Online Casino News and Information

New Giveaways Including Winning Is Easy, Winners Get It All and Live the Winning Life Headline Belle Rock’s New August Promotions

Gibraltar, August 1, 2006 – Today Belle Rock Entertainment announced the launch of six new fantastic promotions across their popular group of online casinos and poker rooms, River Belle (www.riverbelle.com), Lucky Nugget (www.luckynugget.com), The Gaming Club (www.gamingclub.com), and Jackpot City (www.jackpotcity.com). With six new ways for players to win big at Belle Rock, the rich gaming experience just got a little richer. For online poker and casino enthusiasts who have set their sights on winning, the games to play are at Belle Rock Entertainment this August.

Belle Rock Entertainment’s August promotions include:

River Belle Online Casino – Winning Is Easy
Winning at River Belle this August surely will be easy for 60 lucky winners with this exciting new promotion. All a player needs to do is enter the promotion, play the terrific lineup of games at River Belle, and of course meet the wagering requirements. They’ll earn entries into a drawing at the end of the month to win a share of 37,000 casino credits!

River Belle Online Poker – High Hand of the Day
Raise your hand high for your chance to win a $50 bonus with River Belle’s latest poker giveaway. The River Belle Online Poker player with the Highest Hand of the day will win the daily $50 High Hand Bonus. Every day winners will be selected based on GMT time within certain bet limits. If more than one player gets the same hand the $50 will be split amongst the players with the winning “High Hand.” With a new winner announced every day in August, there’s no better time than now to play River Belle Online Poker.

Lucky Nugget Online Casino – Winners get it all!
No exaggeration here, in this promotion the grand-prize-winner will take it all - and head in to September $10,000 richer. That’s not all – 10 players every week could win a share of 3,500 credits in the exciting weekly game promotions. Each week there are different games to play, so there is something for everyone – try your luck and enter today!

The Gaming Club Online Casino – Live the Winning Life
To keep the good times rolling, this month’s Gaming Club promotion ensures that the winning just keeps on coming! Every day, 5 players will win 100 credits each for playing the recommended games. Qualifiers will automatically be entered into a draw at the end of the month, and the winner will walk away with a cash prize totaling $5,000!

The Gaming Club Online Poker Room – Cash Back Points
For the month of August, existing players at The Gaming Club Online Poker Room will earn cash back points for their play. Players will receive $10 cash back for every 2,000 Cash Back Points earned. Points are earned for every hand dealt according to a specified points table available online. The Gaming Club Online Poker Room is guaranteeing a winning experience by rewarding gamers with cash just for playing.

Jackpot City Online Casino – Live the Legend
“Live the Legend” with a $6,000 trip to Las Vegas! You could also win a share of 10,000 credits by taking part in “Royal Rewards”, Winning Parade” and “Find the caddy cruising around the casino” this month.. This sizzling new promotion is sure to have at least one lucky player singing Viva Las Vegas!

“It is our paramount goal here at Belle Rock to ensure thrilling and rewarding play, and one of the best ways to do that is by offering gamers every opportunity to win,” said Tim Johnson, Chairman of Carmen Media Group, owner of Belle Rock Entertainment. “Launching these exciting new promotions is yet one more way to give our players exactly what they want – a winning experience!”

About Belle Rock Entertainment
Belle Rock Entertainment (http://www.bellerockentertainment.com) is a group of online casinos and poker rooms. It is owned by Carmen Media Group Limited, based in Gibraltar and is one of the most experienced and trusted online gaming operators in the world. Over the past 10 years, the various brands within Belle Rock Entertainment have become synonymous with exciting entertainment, the most advanced games and the biggest promotions. All of the Belle Rock Entertainment’s online casinos carry the eCogra Players’ Seal of Approval which testifies to fair play and responsible gaming, as well as secure and timely payouts. The group’s major brands include River Belle Online Casino (http://www.riverbelle.com), The Gaming Club Online Casino (http://www.gamingclub.com), Jackpot City Online Casino (http://www.jackpotcity.com) and Lucky Nugget Online Casino (http://www.luckynugget.com).

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) — The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), a non-profit grassroots organization that has grown to more than 75,000 American poker players, today announced that Allyn Jaffrey Shulman, an expert in gaming law, is joining the PPA board of directors.

“I am delighted that Allyn has agreed to join our board,” said Michael Bolcerek, president of the Poker Players Alliance. “Allyn’s dedication to the best interests of the poker community as a speaker, writer and in the media, is a wonderful addition to our efforts at the PPA.”

In accepting her position on the board, Shulman said, “The Poker Players Alliance has made great strides in establishing itself as a voice for poker players on Capitol Hill. I hope that by getting behind the PPA, I can share my passion with the poker community on how very important it is to join this organization.”

“Allyn’s background, particularly as a writer and as a legal expert on gambling related issues will be particularly valuable,” added Bolcerek.

Allyn Jaffrey Shulman is one of the world’s leading experts on online gambling law. Having been a courtroom attorney, practicing criminal defense for over 20 years, her expertise lies in the area of complex legal analysis, issues of constitutional magnitude, police and judicial misconduct and contempt of court. She is widely published and has lectured all over California teaching other attorneys the fine points of complex litigation. In addition, Mrs. Shulman has testified before the North Dakota Senate regarding on-line gaming.

The Poker Players Alliance www.pokerplayersalliance.org is a non-profit organization advocating on behalf of American poker players.

CONTACT: Poker Players Alliance
John Pappas
202-715-1514
Michael Bolcerek
michaelb@pokerplayersalliance.org

BUSINESS WEEK
July 28, 2006, 3:58PM
By DAN CATERINICCHIA AP Business Writer
© 2006 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Attorneys at the Justice Department headquarters here have been involved from the outset of an investigation by the US Attorney’s office in St. Louis of BetOnSports PLC that so far has resulted in a court-ordered suspension of its operations and the arrest of the British online gambling company’s chief executive.

David Carruthers was arrested July 16 at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas while trying to make a connecting flight from the United Kingdom to Costa Rica, where BetOnSports is based. The site suspended U.S. operations July 18 following the issuance of a temporary restraining order by the U.S. government. On Monday, a hearing on the order is scheduled at the U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Carruthers, whose employment contract with BetOnSports was terminated July 25, will be arraigned in a separate hearing in St. Louis.

The BetOnSports case has garnered media attention because it is one of the largest companies to date that the government has taken legal steps against. In the fiscal year ended Feb. 5, BetOnSports said it had handled $1.8 billion in bets. The case also attracted attention because Carruthers has been an outspoken advocate of online gambling. “I’m optimistic that we can come to agreeable terms for his release,” at Monday’s arraignment, said Tim Evans, Carruthers’ Fort Worth-based attorney.

Going after a high-profile player may not be coincidental, but the case, the latest of many the Justice Department has brought and continues to pursue, is not part of a coordinated federal crackdown on the industry, according to spokesmen there.

Carruthers, company founder Gary Kaplan _ who the Justice Department says is still at large _ and nine others were named in a 22-count indictment unsealed last week by federal prosecutors. The government says BetOnSports fraudulently took bets from U.S. residents by phone and the Internet, and failed to pay excise taxes. It is seeking the forfeiture of $4.5 billion, cars and computers from the defendants.

MORE - Read the complete article at Chron.com

ABC NEWS
By MICHAEL P. REGAN
AP Associated Press

July 28, 2006 — Question: Can I get in trouble for gambling on the Internet?

Answer: Despite the recent high-profile indictments of the founder and CEO of Internet gambling company BetOnSports PLC, it does not appear that online gamblers in most U.S. states have any reason to fear prosecution — at least not by the federal government.

The exception is Washington state, where gamblers could be charged with a felony under recently passed legislation.

The state’s gambling commission has promised not to start an active campaign against regular players. However, if a gambling site’s records are seized, players whose names appear in the records will likely be sent a warning letter. “If a player’s name reappears again, charges may be filed,” a newsletter from the commission warns.

MORE - Read the complete article at ABCnews.com

REUTERS
By Peter Kaplan and Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - Prospects have dimmed for swift U.S. Senate passage of a bill to outlaw most forms of Internet gambling as industry trade groups and lawmakers raise objections, congressional sources said on Wednesday.

Efforts to move a House-passed measure through the Senate have run into opposition from lobbyists representing casino owners and horse- and dog-racing interests in recent days. Some Republican senators have broken ranks and and placed “holds” on it, the sources said.

“The House-passed bill is not going to pass the Senate,” said one source who is knowledgeable about the legislation, adding that changes must be made to win sufficient support.

The industry is a major contributor to some congressional campaigns and sources said opposition could stir up new trouble among senators such as Republicans Jim Bunning and Mitch McConell of Kentucky or Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada.

The industry is a major contributor to some congressional campaigns and sources said opposition could stir up new trouble among senators such as Republicans Jim Bunning and Mitch McConell of Kentucky or Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada.

The bill would prohibit most forms of Internet gambling and make it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make payments to online gambling sites.

The Republican-backed measure has been criticized by some as an election-year appeal to the party’s conservative base.

READ MORE - Read the complete article at REUTERS

At least four different sources report that HR4411in all probability will not come up in the Senate before they break on August 4th. It was originally reported by Rueters that it would not, then they reported that it had been made a priority and probably would come up before the break, then they reported that it probably would not. Other sources report it won’t. So far, the nay’s have it.

It has been rumored that BetonSports is working to be back in business by the end of next week. Oh, they also fired David Carruthers, their beleagured CEO who is currently residing in a holding cell somewhere in the USA.

The INQUIRER
By Tony Dennis: Wednesday 26 July 2006, 10:23

LEADING UK online betting site, Betonsports has fired its CEO. Mainly because he is under arrest in Fort Worth,Texas. Amongst the charges against David Carruthers are racketeering and charges of illegally taking online sports bets.

The company is insistent that besides Carruthers and founder, Gary Kaplan, none of the other directors are named in the charges.

The company chairman, Clive Parritt, has flown to Betonsports’ headquarters in Costa Rica to take command.

The whole area of Internet gambling in the USA is extremely clouded. Antigua, for example, has taken the USA to the World Trade Organisation because it says that US actions against overseas betting firms are illicit.

While Betonsports says Kaplan has not been involved in the group’s day-to-day management for a while, Kaplan turns out to be a very colourful character indeed.

A former New York bookmaker, Kaplan is reported to surround himself with seven bodyguards and carry a gun at all times.

When Kaplan visited London to help float the company, he approached a well-known frim of consultants. As Kaplan bore a remarkable visual resemblance to Joe Pesci’s character in the gangster film GoodFellas, the consultants declined his offer to work with Betonsports.

Kaplan is thought to be sheltering somewhere in Latin America. The scandal may also spread to another site – Igotsportsbook.com – which was reputedly founded by Gary Kaplan after he sold his shares in Betonsports.

The INQ isn’t without its own brush with the US authorities over betting. Our man was once pounced upon by an armed security guard for using a mobile phone in a Las Vegas sports bar.

READ OTHER RELATED STORIES AT THE INQUIRER

Guardian Unlimited
Tuesday July 25, 2006
Mark Tran

The online gambling company BetonSports today sacked its chief executive after his arrest in the US on fraud charges.

David Carruthers was arrested last week at Dallas-Fort Worth international airport, Texas, while on his way from the UK to Costa Rica, where BetonSports is based.

BetonSports today issued a statement distancing itself from its former boss: “On July 24, the contract under which David Carruthers acted as CEO of the company was terminated … This action was taken as a consequence of Mr Carruthers’s continued detention by US authorities.

“Clearly, while he remains in the custody of the US government he is unable to perform his duties. Further, the company has been unable to speak directly with Mr Carruthers.”

Mr Carruthers and 10 others, including the founder of BetonSports, Gary Kaplan, were named in a 22-count indictment this week by federal prosecutors. The US government accused BetonSports of fraudulently taking bets from US residents by phone and the internet, and failing to pay excise taxes.

The London-listed company has been forced to shut down 85% of its business since the indictment.

The arrest of Mr Carruthers and the move against BetonSports sent internet gambling stocks plummeting.

READ MORE - Read the complete article at the Guardian Unlimited

THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

Protecting American family values — or the offline industry? Gambling is one of the great successes of online commerce. Americans bet nearly $6 billion online last year, roughly half the global total

The Economist
(Jul 22, 2006)

As someone paid to have a keen appreciation of risk, David Carruthers must regret his choice of travel agent.

The chief executive of BetonSports was flying to Costa Rica, but no sooner had he touched down in Texas to change planes than he was arrested and later charged, along with 10 of his associates and various companies, with racketeering, fraud and conspiracy.

This week the shares in BetonSports and other online gambling companies listed outside the U.S. plunged as the suspicion grew that, after years of inaction, prosecutors mean to close the industry down.

Much of Congress is on their side. Last week the House of Representatives voted to make it illegal to settle a bet with a credit card or wire transfer. Although the Senate is unlikely to make the bill law, the message is plain enough: Internet gambling is corrupting and illegal and should be stopped.

The congressmen’s eagerness to demonstrate their uncompromising moral stance is more ironic than impressive. For the American campaign against Internet gambling is tainted by hypocrisy as well as futility.

MORE - READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE AT THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

DALLAS, July 20 /PRNewswire/ — The surprise airport arrest of a prominent UK internet gambling executive this week is a counter-productive application of US law that ignores complex international trade issues, says Larry Gaydos, partner in the White Collar Defense/Antitrust Practice Group at Haynes and Boone, LLP.

“Selectively targeting foreign businessmen who are respected in their own country to sensationalize the issue is unfair to the individuals and our friends in the international community,” says Mr. Gaydos, who has extensive experience in white collar criminal defense, foreign trade, and general criminal matters. “Long-term, it may also have adverse consequences on US business. If the tables were reversed, I am sure the US would be outraged.”

Along with the recent extradition of three UK bankers to face Enron- related charges in Houston, the arrest of BetOnSports.com executive David Carruthers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Sunday night has prompted many in the UK business and legal communities to cry foul. As the New York Times pointed out this week, “Now, many fear that the same controversial extradition treaty could be used to force British online gambling executives to stand trial in the United States.” Understandably, gaming stocks on the London Stock Exchange have been severely impacted.

But, Mr. Gaydos says, the two cases are actually quite different in legal foundation. The British banker extraditions involved wire fraud, but encompassed conduct that would be a crime in most countries. The supporting FBI affidavit used in the extradition proceedings properly sets out a “probable cause” case, he says.

The Carruthers arrest, however, is problematic because the activity involved — online gambling — is legal in the UK.

“The issues involved are complex international issues involving trade and broader issues about the international policing of the Internet,” Mr. Gaydos says. “The many problems associated with both these international issues require international solutions. The US attempt to do an end-run through a publicized arrest like this is legitimately perceived as arrogant and probably counter-productive to the mutual international goal of solving a growing problem.”

Mr. Gaydos is available for interviews by contacting Doug Bedell at doug.bedell@haynesboone.com or calling 214-651-5815.

Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, Washington, D.C., Mexico City, Moscow and New York, providing a full spectrum of legal services.
Website: http://www.haynesboone.com/

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