Online Casino News and Information

A Press Conference will be held by on Thursday April 26, 2007 at 10:00am by Washington, DC’s House Financial Committee Chairman Barney Frank to discuss the Internet Gambling Regulation & Enforcement Act of 2007.

You must understand that Congressman Barney Frank has spent many hours of work in the past, towards repealing this bill which was slipped in at the last moment.

More information on Barney Frank can be found here:
Barney Frank Works On Legislation To Repeal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

Others in the online gambling industry are also taking notice to this possibly historical step towards giving Americans back their freedom with online game play. As quoted by Gambling 911.com, “Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, said he will introduce the legislation on Thursday.”

Read more on their article here:
Online Gambling Ban Repeal Bill to be Introduced This Week - www.gambling911.com

Congressman Barney Frank was on top of “Gambling With Freedom” before it was signed into the Internet Gambling Regulation & Enforcement Act of 2007, and stated, “If an adult in this country, with his or her own money, wants to engage in an activity that harms no one, how dare we prohibit it.”

There is much more to learn about our freedoms of gambling in the following link:
GamesandCasino - Online Gambling news

Times Online
Rhys Blakely

A Chinese political prisoner sued Yahoo! in a US federal court, accusing the internet company of helping the Chinese government torture him by providing information that led to his arrest.

The suit, filed under the Alien Tort Claims Act and the Torture Victims Protection Act, is believed to be the first of its kind made against an American internet company.

Wang Xiaoning, who is serving a 10-year sentence in China, and his wife, Yu Ling, who is currently in San Francisco, are seeking damages and an injunction barring Yahoo! from identifying political opponents to the Chinese authorities.

Mr Wang was arrested after distributing online articles calling for democratic reform and a multiparty system in China via Yahoo! sites in 2000 and 2001. His suit contends that Yahoo!’s Hong Kong office provided police in China with information that linked him to the postings. Mr Wang was arrested in September 2002 and says he was beaten while in detention.

A Yahoo! spokesman said the company “is distressed that citizens in China have been imprisoned for expressing their political views on the internet”, but said it had not had time to review Mr Wang’s lawsuit.

It added: “However, the concerns raised about the Chinese government compelling companies to follow Chinese law and disclose user information are not new. Companies doing business in China must comply with Chinese law or its local employees could be faced with civil and criminal penalties.”

Lawyers said the lawsuit will encounter a number of hurdles – including the fact that Yahoo! has always complied with Chinese laws.

However, it comes as internet groups see increased activism from investor groups over online-related human rights issues.

MORE - READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE AT Times Online

Gaming Intelligence Group
20 April 2007

The budget and financial speakers of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union agreed this week at a meeting in Stuttgart to propose abolishing the state monopoly on sports betting, and to allow the lottery market to continue unchanged under the terms of the 2004 State Treaty.

The terms of a liberalised sports betting market are to be drawn up in a separate State Treaty.

The Union’s fiscal policymakers believe that the liberalisation of sports betting should be accompanied by the levying of a special incentive tax. It is to be ring-fenced on the basis of the player’s place of abode and therefore assure the federal states a source of revenue from sports betting. This will provide continued funding for mass sport, charities, culture and addiction prevention measures.

“We expressly welcome the Union’s decision,” declared Rainer Jacken, Director of Fluxx AG. “It shows that common sense and economic realism are increasingly gaining ground in connection with the planned State Treaty on gaming. We believe court rulings and political opinions are coming to acknowledge the grave concerns already voiced by the EU Commission.”

“Nobody now wants to be made responsible for a sharp but unnecessary slump in revenue and the impending legal chaos in both Germany and Europe. We citizens are called to abide by the law, and quite rightly so. We should therefore be able to expect our politicians to do likewise. This wise resolution by the Union parties’ fiscal policy spokespersons now means that the German gaming market can be reorganised in an intelligent manner.”

Las Vegas Review-Journal
By TONY BATT Apr. 19, 2007

WASHINGTON — Although there may not be much support in Congress for Internet gambling, Rep. Barney Frank says resistance is growing against a ban passed late last year.

“I think a lot of members of Congress voted for that (ban) without having given it a lot of attention,” Frank said Wednesday. “And I think that there is growing opposition to it,” he said. “I think that this may be a case where, after the fact of having voted for it, people don’t like it and they reconsider.”

Frank, the new chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said he plans to introduce a bill “probably next week, maybe the week after” against the Internet gambling ban.

Democrat Shelley Berkley and Republican Jon Porter, both of Nevada, also are planning to unveil legislation within the next two weeks that would call for a study of Internet gambling by the National Academy of Sciences.

After considering an 18-month study, the Nevadans are expected to propose a one-year study instead.

The Poker Players Alliance, represented by former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, R-N.Y., also may seek legislation that would exempt online poker from the ban.

(more…)

An article in The Herald (www.theherald.co.za) discussed the legalization of online gambling in South Africa. According to the article, the attitude of the South African government is ‘if you can’t beat them join them… or at least regulate them’ . ‘Them’ in this case is the online gambling industry.

After watching the U.S. and reaching the conclusion that outlawing online gambling is not a solution, the government set their sights on legalizing and regulating it.

Addiction to gambling however was seen as an evolving problem according to The National Responsible Gambling Program (NGRP). “We are beginning to see the first signs of problems related to online gambling. We have treated a number of people who got addicted to online gambling and we anticipate the problem will grow,” NGRP treatment director Roger Meyer said.

The government is plotting the course for online gambling legalization and regulation and expect to publish legislation before the end of the year to pave the way, with priority being given to measures to deal with problem gamblers or illicit activities associated with online gambling. They expect the bill to be submitted to Parliament sometime in or around July.

MORE - READ THE ARTICLE AT The Herald (www.theherald.co.za)

Caboodle

State gaming company Szerencsejáték announced a public tender for the purchase of IT equipment to be used to expand online gambling services, CEO Gábor Székely said.

The introduction of some of the games will take 18 months, due to long legal procedures, he noted. Some games, including lotteries, can not be played by foreign residents, as they have no registered address or bank account in Hungary.

In December the European Commission ordered Hungary to open up its sports betting market. Hungarian sports fans gambled an estimated Ft 15 billion online last year.

NewswireToday
London, United Kingdom, 04/19/2007
London-based technology company not interested in NETeller takeover.

After facing legal problems with NETeller Plc. Seed Capital Ltd. decided to delay the launch of their new payment processor YouTeller.com. “It is in everyone’s interest that YouTeller will not be confused with NETeller,” said Seed Capital spokesman Florian Schweitzer. If Seed Capital will not be able to make the legal situation clear the company will introduce an all-new online payment system next summer.

Just a matter of time
Meanwhile the regulatory situation is getting better and better. The World Trade Organization (WTO) said two weeks ago that the US ban on offshore Internet gambling payments is illegal upholding a previous decision that allowed for possible sanctions. “US customers will be able to transfer money to gaming companies again. It’s just a matter of time”, Schweitzer underlined. YouTeller is part of an international lobbying task force that works on this issue with the WTO and the European Union.

No takeover
Seed Capital denies rumors about a possible takover of NETeller Plc. “We are not interested in a traditional online payment system. We have developed a service that is tailor-made to the current challenges”, Schweitzer emphasizes.

One month ago NETeller’s legal counsel demanded YouTeller.com cease to conduct payment processing business under the name YouTeller. “Such use by Seed Capital Ltd. causes confusion, including initial interest confusion leading to persons familiar with the teller-suffixed brand of services to believe Seed Capital Ltd. is somehow affiliated with, related to or endorsed by our client,” the letter states.

eGaming Review

Asian-facing betting and gaming company Betex has said two of its senior staff at its Beijing operation have been detained and a third is being sought by the Chinese authorities in the province of Jilin.

In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, the company said it believes the alleged illegal activity related to conduct by these individuals and “does not call into question the legality of the company’s software product, or the conduct of the company”.

The company said it was working with its legal advisers to obtain information regarding the status of the investigation and is assisting the authorities wherever possible.

The statement added: “While the investigation is ongoing the company has voluntarily imposed a nationwide suspension of sales of its software product.”

Betex has contracts to supply football-based lottery products to a number of Chinese provinces. The company has temporarily suspended its shares.

John Lefebvre and Stephen Lawrence, co-founders of Neteller and reluctant guests of the state of New York for the last 3 months have agreed to yet another continuance with the US DOJ. Judge Moss granted the continuance in the interests of Justice and the case has been rescheduled for May 16, 2007.

Lefebvre and Lawrence were arrested on January 15, 2007 (Founders Of Neteller Arrested On Both Coasts Of U.S.) “in connection with the creation and operation of an internet payment services company that facilitated the transfer of billions of dollars of illegal gambling proceeds from United States citizens to the owners of various internet gambling companies located overseas.” Lefebvre and Lawrence established Neteller in 1999. Both are charged with conspiring to transfer funds with the intent to promote illegal gambling. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. (Neteller Founders Charged With Money Laundering)

The May 16th continuance is the 4th granted in this case. Peter Neiman, lawyer for Lawrence, did return my call and while he was very cordial and patient, refused to make any comments at this time.

Staff Writer

REUTERS
Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:34AM EDT
By Huw Jones

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A bill to end a ban imposed last year on online gambling in the United States will be presented within two weeks but will likely need time to garner support, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said on Thursday.

Internet gambling in the United States was effectively banned last October when President George W. Bush signed legislation outlawing gaming financial transactions.

“I want to get it undone,” Frank told reporters.

Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, is chair of the House Financial Services Committee.
The ban irked some in the European Union which is home to online gambling firms that were forced to withdraw from the United States.

The bloc’s internal market chief Charlie McCreevy has hinted he may challenge the ban at the World Trade Organisation.

Last month the WTO said the ban violated international trade law as it still allowed online bets for horse racing.

MORE - READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE AT REUTERS