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In order to monitor and supervise online gambling in Sweden, and to maintain responsible gambling standards, the government has decided to form its own casino, which will supply the citizens with all of their gambling needs. Finance meets poker The Svenska Spel was formed in 2005, but is now under pressure as the Swedish finance minister Andres Borg set his eyes on it. The minister, who was elected for office in 2006, demands tighter regulations for online poker games run by Svenska Spel. By doing so, their hopes of becoming a major player in the global online poker marker - are all but gone. One can assume this to be the result of the survey conducted by the National Institute of Public Health in Sweden. The survey proved Svenska Spel to be quite successful, but more importantly, pointed at the fact that online gamblers tend to spend more when playing online poker, in comparison to other games on the casino. No wonder that Borg is demanding Svenska Spel to clearly and regularly inform players of their total winning and losses, as a way to prevent them from spending more than planned. Cruel Summer in Sweden This completes a difficult period for Svenska Spel, as they have recently learnt that by monopolizing the Swedish market, they are actually breaking the European Community rules, which call for free trade across the EU. The solution for this situation is privatization of less addicting form of gambling, such as the lottery and sports betting. By doing so, the company will be allowed to continue operating, though with lower profits.
Both the Canadian and Quebec governments dispute the legality of Kahnawake's gambling operations, but have not risked taking action against them. The websites hosted within Kahnawake are the only privately owned gambling sites that have operated in continental North America without legal action being taken against them. Determined to regulate In the Weekly Edition we have reported that a Liberal MP, Roy Cullen, wants the Ottawa government to regulate the Kahnawake First Nation's virtual gambling activities. Kahnawake is synonymous with the billion dollar online gambling industry. Cullen met with Justice Minister Rob Nicholson to talk about the online gambling issue. If no action is taken, he vows to introduce a private member's bill so that the issue will be debated and dealt with in Parliament. "I think something is going to happen. My preference would be to open it up and regulate it," says Cullen. But what if it goes the other way and the vote goes to close it down? Economic potential Chuck Barnett, a member of the board of supervisors for Mohawk Internet Technologies, a utility company that provides connectivity services for the site owners at Kahnawake, sees Ottawa as a foreign government that has no business regulating activity on Mohawk territory. "If I were a Canadian, I might instead be more interested in how explicit legislation could serve as the catalyst for a potential source of economic development, employment and revenue through taxation," he said. "The Commission has turned away more than 100 applicants looking to set up online gambling enterprises." "We could make a lot more money if we opened the door to everyone. It's a revenue-generating industry, but dignity and honor and respect mean something at the same time," says Barnett, who is annoyed that the legality issue continues to rear its head today even though they've successfully been in operation for 10 years. The Kahnawakes license some of the most prominent brands in the business including Bodog Life and Ultimate Bet. For the sake of gambling It is not clear if it will be to the benefit or detriment of the Kahnawake if their gambling activities are legalized. But maintaining the high standards they have set will definitely benefit online gamblers.
UIGEA to go Recent Congressional hearings in Washington designed to clarify the impact of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, or UIGEA, may actually end up discarding the act altogether. New legislation introduced by Barney Frank, chairman of the influential Financial Services Committee seeks to restrict the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and the Treasury secretary from "... proposing, prescribing or implementing any regulation that requires the financial services industry to identify and block Internet gambling transactions." Good news for online gamblers Barney Frank's initiative follows a series of criticisms leveled at the original act by agencies of the US government who were preparing to shore up and toughen the UIGEA. Frank and his colleague, former presidential hopeful, Ron Paul, highlighted the unworkable nature of regulating online gambling payments due to the complexity and intricacy of the Internet environment. This activity can only mean good news for online gamblers who have for too long been pawns in the battle by congressional do-gooders seeking to limit personal financial liberty. Positive spin Congressman Frank is pulling out all the stops in his crusade against the UIGEA by actually proposing that Congress promotes the legal licensing and regulation of online gambling in the United States. This action would raise significant tax revenue as well as control what is essentially the desire of a large proportion of the voting public to spend their personal funds as they see fit. The Frank-Paul bill would effectively stop any further US government action on requiring the country's financial institutions to block online gambling payments. Saving the Fed's bacon The new proposals would rescue the Federal Reserve Bank from the tight spot in which it has been confined ever since the UIGEA act was instigated. The central bank simply did not know how to regulate the complex business of online payment systems used by Internet gamblers. Frank's approach takes the bull by the horns and provides a solution for all concerned - the US legislature, the Federal Reserve Bank, and perhaps, most importantly, the army of fans of Internet gambling. What's your opinion? Would you support the legalization of online gambling in the United States?
Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has proposed legislation that would legalize online gambling, a reversal of US law which outlawed the industry. In 2006, President Bush signed a law that bars banks and credit card companies from accepting payments to online gambling websites, making it virtually impossible to place bets. Online lotteries, fantasy sports and horse racing were excepted from this ban and they are all well and thriving. There is another ban on online gambling - a 47 year old federal law prohibits using telephone lines to place bets, which the US Department of Justice takes to mean online gambling. Prior to the ban, Internet gambling in the United States was estimated to be a $5.9 billion industry, with about 8 million Americans wagering, according to a study done in 2005. The ban effectively put and end to online gambling in the US, driving the companies to off-shore locations such as Antigua, Barbados and Gibraltar and causing a few to close down their businesses. American online gamblers were stunned at the sudden end to their entertainment and gambling pastime. Now Frank has become a local gambling hero. Websites aimed at online gamblers have started posting videos of Frank from C-SPAN. Recent donors to his campaign account include a pit boss at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and a professional player named Chris Moneymaker. In October, 10 of the country's top professional poker players held a fund-raiser in Washington for Frank. They included Annie Duke ("The Duchess of Poker"), Howard Lederer ("The Professor"), and Andy Bloch ("The Rock"). Frank, who also favors casino development in Massachusetts, said in an interview that his stance on gambling is rooted in his views about the proper limits on government intervention in people's personal decisions. "If it affects me, mind your own business. If affects others, let the government get involved," he said. We will watch with keen interest to see how this game plays out.
Cadel Evans remains the favorite, but no longer odds-on, to win the 2008 Tour de France after losing hold of the yellow jersey for overall competition leader to Luxembourg's Frank Schleck. The riders take a rest on Monday before embarking on the final six stages Tuesday, which will see them return from Italy and finish up the tour on the Champs Elysees in Paris. Current odds Evans, now third in the odds behind Schleck and Austrian Bernhard Kohl, still leads the pack at 6/4 with Ladbrokes, despite being an odds-on 4/5 favorite as recently as last Thursday. Russian Dennis Menchov, currently sitting in fourth place in the standings, is 3/1 to win the tour. Sixth-placed Spaniard Carlos Sastre is 4/1. Next in line are Schleck, 11/2, and Kohl, 13/2. Other odds With the tour still to negotiate parts of the French Alps, the odds are wide open for the winner of the 16th stage. Spaniards Samuel Sanchez and Alejandro Valverde are 13/2 and 7/1 respectively at SportingBet UK. Kohl, Sastre and Menchov are all 10/1, with Evans 22/1. Odds can be found at all major online gambling sites on a whole host of other mini-competitions within the Tour de France, including the polka dot jersey for "King of the Mountains" and the white jersey for young riders.
Canada and the United States should legalize and regulate online gambling, a study released last Tuesday has said. The study, conducted jointly by June Cotte, associate professor of marketing at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, and Kathryn Latour, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the USA, concluded that regulation of the online gambling industry would reduce the potential negative effects of online gambling. Basic assumptions The study was done based on the assumption that online gambling is easily accessible, even in countries where it is effectively illegal - such as Canada and the USA - because residents of those countries can simply access a website from countries where online gambling is legal. It was also assumed that online gamblers are naturally at a higher risk of addiction than their casino gambling counterparts, because of the easy accessibility to online gambling from within the comfort of their own home. The lack of social interaction, meaning participants are in it only for the gambling, was also cited as increasing the risk of addiction. Study conclusions Taking into account the reality that online gambling is big business - the study estimated more than $10 billion is spent each year by online gamblers - Cotte and Latour concluded that legalization and regulation, rather than banning, is the right way for the Canadian and US governments to deal with the issue. Additionally, Cotte and Latour set out some other basic suggestions for the regulation of online gambling, including setting financial limits for participants, requiring online gambling operators to offer information about its dangers via pop-ups, and strictly checking the age of new account-holders. The conclusions were made after interviews with 20 regular casino gamblers and 10 regular online casino gamblers.
Moves to reverse UIGEA are ongoing by various sectors if American society and government. Now the mainstream media is calling for a return of online gambling but with the addition of government regulation. If we are talking about wagering, there's probably a great deal of money changing hands on the outcome of this one... Readers of major US newspaper think it's time to legalize online gambling. The newspaper posed the question: Is it time to legalize online gambling? Early responses indicated that 97 percent of those participating thought it was. Representative McDermott (D-Wash) suggests that the hard economic times the United States is experiencing could sway opinion on the legalization and regulation of online gambling in the United States. "I don't think there could be a better time," he says. Golfing ace Lee Trevino recently commented on ESPN: "We are gambling billions of dollars in this country, and the Internal Revenue Service doesn't get a dime. Instead, they spend millions of dollars trying to catch the online gamblers." The newspaper USA Today claims that the online gaming industry generally supports the concept of regulated gambling which it feels would attract more customers. McDermott agrees: He hints that gambling lies in some gray area between legal and illegal, finding similarities in the current US betting environment with the "criminal structure" that accompanied the abortive alcohol Prohibition laws in the 'Twenties. He says attitudes toward gambling are outdated. "We have online gambling on horses, and if the government can take revenue from horse racing we certainly can take revenue from online gambling," says McDermott. McDermott's proposal would mean redesigning the Social Security Act and establishing a trust fund with proceeds from the taxation of Internet gambling to provide opportunities to individuals who are in foster care and individuals in declining sectors of the economy. Who is going decide who gives and who gets?
The debate over online gambling laws in the US congress has intensified in recent weeks, with staunch anti-gambling advocate Rep. Spencer Bachus (Republican - Alabama) using harsh words in his fight against a bill that would reverse a 2006 federal law that effectively banned online gambling. Re-legalizing online gambling The Payments System Protection Act, put forward by Rep. Barney Frank (Democrat - Massachusetts) and Rep. Ron Paul (Republican - Texas) is intended to roll back the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which outlawed the transfer of funds from a financial institution to Internet gambling sites (with the exception of certain things such as online lotteries and horse racing). The bill suffered a setback on June 25 when the House Financial Services Committee split along party lines and voted a 32-32 stalemate on the amendment to the bill made by Rep. Peter King (Republican - New York). Bachus accuses "The fastest growing addiction in America is not drugs, it's gambling," Bachus told Congress on June 25, before going on to draw some bizarre links between online gambling and the pornography industry. "We are going to try to stop child pornography and illegal gambling over the Internet. We don't want you partnering, as the FBI says, with child pornography sites and pornography sites," Bachus said. Bachus quoted reports that problem gambling doubles within 10 miles of a gambling facility. "The Internet puts that gambling facility right in the home, right in the dorm room, right in the bedroom of the teenager or college student," he said. He claimed the motivation behind opposing the bill was protecting youth, citing a study by Canada's McGill University in which it was claimed that one-third of college students who have gambled online eventually try to commit suicide. Finally, Bachus used some catchy slogans borrowed from a professor at the University Illinois. "The Internet is crack-cocaine for gamblers. There are no needle marks. There is no alcohol on the breath. You just click your mouse and you lose your house," he said. Excuse us, but Child pornography?! Crack-cocaine?! Suicides?! These accusations are quite off the mark. Online gambling, even if currently legally challenged in Bachus' home country, does not deserve such slander. For that what this is: bizarre slander.
Two doubles specialists are the latest players to be banned under the Association of Tennis Professionals' new anti-corruption program. Latest punishments The ATP, the body responsible for the men's side of the sport, banned Czech player Frantisek Cermak for 10 weeks and fined him $15,000, and slapped Slovak Michael Mertinak with a two-week ban and $3000 fine. Neither player was found to have placed bets on their own matches, or to have intended to affect the outcome of matches they placed bets on. The ATP said its investigation into the pair, begun in November 2007, found that Cermak had wagered on tennis matches during a period dating from 9 September 2006 until 1 February 2007, and that Mertinak had done the same in October 2006. Ensuring the "integrity of our sport" In a statement on the bans, ATP executive vice president Gayle David Bradshaw said anti-gambling punishments should send a clear message. "The ATP's tennis anti-corruption program is clear that gambling on any form of tennis match will not be tolerated," he said. "The program was introduced to ensure the integrity of our sport, and all connected to the tour have a duty and responsibility to ensure that integrity is upheld." The fight against corruption in tennis Prior to the current round of investigations, five Italians - Alessio di Mauro, Potito Starace, Daniele Bracciali, Giorgio Galimberti and Federico Luzzi - had already been banned by the ATP for gambling on tennis matches. Di Mauro was the first player to be banned by the program, handed nine months in November last year after being found guilty of making 120 bets with an online bookmaker in 2006 and 2007. In June we reported on the trialing of new rules at Wimbledon designed to crack down on player corruption. The new rules, agreed upon by the world tennis body and the All-England Club - which runs Wimbledon - included a requirement for players to report suspicious activity within 48 hours of being approached by gambling syndicates in relation to match-fixing.
Everyone loves a birthday, and what everyone loves most about them are the parties. Party Poker, as its name suggests, knows a thing or two about getting an event going, and now they're having a birthday, too. This month, Party Poker, the largest online poker room on the Web, is turning seven, and has decided to celebrate in a true Party fashion. They're hosting a million dollar birthday bash, open to everyone, and featuring everything that has made Party Poker the brand it has become over the years. The celebration is based on a series of poker tournaments, culminating in a big money event with a guaranteed prize pool totaling one million dollars. It'll be a great game; the championship style blind and big prizes will give it the feel of professional play, but for a fun cause. Tournaments are going on now; you can go to Party Poker to check the schedule, find a game you like, and reserve your place as far as three weeks in advance. The big-money tournament will be played on August 10, so make sure to start qualifying now with the ongoing games. The games require both reservations and buy-ins, and you'll need an account open, but all of that's to be expected. Where this celebration makes its mark is in the big payout: with one million dollars in prizes, you'll want to bring your best poker face to the games.
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