Gamblor’s World

online version is available at www.responsiblegambling.org/newscan.

Volume 10 Issue 1 January 4th, 2008

Recent News
Lotteries across Canada seek to polish image tarnished by year of scandal
December 26, 2007. Brandon Sun.

Canada: Ontario prohibits advertising of illegal Internet gambling
December 25, 2007. Mondaq Newsalert.

WTO: US Internet gambling ban illegal, orders annual trade sanctions. WTO imposes 21 million in annual trade sanctions.
December 23, 2007. Associated Content.

Vegas casinos, defying the odds, are on a roll
December 27, 2007. The New York Times.

Compulsive Gambling Certification Training offered
December 24, 2007. Dunkirk Evening Observer.

Casino industry questions research on economic costs of gambling
January 03, 2008. The Kansas City Star.

Mo. casinos want to toss loss limit
December 26, 2007. Kansas City Star.

Germany to ban online gambling Jan. 1 under accord by states
December 27, 2007. Bloomberg.com.

More news…

at http://www.responsiblegambling.org/staffsearch/latest_news_articles.cfm

Legalized gaming and legal games — how much expansion?

Author: Lane, Mark
Source: News-Journal Online.com
Published Date: Nov 16, 2007

Description:
FLORIDA — I’ve been an opponent of casino gambling in Florida from the time anybody first paid me to write opinion. So you might expect I’d be working myself into a churning urn of burning outrage over the state’s gambling pact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida signed Wednesday. And, you’d be wrong. No, no. I still don’t buy the argument that we need casinos to keep Florida tourism competitive. And don’t insult my intelligence by telling me it means free, new money for schools. And please, I still hold back a bitter chuckle when I hear people claim casinos will relieve them of all their tax woes.

2. Anti-gambling lobby battling to reduce pokies

Author: Ihaka, James
Source: New Zealand Herald
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
Manukau City is considering a “sinking lid” policy on pokie machines in the city. This week community groups and representatives from The Problem Gambling organisation made oral submissions against pokie machines to the city council. They met opposition from gaming industry representatives who want the cap on pokie venues to be kept at 90 venues. The issue is currently with the council’s policy and activities committee for consideration.

3. Chink of light in pursuit of gaming exclusion review. This secret review must go public.

Author: Booth, Kim
Source: Greens [Australia]
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
The Tasmanian Greens today continued in Parliament their pressure for full release of the internal review into gaming self-exclusion secretly conducted by the Liquor and Gaming Branch within the Department of Treasury, saying that this information is vital to ensuring the effectiveness of measures to assist gambling addicts away from pokies. Greens Shadow Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MHA welcomed news that the review, never publicly announced and first revealed in an obscure part of the Treasury Annual Report, but wants to know whether people who attempted self-exclusion were consulted, what the ambit of the review was, who took part, and what the findings and recommendations comprise.

4. Asia’s gambling capital, Macau, might raise casino entry age to 21

Author:
Source: Bangkok Independent
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
Macau’s booming gambling industry was considering how to respond to a proposal by the territory’s leader to increase the legal age for entering casinos from 18 to 21. Millions of young gamblers would be excluded by the new age limit suggested by Chief Executive Edmund Ho while school leavers would be unable to go straight from sixth form to casino jobs. Ho disclosed the plan at a question and answer session with legislators Wednesday [Nov 14], saying the gambling boom in Macau could not continue indefinitely without addressing the “social costs.”

5. N.B. First Nations could face litigation over casino

Author:
Source: CBC News
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
Ambitions among New Brunswick First Nations groups to build a casino independent of government will likely meet with litigation as the province defends its legal high ground on gaming issues, experts contend. That is, if the province doesn’t willfully ignore First Nations gambling pursuits to avoid a contentious political showdown. Unimpressed with the Liberal government’s new gambling policy, some First Nations leaders have vowed to pursue a casino on their own outside of government regulations.

6. Casino to benefit from paths blazed by others; decades of success, failures in other provinces will help N.B.’s venture succeed

Author: Robichaud, Jesse
Source: Moncton Times & Transcript
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
New Brunswick should benefit from the decades of successes and mistakes experienced across the country since casinos began popping onto the Canadian landscape, says an official with the Manitoba government’s gambling regulator. When Premier Shawn Graham announced last week that the province’s responsible gaming policy would bring gambling in New Brunswick into the 21st century, it was clear that the country’s ninth province to legalize a casino was by no means blazing a pioneer’s trail. However, approaching casino gambling from behind the pack can position the province favourably, says Liz Stephenson, the director of research with the Manitoba Gaming Control Commission.

7. We shouldn’t romanticize this idea of a casino

Author: Llewellyn, Stephen
Source: Fredericton Daily Gleaner
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
The alleged economic benefits of a New Brunswick casino don’t add up, says a University of Prince Edward Island political science professor. “There is a tendency to inflate the benefits and revenues and downplay the costs, particularly from a social standpoint,” Peter McKenna said. “I have heard these arguments all before, and none of them are convincing and none are factually correct.” “We shouldn’t romanticize this idea of a casino,” he said. “It is nothing more than a cover to justify bringing in hundreds of VLTs under a single roof.

8. Inspired Gaming increase responsible gaming investment

Author: Lee, Sandy
Source: Casino Wire
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
The chairman of Inspired Gaming, Jim O’Halleran, has highlighted the need for gaming companies to increase their contributions to responsible gaming by giving more generous funds to the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT). The announcement came after Inspired, the largest gaming machines operator in the UK, has increased in its own contribution to the RIGT to £50,000, denying rumours that it was a mere publicity stunt. Inspired see the move as a prime example for other operators to follow.

9. Treasury details Internet gambling ban

Author:
Source: Houston Chronicle
Published Date: Nov 14, 2007

Description:
The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve continue to finalize a new rule that would put the onus on banks to help crack down on online gambling by U.S. citizens, a Treasury official said Wednesday [Nov. 14]. In prepared remarks, Deputy Assistant Secretary Valerie Abend said banking regulators are focusing their efforts on banks that do business with gambling companies, as well as the interaction between U.S. banks and foreign banks that may be tied to online gambling.

10. US lawmaker raps Internet-gambling enforcement

Author: Kaplan, Peter
Source: Reuters
Published Date: Nov 14, 2007

Description:
The Democratic head of the House Judiciary Committee voiced frustration about what he said are disparities in the enforcement of U.S. Internet gambling laws. Chairman John Conyers questioned “the selective nature” of Internet gambling enforcement and said a ban enacted by lawmakers last year could end up hurting U.S. relations overseas. “Continuing with the same old failed policies for the sake of feel-good politics doesn’t make sense,” Conyers, of Michigan, said at a hearing on the issue.

More articles ….

can be accessed at Gambling Watch Global. (http://gamblingwatchglobal.com)

Announcing the latest YGI Newsletter - brought to you by
the Youth Gambling International Centre.

Volume 7, Issue 3:

http://www.youthgambling.com/en/PDF/Newsletter/Fall2007.pdf

If you cannot click on the URL within this message, please
copy and paste it into your browser.

Y.G.I.

www.youthgambling.com

Ideally Canada ’s Gambling Watch Network would have some news gatherers and at least one Newsletter writer in every province or region. As it is now too few of us do too much of what needs to be done despite the fact that many of our fellow citizens agree with our standpoint on gambling. If you do have the time, PLEASE, give us a helping hand!

Due to the closing of our former Internet server, our Web site is presently inaccessible. Its contents are a part of our extensive archives, so it can be rebuilt. We are badly in need of a volunteer Web Master or Mistress who would just rebuild our site. We know how to keep the site updated, but setting it up is beyond our ability. Please give us a few hours!

Here’s a contact that’s recommended by many folks. Visit it and tell us what you think of it:

WOMEN HELPING WOMEN

News and support for female gamblers in Recovery

www.femalegamblers.org

Cyber Gambling

A 9/26 Canadian Press article reports that a USA judge listened to the challenge of the Internet Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (an association of online gambling groups) to USA federal online gambling restrictions. The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed and the judge who heard the arguments in the case said she expects to rule within 30 days. The 9/27 Calgary Herald, in an article on this issue, writes that the European Union gaming firms press for as much as $100 billion in compensation.

The 9/29 Windsor Star writes that online poker is a great way to practice a player’s skill for free or for money.

In ‘Internet Gambling October Will Prove an Interesting Month’ the Gambling911.com Publisher writes that that the Internet gambling sector will usher in the month of October with a much anticipated conference taking place October 1 thru 3 in Barcelona, Spain. We quote: “There is plenty of room for optimism during the month of October, though it remains to be seen whether online gaming operators and enthusiasts can celebrate exactly one year after passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that practically crippled portions of the billion dollar industry”.

Sports

A 9/27 Canadian Press article reports that Belgian tennis players say they were offered bribes to lose matches. One of them said he refused an offer of 100,000 euros ($141,950 in Canadian money) to lose a first-round match against Italy ’s Potito Starace in 2005. The player said these things happen a lot and they involve a lot of money.

Crime

‘Fraud costs big businesses millions’ is an article in the 9/25 Calgary Herald reporting that some type of corporate fraud has hurt four out of five businesses worldwide in the last three years. We wish that it were possible to find out how much hurt gamblers in positions of trust have caused!

Canada

‘ US tourist spending plunges across Canada ’ is an item in the 9/25 Windsor Star. Casinos near the border experience the logical consequences of the soaring loonie, the increased border security and the weakening American economy.

British Columbia

‘Abby residents split on slots with more against them’ is a 9/27 article in The Province. It reports that a poll surveyed 300 Abbotsford voters between Sept. 21 and 24. It found that 49% of respondents said council should reject it and 40% said council should accept it and that 10% were undecided. Originally the councillors voted 5-3 to approve the first reading of the motion to install up to 125 slot machines in the bingo hall. How will they vote now? Council will vote on the issue Monday night.

The 9/28 Times Colonist writes ‘The Great Canadian Casino in View Royal is planning a significant expansion that would see it almost double its floor space, build a lounge for live entertainment and add a teletheatre where patrons could watch sporting events and bet on live horse races. But whether it will get municipal council’s approval to serve alcohol throughout the building — even on the gaming floor — is anyone’s bet’. Presently the municipality gets between $1.8M and $2M annually for hosting the casino. One of the reasons given for the proposed expansion is “a huge problem” with parking.

Alberta

In ‘Gambling ban dogs trustees’ an article in the 9/28 Times Colonist, we read that those in charge of the Calgary Catholic schools worry about the finances 30 months from now, when the school board bans casino & bingo fundraisers. A quote: “The controversy began more than a year ago, when Bishop Fred Henry threatened to blacklist Calgary Catholic schools if the board didn’t confront a “moral issue” and withdraw from gambling-based school fundraisers. His view that casinos exploit the poor created a standoff with Calgary Catholic trustees, who were concerned about replacing the $2 million generated annually for local schools through casinos and bingos”.

Saskatchewan

The 9/25 Leader Post has an item about a card game that’s a serious business for a Regina

resident: BRIDGE! According to the player the game is different from most because it depends on skill, not luck of the draw. “There is no money to be won. It is only a very prestigious thing”, the player said.

On 9/27 this paper writes “A Queen’s Bench justice has dismissed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit brought against the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and the provincial government by the Battlefords Tribal Council over control of gaming profits from the Gold Eagle Casino”, and in the 9/29 StarPhoenix we read that “Battlefords Tribal Council has no choice but to consider personal liability suits against individual (First Nations) chiefs”, says a news release issued Friday by that tribal council.

Manitoba

“A man entrusted to mind the money for the 2006 Manitoba Games in Beausejour has been charged with pilfering $35,000 from Games coffers” is a line in the 9/25 Winnipeg Sun. Gambling is not mentioned (yet), but we’ll try to follow this lawsuit.

Ontario

“City hall and tourism operators turned up the heat on Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty to make a long-term commitment to keep Casino Niagara open,” says the 9/24 Niagara Falls Review. We then read that the “Committee to Save Niagara Jobs” rolled out a website Friday with the message “Casino Niagara Must Stay Open.” The worry seems to focus on the older Casino Niagara and not on Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort. The public’s perception is that there’s a “lack of activity” at the casino and that the casino management company has tried to divert business to the newer Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort.

The next day this paper reports that a city councillor thinks that putting pressure on the present premier might give the impression that Niagara is taking sides in the provincial election and lobbying on behalf of the casino’s landlord. She objected to city involvement in an Internet campaign urging McGuinty to make a deal that will guarantee Casino Niagara’s presence in Niagara Falls for 20 years.

‘Judge orders woman to seek counselling for gambling’ is the heading of an item in the 9/29 Sarnia Observer reporting that a woman who drove away intoxicated from Hiawatha Slots was fined $1,200 and instructed to get counselling for alcohol/gambling problems in Sarnia’s court.

‘Stakes raised for our casino’ is the title of a 3-page item in the 9/29 Windsor Star saying that Casino Windsor, already facing declining revenues in the face of border woes and a rising dollar, will experience even stronger competition at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday when the MGM Grand Detroit casino will be out of the gate when it opens its shiny new resort to the public.

New Brunswick

‘Arsonist targets 25M lottery winners’ is an article we found in the 9/28 Calgary Herald.

We quote: “In the normally peaceful area of Salisbury , N.B., the businesses and homes of David and Byron Hopper — men who split a $25-million lottery win in 2004 — have been vandalized and burnt in the past few months. Local residents say the dispute involving a third man is over a business deal gone bad”.

Canada’s Gambling Watch Network is not alone in its struggle against the continuing expansion of gambling in Canada . Going to http://www.citizenvoice.ca will give you more information on this group, while Game Planit reveals the truth about slots and other Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs). Find out how deceptive the machines can be from virtual reels to concealed odds. All things in the EGMs are designed to addict the player. Visit http://www.gameplanit.com for more information on this subject.

Anyone who wants to join the class-action suit against Loto-Québec, or to find out more on that issue, should go to a link on website www.vivaconsulting.com pointing the way.

Also: a group of activists in Nova Scotia established the Web site gameovervlts, it has many stories that show what pathological gambling does to individuals and their families.

Our Blueprint for action to reform Canadian gambling law, policies & practices into real public interest will be e-mailed to anyone who asks for it.

We’re always open to Guest Editorials and letters to the editor. Placing an item doesn’t mean that we agree with the opinion expressed. As a coalition of a variety of groups and people, our “party line” leaves room for differences of opinion, and we welcome them!

——————————————————————————–

Financial Help!

Do you like to be kept aware of what’s happening in our country gambling-wise (stupid would be a more suitable word here!)? Our regular subscription price is $20 annually, and any bigger amounts will be received with thanks. Have you paid for this year yet?

Please contact us if you want more information on items in this letter or on their sources.

at http://www.responsiblegambling.org/staffsearch/latest_news_articles.cfm

Guide to help gambling operators spot addicts

Author: U-Wen, Lee
Source: TodayOnline
Published Date: Jul 06, 2007

Description:
If you tend to spend your entire days relentlessly putting coins into jackpot machines at any of the social clubs in Singapore, it may trigger off an alert with the operator. Such signs of gambling addiction will come under more watchful eyes in the future, once a new code is rolled out by the end of the year. Singapore’s two largest industry players — Singapore Pools and the Singapore Turf Club — along with 12 public sector recreation and social clubs are early adopters of the voluntary Responsible Gambling Code of Practice. Unveiled yesterday, the code covers five main measures, including training gambling operations staff to spot warning signs of problem gamblers, and providing information about the potential risks of gambling.

2. Treatment for gambling should be a priority

Author: Barnard, Michael
Source: Desert Sun
Published Date: Jul 06, 2007

Description:
Most people gamble as a form of entertainment, but it is estimated that 3 percent of the population is a problem gambler. It is a complicated issue to diagnose because most gamblers are embarrassed to admit they have a problem. They will hide the financial losses by lying, borrowing, stealing or selling their assets. Untreated, it may lead to bankruptcy, divorce or even suicide. Most problem gamblers have other addictive behaviors such as alcohol or drug abuse or anxiety disorders. Treatment must address all of the behaviors, or one will be substituted for another. New studies on “cross-priming” show that performing one addictive behavior will trigger other addictive behaviors, for example, smoking will trigger gambling impulses.

3. State to look at legal gambling impact

Author:
Source: Associated Press
Published Date: Jul 05, 2007

Description:
The state, for the first time in a decade, will take a close look at how legalized gambling has affected life in Connecticut by funding a study on its impact. The study will include not only the lottery system, but the two Indian-run casinos in southeastern Connecticut. Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mohegan Sun casino pump about $445 million into the state’s general fund each year. However, critics say state officials have taken the money and ignored the negative consequences of legalized gambling.

4. National Council on Problem Gambling rolls out code of practice

Author: Shyan, Foo Siew
Source: Channel NewsAsia
Published Date: Jul 05, 2007

Description:
Singapore’s National Council on Problem Gambling has rolled out a Responsible Gambling Code of Practice, targeted at existing operators and clubs which run jackpot rooms. The code was launched at the inaugural Problem Gambling Conference, with the aim of reducing potential problem gambling among customers. So far, 14 operators, including Singapore Turf Club and Singapore Pools, have agreed to adopt the code.

5. Casinos aim to take the pain out of gambling. High stakes and high society – casinos may have a glamorous image but they can lead to ruin for those who end up addicted to gambling

Author: O’dea, Clare
Source: Swissinfo
Published Date: Jul 05, 2007

Description:
Five years after the first Swiss casinos opened for business, almost 17,000 people have been banned from playing in the country’s 19 gambling houses, mostly for addiction reasons. According to Linda McCarthy, resident psychologist and customer relations manager at Fribourg Casino, it is the casino’s goal for the client to remain healthy. In Fribourg, once a person has been identified as a potential addict, McCarthy approaches them, suggesting a deal to limit the number of visits per month or stop access altogether. “Casinos must observe their clients, keep a record of problems and speak to visitors if necessary. They may also demand proof of the person’s financial status and they have the right to bar the player,” says Jean-Marie Jordan of the Swiss Federal Gaming Board.

6. Treatment sought over jail for gambling addicts. More lawyers are using tactic to request leniency

Author: Soto, Onell R.
Source: San Diego Union Tribune
Published Date: Jul 05, 2007

Description:
Before pleading guilty to grand theft in May, Michelle MacLaren, through her lawyer, asked a judge and a prosecutor to consider a psychiatrist’s opinion that she is a pathological gambler. It’s a tactic lawyers are increasingly taking as the number of problem gamblers grows. They’re asking for treatment rather than prison – as they do for many drug addicts. Around the country and in San Diego County – which has a horse track, four card clubs and more Indian casinos than any other county in the United States – it’s not a persuasive argument. Problem gamblers aren’t all criminals, said Michael Still, a San Diego prosecutor. “It’s a very real and very serious problem for those who have it,” Still said. “But when you try to lay the blame for your criminal actions on a condition you have . . . I don’t think there’s a lot of sympathy.”

7. Teach youths about risks of excessive gambling: experts

Author: Ying, Wong Siew
Source: Channel NewsAsia
Published Date: Jul 04, 2007

Description:
International studies show youths are two to four times more susceptible to problem gambling compared to adults. Since many tend to start at about nine or ten years old, experts say it is important to educate them about the dangers of excessive gambling, before it is too late. This is one key focus at a two-day Problem Gambling Conference. Besides organising educational activities in schools, the National Council on Problem Gambling has also run programmes to raise awareness on the topic among Singaporeans.

8. AI to help Svenska Spel identify problem gambling

Author:
Source: Gaming Intelligence Group
Published Date: Jul 04, 2007

Description:
Sweden’s Svenska Spel has partnered with ICU intelligence to launch their latest responsible gaming tool, Spelkoll. The software, integrated with Svenska Spel’s online gaming platform, claims to be the first of its kind to detect problem gambling in its early stages. “Spelkoll” is the result of a unique cooperation between ICU intelligence, Svenska Spel and Spelinstitutet. The technology looks to find weak, almost invisible patterns in customer behaviour within large databases without any human interference, using a combination of artificial intelligence and evolutionary programming.

9. Now open: Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino

Author: Fink, James
Source: Business First of Buffalo
Published Date: Jul 03, 2007

Description:
Casino gaming has officially come to downtown Buffalo. Less than one day after the National Indian Gaming Commission approved the opening of the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, the venue welcomed its first patrons Tuesday morning [July 3] at 10 a.m. The opening marks a significant milestone for the Seneca Nation of Indians in their efforts to bring casino gaming to Buffalo. The project remains subject to on-going litigation. Casino supporters say the interim casino is the first step towards a major economic development project that kick start new projects along an economically challenged area of Buffalo.

10. When gambling is a problem, the question becomes: Whose?

Author: Leber, Holly
Source: Medil Report
Published Date: Jul 03, 2007

Description:
People who deem themselves a problem gambler may officially ban themselves from Illinois casinos by bringing identification and filling out forms at a designated office of the Illinois Gaming Board or any sanctioned enrollment office. Anyone on the self-exclusion list who is caught gambling at a casino will be arrested for trespassing. But even with the threat of arrest, how effective is self-exclusion? “Self-exclusion is a good tool for recovery,” said Wayne Burdick, president of the Outreach Foundation for Problem and Compulsive Gamblers in Downers Grove, said at a meeting of the Illinois Gaming Board last week. Casinos can be fined if an employee knowingly allows a self-excluded gambler to enter a gaming area — the stiffest fine on record, officials say, is $600,000. But some wonder whether it is really fair for the onus to fall on the casinos to keep out problem gamblers.

and more …

To read full articles go to http://www.responsiblegambling.org/staffsearch/latest_news_articles.cfmCalifornia Legislature approves huge expansion of Indian gambling

Author: Thompson, Don
Source: Press Enterprise
Published Date: Jun 29, 2007

Description:
The Legislature removed a key hurdle to passing a state budget Thursday, agreeing to allow four Indian tribes to expand casino gambling in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to the state. The action ended what had been a lengthy legislative logjam that pitted two special interest titans: labor groups vs. casino-operating Indian tribes. The tribes won.

2. Software to limit gambling addiction

Author:
Source: Sveriges Radio International
Published Date: Jun 29, 2007

Description:
In a bid to combat Sweden’s growing problem of gambling addiction, state-run betting giant Svenska Spel is to harness the power of artificial intelligence. The system, designed by Sweden’s ICU Intelligence, analyses how each player places bets, how much money they bet with, under which circumstances, and how often. The system is voluntary, and is currently designed to monitor online gambling, which is popular in Sweden, and bets placed by people using their personal Svenska Spel betting cards - ICU hopes to extend the system to casinos in time.

3. First limits on gambling kicking in

Author: O’Flynn, Kevin & Delany, Max
Source: Moscow Times
Published Date: Jun 29, 2007

Description:
It was one of the most famous illegal gambling dens in the Soviet Union: a small, unassuming apartment near the Taganskaya metro station that drew inveterate gamblers from across the country. “Everyone knew where it was,” said Valery Zheleznyakov, an old-school card shark known on the poker circuit by the nickname Partizan. “Even the police knew. But they never closed it because they liked to know where the criminals were.”

4. Ontario tightens security around lottery retailers, adds background checks

Author:
Source: Canadian Press
Published Date: Jun 28, 2007

Description:
Lottery retailers in Ontario will have until next January to register with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. The plan to tighten security around lottery ticket sales will also require retailers to undergo background checks and to agree to a new code of conduct. The government promised to turn control of lottery regulations to the AGCO, an arms-length regulatory agency, after the ombudsman reported too many retailers were claiming big prizes.

5. Harvard study finds fears about online gambling unsupported

Author: Harris, Martin
Source: Poker News
Published Date: Jun 28, 2007

Description:
In what is thought to be the first comprehensive, empirical study of online-gambling behaviors, Harvard Medical School’s Division of Addictions characterizes a majority of online gamblers’ behavior as “moderate,” concluding that its findings do not support previously-made claims that online gambling has “an inherent propensity” to cause problem or “excessive” gambling. The study, “Assessing the Playing Field: A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Internet Sports Gambling Behavior,” was conducted with the support of the Austrian online-betting group Bwin in order to guide the company in its efforts to implement and promote responsible gambling.

6. N.B. gov’t to relax gaming rules? Tories say new gaming policy complete; minister says not for another few months

Author: Robichaud, Jess
Source: Moncton Times and Transcript
Published Date: Jun 27, 2007

Description:
The Opposition Tories believe they have called the Liberal government’s bluff over its recently delayed Responsible Gaming Policy. The Conservatives alleged yesterday in the legislature that the Liberals are stalling the release of its now complete Responsible Gaming Policy in order to avoid facing a firestorm over its potentially unpopular recommendations while the legislature is still in session. Finance Minister Victor Boudreau responded that the delay is simply the result of an over-ambitious, new minister who didn’t realize all the implications surrounding the policy. He said New Brunswickers will have to wait at least another two months before they learn the province’s plans on casinos and racinos in Moncton and Saint John, as well as what the future holds for VLTs, Texas Hold ‘Em poker games and addiction services.

7. A son’s plea for gambling addicts

Author: Peterson, Eric
Source: Chicago Daily Herald
Published Date: Jun 27, 2007

Description:
A Schaumburg man whose mother suffered a relapse of her gambling addiction asked the Illinois Gaming Board for greater monitoring at casinos to make the state’s self-exclusion program for addicts truly work. Todd Ruder had testified in front of the board before about his mother’s success in beating her addiction. But after earning her one-year pin from Gambler’s Anonymous in May, the 67-year-old woman went to the Hollywood Casino in Aurora again on Father’s Day. “She is so disgusted with herself, like I’ve never seen before,” Ruder said.

8. Problem gambling emerges in Macao

Author:
Source: Chinarealnews
Published Date: Jun 27, 2007

Description:
With the development of the gaming industry in Macao, an increasing number of people of the city are addicted to gambling or affected by gambling issues. According to a survey released by the University of Macau in 2003, nearly 70% of Macao residents have the habit of gambling, 4.3% of whom are defined as problem gamblers.

9. Responsible gambling charity seeks funding

Author:
Source: Online-casinos
Published Date: Jun 26, 2007

Description:
The Responsibility in Gambling Trust, Britain’s largest funding body for problem gambling, is seeking to double its income to GBP 7 million by 2010…and from responses thus far it looks as if its appeal will receive sympathetic consideration from online gambling companies. The Trust, which funds treatment services, education and research into problem gambling, raised GBP 3 million from the gambling industry in 2006/07– the largest amount ever donated. In the past three years, it has spent GBP 6 million on tackling problem gambling.

10. UNLV does studies and provides assistance for problem gamblers

Author: Goodwin, Terry
Source: Casino Gambling Web
Published Date: Jun 26, 2007

Description:
UNLV is one of ten universities in the United States that has on campus help for problem gamblers. The Las Vegas Strip is a short 10 minutes from the campus and poses a unique situation for students, as many venture to the strip for excitement, concerts, nights out and yes, gambling. In August of last year, Counselor Education Secretary Larry Ashley started a program to treat problem gambling. The campus-based program is state funded and is open to all area residents, not just students.

11. EU targeting France, Greece, Sweden over sports gambling

Author:
Source: Forbes
Published Date: Jun 25, 2007

Description:
The European Commission will censure France, Greece and Sweden this week for restrictions they have placed on sports gambling, Agence France-Presse reported, citing sources close to the matter. Although the European Commission is not seeking to liberalise the sports gambling market, it has recently been leading an offensive against state monopolies in the sector, which it says keep out newcomers.

12. New report expects global gambling to increase significantly

Author:
Source: Casino Gambling Web
Published Date: Jun 25, 2007

Description:
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has released a study that focuses on the gambling industry around the world, and its findings are that there will be increases in the industries worth over the next four years. Figures released in the report claim that in the year 2011, the global gambling industry could be worth up to $144 billion, after a compounded growth rate of 7.2%. That figure is up from the current # of $101.6 billion.

13. Youth gambling awareness

Author: Curtis, Christine
Source: Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation
Published Date: Jun 24, 2007

Description:
Legal gambling may start at 18 years of age, but in reality, actual gambling starts a lot earlier. That’s according to Sarah MacDonald who is the youth outreach worker with the YMCA Youth Gambling Awareness Program in Simcoe (Ont.) County. The program has been running for six years, and MacDonald has been part of the project over the past year. She says students as young as eight years old are already betting Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards and she says some of them are pretty serious.

14. Pa. aims to combat problem gambling

Author: Horner, Nanette L.
Source: Lebanon Daily News
Published Date: Jun 22, 2007

Description:
The director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling notes that self-exclusion is just one of the tools that is being offered for use by compulsive and problem gamblers in Pennsylvania. In September 2006, the PGCB created the Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling (OCPG) which is, among other things, developing prevention and education programs along with harm-reduction tools for gamblers, for which the Self-Exclusion list is just one tool.

15. First empirical study of online gaming behaviour

Author:
Source: Union Network International
Published Date: Jun 22, 2007

Description:
To date, only speculations have been available to guide our understanding of the scale of gaming and problematic gaming behaviour among online sports betting. Now the initial results of a unique, broad-based study investigating the gaming behaviour of online players are available, which begins to shed light on the potential for gaming related problems.

16. Lottery agency plans retailer training, testing. Program to launch by end of year

Author: Bailey, Ian
Source: Globe and Mail
Published Date: Jun 22, 2007

Description:
By the end of 2007, a passing grade in an online course will be necessary for selling a lottery ticket in B.C. The B.C. Lottery Corp., under fire since a provincial Ombudsman’s report last month said too little was being done to police retailer fraud, disclosed the plan yesterday. The training will focus on retailer policies, how lottery terminals work, responsibilities to consumers and a rundown of corporation products. The effort is a response to a call from Ombudsman Kim Carter for more retailer training, said spokesman Peter Smith, director of public affairs and corporate responsibility for the corporation.

17. Gateway adds gambling problem treatment

Author:
Source: Tecumseh Countywide News
Published Date: Jun 21, 2007

Description:
Gateway to Prevention and Recovery of Shawnee, Okla. has added treatment for compulsive and addicted gamblers to its programs. “Although legalized gambling has increased the number of addicted gamblers, we are not against the casinos. We have their (casinos) support in helping the addicted gambler,” Cindy Satterfield, Gateway’s compulsive gambling program coordinator said. The program is funded through money from casinos and the state lottery set aside by the Oklahoma Legislature and distributed through the state Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services.

18. Gambler sues casino in Australia after losing his money

Author: Jones, Tom
Source: Casino Gambling Web
Published Date: Jun 21, 2007

Description:
Many people around the world would love to have the casinos in which they gamble give their money back at the end of the night if they lose. A man in Sydney is taking that thought to the next step by suing the Star City casino for allowing him to lose his money. The sticking point to the case, is, the man, Behrouz Foroughi, voluntarily went on an exclusion list of problem gamblers, which, in turn, barred him from the casino. He claims that not only did the casino let him back in, but they gave him access to the high rollers room.

19. Average casino punter loses $68 a visit. The Christchurch Casino wins on average nearly $68 from every punter, leaked documents show

Author: Steeman, Martha
Source: Timaru Herald
Published Date: Jun 21, 2007

Description:
The Press obtained a revenue report for the Christchurch Casino for the month ending May 13 during its investigation into loan sharks at the casino. The monthly report reveals punters gambled $25.8 million in the Christchurch Casino that month. Of that, the casino’s winnings were $2.27m, or 8.8c of every dollar bet. The $2.27m winnings is an average of $67.80 from the 33,586 casino customers in the month. The gaming machines appear to be where the casino won most money. But it won the greatest cut or percentage of what punters spent on the gaming tables.

20. Loan sharks cruise casino to lure gamblers: MP

Author: Dye, Stuart
Source: New Zealand Herald
Published Date: Jun 21, 2007

Description:
Loan sharks are luring gamblers by approaching them as they ponder their losses inside the casino, Parliament was told yesterday. Green MP Sue Bradford said gamblers at the SkyCity casino in Auckland were borrowing as much as $10,000 a time to continue playing. In some cases, she said, gamblers were introduced to the loan shark by a casino dealer. The Government has ordered an investigation into allegations of loan sharking and financial irregularities at Christchurch Casino. But the Green Party wants a wider public inquiry.

21. Government to ban aggressive gambling ads

Author:
Source: Local Sweden News
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
The Swedish government is to commission a new report regarding the rules that govern the Swedish betting market. But state-owned Svenska Spel is to retain the sole right to organize gambling activities regarded as particularly problematic from a social perspective. Finance Minister Anders Borg and Public Health Minister Maria Larsson explain that the government’s main priority is to institute a ban on aggressive marketing in the gaming industry.

22. Macau’s gaming and gambling over US$12.5 billion in 2010

Author:
Source: Macauhub
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
Revenue from gaming and gambling activities in Macau could be over 100 billion patacas (US$12.5 billion) at the end of 2010, the director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (GICB) told Macau magazine Revista Macau. Manuel Neves also said that at the end of 2007 gaming revenue in Macau was expected to rise by 40 percent to 77 billion patacas. The director of the GICB also said there was a “limit to the rise that is being seen,” as “it all depends on the economic growth of China, as the vast majority of gamblers are from the interior of the country.”

23. Online gambling ban may cost U.S. billions in sanctions

Author: Associated Press
Source: Delaware Online
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
The United States should face commercial sanctions worth more than $3.4 billion each year for its failure to comply with a World Trade Organization ruling that its Internet gambling restrictions are illegal, the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda said today. Antigua, which won a WTO ruling last year against the U.S. restrictions, is asking the trade body for authorization to target American trademarks and copyrights if the U.S. refuses to alter its legislation. It said the sanctions would come into effect “shortly,” unless the United States requests a WTO arbitration panel on the level and scope of the sanctions.

24. Bluff Europe names London ‘number one poker city in Europe’

Author:
Source: iGamingbusiness
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
London has been named the hottest poker destination in Europe by poker magazine Bluff Europe. The top poker publication praised London for the diversity of games available, from home games to high profile tournaments, as well as for the enthusiasm with which the capital has embraced the game.

25. Gambling Commission publishes new approach to licensing, compliance and enforcement of gambling laws

Author:
Source: ATE Online
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
The Gambling Commission has set out how it will monitor and regulate the activities of British gambling operators, and the action it will take against those who fail to comply with its rules or who run illegal gambling operations. From September next year the Commission will have substantial new powers under the Gambling Act 2005, and its new consultation document, Licensing, Compliance and Enforcement, gives the gambling industry its first indication as to how it intends to use them. The Commission will ensure that, once licensed, operators comply with a range of new rules it has introduced designed to keep crime out and make sure gambling is socially responsible.

26. Polls eventually will embrace gambling

Author:
Source: Decatur Daily
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
“No” means “No,” even to gambling magnate Milton McGregor who lost big-time in the U.S. Supreme Court this week. But “No” doesn’t mean “Never.” The court this week upheld an Alabama Supreme Court decision that shut down his virtual casino at his Birmingham dog track. Mr. McGregor invested heavily in taking advantage of high technology to bring electronic sweepstakes to the track, and draw far more patrons. So don’t count him out. He’ll not take this rebuff lightly. His fertile mind and campaign contributions will surely make another run at expanding gambling in Alabama.

27. House GOP seeks to ban gaming devices

Author:
Source: Akron Beacon Journal
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
House Republicans are pursuing a statewide ban on electronic gaming devices regardless of the size of their jackpots. GOP House Speaker Jon Husted said simply outlawing all games of chance - which have been cropping up virtually unchecked around Ohio - is better than just restricting payouts, as Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and Attorney General Marc Dann recently proposed. “I don’t want to begin that process,” Husted said. “This back-door approach to opening up gambling is unacceptable to me. It opens up the corrupt underbelly of gambling, and I’m not for that.”

28. More teens trying hand at gambling

Author:
Source: KOIN.com
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
Oregon Health officials say they are starting to see a rise in the number of teens who gamble. For most, it’s just a way to hang out with friends. But studies also show one in every 25 teens is a problem gambler. The Oregon Department of Human Services has developed a new video to make teens aware of gambling risks.

29. ADAPT hopes program stems gambling habit

Author: Gray, Chris
Source: Oregon News
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
ADAPT is taking a new approach to tackling the problem of gambling addiction. Starting in July, the treatment center will recruit for a program that works with the loved ones of gamblers rather than the gamblers themselves. Brian Serna, the program director for ADAPT “Teaching Effective Caring,” said gamblers are notoriously bad for dropping out of treatment as soon as they get on a lucky streak, only to return unchanged when they lose it all again.

30. Japan poised for law to allow casinos. A new programme, which would legalise gambling, aims to increase falling tax revenues

Author: Nakamoto, Von Michiyo
Source: Financial Times
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party plans to legalise casino gambling next year. Seiko Noda, who heads an LDP study group that is drafting the legislation, said the target was to pass a bill by the end of the next ordinary Diet session in June 2008. The ruling party hopes casinos will spur tourism, help revitalise local economies and increase tax revenues. Opening up Japan to casinos is also likely to provide big opportunities for foreign operators, as few Japanese companies have the expertise necessary to develop the large-scale operations being envisioned.

31. The stakes are high for problem gamblers

Author:
Source: ABC TV
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
It can start so innocently…so you had a little bet on the Melbourne Cup and lost, or you overspent a little on the pokies. You tell yourself, “So what, I won’t do it next time”. But the fact is that for some people what starts out as a harmless dabble in gambling can grow into an obsession. Mick, Sarah and Ian know what it’s like to lose control. They’re all reached the point when gambling began to ruin their lives. They know what it’s like to lose everything, their family and friends, money and possessions, dignity and self-esteem. But in the hope they may be able to help others, they want to encourage others to take the road to recovery.

32. Casino let me in despite ban, gambler tells court

Author: Brown, Malcolm
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
A man claiming to be a compulsive gambler visited Star City casino 65 times between May 18, 2004, and January 28 last year and lost more than $600,000 despite being on a list of banned persons, the Federal Court heard yesterday. Behroub Foroughi had approached Star City management in 2004 after sustaining heavy losses at roulette and volunteered to be banned. Three weeks later, unable to resist his urge, he had returned, undetected, and kept gambling. In October 2005 he started proceedings against Star City Casino, alleging it had engaged in unconscionable conduct in allowing him to gamble and even inviting him to go to the high rollers’ room. An issue of the casino’s duty of care had arisen. The casino had either known who he was, had not known, or had been “oblivious of the exclusion order”.

33. Casino must monitor big spenders: judge

Author:
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
Crown Casino should either ensure money from big spenders is legitimate or be forced to compensate victims of crime for ill-gotten gains gambled by criminals, a Victorian judge says. County Court Judge Frank Dyett made the remarks as he sentenced Heather MacNeil-Brown, 63, to six years’ jail - with a minimum non-parole period of four years - for embezzling almost $1 million from the Australian branch of global consulting and accountancy firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Judge Dyett said MacNeil-Brown initially spent the proceeds of crime at small pokies venues in Melbourne but from 2002, most of the money was lost at Crown Casino.

34. EU to U.S.: pay up for online gambling ban

Author: Associated Press
Source: AZ Central
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
The European Union told the United States that it wanted compensation for a U.S. ban on foreign online gambling sites, which doesn’t comply with global trade rules. The decision closed off the most lucrative region in a market worth $15.5 billion (11.6 billion euros) last year. About half of the world’s online gamblers are based in the United States. But an EU official said the concessions Europe was looking for would likely be “commitments” to open up other trade sectors.

35. Province won’t budge on VLTs

Author: Fletcher, Robson
Source: Brandon Sun
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
Manitoba’s newly elected NDP government will apply the same old rules when it comes to the number of VLTs allowed at the proposed Wheat City Horse Park, discouraging those who want to build the facility - but not killing the deal altogether. Former Brandon West MLA Scott Smith, who had been responsible for lotteries in Manitoba before being defeated in last month’s election, repeatedly said the province would not allow a major VLT expansion at the horse park. The province re-iterated that position yesterday, saying that the park, if built, would be restricted to a maximum of 30 machines.

36. Morality vs. money: Online gambling. Nations say they attack Internet betting for sake of the children. But they also run gambling operations

Author: Spring, Sylvia
Source: Newsweek International
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
When the French police arrested two Austrian on-line-gambling executives on September 15, they did it in the name of protecting France from “the explosion of money games in a heedless manner.” Indeed every recent state move to crack down on online gambling, from the United States to Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden, has followed the same moral argument: it’s all about saving our people from the sins of gambling. The problem is that all of these countries allow licensed gambling at home, and in some cases are promoting its expansion very aggressively. So what’s it really about? In recent months the EU has launched proceedings against all these nations (except of course the United States) for protecting national monopolies in violation of EU laws guaranteeing free movement for goods and services. Opponents of online gambling are exploiting a loophole in the EU laws protecting free trade, which allows member states to take measures to protect the social and moral fabric of their societies.

37. Gambling takes a toll

Author: Hughes, Kristina
Source: Petoskey News-Review
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
As gambling becomes an accepted pastime, Paula Musilek — the counselor at Harbor Hall in Petoskey — helps combat the glamorized gaming by bringing awareness to the addiction. Musilek currently has 42 patients and has met with more than 100 clients since the programs were established in 2000. Musilek coordinates a gambling therapy group and individualized therapy. The programs use national assessments and screenings. A Gamblers Anonymous group meets in Petoskey, but help is limited. “There are no inpatient programs for gambling in the state,” Musilek said. Michigan began providing the statewide gambling program and helpline in 1999, paid by casino revenues. Virginia Pieroni, the program manager, said the helpline counselors make between 1,700 to 2,100 referrals a year.

38. Gambling problems can lead to legal issues

Author: Zucker, Steve; Hughes, Kristina
Source: Petoskey News-Review
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
Emmet County (Mich.) Sheriff’s Office Det./Sgt. JL Sumpter said the vast majority of the financial crimes that come across his desk have an element of gambling addiction, drug abuse or a combination of the two at their roots. In fact, Sumpter said, in most embezzlement or fraud-type cases, the suspect’s gambling habits are the first thing he often investigates. After investigating numerous cases tied to gambling over the past several years, Sumpter said one defendant’s comment about his addiction has always stuck with him. “He told me, ‘When I go to bed at night, I just lie there and can hear the ringing of the slot machines in my head.’”

39. Casinos cooperating in efforts to help gaming addicts. Compulsive gamblers hard to spot

Author: Rotstein, Gary
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
Of at least 50,000 slots players who entered the doors of The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in its first week, a few thousand could have been compulsive gamblers. If so, they breezed by brochures at the front desk for the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania. They bypassed the literature at security podiums suggesting they could seek voluntary exclusion from the casino. They ignored the signs around ATM machines posting the council’s toll-free phone number for counseling. All 450 employees of The Meadows have received training on identifying and assisting people who can’t control their gambling, but such intervention will be infrequent.

40. Increase in gambling addiction likely. With four new casinos set to open, gambling counselors are preparing

Author: Eckenrode, Vicky
Source: Morris News Service
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
State officials and treatment counselors are gearing up for a potential increase of Kansans addicted to the roll of the dice or turn of the cards should four new casinos open in the state. Lawmakers who supported legislation this year opening the door to four, new state-owned casinos approved boosting the amount of money set aside for preventing and treating gambling problems. The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, which oversees the money, has been getting $100,000 a year for the addiction program, largely to fund a 24-hour telephone help line for problem gamblers and their families. That fund could jump to $17 million or $18 million annually.

The Problem Gambling Community Program purpose is to strengthen the
capacity of communities to respond to the negative impacts of
gambling. The program works in collaboration with Saskatchewan Health
to assist in the delivery of the public education and community
development components of Saskatchewan’ s problem gambling program.

121st Edition: U.S., Europe and Antigua Tangle, Professional Gamblers
and NCRG Conference

1) Ohio Ban

Ohio state’s democratic governor, Ted Strickland, has asked the GOP
controlled legislature to ban cash payouts from gaming machines, which
are increasingly popping up around the state.

http://tinyurl. com/248nmf

The twists and turns of state legislatures and their dance with
lobbyists come to mind as we read the op.ed. piece on the
bucyrustelegraphfor um.com site.

http://tinyurl. com/2erv4s

2) A Touch of History from a Professional. . . Gambler not Historian

Ted Sevransky began betting on sports regularly when he held a job
managing a sports bar in 1992. He moved to Las Vegas to bet on sports
as a full time professional in 1998.

The allure of the life of a professional gambler is often glamorized.
Yes, there are those who can succeed in the `profession. ‘ However it
is important to recognize the difference between fact and fiction.
The costs of the lifestyle can be high and losses must also be cited
hand in hand with wins.

He provides his caustic perspective on the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet
Gambling Enforcement Act).

http://tinyurl. com/yuuwtg

3) 8th Annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction
Paris Las Vegas Resort Las Vegas
November 11-13, 2007

The NCRG Conference will test conventional wisdom about how to best
protect those most vulnerable from developing gambling disorders and
how to provide those who do develop problems with effective means of
recovery.

http://tinyurl. com/2fo6rw

4) EU Takes on the U.S.

The European Union told the U.S. June 19 that it wanted compensation
for a U.S. foreign online gambling sites ban that doesn’t comply with
global trade rules.

The E.U. - the world’s largest consumer market - joins the tiny
Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda in seeking compensation. The
twin-island nation argued that online gambling had provided income for
hundreds of its citizens and was helping to end its reliance on
tourism, which was hurt by a series of hurricanes in the late 1990s.

http://tinyurl. com/yp8kd7

) Antigua Tenacity Continues: Challenges U.S.

Antigua and Barbuda said June 20 that it was entitled to $3.44 billion
in compensation from the United States in a World Trade Organization
dispute over a U.S. ban on Internet gambling. The compensation demand
would be enforced as Antigua withdrew intellectual property protection
for U.S. trademarks, patents and industrial designs, the government said.
“We feel we have no other choice in the matter, we have fought long
and hard for fair access to the U.S. market and have won at every
stage of the WTO process,” Errol Cort, Antigua’s finance minister, said.
After losing the case at the WTO, Washington announced that it would
take the unprecedented legal step of changing the international
commitments it made as part of a 1994 treaty regulating trade in
services among the 150 members of the WTO. As a result, Washington
declined to challenge the WTO ruling, because it says that its legal
maneuver effectively ends the case.
Ed. Note: How convenient it is to change the rules of the game midstream.
http://tinyurl. com/yq2oj2

http://www.ncrg.org/public_education/conference.cfm

“Throughout its seven-year history, the NCRG Conference has served as a forum for the discussion and introduction of several cutting-edge scientific theories and approaches. The conference is sponsored by the NCRG and the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders, a program of the Division on Addictions at Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. It is held in conjunction with Global Gaming Expo, the gaming industry’s largest international trade show and conference event, taking place Nov. 13–15 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.”

ED - The National Centre for Responsible Gaming is the “American Gaming Association’s (AGA) affiliated charity” - go to www.ncrg.org for more information.

go to this website if you require more information: http://www.responsiblegambling.org/staffsearch/latest_news_articles.cfm

1. First empirical study of online gaming behaviour

Author:
Source: Union Network International
Published Date: Jun 22, 2007

Description:
To date, only speculations have been available to guide our understanding of the scale of gaming and problematic gaming behaviour among online sports betting. Now the initial results of a unique, broad-based study investigating the gaming behaviour of online players are available, which begins to shed light on the potential for gaming related problems.

2. Lottery agency plans retailer training, testing. Program to launch by end of year

Author: Bailey, Ian
Source: Globe and Mail
Published Date: Jun 22, 2007

Description:
By the end of 2007, a passing grade in an online course will be necessary for selling a lottery ticket in B.C. The B.C. Lottery Corp., under fire since a provincial Ombudsman’s report last month said too little was being done to police retailer fraud, disclosed the plan yesterday. The training will focus on retailer policies, how lottery terminals work, responsibilities to consumers and a rundown of corporation products. The effort is a response to a call from Ombudsman Kim Carter for more retailer training, said spokesman Peter Smith, director of public affairs and corporate responsibility for the corporation.

3. Gateway adds gambling problem treatment

Author:
Source: Tecumseh Countywide News
Published Date: Jun 21, 2007

Description:
Gateway to Prevention and Recovery of Shawnee, Okla. has added treatment for compulsive and addicted gamblers to its programs. “Although legalized gambling has increased the number of addicted gamblers, we are not against the casinos. We have their (casinos) support in helping the addicted gambler,” Cindy Satterfield, Gateway’s compulsive gambling program coordinator said. The program is funded through money from casinos and the state lottery set aside by the Oklahoma Legislature and distributed through the state Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services.

4. Gambler sues casino in Australia after losing his money

Author: Jones, Tom
Source: Casino Gambling Web
Published Date: Jun 21, 2007

Description:
Many people around the world would love to have the casinos in which they gamble give their money back at the end of the night if they lose. A man in Sydney is taking that thought to the next step by suing the Star City casino for allowing him to lose his money. The sticking point to the case, is, the man, Behrouz Foroughi, voluntarily went on an exclusion list of problem gamblers, which, in turn, barred him from the casino. He claims that not only did the casino let him back in, but they gave him access to the high rollers room.

5. Average casino punter loses $68 a visit. The Christchurch Casino wins on average nearly $68 from every punter, leaked documents show

Author: Steeman, Martha
Source: Timaru Herald
Published Date: Jun 21, 2007

Description:
The Press obtained a revenue report for the Christchurch Casino for the month ending May 13 during its investigation into loan sharks at the casino. The monthly report reveals punters gambled $25.8 million in the Christchurch Casino that month. Of that, the casino’s winnings were $2.27m, or 8.8c of every dollar bet. The $2.27m winnings is an average of $67.80 from the 33,586 casino customers in the month. The gaming machines appear to be where the casino won most money. But it won the greatest cut or percentage of what punters spent on the gaming tables.

6. Loan sharks cruise casino to lure gamblers: MP

Author: Dye, Stuart
Source: New Zealand Herald
Published Date: Jun 21, 2007

Description:
Loan sharks are luring gamblers by approaching them as they ponder their losses inside the casino, Parliament was told yesterday. Green MP Sue Bradford said gamblers at the SkyCity casino in Auckland were borrowing as much as $10,000 a time to continue playing. In some cases, she said, gamblers were introduced to the loan shark by a casino dealer. The Government has ordered an investigation into allegations of loan sharking and financial irregularities at Christchurch Casino. But the Green Party wants a wider public inquiry.

7. Government to ban aggressive gambling ads

Author:
Source: Local Sweden News
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
The Swedish government is to commission a new report regarding the rules that govern the Swedish betting market. But state-owned Svenska Spel is to retain the sole right to organize gambling activities regarded as particularly problematic from a social perspective. Finance Minister Anders Borg and Public Health Minister Maria Larsson explain that the government’s main priority is to institute a ban on aggressive marketing in the gaming industry.

8. Macau’s gaming and gambling over US$12.5 billion in 2010

Author:
Source: Macauhub
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
Revenue from gaming and gambling activities in Macau could be over 100 billion patacas (US$12.5 billion) at the end of 2010, the director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (GICB) told Macau magazine Revista Macau. Manuel Neves also said that at the end of 2007 gaming revenue in Macau was expected to rise by 40 percent to 77 billion patacas. The director of the GICB also said there was a “limit to the rise that is being seen,” as “it all depends on the economic growth of China, as the vast majority of gamblers are from the interior of the country.”

9. Online gambling ban may cost U.S. billions in sanctions

Author: Associated Press
Source: Delaware Online
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
The United States should face commercial sanctions worth more than $3.4 billion each year for its failure to comply with a World Trade Organization ruling that its Internet gambling restrictions are illegal, the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda said today. Antigua, which won a WTO ruling last year against the U.S. restrictions, is asking the trade body for authorization to target American trademarks and copyrights if the U.S. refuses to alter its legislation. It said the sanctions would come into effect “shortly,” unless the United States requests a WTO arbitration panel on the level and scope of the sanctions.

10. Bluff Europe names London ‘number one poker city in Europe’

Author:
Source: iGamingbusiness
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
London has been named the hottest poker destination in Europe by poker magazine Bluff Europe. The top poker publication praised London for the diversity of games available, from home games to high profile tournaments, as well as for the enthusiasm with which the capital has embraced the game.

11. Gambling Commission publishes new approach to licensing, compliance and enforcement of gambling laws

Author:
Source: ATE Online
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
The Gambling Commission has set out how it will monitor and regulate the activities of British gambling operators, and the action it will take against those who fail to comply with its rules or who run illegal gambling operations. From September next year the Commission will have substantial new powers under the Gambling Act 2005, and its new consultation document, Licensing, Compliance and Enforcement, gives the gambling industry its first indication as to how it intends to use them. The Commission will ensure that, once licensed, operators comply with a range of new rules it has introduced designed to keep crime out and make sure gambling is socially responsible.

12. Polls eventually will embrace gambling

Author:
Source: Decatur Daily
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
“No” means “No,” even to gambling magnate Milton McGregor who lost big-time in the U.S. Supreme Court this week. But “No” doesn’t mean “Never.” The court this week upheld an Alabama Supreme Court decision that shut down his virtual casino at his Birmingham dog track. Mr. McGregor invested heavily in taking advantage of high technology to bring electronic sweepstakes to the track, and draw far more patrons. So don’t count him out. He’ll not take this rebuff lightly. His fertile mind and campaign contributions will surely make another run at expanding gambling in Alabama.

13. House GOP seeks to ban gaming devices

Author:
Source: Akron Beacon Journal
Published Date: Jun 20, 2007

Description:
House Republicans are pursuing a statewide ban on electronic gaming devices regardless of the size of their jackpots. GOP House Speaker Jon Husted said simply outlawing all games of chance - which have been cropping up virtually unchecked around Ohio - is better than just restricting payouts, as Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and Attorney General Marc Dann recently proposed. “I don’t want to begin that process,” Husted said. “This back-door approach to opening up gambling is unacceptable to me. It opens up the corrupt underbelly of gambling, and I’m not for that.”

14. More teens trying hand at gambling

Author:
Source: KOIN.com
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
Oregon Health officials say they are starting to see a rise in the number of teens who gamble. For most, it’s just a way to hang out with friends. But studies also show one in every 25 teens is a problem gambler. The Oregon Department of Human Services has developed a new video to make teens aware of gambling risks.

15. ADAPT hopes program stems gambling habit

Author: Gray, Chris
Source: Oregon News
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
ADAPT is taking a new approach to tackling the problem of gambling addiction. Starting in July, the treatment center will recruit for a program that works with the loved ones of gamblers rather than the gamblers themselves. Brian Serna, the program director for ADAPT “Teaching Effective Caring,” said gamblers are notoriously bad for dropping out of treatment as soon as they get on a lucky streak, only to return unchanged when they lose it all again.

16. Japan poised for law to allow casinos. A new programme, which would legalise gambling, aims to increase falling tax revenues

Author: Nakamoto, Von Michiyo
Source: Financial Times
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party plans to legalise casino gambling next year. Seiko Noda, who heads an LDP study group that is drafting the legislation, said the target was to pass a bill by the end of the next ordinary Diet session in June 2008. The ruling party hopes casinos will spur tourism, help revitalise local economies and increase tax revenues. Opening up Japan to casinos is also likely to provide big opportunities for foreign operators, as few Japanese companies have the expertise necessary to develop the large-scale operations being envisioned.

17. The stakes are high for problem gamblers

Author:
Source: ABC TV
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
It can start so innocently…so you had a little bet on the Melbourne Cup and lost, or you overspent a little on the pokies. You tell yourself, “So what, I won’t do it next time”. But the fact is that for some people what starts out as a harmless dabble in gambling can grow into an obsession. Mick, Sarah and Ian know what it’s like to lose control. They’re all reached the point when gambling began to ruin their lives. They know what it’s like to lose everything, their family and friends, money and possessions, dignity and self-esteem. But in the hope they may be able to help others, they want to encourage others to take the road to recovery.

18. Casino let me in despite ban, gambler tells court

Author: Brown, Malcolm
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
A man claiming to be a compulsive gambler visited Star City casino 65 times between May 18, 2004, and January 28 last year and lost more than $600,000 despite being on a list of banned persons, the Federal Court heard yesterday. Behroub Foroughi had approached Star City management in 2004 after sustaining heavy losses at roulette and volunteered to be banned. Three weeks later, unable to resist his urge, he had returned, undetected, and kept gambling. In October 2005 he started proceedings against Star City Casino, alleging it had engaged in unconscionable conduct in allowing him to gamble and even inviting him to go to the high rollers’ room. An issue of the casino’s duty of care had arisen. The casino had either known who he was, had not known, or had been “oblivious of the exclusion order”.

19. Casino must monitor big spenders: judge

Author:
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
Crown Casino should either ensure money from big spenders is legitimate or be forced to compensate victims of crime for ill-gotten gains gambled by criminals, a Victorian judge says. County Court Judge Frank Dyett made the remarks as he sentenced Heather MacNeil-Brown, 63, to six years’ jail - with a minimum non-parole period of four years - for embezzling almost $1 million from the Australian branch of global consulting and accountancy firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Judge Dyett said MacNeil-Brown initially spent the proceeds of crime at small pokies venues in Melbourne but from 2002, most of the money was lost at Crown Casino.

20. EU to U.S.: pay up for online gambling ban

Author: Associated Press
Source: AZ Central
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
The European Union told the United States that it wanted compensation for a U.S. ban on foreign online gambling sites, which doesn’t comply with global trade rules. The decision closed off the most lucrative region in a market worth $15.5 billion (11.6 billion euros) last year. About half of the world’s online gamblers are based in the United States. But an EU official said the concessions Europe was looking for would likely be “commitments” to open up other trade sectors.

21. Province won’t budge on VLTs

Author: Fletcher, Robson
Source: Brandon Sun
Published Date: Jun 19, 2007

Description:
Manitoba’s newly elected NDP government will apply the same old rules when it comes to the number of VLTs allowed at the proposed Wheat City Horse Park, discouraging those who want to build the facility - but not killing the deal altogether. Former Brandon West MLA Scott Smith, who had been responsible for lotteries in Manitoba before being defeated in last month’s election, repeatedly said the province would not allow a major VLT expansion at the horse park. The province re-iterated that position yesterday, saying that the park, if built, would be restricted to a maximum of 30 machines.

22. Morality vs. money: Online gambling. Nations say they attack Internet betting for sake of the children. But they also run gambling operations

Author: Spring, Sylvia
Source: Newsweek International
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
When the French police arrested two Austrian on-line-gambling executives on September 15, they did it in the name of protecting France from “the explosion of money games in a heedless manner.” Indeed every recent state move to crack down on online gambling, from the United States to Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden, has followed the same moral argument: it’s all about saving our people from the sins of gambling. The problem is that all of these countries allow licensed gambling at home, and in some cases are promoting its expansion very aggressively. So what’s it really about? In recent months the EU has launched proceedings against all these nations (except of course the United States) for protecting national monopolies in violation of EU laws guaranteeing free movement for goods and services. Opponents of online gambling are exploiting a loophole in the EU laws protecting free trade, which allows member states to take measures to protect the social and moral fabric of their societies.

23. Gambling takes a toll

Author: Hughes, Kristina
Source: Petoskey News-Review
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
As gambling becomes an accepted pastime, Paula Musilek — the counselor at Harbor Hall in Petoskey — helps combat the glamorized gaming by bringing awareness to the addiction. Musilek currently has 42 patients and has met with more than 100 clients since the programs were established in 2000. Musilek coordinates a gambling therapy group and individualized therapy. The programs use national assessments and screenings. A Gamblers Anonymous group meets in Petoskey, but help is limited. “There are no inpatient programs for gambling in the state,” Musilek said. Michigan began providing the statewide gambling program and helpline in 1999, paid by casino revenues. Virginia Pieroni, the program manager, said the helpline counselors make between 1,700 to 2,100 referrals a year.

24. Gambling problems can lead to legal issues

Author: Zucker, Steve; Hughes, Kristina
Source: Petoskey News-Review
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
Emmet County (Mich.) Sheriff’s Office Det./Sgt. JL Sumpter said the vast majority of the financial crimes that come across his desk have an element of gambling addiction, drug abuse or a combination of the two at their roots. In fact, Sumpter said, in most embezzlement or fraud-type cases, the suspect’s gambling habits are the first thing he often investigates. After investigating numerous cases tied to gambling over the past several years, Sumpter said one defendant’s comment about his addiction has always stuck with him. “He told me, ‘When I go to bed at night, I just lie there and can hear the ringing of the slot machines in my head.’”

25. Casinos cooperating in efforts to help gaming addicts. Compulsive gamblers hard to spot

Author: Rotstein, Gary
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
Of at least 50,000 slots players who entered the doors of The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in its first week, a few thousand could have been compulsive gamblers. If so, they breezed by brochures at the front desk for the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania. They bypassed the literature at security podiums suggesting they could seek voluntary exclusion from the casino. They ignored the signs around ATM machines posting the council’s toll-free phone number for counseling. All 450 employees of The Meadows have received training on identifying and assisting people who can’t control their gambling, but such intervention will be infrequent.

26. Increase in gambling addiction likely. With four new casinos set to open, gambling counselors are preparing

Author: Eckenrode, Vicky
Source: Morris News Service
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
State officials and treatment counselors are gearing up for a potential increase of Kansans addicted to the roll of the dice or turn of the cards should four new casinos open in the state. Lawmakers who supported legislation this year opening the door to four, new state-owned casinos approved boosting the amount of money set aside for preventing and treating gambling problems. The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, which oversees the money, has been getting $100,000 a year for the addiction program, largely to fund a 24-hour telephone help line for problem gamblers and their families. That fund could jump to $17 million or $18 million annually.

27. States do gambling programs differently

Author: Breen, Tom
Source: Huntington Herald Dispatch
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
When West Virginia’s state Lottery decided it wanted more say in how its money is spent, it probably didn’t anticipate setting off tremors throughout the country. But on July 1, when the widely emulated Problem Gamblers Help Network goes from being administered by the state Department of Health and Human Resources to being overseen by the state Lottery, the eyes of problem gambling programs in dozens of states will be fixed on West Virginia. The change has prompted concerns about the integrity of the help network, and at the Lottery’s request, state auditors have launched a review of the Lottery’s past involvement with the program.

28. Stakes are high in underage gambling. Getting caught can lead to a lifetime ban

Author: Schneider, Grace
Source: Gannett News Service
Published Date: Jun 18, 2007

Description:
“In many ways, it’s more appealing to sneak into a casino now than getting served in a bar,” said David Giancopassi, a University of Memphis researcher who has studied underage casino gambling. In the last decade, Indiana’s 10 riverboats have paid about $296,000 in fines for avoidable lapses in allowing 90 underage patrons inside in the last decade. Mike Smith, executive director of the Indiana Casino Association, said the riverboats put a lot of effort into stopping underage people before they can get onto the boat. But no system of checks is completely fail-safe, security experts say, and some older teens and 20-year-olds get their hands on expertly counterfeited ID cards. “If a person is really determined to get in they can find a way. Some fake IDs are pretty convincing,” said Larry Buck, regional general manager with Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment, which owns Belterra Casino Resort & Spa in Switzerland County, Ind.

29. School scheme aims to warn young gamblers

Author: Blythman, Joanna
Source: Sunday Herald
Published Date: Jun 17, 2007

Description:
Betting among Scottish schoolchildren has reached such desperate levels that Gamblers Anonymous is stepping up a major new project aimed at curbing the problem. Reformed adult addicts are being dispatched to schools across the central belt to tell children how gambling ruined their lives. The massive increase in broadband internet access and the proliferation of scratchcards has taken gambling to a new, vulnerable generation. Already 50 schools have been visited, but Crawford Moodie, a psychologist at Glasgow Caledonian University, who has conducted numerous studies on gambling, believes more government funding is needed if new legislation is to be effective.

30. Time to stop gambling with young lives

Author:
Source: AdelaideNow
Published Date: Jun 17, 2007

Description:
The insidious culture of gambling enveloping our society is now reaching into schoolyards, setting some children on the path to becoming adult problem gamblers. The culture has developed so gradually that few people have understood the true extent of its impact. The Education Department’s Dicey Dealings program, showing children the risks and harm of gambling, is a start, but remains a piecemeal approach to a statewide issue. The biggest winner from South Australia’s addiction to gambling is the State Government, with a lucrative revenue stream coming straight from the pockets of losers. Some of this river of gold could well be directed to an upgraded and statewide program to show our schoolchildren the cold facts of gambling.

and more …..