Boardwalk casino in South Africa was robbed early Sunday morning. According to General Manager, Mervyn Naidoo, "the cash desk in the Casino had been robbed of a relatively small amount of money."

It all started when six armed men walked out of the casino firing their guns. There were two robbers who waited in getaway cars and six guarded the entrances.

Police arrived at the scene just moments later but they were not able to catch the perpetrators. No arrests have been made so far but investigation is still on.

Naidoo said, "No guests or staff were injured during the robbery thanks to the calm way in which the staff handled the situation as they were trained."

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our guests who were in the casino at the time," said Naidoo.

Germany has decided to ban all online gambling except betting on horse racing as it is expected to be formally warned about their new laws.

The new laws on foreign competition has made the European Commission unhappy and they have decided that they would start new legal action with a letter of notice and will drop the old legal proceedings which were initiated last year.

The European Gaming and Betting Association brought this matter to the commission considering that the German law has totally disregarded the European Union’s laws concerning the free passage of services.

Sportingbet.com has announced that it has made some new appointments. Peter Dicks has been appointed as the Non-Executive Chairman. James Wilkinson is the site’s Group Finance Director.

Dicks served as the Chairman for Sportingbet.com from 2000. Wilkinson served as the Group Finance Director for Johnson Service Group for three years. Being a CA, Wilskinson worked for the Informa Group for ten years.

Andrew McIver, Chief Executive Officer for Sportingbet, said, "I am delighted to welcome both Peter and Jim to the group." He further said, "Subsequent to our complete exit from the US market following the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act in October 2006, we embarked on a significant restructuring of the business. This is now largely finished and these two appointments complete the personnel changes we wished to make as part of that restructuring."

Andrew also commented, "The restructuring and other initiatives we have undertaken since October of 2006 provide the group with a solid foundation from which to deliver future growth. Current trading is encouraging and we are confident we are on track to meet full year expectations."

According to reports, there has been an increase in the revenue with the opening of the 24-hour Poker at Century Casino and Hotel Edmonton, Canada. Now Century Casino aims to add three more poker tables in Q1 of 2008. This addition will bring the number of poker tables to nine.

The casino, which currently offers regular Texas Hold' Em Poker tournaments weekly on Thursdays and Sundays, attracts a broad spectrum of players of all ages from the greater Edmonton area as well as tourists.

This 24-hour poker action is set in a spacious area and you can feel the warmth from the grand fire place. It has also a spacious area with plasma televisions to catch the latest sport scores. When it comes to casino, it has got 31 table games like Roulette, Baccarat, Black Jack, Craps...etc.

Bodog made a resolution to enter the Chinese market in this year 2008. It was only last year that Bodog opened a Chinese hotline offering world-class customer service. Now it is aims to introduce a brand new Chinese web page to assist its increasing number of Chinese customers.

Billionaire entertainment Mogul and Bodog Founder Calvin Ayre have taken vows to make Bodog an online Macau.

Calvin Ayre, said, "Stanley Ho, watch out! Bodog wants to be known as the Macau of the online world. With the best games, top customer service and the innovation to bring the most exciting entertainment to our Chinese customers, they don’t need to look to Macau or Las Vegas. We bring the excitement to them."

He further said, "2008 is a big year for the Chinese and Bodog. We want our Chinese customers to know that Bodog has thesame Beijing Olympic spirit to achieve the best."

Bodog has launched the web site www.bodoglife.com/Chinese which welcomes Chinese-speaking customers by offering Bodog’s Chinese-language customer service line. This service is available in both Mandarin and Cantonese.

With effect from January 31st 2008, Gerhard Burda will serve as the Senior VP of GTech. Burda will be responsible for managing long-term strategic direction of Gtech’s Gaming Solutions division and also provide operational leadership for the global business unit.

Gtech President and CEO Jaymin B. Patel, said, "Gerhard has more than 20 years of gaming industry experience, and his passion for the gaming product, his thorough understanding of player and operator needs, and his excellent customer relations uniquely qualify him to combine the skills of both companies, Spielo and Atronic, to form the foundation for our ambitious growth plans in this business segment."

Burda has worked in several managerial positions in the European telecommunications industry before joining Atronic. He completed his graduation from Engineering school in Graz, Austria.

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. has announced that it has introduced World Series of Poker Radio.

There will be more than 200 stations which will be aired by WSOP Radio. According to reports, the program will be hosted by Nick Gerber of WSOP Live and Fox Football Friday fame on Monday nights from 8-10 PM EST. Now sports radio and poker fans can follow and participate in the action of the World Series of Poker every Monday!"

There will be a weekly program which will be available on sportsbyline.com. The major market stations include:

KFCD 990 AM, Dallas

KGOW 1560 AM, Houston

KELA 1470 AM, Seattle

KSLG 1380 AM, St. Louis

WMOH 1450 AM, Cincinnati

KCXL 1140 AM, Kansas City

KSHP 1400 AM, Las Vegas

WSFN 790 AM, Jacksonville

WSOP Commissioner, Jeffrey Pollack, commented, "World Series of Poker Radio is the latest addition to our broadcasting and new media portfolio and opens up a new way for us to connect with our fans and players." He further said, "We're now 'on the air' every week with the biggest names in the game, news from the WSOP and insights from top poker analysts."

Steven Fiorentini has won $250,000 at the Borgata Winter Open in Atlantic City. He was followed by Nghi Tran, who won $138,180. Matthew Glantz was placed in the third position with winnings of $68,267.

In the fourth position, Thomas Ferris won a prize money of $57,575 which was followed by Aristedes Santana with $49,350. Eric Froelich, Alvin Delgado and Thayer Rasmussen managed to win $41,125, $32,900 and $24,676, respectively.

The International Casino Exhibition was a very big success for the global gaming industry. Although there were less Latin operators compared to last year, but there was a huge response from Europa, and, in a lesser extent, from Asia.

On the very first two days of the event, the show grew from 22,237 visitors in 2007 to 22,838 in 2008, which represents an increase of 2.7%. There was an additional of 765 registered professionals which showed the figures increase to 8.9% compared to last year. What's more, the number of visitors reached to 9,370 in the first two days.

Peter Rusbridge, president of Clarion Gaming and organizer of the event, said, "We always say that our exhibitions reflect the industries they belong to. Numbers of the first two days bring a big sample of the business volume managed in this important industry. ICE continues its organization supported in its status as one of the strongest casino events worldwide, and we are very pleased with ICEi development, both for the quality of the exhibitors and the visitors present this year."

Casino Tropez has announced that it has introduced 2 new video slots, 'Bonus Bears' and 'What's Cooking.' Players can enjoy huge prizes and bonus rounds.

These games have got outstanding graphics and offer chances to players to win big cash prizes.

'Bonus Bears' is a 25 pay line which features two extra bonus rounds. On the top of that, these rounds also include a Free Spins Feature, and a fun, animated pick-type Honey Feature bonus game.

Coming to the next game, 'What's Cooking', this is a 30-line video slot featuring a Dollar Ball side game. This game offers two types of bonuses; a Scatter bonus and a bonus game where players can win free spins.

32Red and Ladbrokes have joined the Ethoca collaborative fraud management network.

Earlier Bwin, William Hill and 888 were able to use Ethoca’s collaborative fraud prevention tools.

John O'Reilly, Managing Director, Remote Betting and Gaming at Ladbrokes, commented, "Ladbrokes has always adopted the highest standards of crime prevention and employing the latest technology is key to achieving this. Joining Ethoca's community further enhances our fraud management procedures and is a reflection of our commitment to strong standards of social responsibility."

Foxwood has announced that it has planned to hire 3,000 employees for a major expansion which is due to open this spring.

According to sources, the casino is looking forward to hire 277 dealers, 350 supervisors and managers, and more than 1,700 front-of-the-house workers.

According to Jason Guyot, director of operations, the pay will range from $9 an hour for entry-level jobs to salaried positions in the $50,000 to $60,000 range.

Guyot said, "I would say I am not aware of any other major openings of this kind in the region."

Mark Pincus, the high-profile Silicon Valley entrepreneur, has launched a new company to develop online games for sites such as Facebook and MySpace

Pinchus has high hopes for his new Zynga Game Network. It will be initially based in San Francisco with 27 employees.

Fred Wilson, Partner at Union Square Ventures, said, "People already love to play casual games but when you take a casual game and stick it inside a social network, it becomes way more exciting. People already love to play casual games but when you take a casual game and stick it inside a social network, it becomes way more exciting.”

Parlay Entertainment and NetPlay TV have join hands to develop Big Box Bingo, one of NetPlay TV's core properties.

Parlay will host number of slot games online and it would also develop an online bingo solution. It is also known that 888 will launch a white label bingo site for partner operator Daub Ltd in the coming weeks.

Martin Higginson, Chairman and CEO of NetPlay TV, said, "Our formula of a quality live TV show, big prizes and the ability to mark real bingo cards at home has already proven to be a winning combination."

He further said, ""It is a natural progression to extend the offering online, allowing our customers to play bingo and other online games any time they please. Our partnership with Parlay will harness the power of Parlay software, as well as Parlay's considerable experience in the online bingo space. This is the next step in our mission to offer a truly converged gaming experience."

Steve Cook, European Managing Director for Parlay Entertainment, commented, "Big Box Bingo is one of the most exciting bingo games we've ever seen. We're pleased that NetPlay TV has chosen us to help them further develop the interactive features of the show, including mobile phone and further web integration."

Eagle River Casino is all set to open its door on 31 January near Whitecourt. This is a 31.8-million investment by the Alexis First Nation.

This newly built casino included 250 slot machines, 12 table games and six poker tables. What's more, it has a restaurant and bar, convenience store, gas bar, truck stop and also a facility for small conference.

The grand opening for this new casino is at 9:45 a.m. on Jan. 31. With the opening of this new casino it is expected to provide full-time job opportunities with an annual payroll of $7.4 million.

Sportingbet.com has announced that it has made new appointments to the board. The new group finance director is James Wilkinson and Peter Dicks will serve as non-executive chairman.

Two Way Gaming and Pitch Entertainment have announced of their newly created gambling brand Pitch Gaming. This new company will combine both TV and web output.

Andrew McIver, CEO of Sportingbet, said, "I am delighted to welcome both Peter and Jim to the Group. Subsequent to our complete exit from the US market following the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act in October 2006 we embarked on a significant restructuring of thebusiness. This is now largely finished and with these two appointments we complete the personnel changes we wished to make as part of that restructuring. The restructuring and other initiatives we have undertaken since October 2006 provide the group with a solid foundation from which to deliver future growth. Current trading is encouraging and we are confident we are on track to meet full year expectations."

Cadillac Jack has announced the appointment of Kenneth Anthony as Chief Financial Officer. The main responsibility will be to oversee all accounting related operations. He would also have to initate financial strategies to grow and support the overall business direction of Cadillac Jack.

Anthony has served as Chief Financial Officer for Timbervest before joining Cadillac Jack.

Greg Gronau, President and CEO, commented, "Ken brings a tremendous level of expertise to Cadillac Jack that will help us further our strategic initiatives."

He further said, "His more than 20 years of experience and his strong track record of success in the areas of strategic planning, investor relations, and process improvements will help us to further refine our growth and investment opportunities."

Ken Anthony, said, "Cadillac Jack is experiencing strong growth due to a great product line and an experienced management team. I am excited to be a part of this dynamic company."

Exhibit Surveys Incorporated audited the attendance figures of G2E 2007, the world’s premier trade show and conference event for the gaming industry which was held in November 13-15, 2007. According to reports, it showed a 5% increase in attendance over last year with a record of 30,173 gaming professionals from 99 countries around the world.

The figures of industry professionals in the conference showed a total of 4,798.

Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the AGA, commented, "Each year, G2E continues its legacy as the world’s premier trade event for the gaming entertainment industry, a fact demonstrated by the increased overall attendance and increased attendance in our trade show section this year."

He further said, "Since we first made the promise to deliver an event ’by the industry, for the industry’ back in 2001, we have remained committed to delivering exactly what gaming professionals need to be successful in the global gaming industry. Increased attendance at the event shows that industry professionals recognize the value we provide."

So, if you think that G2E 2007 had only a greater attendance, then think again because in addition to experiencing increased attendance, it also attracted a greater number of exhibitors with 751 companies showcasing their products and services in 30,750 sqm of exhibiting space. What's more, it showed a continued growth in the food and beverage sector.

G2E 2007 really made a mark attracting attendees from 99 different countries, including Austria, Bolivia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Poland, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe and more.

World Mahjong Tour, Inc. has introduced the first ever Mahjong and Big Two Multiplayer Applications on facebook.

Pierre Wuu and David Wang, World Mahjong Tour founders, said, "Both Mahjong and Big Two are extremely popular Asian games with a massive followings worldwide. We plan to bring and introduce many Asian games to the entire worldwide audience in English and other languages."

They further said, "With this new launch on the Facebook Platform we will be the leader in presenting Asian games to a worldwide global audience. Facebook has a strong presence outside Asia in both North America and

Europe. This is a market which very few Asian gaming companies have entered."

Mahjong is available in Chinese and English and it allow users to quickly learn and improve their skills.Now users can now play social and competitive online Mahjong 24 hours a day simply by logging into Facebook.

The Hampshire captain Shane Warne was caught on the very first day of his new career as a poker professional when he was sending a text message during a poker game. It happened on Wednesday when he was taking part on Wednesday in the Aussie Millions tournament in Melbourne.

A spokeswoman for the Crown Casino, said, "Texting is a common infraction by gamblers. It happens all the time. It's just that it was Shane Warne."

Despite the penalty, Shane was able to finish the tournaments first day with 3,100 more chips than his original 20,000 starting chip amount.

According to a report published on the NASA website, the NASA Learning Technologies (LT) is currently investigating the development of a NASA-based massively multiplayer online educational game (MMO). Their objective is to use the form of massive multiplayer online gaming and social virtual world to enhance formal and informal education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). MMOs help players develop skills increasingly in demand by employers, such as strategic thinking, interpretative analysis, problem solving, plan formulation and execution, team-building and cooperation, and adaptation to rapid change.

American Poker player, Jason Potter, was attacked and robbed when he was on his way after winning $30,000 AUD Aussie Millions Championship at the Crown Casino. He was attacked in downtown Melbourne, AU.

According to the Melbourn Herald Sun, Potter, who won his Crown Casino chips in for cash, AUD and USD, was robbed off all his winnings after striking him in the head on the Spencer St. Bridge.

Investigations are still on and anybody who find any information to this case can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-333-000 or visit the website www.crimestoppers.com.au.

Sebastian Salat has been promoted to the new position of President of WMS Gaming.

Brian R. Gamache, President and CEO of WMS Industriess, said, "Sebastian’s strong management skills, including his extensive global gaming industry relationships and experience, have been instrumental in WMS’ success in expanding the sales and profitability of our international operations."

It was in January 2000 when Salat joined WMS Gaming and worked hard in making WMS as one of the leading global gaming equipment suppliers with sales in more than 70 countries.

Brian further said, "With Sebastian’s contributions, our international footprint has grown rapidly and today generates over 30% of our global new unit sales. With the international success we have achieved to date and the substantial potential to garner additional market share, aligning our total international focus under Sebastian will support the further growth of our global presence in the years ahead."

Salat has served as WMS’ Vice President and Managing Director, International and possesses more than 25 years of experience in the gaming industry. He has also served for 16 years as Director of UNIDESA Gaming, which happens to be one of the largest slot machine manufacturers in Europe and Latin America."

After Sweden, Austria will become the second country to launch a national online poker site managed by the state. According to Karl Stoss, head of Casinos Austria, this would take place within the coming weeks.

There will be a maximum weekly deposit of €800 and the main focus will be towards player protection. Boss Media will be the technology platform for this poker site.

The River Nile Casino in its new look has taken the industry by storm, says Goldenstarnetwork which manages besides this online casino also five other online gambling sites. The River Online Casino has now not only a new look, but also two more language options, Dutch and Spanish. The casino is also worth a visit for:

1. 60 minutes Free Play with $/Є/£1000 casino money which can give you up to 500% bonus on the first deposit

2. Playing the Mega Moolah Progressive with over $4 MILLION in the Jackpot.

3. Casino Treasure Cruise - Over $200,000 in Prizes to be Won

According to Goldenstarnetwork, since the 1st of January this year, the casino has seen three major progressive slot winners. On the 3rd of Jan 2008 Bernt A. won $14599.56 on the Cash Splash progressive slot and on the 5th and 7th of January Marc R. and Betty L. won $124700.24 and $90242.68 respectively. These winnings came from the Triple Sevens and Major Millions progressive video slots.

Bay State teachers are trying to bring casino gambling to the state by endorsing Gov. Deval Patrick to open the state to resort-style casinos.

According to The Massachusetts Teachers Association chief Anne Wass, the teachers union are trying hard to enter the debate over casino gambling in the state with the hope of winning a windfall for the state’s struggling schools.

Wass said,"We absolutely need revenue in this state. When you downsize public education, you downsize students’ dreams."

So, let us see what the governor thinks of this casino proposal in the near future.

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) has fined Absolute Poker $500,000 last week for its role in the "superuser" account cheating scandal.

According to a KGC statement, "seven accounts were used to compromise AP's systems by participating in live poker games with players using software that enable the viewing of the 'hole cards' of each of the other players, resulting in unfair play"

According to reports, Absolute Poker has fixed the software which caused the scandal but KGC has asked online poker room to place a "security deposit" with the Commission in case it needed to investigate them again.

B4Playing has signed 3 large European based affiliates with a total potential of 1500 players a month. The affiliates, which are based in Italy, Spain and UK, will be gradually switching traffic to the B4Playing's Online Casino and Poker smart tool.

Mr. Hall, a large affiliate in the UK who employs over 10 people, commented, "We are testing the B4Playing tool since early November. We have analyzed the software stability and intrusiveness, the conversion rate compared to direct traffic to properties and the accuracy of B4Playing statistics and we are very pleased. We have started with the B4Playing banner at the 10th place and now it is on our second position. The novelty of the B4Playing client and the value it adds to players drives high traffic to its site and we see very high conversion of visitors who download the B4Playing client."

Mr. Paz, B4Playing Founder and CEO, said, "We are pleased to see large affiliates joining our unique MCPA program. With our coming version 1.2 we will add direct support to local languages landing pages based on the language used by the user. Each language will have its list of the properties supporting the requested language."

Reuters report that a federal judge has allowed Nevada Democrats to hold presidential voting in casino hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. This decision could help Sen. Barack Obama in the next round of the campaign on Saturday. The Nevada Democrats plan to set up nine locations for Saturday's vote so casino shift workers, who are largely represented by the Culinary Union that endorsed Obama, could attend caucuses and vote for a presidential candidate. Read more ..

Entertasia, one of the Asian leading providers of gaming solutions, has joined hands with 888.com with the aim to bring out a live casino service across Asia.

According to the terms and conditions the live casino will be operated by a Philippines based operating company while the role of 888 will be to leverage its robust multi-channel marketing abilities to acquire new customers in the region.

888 has also planned to launch "888zhenren.com", a new service in multiple Asian territories and languages in Q1 2008.

Gigi Levy, CEO of 888, commented, "We have been providing the very best in-class online gaming and excellent customer service for Asian customers at 888 for 10 years now. We are always looking to extend new innovative services to our customers and increasing our presence in Asia is one of our key strategic goals. We see Entertasia as the best partner to achieve this goal and exploit this exciting opportunity."

After online casino, now the next big thing in the virtual world is "online billiards."

Thanks to BilliardMagic.com which has got a baize-covered table with a cue including snooker. It has also got various versions of pool, such as 8-ball and 9-ball pool, and carom which is popular in Asia and South America.

Billiard Magic is dedicated to all kinds of billiards games, featuring tournament play and strategy adviceSo, if you wish to try your hands on online pool or snooker just log on to www.billiardmagic.com

The Hampshire captain Shane Warne will miss the beginning of the English cricket session because of his poker commitments.

Warne, aged 38, is a regular poker player and has been playing poker for five years. Joe Hachem, his friend and a former WSOP Champion has been teaching him all the lessons of poker games.

Warne said, "I'm really excited. Hopefully this will replace the competitive spirit that I had with cricket. Nothing will replace the 20 years of cricket in my life but there are a lot of similarities. It's a game of skill that has a lot of analogies to cricket. You have to be very disciplined."

It is also expected that Warne is going to miss the 20-20 campaign in June.

Marathon Technologies Corporation, has announced that Bally Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BYI), the world's largest gaming systems company will offer Marathon's everRun availability software with its Windows-based slot and casino management applications.

Tom Doyle, Vice President of Systems Product Management and Compliance at Bally Technologies, said, "We recognize that from a business and revenue perspective, it is critical that our customers' Windows-based gaming systems and applications are highly available, and this can be challenging for those casinos with limited onsite IT resources."

He further said,"In the multiple Bally Systems sites in which we have implemented everRun, we have found that it helps us achieve our goal of delivering technology that enables gaming operators to run their businesses more efficiently."

For the first time, Las Vegas three storey penthouse has been listed for sale at $5.4 million. It has got 5,100 square feet on three levels and incredible views of the Las Vegas Strip.

There are many reasons for this unique luxury property. Firstly, Sky Vegas is the only luxury high rise tower on the Strip within the Las Vegas Strip resort corridor. Next, there is the rarity of three story penthouses in Las Vegas. And finally the cost of the penthouse is much lower in comparison to new penthouses under construction.

Bruce Hiatt, Broker and co-owner of Luxury Realty Group, Inc, said, "Luxury Realty Group is proud to be chosen as the exclusive listing brokerage for this incredible three story Sky Las Vegas Sky Suite penthouse." He further said, "Leveraging our extensive network of luxury real estate brokers established through years of membership in Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate and the Luxury Institute coupled with our highly innovative global marketing systems, we are increasingly selected as the preferred brokerage for selling high-end luxury high rise condos and hotel condos in Las Vegas."

Police broke up an illegal gambling operation in San Mateo County's Eichler Highlands.

Two people Cutberto Cardenas of San Mateo and Patricia Kathleen McCoy of Burlingame were arrested as part of the mid-afternoon raid on the home. According to reports, the game apparently took place every Saturday afternoon and it was located in the 1600 block of Lexington Avenue.

A team of deputy sheriffs and agents with the California Department of Justice seized three poker tables, playing chips, playing cards and a cash of $1,300 in the illegal gambling operation.

Paddy Power Poker has organised an epic battle between the poker players of Irish with Finnish which is going to take place in Dublin this May.

Paddy Power Poker in a press release, stated, "The tournament promises to be a real swashbuckler as the famously aggressive Finns clash with local Irishmen, world-renowned for their gamble at the poker tables." There will be 30 online qualifiers for this event.

The Finnvasion will be open to Irish and Finnish players only to those who qualify on Paddy Power Poker. May 17 will witness the live event in Dublin with an approximate prize pool of $18,000.

Paddy Power Poker communications manager, said, "he Irish lads are already polishing their helmets in anticipation of Finnvasion. we don't have a great record of dispelling invaders from these shores, but Team Paddy will be ready for the Finns this time, and while we will be welcoming them with one hand, we will be trying to crack their aces with the other."

NetSurf Media, an online gambling software provider, has announced the appointment of its new CEO - Mark Campbell. Campbell is the founder and former chairman of the Gextech software development group.

Campbell, who is known for launching and building successful commercial operations in both telecom and gaming sectors, will undertake the responsibility of expanding NetSurf in Europe. NetSurf Media's online casino products are showcased in VIP Lounge Casino.com.

According to NetSurf, the company employs 150 people in its operations worldwide, and operates through 10 online casinos. The company's next venture is to exhibit its capabilities at the International Casino Exhibition in London, scheduled to be held next week.

Online gambling company 888 Holding plc has entered into a partnership with Entertasia Technology Company Ltd., a gaming solutions company focused on Asian operations. The partnership will develop a live casino service. Further details of the deal were not divulged by the companies.

The agreement demands that a Philippines-based operating company will manage operations for the live casino, while 888 will take care of the marketing. The companies will also provide an Asian-focused sports book product in partnership with E-Sky, a specialized Asian sports book.

888.com also plans to launch the new service in several parts of Asia in different Asian languages during the first quarter of 2008.

The Government of New South Wales has rejected the approach made by Two Way Ltd seeking in-principle support for a proposed pay television betting service to be offered with Tabcorp and Foxtel.

Ben Reichel, Chief Executive for Two Way, said, "The Minister states that he is not prepared to give in-principle support to the proposed service in the current circumstances." He further said, "We were only told last night, so it has been really disappointing for us. Our service is really an extension of the existing wagering offer in New South Wales and people can already bet by phone and Internet. We didn't see why there is any fundamental issue with what we were proposing."

It is reported that an audit of 100 UK online casino sites conducted by the British independent research company Talisma shows a noticeable improvement of the customer service compared to their first audit a year ago. The average score of sites checked went up from 54 to 61 (out of 100), which is higher than in case of online retailers and broadband providers. The key improvements are in call answering, support via online chat and in accuracy of the information provided. However, the study also revealed several issues where services still lack. Read more..

Martin Arendts, German Attorney-at-Law, reports in his blog on sports betting and gaming law that the Principality of Liechtenstein might follow the role model of Gibraltar and offer remote gaming licenses. The tiny state, situated between Austria and Switzerland, is a full member of the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement and is, therefore, entitled to provide services to EU member states. This could mean that remote gambling operators with Liechtenstein gaming licenses may provide online gambling services to the member states of the EU.

The UK Gambling Commission published today a list of applicants for operating non-remote and remote gambling sites. The list includes all applications until 10 January 2008. Over 500 licenses have been granted for remote gambling, out of them 17 to online casino operators, including Bodog and William Hill, and 6 to Bingo operators. Over 3000 licenses have been granted to operators of non-remote gambling sites. The Commission has also published a list of over 3000 personal licenses granted to persons who occupy any function required by the operators.

Cyprus and Malta have joined 13 other nations in adopting the Euro, the European Union’s common currency.

Both nations which have a combination of only 1.2 million, have got equal voting rights with the other 13 Euro-zone members at the European Central Bank.

According to reports, Commercial banks in Malta will exchange old currency for Euros free of charge until the end of March with the central bank allowing the exchange of Lira notes until 2018.

Michalis Sarris, Finance Minister for Cyprus, has stated that both their businesses and customers would benefit from Euro because of the Euro-zone's low inflation, low interest rates and large market.

Ron (nietgek) Schut from Holland has become richer by €2000 richer winning the title "Runaway Winner" in the 2008 GPL Annual Poker League. He beat more than 50,000 other players to win by over 3500 points.

Lord Jasper won in the second place. The top 100 players won a cash prize and Ron also picked up another €500 from a 2nd place finish in the December league, to top off his many top 3 places in the monthly leagues in 2007.

Suzie Hawker, Managing Director, said, "I am absolutely delighted for Ron. He is an exceptional player and also a fantastic person. As www.thegreatpokerleague.com is also a very social website with a great community, and I was lucky enough to meet Ron as well as many of our other players earlier this year."

He further said, ""In 2008 there are a few changes at the GPL, which includes a new feel site with more functionality and improved player stats, as well as improved monthly annual and now weekly prizes from our partners. in 2008 we will be partnering Virgin Poker, Mermaid Poker and Poker Trillion. All three of

these rooms have lot to offer online players in addition to our Great Poker League."

There are expectations that Ecocard might get pull out of the US gaming industry athough no formal announcement has been made so far. According to reports, some customers were informed by the UK based company to withdraw from the market, following recent Neteller court trials.

There would be a new method coming up for US members to transfer their money but with strict restrictions. So, it is still not sure whether Ecocard will continue its service further or not.

Celebrities are counting the hours to participate in the $10 million main event which will start in Australia on Monday. Shannon Elizabeth, who is an American actress, well known poker enthusiast, and former fashion model, will be participating in the great event.

According to reports, Elizabeth was offered free accommodations for her stay. In return the casino wanted her to promote the tournamnet. But Elizabeth said that she would better pay the trip herself than promoting the casino.

This event will see glamour stars like Jennifer Tilly, Andy Roddick, Pamela Anderson and her husband Rick Solomon.

The UK Gambling Commission has granted Parlay Entertainment Inc. (TSXV: PEI), the world’s leading supplier of Internet bingo software, a licence to develop, supply, install and adapt gambling software in the UK.

The licence has been granted through Parlay’s subsidiary Parlay Malta Limited. Parlay is the only bingo software developer and also one of thirty companies worldwide to receive a UK remote gambling software licence.

Steve Cook, Parlay’s European Managing Director, said, "We’re thrilled to have been granted a UK licence. It means we’ll be able to continue serving our existing UK-based licensees as well as signing up new ones. We’re also pleased that we are currently the only online bingo developer to receive a remote gambling software licence in the UK."

Vietnam will experience a fastest economic growth rate in Southeast Asia as it is now seriously considering legalizing gambling and casinos to draw tax revenues for further economic growth, according to reports from the news agency VNA.

According to reports legal documents are being already drafted by the ministries of Finance, Planning and Investment in order to issue special regulations allowing gambling providers to set up shop in Vietnam.

Previously only upper-scale hotels with electronic centres were allowed to offer gambling and that only to foreign passport holders in 2003 by the Vietnamese government. According to the People's Daily Online news website, Vietnam's illegal betting market is worth US$1 billion.

So, there are chances of large-scale economic opportunities for Asian countries in the near future.

Players Network has join hands with AcSell Media in order to be the company's Ad Agency for Video-On-Demand content on all Players Network's multiple distribution platforms.

New Media, such as Video-On-Demand has become very popular and more desirable platform where advertisers can most effectively reach their targeted audience by its highly definable demographics.

The number of viewers increased to more than 2 million consumers. It is expected that it would include a wide range of consumers and would attract a wider range of sponsors when all television distribution is mandated to go digital in 2009.

Players Network's CEO Mark Bradley, said, "AcSell Media's proven ability to excite advertisers about the current and future value of New Media makes them the perfect company for us to work with. They are way ahead of the curve in New Media ad sales and recognize the value to sponsors of Players Network's Las Vegas and Gaming Lifestyle category. We have no doubt that AcSell Media will be able to monetize our content and bring extensive revenue into our company."

With the increase in the number of women players World Poker Tour(R) (WPT) has launched an official WPT ladies league and No Limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament circuit--WPT Ladies(TM) (WPTL).

The buy-ins which ranges from $300 - $1,500, provides multiple opportunities for amateur, semi-pro, and professional female players to test their skills in a tournament environment and that too without paying a costly five-figure buy-in. Apart from this, ladies will also get the chance to win a WPT title and also a seat in the WPT Ladies' Championship.

Robyn Moder, executive vice president of WPT Studios, said, "Women are a rising force in poker. By bringing a WPT ladies league and tour stops to top gaming destinations across the US, we hope to support and perpetuate the evolution of the sport and recognition of the women who play."

The tour will conclude with a $1,500 Championship tournament at Bellagio in Las Vegas.

The Which Bingo 'Online Bingo Site of the Year awards 2007' was announced recently. Which Bingo UK was delighted to announce the name 'Think Bingo' as the '2007 UK Online Bingo Site of the Year.'

The Which Bingo Site of the Year awards recognize and reward excellence in UK online bingo,which counts the number of votes by the players.

A spokesperson, after hearing of their win, commented, "We are delighted to receive this prestigious award on behalf of our Think Bingo members and chat moderators. It is them that set Think Bingo apart and demonstrate that you don't have to be the biggest to be the best".

Gone Bingo UK was announced the "New Site of the Year 2007."

Phil Fraser, owner of Which Bingo, said, "we are amazed each year that we run these awards as to how dedicated players are to their favourite online bingo sites. Their enthusiasm for their preferred bingo game knows no bounds. I'd like to congratulate all our 2007 winners on their success and look forward to another great year for online bingo in 2008."

At the cost of the US presidential election campaign, Europeans seem to be cashing in, and literally. Online gamblers are having a field day betting on Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama, both hopefuls for USA's top post. While BetUS.com has reportedly bet accurately on the recently held Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, others like BetFair and Paddy Power, have had it not so smooth.

BetFair reportedly listed Clinton's odds of winning at New Hampshire primary at 50 to 1, with a payout of US$5000 for every US$100 bet. And Hillary having won that primary, the players have had it served on a platter.

Others like Sportsbook.com have also joined the bandwagon, with similar payout offers.

The most controversial and arguably written about legal dispute of the case between Antigua vs USA has ended, but not as satisfactorily as Antigua would like to have it. The WTO ruling on the case has ended rather disappointingly for many gambling fans and loyals, and for Antigua itself. The WTO courts have ruled that a sum of US$21 million be paid annually to Antigua by USA, instead of the demanded amount of US$3.4 billion.

The case began in 2003, when Antigua contested US's prohibition of online gambling operators. Though the WTO held US responsible for trade violations, it did not quite allow a compensation that would have actually made the small island country content. A major factor of this ruling was that Antigua could only recover losses from online horse-racing, and not other forms of internet gaming.

MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and MARK J. MERSHON, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the FBI, announced on January 7, 2008, the unsealing of an Indictment charging twelve individuals with gambling and money laundering offenses relating to the operation of a CostaRica-based gambling website and telephone call center that served sports bookies in the United States. Eight of the twelve defendants were arrested earlier on this day. FRANCIS PUGLIESE and PATRICK CICALESE are expected to surrender, and CARMEN CICALESE remains at large.

According to the indictment, CARMEN CICALES has been operating since at least 2005 an internet website and telephone call center in Costa Rica, known as a wireroom, which charged US-based sports bookies weekly fees for bringing gamblers to the wireroom. Read the FBI press release.

The UK Gambling Commission has set up a Regulatory Panel for reviewing gambling licence applications and existing operators. This panel has the authority to suspend or revoke a licence or to attach conditions. They can also penalize a licensed operator financially. The Panel has now published a Guidance and Procedures which it follows. Read here the complete document.

According to The New York Times, Google is encouraging its employees to gamble online during their lunch break.

Noam Cohen reports, "At Google, employees are encouraged to go online and place bets on a prediction market — an exchange that tries to forecast events based on the money wagered on a particular outcome."

The players wager with the help of play money which are known as Goobles. These Goobles can be converted into prizes unlike online gambling.

When many claimed that online gambling can be addictive and might lead to problems, Cohen said that Gooble was actually bringing Google employees together.

Wild Jack Casino , a member of the Jackpot Factory, has launched a brand new blackjack game, called High Streak European Blackjack Gold. The game, built upon the Gold Series platform, is based on the European rules of blackjack.

This online blackjack game promises more options and variety, thanks to side bet option called High Streak. This High Streak feature claims to reward the skilled player with a very generous 10:1 payout.

The company claims that High Streak is another great game and truly solidifies Wild Jack's claim as 'Number 1 in 21.’ The game is played with two regular 52-card decks that are shuffled before each hand. And with various betting levels that cater to the needs of both novice players and high rollers, High Streak shows promise.

BackgammonMasters Game Lobby, an online gambling unit which was newly revamped, is introducing its members to a new look and improved navigation scheme. As reported by sources, there will be dramatic change in the look and feel, making way for a fully integrated casino system, featuring about 200 online game variations such as Video Poker, Roulette, Slots, 21 BlackJack and more.

By expanding their platform to accommodate single and multi-player games, BackgammonMasters aims to become a one-stop-shop for games available online, and also “maximizing their ability to cross-sell to their customer base.” The company reportedly said that it is also aiming at raising the value per player, with a focus to always be ahead of its competitors.

888.com , has come up with an electronic cards service for its players to use for free. The cards operate like greeting cards, which players can send for free on special occasions. These cards, however, also increase the chances of the players winning a cash prize.

The electronic greeting cards service can be accessed by the players at specials.888.com/greetings. This site has all the cards for all occasions like birthdays, Christmas, weddings etc. Each card will raise the chances of winning cash of the player who’s using it. The win-worth is $888, and for people who receive these cards, will be eligible for a special Welcome Bonus.

Oggs.com , the online casino reviews site, has announced the Online Casino Awards for 2007 which covers casinos, operators and games from all the major regions: 'Best Casino', 'Best New Casino', 'Best Group' and 'Best New Slot Game'.

iNetBet , which uses Real Time Gaming (RTG) software, bagged the title, "Best US Casino." The runner up in this category went to Nostalgia Casino , which is a part of the Casino Action group.

Based on customer service and games, Virgin Casino won the "Best UK Casino" award. The runner up in this category went to Ladbrokes with its excellent Microgaming interface.

Bet365 Casino won the "Best EU Casino 2007." Gaming Club won the "Best Japanese Casino 2007."

The Casino Action Group won the "Best Casino Group 2007." The award for 'Best New Casino' went to Globet Casino.

"Best New Slot Game 2007" went to Hitman. Other new slot games that received honourable mentions include: Green Light from RTG, Dragon's Loot from Microgaming and a new version of the 'The Hulk' from Cryptologic.

Eight people were arrested on Monday by US authorities in connection with a Costa Rica-based online sports gambling unit which allegedly made millions of dollars in profits annually.

12 people face charges that include illegal gambling in an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court for their role in operating a gambling Web site and call centre that serviced U.S.-based sports bookies.

Las Vegas Sands has secured a loan of $3.7 billion to complete the construction of a hotel-casino development in Singapore. According to sources, the $3.7 billion loan package was primarily funded by the Asian financial market.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. President William Weidner stated, "We are pleased to have completed this important financing for our Marina Bay Sands development. The completion of this Singapore Dollar-denominated facility, which is the largest private Singapore Dollar-denominated financing in Singapore’s history, was accomplished on very favorable terms in a challenging global credit environment."

There will be 2,500 hotel rooms, 1.2 million square feet of convention space, 1 million square feet of retail space and three entertainment venues. It is scheduled to open in late 2009.

The State of Kentucky is now very serious to discuss legalized gambling this week. The main topic is 'casino gambling.' There will be arguments made on both sides of the issue.

In most cases, it was determined that money which could be generated from casino revenue was just too much to pass up. According to sources, this option will be more feasible in Kentucky than in other states. Higher taxes cannot be made by the residents of Kentucky. So, the alternative of casino gambling could be a beneficial one.

Now even if the Legislators agree that casino gambling can enlighten the financial stress by 2010, it will still leave a gap that will require some other action be taken to help the state's economy.

Italy's Lottomatica (LTO.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary GTech Global Services Corporation has signed a four year contract extension in order to continue providing software licensing and additional software products and services to Veikkaus Oy, the operator of the Finnish National Lottery.

This contract estimates to generate revenues to GTECH of approximately US$39 million, over the extension period commencing in December 2009 through November 2013.

GTECH President and CEO, Jaymin B. Patel, said, "Veikkaus is one of the most innovative and successful operators in the World Lotteries Association. Among their many achievements, Veikkaus has been a true pioneer in the delivery of lottery content over new media channels. They have delivered consistent growth across all segments of their business and are one of the most successful interactive lotteries in the world."

According to the Italian Tennis Federation (FIT), two Italian players including the nation’s number one, Potito Starace, has been banned by Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for betting on matches.

ATP has banned Starace, ranked 31st in the world by the ATP, for six weeks and fined $30,000 for making five bets amounting to a total of around $132 two years ago.

On the other hand, ATP has banned Daniele Bracciali, ranked 258th in the world by the ATP, for three months and fined $20,000 making around 50 bets of about seven dollars each.

According to a statement issued by the FIT, "Injustice has been done. As with Alessio Di Mauro, the penalties are absolutely out of proportion with the size of infringements committed by the two players. Obviously, neither bet on their own matches "

'The ATP must have known about the bets made by the players for years but it is only hitting them now to show that it is doing something about the real scandal of matches being fixed for dishonest gamblers.'

The all new Las Vegas’s luxury resort, the Palazzo Las Vegas is all set to open this month.

It has a 50 -storey builing with 45 pools and fountains. What's more It has four 80-foot glass domes. Every suite has a sunken living room, marble baths and remote control Roman shades.

Rob Goldstein, president of The Palazzo and its sister-property,The Venetian, said, "The newest and most luxurious resort in Las Vegas is deserving of a unique and graceful introduction to the world and the Rose Parade with its rich tradition, spectacularly designed floats, and large international viewing audience is a befitting partner in our efforts to make that introduction."

Come March and Titan Poker will give players a chance to win two million dollar guaranteed Prize Tournament.

This $2,000,000 Guaranteed is supposed to be the most exciting online tournaments of the year. All Titan Poker players can buy-in directly to the main event. They can also make their way to the Main Event by winning their seat through a series of sit 'n' go tournaments and multi-table qualifiers.

Titan Poker has already staged the European Championship of Online Poker 2007 (ECOOP) in December where it awarded more than $2,500,000 in Guaranteed Prizes in ten consecutive days of poker tournaments.

AllJackpots.com, an online casino licensed in The Kahnawake, has been awarded by Online-Gambling-Insider.com in its annual awards list. What is more, it has won two honours.

AllJackpots.com received the Best Online Casino 2007 award alongside the Best Promotion award for its $100,000 slots freeroll tournament.

Under the same parameters, SlotoCash.com, another online gambling group, was named Best New Casino 2007 by the portal interactive slots games coupled with great customer service.

BodogLife.com received for the third consecutive year, the prize for the sports category, while the Best Slots Casino award went once again to AllSlots.co.uk.

Sportingbet, a London-listed online betting company, has reported sales to meet analysts' estimates since the first quarter ended October, of the current financial year. The company owns several online gambling operations.

Sportingbet was one of those companies that quit their US operations, following the UIGEA coming into effect. At that time, the company disposed of its US-facing assets for one dollar to Jazette Enterprises. Fowwing that, it faced substantial losses, which were finally absorbed.

Playtech, the online gambling software developer, has launched pub poker league in UK, called TheNutsPokerLeague.com (TNPL), to be featured on the iPoker Network. The TNPL will join iPoker, which already has over 75,000 players across the globe.

This will enable players to play poker at TNPL, while having access to an extensive list of tournaments hosted by iPoker. Also, every three months the top 25% players qualify from their pubs into regional tournaments and then they will be eligible for the National Finals, where they can win big prizes.

HeadsUp Entertainment Inc, a global media and entertainment company, has announced the date of 2008 Canadian Open Poker Championships to be held at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This poker championships will take place from March 5-9, 2008.

There will be a series of five events and the estimated prize pool exceeds more than $1.3 million CDN.

5% of the prize pool will be donated to Breast Cancer Research from Event 1 where there will be a buy-in of $500 and freezeout tournament with capacity of up to 250 players.

In the Event 2, the buy-in will be $5000 with a maximum player of 128. $1500 will be the buy-in for Event 3, $1000 buy-in for Event 4 and finally there will be a buy-in of $500 in Event 5.

Kelly B. Kellner, President and CEO, said, "We are excited to be hosting this event in Calgary at the Deerfoot Casino." He further stated, "Our last event attracted a world class field of competitors such as Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, Andy Bloch, Nenad Medic and Huck Seed, World Series of Poker Main Event winner from 1996, as well as Canadian pros Greg "FBT" Mueller and "Yukon" Brad Booth. We have a distinct advantage with international players as Canadian prize pools for poker tournaments are tax free and with US and Canadian dollar parity we expect a strong international turnout."

If you are interested in knowing more about this event, then you need to visit the website, www.canadianchampionshippoker.com

Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron has emerged as the Online Player of the Year after defeating Baron (8,304 points) and Matt "ch0ppy" Kay (8,278 points.)

Sorel "Imper1um" Mizzi, who was their next-closest competitor, was relatively far back with 6,676 points.

Taking into account only his OPOY-qualified finishes, Baron earned $1,036,452 and made 37 top-20 finishes. He also made it through 20 final tables, and took down seven events. It was Kay who started the year as the board leader by taking down the first Sunday Million in 2007. But as luck would have been, Baron took the coveted title.

Genting Highlands Resort has won the prestigious International Travel Award — The 2007 World Travel Award for the World’s Leading Casino Resort at the 14th Annual World Travel Awards Gala ceremony.

The other resorts which were nominated were world renowned Ceasars Palace Las Vegas (USA), D’oreale Grande, Emperor Palace (South Africa), MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Vegas (USA), Park Hyatt Mendoza (Argentina), Star City Hotel & Casino, Sydney (Australia) and The Venetian (Macau.)

Alan Teo, Resorts World Bhd executive vice president, said, "We have always striven to provide the best products and services to our valued customers." He accepted the prestigious award on behalf of his group.

The resort has also won other awards which includes the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards 2007/2008, TTG Travel Awards 2007, Malaysia’s Most Valuable Brands 2007, Brand Laureate Award 2007, Malaysia Spa & Wellness Awards 2007 and FIABCI Malaysia Property Award 2007.

The Centre for Advanced Software Technology (CAST) has been appointed to undertake fairness testing of gaming machines and software at the ICE 2008.

Project Manager Andrew Rosewarne said, “As a newcomer to the industry, ICE is the ideal forum for us to meet potential customers. I don’t think there is another event in the UK which will have such a broad range of game suppliers under the one roof. We are hoping, of course, to meet new customers and promote our name to the industry as the gold standard in fairness testing.”

It is to be noted that CAST Ltd is the first organisation in the world to achieve Commission approval in order to test the fairness of gaming machines and software.

The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau in Macau has predicted that Macau will have a record year as the total casino revenues rose 46.5 percent and it is expected to reach ten billion dollars.

It is because of the opening of the Las Vegas-style MGM Grand Macau casino in December that recorded gross receipts of $6.6 million in its first two days of operations. For this the revenues for the enclave have risen.

The number of casinos rose to 28 with the opening of the MGM Grand which includes the Macao Palace floating casino currently closed for renovation.

Mark your calendar as WSOPC Indiana has preponed its date to March 30-April 13 . Previously it was scheduled to start from April 2- 16. There are only seven events left on the Circuit before the World Series of Poker kicks off in Las Vegas May 30.

The schedule for this event are as follows:

* Jan. 3-22: WSOPC Grand Casino Tunica

* Jan. 27 - Feb. 7: WSOPC Harrah's Rincon San Diego North

* Feb. 18-27: WSOPC Horseshoe Council Bluffs

* March 5-15: WSOPC Caesars Atlantic City

* March 30 - April 13: WSOPC Caesars Indiana

* April 20 - May 1: Caesars Palace Las Vegas

* May 9-21: Harrah's New Orleans

So, stay tuned and watch out this space to get more news on this tournament.

Vietnam is reportedly in serious consideration to make gambling legal, for a better regulation of tax and other activities. The country’s ministries of Finance and of Planning and Investment are deciding on a draft to submit to Hanoi government for consideration.

In Vietnam, before 2003, all forms of gambling except the state-run lottery were illegal. Since 2003, however, the government reportedly allowed some hotels to set up electronic centres that offer gambling, but only for foreign passport holders. There are four licensed casinos, that of Do Son in northern Hai Phong city, Hoang Gia and Loi Lai in northern Quang Ninh province, and Lao Cai in northern Lao Cai province, that operate for foreign passport holders in Vietnam.

Even as UK chose to be flexible with its online gambling regulations and even allowed television advertisements, the trend seems to be for online casinos and bookmakers to look for ventures outside UK.

Exceptionally high tax is seen as the reason for the online firms to do so.UK charges 15% tax on online gambling, as decreed by Gordon Brown. Online gambling firms therefore are choosing sunnier spots like Gibraltar, or Channel Islands, as sources say. UK’s Totesport Casino, an arm of the country’s government-owned bookies, is reportedly moving to Alderney.

The same report suggests that since Alderney is on the government’s White List, Totesport will still be allowed to advertise in the UK, but will avoid the costly taxes and stricter regulations.

After a crackdown in the US hit companies such as Sportingbet and BetOnSports last year, AsianLogic Ltd, the online casino developer has become the first major Internet gaming company to list on London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM.)

Thomas Hall, the former Playtech executive founded this Hong Kong based firm and made its initial public offering (IPO) to the London Stock Exchange last week. This was the first step taken since the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in America over a year ago.

The company generates three quarters of its revenues from online casino games. It also owns a small chain of sportsbetting shops in the Philippines. Regardding the customers, they mostly hail from Malaysia and Singapore as broadband Internet access is relatively widespread and gambling laws are more liberal.

Hall, Executive Vice Chairman for AsianLogic, said, "I've been involved in a couple of listings and, in what was a pretty tough market, we got support from a wide range of institutions. Asia is growing rapidly as a gaming environment both on land and online and we are one of the first major online gaming groups in Asia."

Sources report that Partygaming, the biggest listed online poker gaming group, incorporated in Gibraltar and exempt from UK government tax and regulation, was the 2007's top sell and second most popular stock buy in UK.

According to a press release published by prweb.com, MansionCasino.com's month long Happy New Winners promotion will present a January full of big money prizes worth thousands of dollars in prizes to be won.

From Tuesday 1 January until Thursday 31 January, there will be a different promotional offer every day. with a variety of magnificent cash prizes, bonuses and special offers to be shared by MANSION Members. Read more ..

IGCE '08, the International Gaming Conference & Expo, scheduled for Lisbon, Portugal, April 22-24, 2008, will focus on the legal aspects of the gaming and sports industries. Amanda Manero, Conference Coordinator for IGCE, said: "We are faced with a multi-billion dollar business and the areas of legislation, regulation, political rulings that occur without announcement but with unerring regularity have the potential of putting many individuals and organizations in harm's way. It is necessary and critical that all are acutely aware of how to address, combat and adapt to these ever-changing times. That, in essence, is the purpose of IGCE '08, to bring together the finest and most well-known attorneys and corporate leaders from around the globe to address present problems as they are perceived and to discuss those that are waiting on the legal horizon." Read more..