Online Casino News and Information

Yes U.S. it is time to say fold’em. Listen to what the rest of the world as well as most of the citizens of the United States are saying. We all want what is fair for our Free Nation. A Nation of free enterprise and trade for one and all!

This antigambling law needs to be folded. It is like playing poker, a game of skill I may add, to know when it is time to fold. This law or so called law, has no way to be enforced, and with the economy in bad enough shape as it is, without having to try and pay off all these other countries for breaking the WTO Rules!

The EU has launched an investigation into whether the U.S. Justice Department is selectively enforcing its antigambling law on the EU firms that offer wagers on sporting events.  Washington discriminates against the EU by permitting U.S. Internet horse betting. Last year the U.S. lost just such a case against Antigua and Barbuda. These small Nations won.

WTG EU!! Fight for what is right!

For the whole story:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120779121832703691.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

We would also like to congratulate Intertops Casino on 10 years of Trustworthy Service!! Intertops launched back in 1998, and has continued to provide excellent service to this day.

Michl Posch of Intertops stated: “Trust is everything in this business. To earn that trust you haveto pay out all winnings quickly and reliably. That may seem pretty basic but not all operators make it a top priority as Intertops has ever since it began its sportsbook inLondon twenty-five years ago.”

The other commitment Intertops made is to continually add the best new games, and thanks to Microgaming they provide hundreds of state-of-the-art casino games.

Michael Corfman of the GPWA, which evaluates and endorses gambling websites, said: “IntertopsCasino has set the bar very high for other online casinos.  “I know many online casinos will have tenth birthdays coming up, but IntertopsCasino.com is one of the first and one of the best. We congratulate them on ten years of honest operations.”

Another WIN for online gaming!! Now if the rest of the world would just take heed, all this could be settled just as easy. Especially the US!!! This just goes to show that not giving up pays in the long run.

All of us in the Industry could learn that fighting for what we think is right, could pay off. So US get your head out of the sand, and listen to what the people want in America.

SNG (Spielbanken Niedersachsen GmbH) won their appeal to get a license to operate an online gaming site. WTGGG  SNG!!

After initiating legal action against the State of Lower Saxony, they won , and now have a license.

SNG Managing Director Rainer Chrubassik said that SNG would launch its online casino as soon as the ruling comes into force. He stated: “We are delighted that we will now be able to launch our internet gaming site,” said Chrubassik. The SNG online casino incorporates unique and exemplary security measures to protect players and minors. It is impossible to achieve a total ban on internet gaming. The clock cannot be turned back on the reality of the internet. Only licensed internet gaming sites can meet regulatory channeling requirements and prevent players from turning to illegal, unregulated sites. We are fully committed to these requirements.

For full article:
http://www.casinosaustria.com/cai_cr_news_detail_archive.aspx?ID=16707

At the hearing yesterday on just WHAT the rules are on the UIGEA Bill, left everyone more confused than ever! No one could say exactly what the rules were in the bill, what is illegal and what is legal.

Now if the people who is supposed to enforce this law, don’t know what it all means, who does? And should the Government put this burden on the shoulders of the banks in the U.S.? Banks say NO!

Roseman stated: The payment system that companies rely on to do business “isn’t frankly well designed” to identify an illegal Internet gambling transaction from a legal one, which is another challenge to crafting a rule.

Valerie Abend, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Treasury, stated: regulators were striving to craft a rule that comes as close as possible to what lawmakers intended.

But the question of which forms of Internet gambling are illegal is an issue regulators “are struggling with and trying to figure out what, if anything, we can do,”

I watched the hearing online yesterday, and it sounded to me like No one knows just what to do on this issue.

Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, has proposed legislation to repeal the ban.

This was a very interesting meeting, and what will happen with it is still unclear, not only to the public, but also for the Financial Committee.

Read the whole article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN0242078620080402?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

We all need to write our Congressman, so maybe our voice can be heard at this hearing!! This will be the first time that our concerns about the UIGEA will be addressed in public, Speak Up!!

The list of who all will testify is not yet available, but The House Committee of financial Services is chaired by Rep. Barney Frank, who has a bill in committee that would essentially wipe the UIGEA off the books. Keep fingers crossed that this will happen!! You can watch the hearing live from the link below.

The hearing is for the Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade and Technology (SMPTT) committee, which is a subcommittee of the House Committee of Financial Services.

Washington, DC – Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL), chairman of the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade and Technology today announced that the subcommittee will hold a hearing to discuss proposed regulations to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.

Watch it live on April 2nd at 10 AM ET:

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr040208.shtml

Today could be a turning point for the Gaming Industry. It shows if we continue the fight, we could get things moving!! We all could take lessons from Betfair!! When you have a legit reason to fight, never give up, you never know what will happen.

Our right to play online gaming is a Constitutional Right! If we sit back and do nothing, then our rights will be taken away.  Let’s be more like Betfair!

Today Betfair WON a high court challenge against Western Austrailian laws that prohibit residents to place bets online!

The High Court ruled today that the legislation was unconstitutional because it imposed protectionist burdens on interstate trade and therefore contravened section 92 of the constitution.

Read the whole Victory here:
http://news.smh.com.au/betfair-wins-high-court-challenge/20080327-21tu.html

Here we go again in the continuing saga, by Feds. They are now turning to websites like Facebooking for possible online betting violations. They seem to be looking for anything, anywhere.

This time the march Madness office pools on social networks caught their attention! An FBI spokesman stated “There could be a violation if there is a payout and if the operators take a cut!” Geezzz what is next??

Facebook stated: “It does not condone the use of the site for any unlawful purposes, and that user’s must agree as part of the terms of use of not to conduct illegal activities.”

Earlier this year CBSSports made is easier for Facebook users to become involved in betting pools for the NCAA division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament.

In February CBSSports unveiled an application that allows Facebook users to fill out brackets for the tournament and compare their picks with their friends on the site.

Leslie Anne Wade of CBS stated.” Promoting online gambling was not our intent with the application, and that these are issues that are going to require new thought processes and new answers, and that CBS will look into it.”

For whole story:
http://www.swiss-press.com/newsflashartikel.cfm?key=248668

CAMBRIDGE, MA–(Marketwire - March 18, 2008) - Harvard Law School Professor Charles Nesson and Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (GPSTS) Executive Director Andrew Woods will speak on a panel with the nation’s leading experts on gaming law, gathered to analyze and debate the current U.S. legal regime surrounding online gaming at the “Legal Issues in Online Gambling” symposium, at the University of Richmond on Wednesday, March 19, 2008.

Professor Nesson and Mr. Woods will join Professors John Kindt of University of Illinois School of Business, Nelson I. Rose of Whittier Law School, and Frank Vandall of Emory Law School in an in-depth exploration of the current U.S. legal regime, the trade ramifications of the UIGEA and other U.S. gaming laws, and the future of online gaming in the U.S. market.

Read more:
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=833937

An investigation into the U.S. laws on internet gambling was started by the EU (European Union) today. The complaint was that Washington’s actions with the UIGEA, infringed on the world trade rules.

EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, stated that “The US has the right to address legitimate public policy concerns relating to internet gambling, but discrimination against EU companies cannot be a part of the policy mix.” And that he hoped this issue could be settled amicably.

EU companies says the U.S. ban forced them out of the American Market and was  discriminating and in violation of the WTO rules, meanwhile letting domestic gambling companies, especially those with horse races to grow.

I say WTG!!! EU!!

Read the whole story:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/10/business/EU-FIN-EU-US-Internet-Gambling.php

Today the US District Court in New Jersey dismissed a motion. This motion was brought by iMEGA that was seeking a temporary restraining order on the UIGEA. The complaint was brought against the US Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Reserve System. iMEGA was challenging the UIGEA on the grounds that the Bill violated the American’s civil rights. And that it also was being contrary to international treaty obligations.

Judge Mary Cooper dismissed the complaint on the grounds, that it was not the courts role to judge a congressional act. Although, she recognized iMEGA’s standing to bring the complaint.

Eric M. Bernstein, attorney for iMEGA, stated in a press release, presented this ruling as a victory!! He stated that Granting iMEGA standing was a major victory any way you look at it.

Read the whole story:
http://gamingintelligencegroup.com/gig/content/view/878/2/

As an internationally known scholar, public speaker, writer and recognized as one of the world’s leading authority on gambling laws, Professor I. Nelson Rose, was interviewed by CappersMall. He was asked his opinion on where online gambling stands now and his thoughts on its future.

The question was asked of Rose: Do you foresee a change in which the U.S. Lawmakers will come to appreciate the tremendous tax revenue that could be realized by legalizing and regulating the gambling industry in the U.S.?

Rose stated: Nothing is going to happen this year, because it is an election year. And he states the reasons. He also said he expects the federal law will eventually be changed to allow a state to opt-in.

This was a very interesting interview and well worth the reading!! Everyone who is involved with online gambling and the ones who love to play online should go read this interview!!

For the FULL questions and answers:

http://www.cappersmall.com/betting/articles/Online-Gambling-Interview-Professor-I-Nelson-Rose-6988.html