Brussels, 3 June 2010: Today, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) rendered two preliminary rulings (1) addressing key questions relating to the compliance of the Dutch legislation with the EU Treaty. The cases (C-203/08 and C-258/08) at stake originate in national proceedings involving Ladbrokes and Betfair, two companies, established in the UK. 

Sigrid Ligné, Secretary General of the EGBA, said: "The Court has confirmed that if a Member State wants to prohibit or channel gambling through a single operator it has to comply with strict features that we consider are clearly not met in the context of the Dutch legislation. But it is now for the national judge to assess the consistency of the Dutch gambling policy and to make a final decision".

She adds: "Internet raises new questions and challenges that cannot be resolved through the judicial process. It is for the European legislator to ensure that this IT-based medium which allows for the highest security standards warrants consistent customer protection and fraud control throughout the EU."

As confirmed by the Internal Market Commissioner Barnier, there is momentum to take action at EU level in the context of a Green Paper (2) and – whenever necessary – through infringement procedures (3) against Member States that do not comply with EU law. 

Sigrid Ligné concludes: "We are confident that reform of the gambling laws will take  place  in the Netherlands, as they already do throughout the EU. Beyond the legal considerations, you also have to look at the reality of the market. There is a consumer demand for online gaming in the Netherlands, like there is all over Europe. Increasingly, EU Member States like Italy, Denmark and France realize that online gaming is a popular leisure activity and are opening their market to competition. EGBA urges the Dutch authorities to also start regulating the market."

In line with previous case law, the ECJ confirms that under certain strict circumstances a monopoly can be allowed to promote its offer for the purpose of fraud prevention. However, according to the ECJ:

If the Netherlands is "pursuing a policy of substantially expanding betting and gaming, by excessively inciting and encouraging consumers to participate in such activities  (…) it would have to be concluded that such a policy does not limit betting and gaming activities in a consistent and systematic manner and is not, therefore, suitable for achieving the objective of curbing consumer addiction to such activities" (Ladbrokes, case C-258/08, 28)

"Since the objective of protecting consumers from gambling addiction is, in principle, difficult to reconcile with a policy of expanding games of chance characterised, inter alia, by the creation of new games and by the advertising of such games, such a policy cannot be regarded as being consistent unless the scale of unlawful activity is significant and the measures adopted are aimed at channeling consumers’ propensity to gamble into activities that are lawful" (Idem, point 30)

In the context of that assessment, it is, specifically, for the national court to determine whether unlawful gaming activities may constitute a problem in the Netherlands and whether the expansion of authorised and regulated activities would be liable to solve such a problem (Idem, point 29).


When it comes to the national licensing schemes, the ECJ also confirms that:

 

"Article 49 EC must be interpreted as meaning that the principles of equal treatment and the consequent obligation of transparency are applicable (…) in the field of games of chance" (Betfair case C-203/08, point 62)

"If a prior administrative authorisation scheme is to be justified even though it derogates from a fundamental freedom, it must be based on objective, non-discriminatory criteria known in advance, in such a way as to circumscribe the exercise of the authorities’ discretion so that it is not used  arbitrarily" (Betfair case C-203/08, point 50)

May 29 – It was dejavu again this week when the troubled starlet Lindsay Lohan found herself back in court, having missed the originally scheduled appearance for which she blamed on a stolen passport (yeah right).

She has been humiliated by being ordered to wear an alcohol monitoring bracelet and submit to random drug testing. Her lawyer has been quite vocally objecting, citing her ‘numerous upcoming appearances, photo-shoots, and a film in Texas’.

This latest news has fans speculating and BetUS.com has wasted no time in posting the latest odds on what Lohan could be getting up to next.

Analysts at BetUS.com posted the following Lindsay Lohan odds

Will Lindsey Lohan ever do a movie that grosses more than 100K at the box office?

Yes 3/1
No 1/5

Will she fail her first random drug test?

Yes 1/2
No 3/2

Check out our BetUS Review.

Lindsay Lohan found herself back in court earlier this week after missing her originally scheduled appearance – which she blames on a stolen passport. 

The angry judge ordered her to wear an alcohol monitoring bracelet and submit to random drug testing – two mandates the judge was unwilling to budge despite what her lawyer described as ‘numerous upcoming appearances, photo-shoots, and a film in Texas’. 

Whether it is due to sincere concern, or the inability to look away from a train wreck, fan speculation about the troubled star is at an all time high and they are looking for answers. This being the case, the largest, most successful sportsbook on the web, BetUS.com posted odds on all things Lohan La Vida Loca.

Analysts at BetUS.com posted the following odds on Lindsay Lohan:

 

Will Lindsey Lohan ever do a movie that grosses more than 100K at the box office?

 

Yes

3/1

No

1/5

Will she fail her first random drug test?

Yes

1/2

No

3/2

 

Get a FREE $75 in CASH when you open an online betting account with $200.

 

All Slots Casino Online casinos are largely known for their big slot jackpots, but every once in a while it is another game that takes center stage. This weekend, that other game was Poker Ride, which paid jackpots twice in the past three days.

The latest winner came on early Sunday morning when the Poker Ride game paid $132,917. It is not known hat card combination led to this six-figure jackpot, because the game pays percentages of the progressive on a regular basis for different winning hands.

While most online poker players choose to play at sites specifically designed for poker, others enjoy a game in which they can simply win by gaining pairs, three of a kind, and flushes. Without playing against other players, the game is simplified for those looking to play against the house.

Poker Ride is a game that has given players plenty to cheer about in recent months. In the past two months, a portion of the jackpot has been hit five times. The smallest of those jackpot hits was for $114,679.

All Slots Casino is one of the places where Poker Ride can be played. Powered by Microgaming software, All Slots not only offers its namesake, but also other games including poker, roulette, and craps.

In a New York District Court this week, Australian online poker payment processor Daniel Tzvetkoff has plead not guilty to processing millions of dollars in transactions for the Internet gambling sector. 

He argued that poker is not gambling, however.  Instead, he says that poker is a game of skill.  It’s about wit, not luck.

Tzvetkoff is charged with bank fraud conspiracy, money laundering, gambling conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy and faces up to 75 years in prison.

His case is tied in with a complicated maze of investigations and circumstances that Gambling911.com sources say involve the arrest of another online poker payment processor, Douglas Rennick, and multi-agency probes of major Internet card rooms and offshore sportsbook operations.  One of those reportedly caught up in the ongoing investigations committed suicide last month.

Tzvetkoff and his attorney seem to be digging into the playbook of the Poker Players Alliance, a grass roots trade organization that insists poker is a game of skill and therefore not gambling.

"There is a wealth of scientific research that shows poker is a game of skill rather than chance," claims PPA Director John Pappas. 

Tzvetkoff, who lies waiting in a rat infested Brooklyn jail, is hardly someone the online poker industry would want representing its cause.  Operators have accused Tzvetkoff of absconding with millions of their funds.

The Assistant US Attorney Arlo Devlin-Brown isn’t buying any of the arguments that poker is a game of skill.

"The gambling industry is using the line that poker is not gambling, that it’s a game of skill and is therefore not gambling," Mr Devlin-Brown said.

Should Tzvetkoff elect to see things through, his trial is not expected to take place until 2012 the earliest.

Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com  

 

 

Online poker room LadbrokesPoker.com is holding a special free promotion tomorrow offering players the chance to compete against the infamous card shark from Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, English actor Nick Moran.

The 40-year-old Londoner recently became the face of LadbrokesPoker.com and will be playing live from 8pm tomorrow against anyone who wants to participate in The Short List Freeroll tournament.

The Gibraltar-licensed domain revealed that this is the first of a series of online poker tournaments set to give players the opportunity to ‘bluff, raise, re-raise and check your way to victory against Moran and the LadbrokesPoker.com community’.

With the help of poker professional Jon ‘skalie’ Kalmar, Moran is also hosting weekly instalments of the Ladbrokes Poker School, which offers players tips to take them from novice to expert in every aspect of the game.

“Follow Nick Moran’s progress via the light-hearted Poker School videos and improve your own poker skills at the same time,” read a statement from LadbrokesPoker.com.

“If you are a beginner to poker or have been playing poker for a while, there is something here that will make your poker experience more enjoyable and, hopefully, more profitable.

“The Poker School episodes are supported with a series of video tutorials, poker articles and poker podcasts that are all designed to provide you with a comprehensive guide to playing poker. Simply click on the button of your choice on the right hand side of poker videos and you will be presented with support materials for the episode.

“Each week over the next eight weeks a new episode will be added to the Poker School and will be supported by some fantastic tournaments where you can win some fabulous prizes.”  

Down under in Melbourne, Australia, one casino punter was feeling extremely lucky, pouncing on an opportunity to steal (not win) a Ferrari F430, when a casino valet handed him the keys. Media Man and Gambling911 follow the story in high speed pursuit…

Melbourne Police have now arrested the formally lucky punters after a Crown Casino valet mistakenly handed over the keys to a Ferrari F430 Spider and he took off for a joyride lasting half a day to Coolaroo of all places.

The 32-year cheeky fella was reportedly wearing a tracksuit when a casino valet gave him the keys to the bright red, V8 supercar about 12.30am today.

Police advise the punter drove north up the Tullamarine Freeway but was pinched by police about 6.30am as he fuelled up at a servo in Coolaroo, on Melbourne’s outer northern region.

"He is currently assisting police with their inquiries," she said.

Forensic police will today examine the car, which has been towed to a holding yard in Campbellfield.

The attendant at the servo advised the man filled the beast up with petrol before police nabbed the bandit.

"He just filled up with petrol, came in here, paid for it and the cops were outside and just got him," he said.

"The cops I think were already after him."

The happening starting to generate a serious of state, national and international news stories, with Melbourne 3AW radio enjoying banter with a witness "Mark".

"Someone walked out of the casino past me and the security guard, got in and drove off,". The security guard said to me – because he only had an old tracksuit on – and he said ‘you can’t pick ‘em can you’."

Crown Casino spokesman, top brass, Gary O’Neill said the incident was a first for the casino. He explained customers using valet parking were provided with a ticket to be returned to the casino parking attendant when time to collect your car.

"It has happened in the past from time to time that people lose their tickets, and in these circumstances we ask for proof of identification and a valid driver’s licence. Those procedures were followed on this occasion," he said.

"The procedures that we have followed in the past have not resulted in this particular incident, but that’s not to say our system is perfect," he said.

"We’re cooperating fully with the police investigation."

Mr O’Neill said the incident had been caught on film by their CCTV cameras and the footage would be handed over to police.  Crown Casino is known for its world class security, as is it’s Sydney competitor Star City. The Australian land casino industry was forced to upgrade security in recent years following a succession of undesirable incidents. Industry insiders sometimes joke about the plastic handcuffs initiative and footy and cricket stars getting pissed at casino events but this matter was very serious in nature. The casino wants its VIPs, high-rollers, whales and the like to know that their transport is in safe hands at Crown Casino.

Melbourne’s Police ‘Highway Patrol’ is known to be world class and its understood that at least 99% of police corruption as featured on Network Nine ‘Underbelly’ has been cleaned up.

Crown tag lines include ‘World Of Entertainment’ and ‘Wear The Crown’.

Mr James Packer, Australian and Asia Pacific casino and gaming king remains the owner of Crown Limited. He also owns Burswood Casino aka Burswood Entertainment Complex in Western Australia, and a number of interests in Macau, Britain and new media – internet. Packer remains passionate for sport, meeting Virgin king Richard Branson last year at the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix and enjoys polo, as did his late father Kerry Packer.

Ok you want more on the sports car…we hear you…

The F430 went on sale in 2005 with the Spider convertible going for a cool $444,000 AUD, plus options and on-road costs.

F430 production was ceased earlier this year and will be replaced by the flashy458 Italia, which we understand has a two-year waiting list.

Casinos have long been associated with fast cars (and fast, sexy women). In recent years the online casino and online poker sector has plugged into the demo, with PartyGaming and PKR offering sports car as high level prizes.

Last week Richard Branson’s Virgin Racing came to sponsorship terms with online poker powerhouse Full Tilt Poker. The massive exposure of Virgin’s F1 involvement on a international scale was a key reason the deal went ahead.

A number of weeks before the public Virgin – Full Tilt Poker deal, PartyGaming’s PartyPoker signed up F1 superstars Jaime Alguersuari and Giancarlo Fisichella as brand ambassadors. Poker legend and World Poker Tour mainstay Mike Sexton remains the global PartyPoker ambassador. Last month following the sporting theme, PartyPoker also signed up Italian football legend Francesco Totti. The financial terms of the poker sponsorship deals are not currently known, as all parties appear to want to keep the details under wraps. Speaking of big names, rumours are circulating that PartyGaming may be in the midst of doing another deal and announcement with movie legend of Rambo and Rocky fame, Sylvester Stallone.  Sly is featured in the Rambo online slot game, exclusive to PartyGaming.

A few months ago PartyGaming and PKR Poker had a Porsche up for grabs, but no one qualified to win. Not to be disheartened, Party’s casino and poker brands are once again offering dream machine grand prizes…

PartyGaming’s PartyCasino

http://www.partycasino.com/index.htm?wm=3221754

 

and

 

PartyPoker

http://www.partypoker.com/index.htm?wm=3113135

 

PartyCasino – Grand Win Auto – Win A Maserati GranTurismo

 

PartyPoker – Drive The Dream – Win a Aston Martin DB9 Coupe

 

Crown Casino Share Price – CWN: 8.290

 

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

 

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered

 

*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited

 

In an announcement this week, the Taiwan-based Gigamedia Ltd updated the market, confirming that French internet gambling group Mangas Gaming has completed its purchase of 60% of the Gigamedia online gambling operations

The sale has immediate effect, and Gigamedia expects to record a significant one-time gain in the second quarter as a result of the transaction.

Mangas Gaming is jointly owned by the Lov Group of the highly successful French media entrepeneur Stephane Courbit in partnership with the Societe des Bains de Mer de Monaco, controlled by the Principality of Monaco. SBM is the owner of the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco.

Mangas has made initial cash payment of $100 million, which will be followed by a final earn-out payment to be made after the May 2012 valuation, depending upon the fair market value of the business at that time.

Gigamedia will continue to hold the remaining 40% interest with a put option to sell all or part to Mangas beginning 2013. Beginning 2015, Mangas will have a call option on any remaining shareholding held by Gigamedia. For both GigaMedia’s put option and Mangas’s call option, the price will be determined based upon fair market value at the respective points in time.

Gigamedia posted group preliminary first-quarter 2010 financial results, with revenues of $37.1 million, down approximately 8% quarter-over- quarter, largely attributable to business transition and integration issues related to the Mangas deal.

Sport and gambling have been in the headlines in the recent months, with various allegations about match-fixing in snooker.

And the sport’s chief Barry Hearn has admitted "there may be other revelations we have to deal with in the future".

However, for those tasked with policing the sport for illegal activity, it can be hard to know if a shot was missed deliberately or not.

And snooker is not alone in facing the challenges of potential financial corruption, with the likes of football and horse racing also coming under the microscope in recent years.

Only last month, the eight-year ban from European competition imposed by Uefa on Macedonian club FK Pobeda for match-fixing was upheld.

Football integrity

"There is an awful lot of money sloshing around football, and where you have a lot of money you can have a lot of crime," says Matthew Johnson, head of legal regulation at the Football Association.

Mr Johnson’s job involves upholding the integrity of football at all levels in England, as well as educating players about issues such as gambling.

FK Pobeda players celebrate a goal in a match from July 2005

He says that in recent years, there has been a huge growth of televised football, which, coupled with the ease of gambling online, has led to an explosion of betting on football around the world.

In fact, it is now challenging horse racing as the largest sport betting market globally, with much of the huge boom in football gambling coming in Asia.

Mr Johnson told the C5 conference on Sports Law and Business that in season 2009/2010, there was betting in Asia on 250 Blue Square Conference matches – the fifth tier of English football – and on 190 English youth and academy games.

"Now you can bet to lose," he says, referring to the gambling process known as "lay betting".

"But if a player bets on his team to lose, even if he is injured, that raises massive integrity issues and affects perception of your sport.

"We are trying our best to get the message across – the real issue in football is that there is a very much ingrained culture of betting among players, not just on football matches."

Continue reading here

While the Gambling Wages affiliate program and Virtual Online Casino group attempts to clean up its image, as first reported by Gambling911.com a few weeks ago, Casinomeister Bryan Bailey is not so quick to forgive and forget.

Marty Davis, who made a name for himself managing the popular Nine.com online gambling affiliate program, was recently hired by Gambling Wages to help address concerns.

In fairness to the Virtual Group management, they did enjoy a decent reputation as acquirers of the Curacao-based Royal Sports (BetRoyal.com) betting venture some years ago before selling that off to SBG Global.

Their Virtual Casino brand is a whole different animal it seems.

Bryan Bailey posting on the CasinoMeister.com Forum:

The bottom line is that you have to put the people aside and look at the facts. If you let the people and personalities get in the way, then it turns into a political debate – who likes who, who did what in the past etc.

 

There is no "cleaning up one’s act." Not in this business. Sure, you make a mistake or two, then players may be forgiving. But repeat offenders, who go on and on and on for years, screwing players (I couldn’t care less about the affiliates who whine about not being paid by GW, they shouldn’t have been promoting them to begin with) they are the leopards who will not change their spots.

 

I have learned with 10+ years of dealing with this group is that business ethics do not change. As long as the Virtual casino group is owned by the same people and managed with the same philosophical approach to this industry, there will be no change.

 

Sure we can let a rep come in here and try to mop up the mess – answer player complaints and resolve issues. But this should not be a tactic or strategy to get on the "good" list. They should have attempted this in 2002 not 2010. It’s a day late and a dollar short.

 

How many times has the Virtual Group asked to be given a second chance, or that they were turning over a new leaf? Some of you more astute at doing searches on the site should be able to find the newsletters and postings where I have met either the owner or managers. I have been lied to a number of times by these guys. I don’t trust them – why should any affiliate or player trust them either?

 

Back to the "people" issue. I don’t think it matters who bears the torch, leading the charge on cleaning up Virtual’s act. Hell, it could be me or Spearmaster, Jetset, Simmo! (fill in the blank with your favorite personality here) leading the way. Their history is so tarnished, it could never happen – and it won’t. I don’t care how great they may think of themselves at the moment – you cannot forget the past. And believe me, the past is not so long ago…

 

So my message to Marty: I’m sure you have good intentions and you’re a swell guy. But I hope you understand you have chosen to tackle one hell of a situation. Best of luck to you – for the players’ sake.

Gambling Wages would like to join the Gambling911.com family of sponsors but will not do so until everything is cleared up at CasinoMeister.  And by the looks of things, it appears that won’t be happening any time soon.

As for the Virtual Casino Group, 7 of the top 10 searches in Google are negative when searching for "Virtual Casino Group".  "TheVirtualCasino.com" does not appear to have fallen victim to negative search entries…yet.  "Gambling Wages" itself has not exactly been beaten up in search either to date though some of the top 10 searches question their past business practices and disputes. 

Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher