proceedings. The Interactive Gaming Council is now allowed to go forward with their case and, at least temporarily, keep the identities of the owners of various internet gambling sites a secret.

In 2008 Kentucky successfully posed a sting netting the illegal offshore gambling sites in question for seizure.



Then in 2011 FullTiltPoker-com, PokerStars-com, AbsolutePoker-com, UltimateBet-com, DoylesRoom-com, TruePoker-com, Bookmaker-com and Bodog-com were seized by the federal government and were removed from Kentucky’s list, now there are 132 sites in question.

The decision is a bonus for the remaining domain locations even though most have changed their names and moved on to different pastures. “Obviously, we consider this a win,” Interactive Gaming Council Chief Executive Officer, Keith Furlong commented, “We are also proud to be a catalyst for this decision which provides guidance to all associations seeking to represent their members in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”



Judge Allison Jones, was spokesperson for a three-judge panel, unanimous decision, Jones wrote that Kentucky treated the domain names as a group for much of the litigation but wants to handle them individually now to prevent the trade association from becoming involved.

“The Commonwealth cannot now turn the tables and ask the court to require each domain name owner to come forward individually and assert virtually identical legal arguments through separate counsel to resolve threshold, purely legal issues that affect the validity of the entire forfeiture procedure,”


Kentucky Seized Online Gambling Domains Still Secret | Online-Casinos-com

The recent sentencing of a Florida attorney for operating an illegal online gambling business has sent a few chills through the legal profession in general but with an emphasis on those specializing in gambling.

A recent decision by United States District Court Judge in Nevada has let one of the lawyers involved in online gambling off the hook. Chad Elie's claim against well known gaming lawyer Jeff Ifrah has been dismissed.

Chad Elie, a Las Vegas businessman is one of the eleven people indicted in the Black Friday online poker crackdown in 2011 for being a "payment processor" for all three of the Internet poker companies Full Tilt, Absolute Poker and PokerStars accused by US authorities of breaking the law. Elie had filed a suit against Ifrah Law after being sentenced to five months for his participation in one of the cases.

Under oath, Elie had admitted that he knew his conduct was illegal while he committed the crime, and denied that his criminal conduct was based on the advice of counsel. The judge James C. Mahan ruled to dismiss Elie’s claim against Ifrah. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan sentenced Elie to five months. Kaplan described Elie’s actions as "a deliberate or at least criminally reckless spitting in the eye of the government and laws of the United States."

In April 2013, while in federal prison, Elie filed a 22-page lawsuit in Clark County District Court against Ifrah, claiming "professional malpractice" saying he was mislead about the legalities of processing poker.

Ifrah said he was surprised about the allegations, "We can't speculate why Chad Elie chose to strike out and blame us for his own actions. We can only speak to the facts. And those facts are clear, unambiguous, and directly contradict Elie's claims against us.” Apparently Judge Mahan agreed and now has dismissed the complaint.



Online Gambling Lawyer Ifrah Suit Thrown Out | Online-Casinos-com

Charlotte Dawson was under intense financial pressure at the time of her sudden death yesterday.

The television personality and former model, 47, was found dead at her luxury Sydney apartment.

Dawson's sister Vicky Dawson, an Auckland travel consultant, spoke of the family's heartache last night.

"We're absolutely devastated," she told the Herald on Sunday. "We miss her terribly."

She and her other sister Robin Barclay are expected to fly to Sydney to bring Dawson's body home.

Dawson's body was found by a security guard at 11.15am local time - just 45 minutes before her rented $1200-a-week Woolloomooloo apartment was due to be sold at auction.

Dawson, who had long battled depression, had been unhappy about not having any work lined up this year.

She had been axed by Australia's Next Top Model in November. "She had major financial problems because she had no work and no income - $1200 is a lot of money, and that hit her hard," said one friend.

She had been nominated for a Logie Award, Australian television's supreme honour, but was also upset that fellow nominees Didier Cohen and Jennifer Hawkins were being more strongly promoted by the entertainment network Foxtel. Her most recent boyfriend, 24-year-old Tyrone Corban, told the Herald on Sunday he had caught up with Dawson a few days ago and she had seemed "great" then. "She was a beautiful person," he said.

Last night, her friends from the worlds of television and fashion led an outpouring of shock and grief.

Fashion designer Dame Trelise Cooper fought back tears as she described Dawson as a consummate professional who suffered from a real human condition.

"I think the thing about her was that she was always kind, always generous, always funny and also really brave and I think misunderstood by so many people who didn't know her."

Julia Hartley-Moore, who worked with Dawson on How's Life and Charlotte's Web, a documentary following the search for Dawson's biological mother described her as gorgeous. "I used to sit next to her. I can remember looking at her and thinking 'My God'. She was beautiful beyond beautiful. She was just stunning, but she was troubled."

Broadcaster and Herald on Sunday columnist Kerre McIvor worked with Dawson on How's Life and became friendly with her away from the show.

She recalls Dawson as being vulnerable, kind and talented. "I didn't realise how fragile she was and I always hoped she would find the happiness she deserved and someone who would look after her. It is very sad."

Dawson was born in Auckland on April 8, 1966.

She was adopted at birth, and at age 16 she embarked on a decade-long modelling career in Europe and with Ford Models in New York. She returned to Auckland in 2002 after splitting from husband, Olympic swimmer Scott Miller.

But Dawson felt bullied and told the Herald on Sunday her native country was "small, nasty and vindictive". Things were no better for her in Australia, where she was viciously attacked. "Twitter trolls" taunted her and told her she should kill herself.

Dawson was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney in September 2012 after an apparent suicide attempt.

But even her closest friends didn't notice the warning signs in her final hours. She appeared on Channel Nine's Morning Show on Friday morning, then met a close friend for lunch that afternoon. She had been trying to quit alcohol and cigarettes, and avoided those temptations at lunch. "There was no sign something was wrong," her friend said. "Yes she suffered from depression but she was upbeat and hopeful for the future and interested in other people's welfare." One of her few complaints that afternoon was money. Despite her profile and the veneer of a lavish lifestyle she was borrowing from friends and struggling to hold down work.

Her bank account was drying up and renting her $1200-a-week apartment in Woolloomooloo forced friends to keep her afloat.

"The problem is Charlotte always presented well, she looked fabulous, always had a laugh and a joke. I just didn't expect her to go home and take her life."

She was tweeting all afternoon, until 4.41pm when she posted a call for the government to fund hospitals better - and then her account fell silent for the last time.

The nation faces a dangerously seductive form of gambling, as cross-border, high tech telecommunications networks threaten to siphon money out of homes across the country. The problem is getting worse, and the states, with the constitutional mandate to regulate gambling within their borders, are indifferent or worse. The only solution is for Congress to act now.

It took years, but Congress eventually did — in 1907.

Sen. Elmer Burkett first introduced a measure to outlaw the transmission of gambling information by telegraph across state lines via the race wire, opening debate on the first generation of remote gambling.

Today, the race wire is almost forgotten, but from the late 19th century to just past the middle of the 20th, it was arguably the most pervasive and lucrative form of gambling in America. Before radio, let alone television, the race wire was the nation’s first remote entertainment. Local “poolroom” proprietors, for a fee, could access telegraph lines across which horseracing odds and action were broadcast. A poolroom accepted bets on races being run across the continent (the network extended to Mexico and Canada). Betting no longer required the investment of a trip to the racetrack; workmen and office boys, even middle-class women out for a day’s spree, could stop and place a bet as casually as buying lunch. This was disquieting stuff for those who wanted to use government to stifle the public’s desire to gamble.

Burkett’s bill failed, but opponents of remote gambling kept at it. In 1910, merged with a bill that would ban the interstate transmission of pictures or descriptions of prizefights, a race information ban was referred to the House Commerce Committee, which heard testimony pro and con before deciding that a such a prohibition would be difficult to enforce and would likely have little effect. Even if the poolrooms closed, gamblers would simply head elsewhere.

Following that legislative dud, the race wire remained a troubling fact of American life, ostensibly illegal but wildly popular. Gangland rivalries over control of the wire escalated into what today might be called a domestic insurgency, as waves of bombing and murder provided a prelude to the lawless Prohibition years. During the 1940s, a paroxysm of wire violence cost more lives including, some think, that of famed gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel.

But Americans kept betting in poolrooms. The thrill of chancing two dollars on an underdog racing hundreds of miles away and winning or losing immediately outweighed the seeming abstractions of organized crime and corruption. It is difficult to overstate the popularity of poolrooms, or the pall they cast on American cities with the corruption of police, judges, and politicians. When the Kefauver Committee met in 1950 and 1951, its chief target was the race wire. Robert Kennedy’s 1961 anti-mob legislative package hinged on the Wire Act, which finally criminalized the race wire (and has been used since to prosecute online gaming).

But over the ensuing decade, the Wire Act didn’t break the power of organized crime or stop people from gambling. Some began to see beyond prohibition. New York authorized off-track betting — legal wire rooms that took bets on Empire State races — in 1970. With trackside wagers declining (along with tax receipts), states began to see the merits of the wire. In 1978, the Interstate Horseracing Act permitted cross-border betting in state-sanctioned facilities, also known as simulcasting, which is today a bulwark of the racing industry nationwide.

So today’s world of remote poker and casino gambling via the Internet isn’t as brave or new as we think.

What lessons does the past offer? The hundred years’ war against the wire didn’t stop play. Those vulnerable to gambling problems didn’t get help. Gangsters fueled urban corruption. Tracks (and governments) lost money. Above all, it was profoundly difficult to uncouple gambling and technology; people like to gamble, and they like convenience.

Still, potential problems can be mitigated. Those who are fearful of a future where gambling is accessible on a phone might, instead of arguing for prohibition, focus on responsible gambling efforts so that problem gamblers struggling with traditional or new ways to bet can have better support.

Removing one way to gamble won’t do problem gamblers much good; improving problem gambling education, detection, and recovery programs very well might.

A century ago, when all but two states prohibited gambling, a federal ban on remote gambling got a poor reception. Today, when forty-eight states and the District of Columbia allow it, the case for federal action is even more dubious. By acknowledging that remote gambling is better handled through careful regulation and control, we can avoid the grind of prohibitory efforts that, history suggests, will ultimately crumble.





Prohibition not the right answer for online gaming | Las Vegas Review-Journal

Playtech the online software developer has had an interesting past that has propelled its successful future to the point where the company has announced it will pay shareholders a special dividend of €122million euro after revealing a massive rise in full-year profits for 2013.

Playtech posted a 26% year-on-year rise in adjusted net profit, excluding the share of profit from the William Hill Online venture, to €148.3 million n the 12 months through to December 31. Playtech was established in 1999 and is the software of choice of some of the world's largest online casinos.

Playtech software offers in excess of 300 games and the full complement of casino games have been recreated for the digital format. Playtech has excelled is in the development of online slots. In over a decade of being online, Playtech now provides casino, poker, bingo and live gaming services.

The dividend is offered to shareholders as a result of the sale of the 29% stake in William Hill Online for £424m, last year with other critical moves including the agreement signed with Ladbrokes 2013, and the launch of live mobile casino and poker products for a number of clients in Europe and Mexico.

Playtech’s casino software product has “delivered an outstanding performance in 2013”, the spokesperson said, with revenues up 25% to €189m during the period, from €151m in 2012. The growth was generated by “a combination of organic growth, new licensees, expansion of the games portfolio, and growth from mobile and the live dealer offering”. Playtech officials were proud to announce.

Also adding to the good news for the firm was the acquisition in 2012 of new sports betting brands launched on the Geneity platform. Turnover was also pushed up by the acquisition of the poker community PokerStrategy in July. The special dividend payment is the equivalent of 34.1p per share.



Playtech Online Gambling Software Posts Big Gains | Online-Casinos-com

Justin Bieber's new neighbours are planning to stage a protest.

The 'Baby' hitmaker recently moved into a new rental property in the upmarket area Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia while he looks for a home to buy there, but residents are reportedly furious he is living in their exclusive neighbourhood.

A source told gossip website TMZ.com that the 19-year-old star's neighbours have scheduled a protest, as they are worried he will cause chaos.

The Buckhead Neighbourhood Coalition has more than 200 people signed up to attend.

Organisers have also launched a petition in a bid to get Justin to leave the area that reads, "We have worked hard to achieve our goals and get where we are. Justin Bieber's relocation to Atlanta can be nothing but bad for our children.

Some can't even let their child play in the driveway without fear; he has raced vehicles under the influence before. What's to say he won't do it again?

Please don't allow a child to ruin what we have worked so hard to obtain." Law enforcement in the area have been sending patrol cars out to monitor Justin's property several times a day to make sure nobody gets too close for the singer's comfort.

Last July 2013 the online gambling site DoubleDown Casino announced it would soon be offering games via the mobile gaming social network known as PlayPhone. International Game Technology’s DoubleDown Casino. The Vice President of global marketing for IGT, John Clelland, said at the time, “Success in today’s mobile gaming environment is about pairing explosive content with an irresistible community of other players.”

Recently PlayPhone announced that it has entered into a new partnership with mobile messenger application Tango in order to expand the international reach of its gaming network. PlayPhone’s global gaming network will now be accessible within Tango’s messaging application and Tango members will now be able to access the network through direct carrier billing and via one-tap access in PlayPhone's carrier game stores.

PlayPhone chief marketing officer Anders Evju said this about the deal, “Partnering with Tango is a historic moment for PlayPhone because it represents a significant expansion not only for our overall footprint, but in the type of segment that can optimally support our gaming portal,” Evju continued, “Our ‘Game Store Plug-In’ for messenger apps and the corresponding increase of gamers in our global gaming community supports our ongoing efforts to provide a superior mobile gaming experience for PlayPhone gamers across the planet.”

Vice-president of strategic partnerships at Tango, Renato Iwersen,also commented, “PlayPhone’s massive gaming network and relationships with leading mobile carriers and game developers enable Tango to provide new ways for customers to connect and engage with one another.”

Founded in September 2009, Tango has raised over $87M from leading venture capital firms and top individual investors. Tango is based in Mountain View, California USA. Tango works on iPhones, iPod touch, Android phones and Windows Phone devices, as well as tablets and PCs, and provides high quality experience over 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi. More than 145 million people in 212 countries already use the service.


Tango and PlayPhone Team Up for Online Gaming | Online-Casinos-com

With this great news, gambling industry will continuously grow. But I think they’re going to gain even bigger profit if they will integrate bitcoin to their system. What do you think? A lot of online casinos are already bitcoin generated, so it’s worth a try, too.