Bartlett Government Addresses Gambling Problems

Gambling problems are now becoming a major concern in Australia, especially since the country acknowledges that they seem to have the most number of gamblers in the world.  With this, it also goes to show that they have the highest number of gamblers with gambling problems.  For this reason, steps are now being made to rectify this problem or at least to reduce the increasing numbers.

The New Laws

Tasmania's Bartlett Government is now going to enforce new laws when it comes to casino games.

One, come 9 pm, patrons of public gaming areas will no longer be served any food and alcoholic beverages.  Two, public gaming areas are ordered to brighten up their rooms by improving their light conditions. [Read][more...]

More Good News for French Online Players

French online players have much to celebrate this year.  One, legalization of online sports betting in France is imminent.  And two, there is also the imminent legalization of online poker.  With this, they can now play and enjoy their favorite Texas Hold'Em games online without fearing the ramifications and the consequences.

The Good News

As stated above, French punters can now start betting on their favorite teams come the summer, as the French market opens to online sports betting.  But it seems like Christmas came way too early for them as the online players received more good news. [Read][more...]

US Lawmakers Ask to Postpone the UIGEA

December 1 might mean the start of the Yuletide season, but for some, this means the start of the implementation of the financial rules to put in force the prohibition on online gambling.

This implementation is fast approaching, and US Lawmakers are asking the regulators to delay this by about a year.

Reasons Set Forth

The reasons set forth by the US lawmakers are very valid.  For one, pushing for the implementation of the UIGEA on December 1, 2009 will put an undue burden on an already-strained financial situation, especially during the recession which is already creating such havoc in the economy. [Read][more...]

A Big Step for Poker Players in South Carolina

People who do not know what happened to Bob Chimento might have thought that the man dropped something on his foot as Chimeto was screaming at the top of his lungs and jumping up and down outside his home.  He did not harm himself though for, in truth, he was only showing his glee and excitement at having won a legal battle.

South Carolina, April 2006

In April 2006, a raid was carried out on a home poker game, and authorities have arrested about two dozen men, one of which was Chimento, as they were competing at a $20 Texas Hold'Em tournament.  Because it was considered as an illegal house of gambling and the men were participating in it, they were arrested and found guilty of illegal gambling.  All the men pleaded guilty, except for five.  [Read][more...]

BetFair’s Ad Caused Quite a Commotion

Advertisements are a great way to get your company's name out in the market and attract more potential customers or, in the case of online casinos, players.  This is one surefire way of getting known outside its niche, and advertising can definitely increase once revenues.  But one ad in particular caught the attention of many and earned their annoyance and, for those who are against gambling in any form, anger.

The BetFair Ad

Maybe it was not intentional or maybe it was, but I bet nobody will tell and nobody is surely going to admit to the «ad fiasco» that BetFair created.  Their ad featured a young girl, and its tagline said, «Online experience is measured in games, not years.  Join the new breed.  Annette_15.» [Read][more...]

A Recap on the Ruling of the US 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals

Many people are really questioning the benefits that we would get from the ruling of the US 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals when they decided to support the UIGEA or the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, especially since there seems to be a lot of gray areas on what it really encompasses.

DOJ and IMEGA

The online gambling industry knows exactly what will happen on the 1st of December 2009.  This is the date set for the UIGEA to be completely and fully enacted, and it seems that there is no stopping it.  But still, there are a lot of gray areas left on the legality of online poker. [Read][more...]

Bwin Expected to Increase Revenues with Acquisition of Italian Online Poker

Bwin, an Austrian-owned gambling operator, is on the move to acquire an Italian online poker site, Gioco Digitale.  This move is said to bring more profits into Bwin's coffers, and even before this acquisition, Bwin's share has already risen from 7% to €29.10, the highest of which was seen in the latter part of July.

A Good Move

This bold move by Bwin has impressed analysts and investors alike, especially since Bwin's stock value increased since last Monday.

The only thing that Bwin wants to share right now is that the transaction to get a hold of Gioco Digitale is on its final stages, but as for the rest of the details, Bwin decided to keep mum on the issue.  [Read][more...]

Legalizing Online Poker in California — A Bad Bet or Not?

California, as we all know, is one of the states hit hardest by the recession, that the state is now having problems looking for a new source of income to augment its loss.  One potential source of new revenue can come in the form of online poker, but the question is, is it going to be a good bet?  Or a bad bet?

Lobbying for and Supporting the Legalization of Online Poker

The State of California has made changes in its gambling plans and is now really promoting its state lottery as well as the growing Indian casinos that proliferate in the area, but it seems that its efforts are not enough to give the state its fiscal fix.  Furthermore, both the state lottery and the casinos have failed to deliver their promise.

Right now, a partnership is being created between one of the State's wealthiest gambling tribes and one of the State's largest card room owners to lobby for the legalization of online poker in California.  [Read][more...]

UK Firms Support Online Gambling in the USA

The battle of legalizing online gambling in the United States has been happening since 2006 when the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act or the UIGEA was passed.  The bill states that transferring money through a financial institution to fund an online gambling account is prohibited and against the law.  But it cannot be denied that many problems arose from this bill because what it encompassed was not clear-cut.

Effects of the UIGEA

This bill has not only affected US-owned online casinos, but it has also affected online casinos owned by other nationalities as well, wherein some casinos were even forced to prohibit players from the United States from playing at their games.  Of course, this has infuriated many online gamblers, saying that the bill is stepping on their rights to choose how to spend their money.  On the other hand, online gambling sites owned by other countries are experiencing decreased profit because of the problems arising from American players playing at their sites. [Read][more...]

Is Poker Addictive Like Other Forms of Gambling

The answer is it can be for some people who are compulsive and have little will power or just crave the action.  Gamblers Anonymous has a twenty-question form that will help a person realize that they are addicted or becoming addicted.  Some of the key questions are items like have you missed work or school due to gambling?  Have you borrowed money to play? The second part of this question is and the only way you could pay it back was by winning.  Has your gambling or playing caused family problems or caused you to lie?  Many of the questions are so general that many people will answer yes to some of them, but they are not really addicted.  Gambling and drinking have one thing in common to the non-addicted person.  They can really take it or leave it alone at their will and do not have or feel the need to gamble.

One of the addictive traits of a person with this compulsion is that they do not feel alive unless they are in action.  If this becomes an overpowering feeling then the person needs help from people who understand the problem and have found ways to beat the desire to play. [Read][more...]

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