Online Casino News and Information

Today the EU (European Commission) started legal action against Sweden and Germany to try to ensure that they comply with the European Union’s free movement of services.

Charlie McCreevy, the EU’s Internal Market Commissioner has given Sweden two months to show that the prohibitive measures against poker games and tournaments are compatible with EU law. Svenska Spel, Sweden’s state –owned gambling company, offers and promotes online poker to its citizens, but yet it is illegal for foreign operators to do the same.

The Commission in Germany is targeting the Interstate Treaty on gambling which was put in effect at the beginning of 2008. Under this new law, private operators are banned from providing the games of chance via the internet, and or advertising these services. Also financial institutions have been barred from processing any transactions related to the ‘illegal’ online gambling.

 Germany was given two months to respond to the Commission.

 If Sweden and Germany do not prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that their measures do not breach the internal market rules, the cases will be sent to the European Court of Justice that has the power to FORCE the nations to amend their laws. And or face financial penalties.

 Lawyer for the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, Stefan Widmark was delighted with today’s decision. Aftonbladet had written the Commissioner Charlie McCreevy earlier this month, urging him to take action against Sweden in regard to its Lottery law.

 “We are very pleased that the Commission has taken up this matter with the Swedish government, stated Mr. Widmark to the Gaming Intelligence Group. In the letter from Aftonbladet to the Commission two weeks ago, we requested the Commission to take up the subject of poker, as the focus of previous actions has been on the field of sport betting.”

Previous moves by the Commission have had little effect. Mr. Widmark stated that he hoped that today’s decision would force Sweden’s government to take action.

For more info:  http://gamingintelligencegroup.com/gig/content/view/773/2/

George W. Bush gave his last State of the Union speech Monday evening. His grey hairs certainly show the strain he has been under since taking office seven years ago. The smile he wore most of the evening might be signs of the relief that is in store for him in a year when he finally leaves office.  The legacy he leaves those of us interested in internet gaming is the UIGEA. This legislation has alienated the United States from many of our friends overseas. It has robbed us of one of our basic rights, that of being free in a free country to do what we want.  We are allowed to travel to Las Vegas, or Atlantic City to gamble, no problem. We can even go to the local churches to play bingo on Friday nights if we wish. But we are not allowed to use the internet for the same purpose. If you are shut in, or can’t afford to travel, or just like to stay home in the safety of your own home, you are not allowed to gamble. I know that technically, UIGEA does not outlaw gambling, but it does make it illegal for any financial institution to process any transactions related to internet gambling.
Bush starts his last year in office with the country on the verge of recession and mounting debt in the trillions, thanks to the war on terrorism. President Bush is going to be trying to salvage his political legacy in this, his last year in office.  His biggest problem is that it is very difficult for a lame duck president to wield much influence over congress in his last year in the White House.  This is especially true for a President like Bush with his popularity in the gutter.

President Bush stated in his speech: “On trade, we must trust American workers to compete with anyone in the world and empower them by opening up new markets overseas. Today, our economic growth increasingly depends on our ability to sell American goods, crops and services all over the world. These agreements will level the playing field. They will give us better access to nearly 100 million customers.”

If President Bush wants other countries to open up their markets, he needs to open up the United States markets to foreign companies equally.  The United States needs to work with other countries to open up the United States market to foreign gaming operators in order to be in better compliance with international law and WTO commitments.  While the United States is not bound by international law, our constitution provides that the U.S. Supreme Court is the final law for this great country. This was to prevent exactly what is happening now; foreign countries and their laws influencing law in the United States. The United States need to lift the illegal federal ban on internet gambling financial transactions. 
When Harry Truman was President, the Treasury Department put poker games together in the White House.  Now Treasury is tasked with trying to enforce UIGEA. State and local governments certainly can use the tax revenue that can be generated by internet gambling being regulated on the state level.
iMEGA, (the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association), has stated that the UIGEA and its proposed regulations establish a dangerous precedent for denying Americans’ First Amendment rights; that it stifles online innovation and commerce; and that it will have an adverse effect on the privacy rights of Internet users.  iMEGA has made protecting Americans’ civil liberties in the online world a cornerstone of their activities.

“These proposed regulations will limit Americans’ freedom to use the Internet as they see fit in the privacy of their own homes… While UIGEA is intended to protect minors and problem gamblers, the law ironically makes these groups more vulnerable by targeting US banks and credit card companies, whose identity verification, fraud prevention and credit profiling systems protect online consumers every day.” said Edward Leyden, President of iMEGA

iMEGA has filed suit against the Attorney General’s office in federal court to prevent enforcement of UIGEA. GWB stated in his final State of the Union that: “The people’s trust in their government is undermined by congressional earmarks.”

To read article:

http://www.point-spreads.com/politics/012908-lame-duck-gives-final-state-of-the-union.htm

Neteller will announce in March the results of its fourth quarter performance.

Neteller, based in The Isle Of Man has been involved with the US Department Of Justice regarding alleged violations under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and made a final payment last week of $38.25 million as a deferred prosecution agreement.

Neteller stated that $57.7 million of  its funds were seized by US authorities last year as instead of the  $60 million previously announced with the total amount paid in connection with the matter amounting to $136 million.

Ron Martin, the Chief Executive Officer and President for Neteller. stated:
 “Considering the significant challenges that our company has faced during the past year, I am pleased with the performance of the business in 2007 and I am excited about the prospects for 2008.

Read the whole story here:

http://www.igamingbusiness.com:80/article-detail.php?articleID=15945

32 Red Casino is starting the New Year with some exciting news about new products.  The launch of 32Red Mobile Casino is bringing the most popular casino games to the players’ mobile phones. Then you can win whether you are at work, on the road, in a bus or even your favorite pub.

This will begin in February. This will enable new player types and focus. Watch for more information soon.

Securing a foothold in these markets, 32Red hopes to emerge as an industry leader. They hope you will see how these products will firmly place 32Red at the cutting edge of e-gaming for 2008.

New Player Bonus: New players can continue to enjoy our 100% Welcome Bonus with a choice of a ?100 or ?50 bonus decided by the player needs. For the dedicated slots players, and the other for ones who like to mix up their casino games. For the existing Player Bonus: They are running a New Year monthly match for (those that have been playing for a month of longer) of ?32/$32/?32. This is part of 32Red’s unbeatable retention program to help bring your referrals to 32Red.

Check out 32Red Casino and have fun!!      Accepts all Players Except US Players

Casinos and Poker Rooms are Accepting US Players Despite Ban

2008-01-13 15:14:09 - Although the UIGEA hoped to make gambling illegal in the US, millions of Americans are still gambling online - And it’s totally legal!

To all Americans that is still unaware that it is still legal for them to gamble online in the US. You can still play slots, blackjack, and online poker. Even though the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Act) tried to ruin the pastime for many Americans, it seems that many are exploiting loopholes in the law to continue gambling legally.

The fight continues over the UIGEA bill, but we the Americans will stand up for our rights and freedom, and will continue to do so! Let’s make our stand and show that we want to be able to sit home and do what we love, without someone telling us what we can or can’t do in our own homes!!

Germany and the Online Gambling Ban

The UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Act) was passed in 2006. Since then Germany has followed by having signed an agreement, starting Jan.1st this year to ban web based gambling.

Websites with casinos, and or poker rooms and sports betting has been blocked by financial institutions. This will prevent all transactions to or from gambling sites, in Germany. But they are allowing land based casinos to operate, because they think land based can be controlled.

I think they are going to be really surprised! This law looks very obvious, to me that, that government is going to enjoy the profits from land based casinos, and don’t want to share it.

November 2007, the court said that to ban online gambling was impossible to enforce, thus it was ruled null and void. But somehow the government ministers found a way around it.

Online gambling bans have become a worldwide concern. It needs to be regulated, but not to be completely banned. This makes it obvious that these decisions are not based on morality, but rather a business or state ran monopoly. Like Germany has done.

As this New Year begins, it should be a year of HOPE for online gambling. All like poker and sports betting need to pull together and protest the bans. Don’t let them take away the fun for millions all around the world!!

Reasons to Appose the Internet Gambling Ban

Lots of things have happened this past year with Internet Gambling. We are watching to see what will happen in 2008.  You don’t hear or see much of this on TV, or in the newspapers, why we ask? Could it be the Government does not want the US citizens to know what they are doing behind our back? The only news you will see on this is on the internet. In December, the United States settled a trade dispute several Big Countries over the recently enacted Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

You can read about this by scrolling down this page.
Big problems with this law is it carves out exemptions for some forms of gambling, with state lotteries and domestic horse racing, and banning most other forms, mostly poker, one of the most popular forms of online wagering.

Being the most online poker sites are all based overseas, where online gambling is legal. This caused the trade dispute between the U.S. and most of the rest of the western world.

Quote:

“The U.S. Trade Office won’t release the terms of the settlement—an odd development itself, given that the settlement involves U.S. tax dollars, was negotiated by employees of the U.S. government, and isn’t likely to involve any information related to national security. But most experts believe that given the immense popularity of online poker, and the fact that America is home not only to most of the world’s poker players but also the wealthiest, the settlement was likely in the tens of billions of dollars.”

Look at the tiny island of Antigua, it has challenged the U.S., and won all the way.

Reasons to Appose the Internet Gambling Ban :

“Quote”
‘Predicting’ 2008 Death of Main Street, One Local Zoning Law at a Time Casualties of the Corrupt Drug War Schwarzenegger Vetoes Justice Full-page Straight Talk Archive
Last week, just days after the U.S. settlement with Europe, Japan, and Canada, the WTO awarded Antigua $21 million in annual reparations for losses to the Antiguan economy caused by the American ban on Internet gambling. Because tariffs on U.S. goods would hurt the Antiguan economy far more than the U.S. economy, the WTO gave the okay for Antigua to recoup its losses in the form of copyright infringement, essentially making the country a haven for movie, music, and software piracy.”

Read this entire article here and judge for yourselves!!

www.foxnews.com

Don’t let the Government continue to seek increasingly broad powers to get its way.
And take more of our freedom away!!