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The Weekly Edition, an OCR Live! production in which Kate brings you the headlines for the past week, including UK gambling numbers on the rise, landmark court decision reached regarding players' responsibilities, and the FBI looks into Facebook gambling platforms. Facebook Faces Gambling Scrutiny Facebook provides millions of Americans a platform to bet on the NCAA basketball tournament. Can the FBI take on such a traditional practice of such enormous volume? UK Online Gambling to Grow The forecast, released by Screen Digest, predicts online gambling will grow from the current 1.1 million active gamblers to 2.1 million in 2010. Gambler's Court Gamble Fails The court ruled, and Graham Calvert, whom we have reported about in a past edition, had already lost 2 million pounds. He will now have to add 336,000 more in... legal costs.
The United States’ decision to ban online gambling does not solely affect American citizens. Costa Rica, for one, has experienced a drop in its economy with sites based in its territory losing much of their business. This week, the US has come up with a solution to the World Trade Organization’s obligation involving Costa Rican online gambling websites, seemingly to the satisfaction of both parties. Since the creation of the new law, the US has denied online gambling companies based in Costa Rica access to US customers. Just Sign on the Dotted Line... Similar to the agreements made with Canada, Japan and the European Union, the US has offered Costa Rica greater access toward research and development, storage, technical testing and analysis. Although online gambling will not be exported from Costa Rica, the new solution should be of great value to the nation. Reaching an agreement was not easy, but the new terms satisfy the interest of every party involved. “The agreement has been satisfactory for the country,” declares Costa Rican Foreign Trade Minister Marco Ruiz. The access-shift was decided after Costa Rica filed for arbitration before the WTO. According to WTO policies, the organization must compensate any country blocked from access to one of a range of markets. For more on the WTO and its involvement in international regulation of online gambling, visit our Directory.
Many nations across the world are currently fighting a long and hard fight against the online gambling epidemic sweeping players from all over the globe. The Department of Special Investigations (DSI) in Bangkok too is forming a case against online gambling sites in order to track and close them for good. The investigation began due to the increasing amount of Thai teenagers gambling on national soccer games. According to Jarun Pakdithanakul, Justice permanent secretary, in order to use an online interface to gamble, these teenagers must first spend at least 3,000 baht (approximately $96) before they can make any gambling transaction. Pakdithanakul explains that if evidence is found, DSI will arrest any member involved. The DSI plans to free assets of offenders with help from the Anti-Money Laundering Office. According to reports of DSI resources, Thailand has over 10,000 subscribers living in the country. Many of them are located in the capital Bangkok, in Chiang Mai, and in Sogkhla. The war on gambling seems to be gaining results. Some could assume that with every nation that creates an anti-gambling campaign, another country is in the development of one. On the other hand, the UK example, leading Europe to a continent-wide, regulated industry, poses an alternative. The winning trend is yet to be determined.
The 2008 Irish Open had started last week in Dublin. Dating back to 1981, it is one of Europe's most popular tournaments. This year had a total of 667 players buying in for the amount of €4,200. Getting Ready for Monday Irishman Jay Renehan was chip leader on Day 1 with €82,250 in chips. Sitting alongside Reneham in Day 2 of the competition is Canadian Sorel Mizzi, last year's third place winner, and Doyle Brunson, the known Texas Hold 'em champ, with a stack of €53,800. Brunson's Son, Todd Brunson, will also be among the first step winners with just over 10,000 chips. Along with him are Keith Littlewood (€59,150), Carsten Joh (€72,375) and Alexander Fitzgerald (€78,700). Roland De Wolf, last year's runner up, also continues to Day 2 in this year's tournament. Sunday Madness 52 players made it to the tables on Sunday and by the end of the day 9 players remain. Of those 52, Mark Spellman successfully climbed the chip ladder and made it up there with €337,500 worth of chips. Spellman is the only player who made it to the Sunday round with over €300,000 worth of chips. Sitting in on Sunday afternoon will be Sorel Mizzi with €185,000 of chips- placing this player in the 12th place. In the 14th spot is Julian Thew with €164,000 of chips and aside her is Padraig Parkinson in the 20th place with €130,000 worth of chips. Parkinson had made it just above the average stack of €127,855. Final Stretch The main event ends today, March 24th, leaving one player with €801,400. Last year's winner, Marty Smyth, had received €650,000. De Wolf had won a total amount of €325,000 in last year's event and is hoping to make a proper appearance among the winners of this year's Irish Open.
South Africa, a country divided by 11 separate official languages, nine different provinces and one growing economy, has made the impossible possible. As many nations join the war against online gambling, this country has decided to give the people what they ask for. We must ask ourselves "Why do these guys think they can do what others have failed at?" So far the country has had one law concerning online gambling. The 2004 National Gambling Act, No. 7 - the law that prohibits any type of online gambling. Well, perhaps the sudden rise of players in the last decade has something to do with it. Gambling has been spreading throughout the country leaving the government with no choice but to give the people what they want. Perhaps it is the 2010's World Cup that will be played in South Africa that has influenced the change of heart. The legalization of gambling may allow the country to benefit from gambling over the event, surely to take place in one form or another. And perhaps, less likely, surely, but imaginable nonetheless, President Thabo Mbeki was threatened by notorious Web administrators to legalize online gambling. Currently, he may be kept hostage in a basement 3 floors underground by guerilla-gamblers with no discourse of the incident on the media. Granted, this one is a stretch. Presuming the reason is insignificant. The South African government has created a law that is opposing what is known as the "global" political correctness. South Africa is set to become mankind's gambling guinea pig. With new freedoms, there are always new companies. Many South African companies will develop in the following months after the new law comes in to action. We can expect an entire new industry to enter the South African economy, making this decision, possibly a good one.
With about 12 games left to play in the regular season, the NBA betting odds receive center stage, no less, right along the NCAA March Madness College Basketball Championship. At least the baseball season is still 162 games away from ending... The Professional News There have been no sure bets on the Finals match-up since the famed rivalry of the 80's between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Then again, it is those two teams that are leading their respectable conferences as we head into the last stretch. So will people bet on a Lakers-Celtics Finals? Don't bet on that. The Celtics lost their last game against the Philadelphia 76ers. And are on a two game losing streak. If the standings remain as they are today, Pierce, Garnett, Allen and Team will face the Atlanta Hawks, widely respected as a dangerous team, a potential Playoff surprise. Which incited the Washington Wizards' Antawn Jamison's response after leading his team to a victory over the Detroit Pistons. Even before the expected return of Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards might turn out to be the big surprise team. This year there is no sure bet even as to who will be the surprise team! Meanwhile on the West Coast, the Lakers met potential first round rivals Golden State Warriors in back to back games. While the team from Oakland won the first game by four points, it was the Southern Californians who won the second match, by four points as well (after overtime). Note: a first-round match-up between the two is likely to include injured Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum back in the line-up in yellow jerseys. If nothing else, such a match-up is sure to be exciting to follow. The Betting Implications Throughout the season, ups and downs, the Celtics have been the most consistent team as favorite to win the NBA Championship. They are +370. Their mythological rivals, the Lakers, are second at +410. The San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons, somewhat quiet throughout the season - a quiet that speaks loudly of their experience in the money-time - are the third and fourth, respectively, +470 and +510. The Cleveland Cavaliers, behind Lebron James (What are the odds on MVP candidates?) are +1450 to win the Finals, which they reached a year ago. Here at Online Casino Reports, we will keep following the trends, as surely you will too.
When the house keeps winning - sue the house! Arelia Margarita Taveras, a formerly successful attorney and TV commentator, is planning the ultimate gamers' revenge. After years of binges in Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos where she first started going for weekend relaxation, Taveras has found herself disbarred, disgraced, and disillusioned as a result of her habit leading her to dip into clients' money to fuel her habit. She claims her obsession brought her to losses of nearly $1 million. It's All Your Fault In the style of spilled coffee lawsuits against McDonalds and "your dog bit me" claims by would-be burglars, Taveras is hoping to get rich quick - this time through legal claims of negligence by casinos for not stepping in and interceding to protect her from herself. The plaintiff says that she would spend four to five days at casino tables without eating or sleeping, using disposable wipes to brush her teeth so that she wouldn't have to leave the table. Racketeering is the charge. Taveras claims the casinos were criminal in allowing her to continue, knowing the state that she was in. "I would pass out at the tables. They had a duty of care to me. Nobody in their right mind would gamble for four or five straight days without sleeping," she says. Precedent, or Lack There Of Earlier in March, Graham Calvert, an Englishman, has seen his similar lawsuit rejected by the court in the UK. In the Calvert case, which is similar to Taveras' charges, but on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean nonetheless, the judge ruled that in Calvert's case, his gambling pathology would have led him to financial ruin had the casino prevented him from excessive gambling or not. With her $20 million suit representing her last chance to get back in the game, perhaps Arelia Taveras has not exactly learned her lesson yet. If she can pull this off however, she will have beaten the house indeed. Beaten it like the family mule.
The 2006 ban of online gambling seems to be weakening as the House Financial Service Committee (HFSC) begins a review of the regulations proposed by the Department of Treasury (DT). Prior to many state bills in past years, Barney Frank, Chairman of the HFSC, believes the hearings will suggest that the ban is futile. The regulations were proposed in order to enforce the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), also known as the 2006 ban of online gambling. The concept of the review was published on October 4th gathering over 200 comments from politicians and interest groups. Many of the responses were questioning the effectiveness of the regulations. "The hearing is going to show - I want to show - that it's not that the regulations weren't done well," said Frank. "It's that they can't be done well given the inherent nature of the issue." The Path to Justice Suggested bills made mostly by democrats, members of Congress, paved the path for such revolutionary actions. Rep. Shelly Berkley, a Democrat from Nevada, announced a bill calling for a one-year study of Internet gambling by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. The bill was supported by 68 cosponsors (four of them being Republican). The review currently has 47 cosponsors, including four republicans, and will begin as early as April 2nd. "The ban is one of the stupidest things I ever saw," declares Frank. Representing the gambling community from a political point of view, Frank is known for his request of legislation last year to repeal the ban and have the DT regulate Internet gambling in the US. "It's going to take a couple of years," says Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY), the chief lobbyist for the Poker Players Alliance, when discussing the legalization of online gambling. D'Amato is currently speaking to Republican senators in order to find supporters to excuse poker from the current online wagering ban.
According to English naturalist, Charles Robert Darwin, mankind has evolved from the Ape family and has chosen a different path in the maze of survival. We have changed according to our surroundings and have left our ancestors in our urban zoos. Recent research has provided evidence for another similarity between Man and Ape - we both love to gamble! Using food gathering techniques, scientists have discovered that chimpanzees favor engaging in risky behavior in order to win the jackpot. As opposed to most animals, including most humans, chimps prefer risking their lives for "better" meal (protein-rich meat) before they approach the "safer" meal (ground-based vegetation). Pick a Bowl! Any Bowl! Leipzig Zoo in Germany invited five chimps and five bonobos, an endangered close relative from the Democratic Republic of Congo, to teach researchers how to gamble. Note: apes can't play Poker (I know... its disappointing). Scientists presented each ape with an option to choose one of two upside-down bowls. One bowl was known as the "Safe" bowl - containing exactly four grape halves every time - and the other was know as the "Risk" bowl - with one to seven grape halves. And the Winner is... The two apes were very similar to one another in every aspect (size, appearance and behavior). But when it comes to diets, bonobos appreciated the security of the fixed bowl while chimps enjoyed the excitement of discovering how many grape halves hide under the "risk" bowl. The same was seen in their natural habitats as bonobos divulged herbaceous vegetation on the ground, a reliable source of chow, and chimps hunted, killed and ate colobus monkeys, a tasty and healthier alternative. The Poker Analogy As major poker tournaments are sprouting across the globe and more people are joining the gambling community, in which direction are we going on the evolutionary scale? Is society connecting with its chimpanzee roots or will we return to our secure bonobon life style? Perhaps their lack of gambling is the reason they're endangered...
The NFL has its Super Sunday. Not long ago mentioned here the US Presidential Elections Primaries Super Tuesday. We hereby label April 1 to be US Online Gambling Industry's own Super Tuesday. It has been nearly a year and a half since the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in the US, the effect of which, namely banning online gambling, was noticeable overnight. It is only now, in April 2008, that the hearings on the bill's regulations are scheduled to take place. UIGEA has tackled gambling by prohibiting credit card and other financial institutions to allow the transfer of funds between American users and gambling websites. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) is challenging this bill, and has several dozen supporters among his fellow Congressmen and women. His proposal, Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (IGREA), would create an exemption to UIGEA and allow online betting. Voices are heard in favor of both bills, the ban and its opposition. While players' organizations, such as the Poker Players Alliance, are lobbying their representatives, by sending letters and publishing studies, Family Action and other conservative organizations urge people to oppose online gambling on the basis of family values.
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