L.A. Times – Los Angeles police arrested 23 people on misdemeanor charges in a raid on a Van Nuys Internet cafe suspected of hosting an illegal gambling operation, the LAPD said Friday. Officers from the Van Nuys vice unit served a search warrant Thursday at the Talk & Win Internet cafe on Sherman Way after getting an anonymous tip that gambling was taking place there, the LAPD said in a statement. Officers seized 42 computers and $9,200 in cash, and arrested 20 people on suspicion of gambling at an illegal facility and three on suspicion of possession of a gambling…

Las Vegas Review-Journal – It didn’t take long for American Gaming Association CEO Geoff Freeman to comprehend one of the casino industry’s key dynamics. As the new face on Capitol Hill for gaming, Freeman works closely with representatives of the major casino operators and slot machine manufacturers to further the industry’s collective interests. The industry is relatively young by many standards; casinos have been infiltrating U.S. jurisdictions outside of Nevada and New Jersey only since the early 1990s. The American Gaming Association, founded in 1995, was created to protect the industry’s common causes in Washington D.C., much like other trade…

Cantor Gaming has signed a Bally online gaming content agreement to provide Bally Techn iGaming Platform with its sports wagering and mobile casino games, the Las Vegas-based bookmaker said Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “We are delighted to sign this agreement with Bally Technologies and offer our innovative selection of online race and sports wagering and casino-gaming content to a broad audience of gaming enthusiasts,” said Lee Amaitis, president and CEO of Cantor Gaming. Amaitis described the deal as a “tremendous fit for both parties.” Besides its mobile sports book, Cantor offers XtraOdds Blackjack and Baccarat, Mobile…

Associated Press – It’s not often you can use the word “dry” to describe a Las Vegas landmark, but tourists hoping to cruise along the Venetian hotel-casino’s indoor canals are finding them tapped out. The waterways were emptied for repainting earlier this month for the first time since the casino opened in 1999. When they reopen in mid-October, the water will once again appear to sparkle below the hotel’s trompe-l’oeil sky. On Thursday, piped-in Italian music echoed off cement mixers and construction tools strewn around the bottom of the canals that meander through the hotel’s shopping mall. Tourists leaned over…

In celebration of its 20th anniversary Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas is offering the fans a rare glimpse behind the curtain with the return of its Cirque Week series of events. The fourth year of the annual celebration will run from November 9-16, during which each of the Strip’s eight resident shows will host a series of events ranging from backstage access, performance classes, ticket packages and more. Options include a live fire demonstration from the inferno acts of “O,” choreography lessons from “Michael Jackson One” and an up-close look at the intricate Thierry Mugler costumes from “Zumanity.” Customizable ticket…

Gambling 911 – Paddy Power, the United Kingdom’s third largest bookmaker, will begin working with LGBT charity Stonewall to get behind gay footballers. The betting firm just sent out rainbow-coloured laces to 134 football clubs asking them to  “show the world they’ve got the balls to support gay players” by wearing them in their boots this weekend. We love football but it needs a kick up the arse,” said Paddy Power on the bookmaker’s blog. “In most other areas of life people can be open about their sexuality and it’s time for football to take a stand and show players…