Gambling Reform in U.K. Focuses on Punter Protection

Online-Casino.com – The online gambling industry in the United Kingdom is set to undergo major changes which some operators who dodged the tax bullet last time by moving to Gibraltar and other tax friendly jurisdictions now having to face the music. The proposed changes in the way the U.K. government regulates the online gambling industry have been met with a fair amount of resistance from the operators who say the new tax regime will minimize profit and turn punters away. The government has been listening and the UK Minister for Sport, Tourism and Equalities, Helen Grant recently announced changes to…

Las Vegas casino unveils high-tech bingo room

Las Vegas Review Journal – The Rampart Casino increased its gaming offerings April 19, opening a new bingo room that can accommodate 300 people, with another 40 in a separate, glass-enclosed smoking room. The bingo room is just off the main casino floor near Starbucks. The day before the official opening, the casino at 221 N. Rampart Blvd. offered a preview to select players. The room was nearly full. Gamers used electronic devices that can display multiple cards, using FortuNet software. The software automatically marked the corresponding square on the device. “It guarantees you’re not going to miss a number,”…

George Clooney, Steve Wynn Feud Grows More Intense

Gambling 911 – Las Vegas casino magnate Steve Wynn insists he did not call US President Barack Obama an “a**hole” during a heated argument last month while having dinner with Hollywood actor George Clooney. Wynn accused Clooney, who stormed out of the Las Vegas restaurant following the alleged remarks, as having been “a little into the tequila”.  He also branded the Ocean’s Eleven star as “mollycoddled”. Clooney quickly responded to Wynn’s remarks via People.com: “I will not let his version of the truth go unchallenged. He now says he didn’t call the president an ‘a******.’ That is false. He bellowed…

NFL draft will unfold like a highly competitive game of poker

Seattle Times – When the Seahawks drafted tight end Luke Willson last year, most people probably had two reactions. First, to make a joke about the Seahawks taking an actor (Luke Wilson, one L) in the fifth round. And, second, to look up who the heck Luke Willson (two L’s) was. But Willson offers an interesting window into the draft. He played at Rice with Vance McDonald, another tight end who the 49ers drafted in the second round. Willson was highly productive as a sophomore and junior, but he battled injuries as a senior. His stats dipped significantly. Where McDonald…

Nevada gaming board bans casino licensees from medical marijuana trade

Las Vegas Review Journal – The Gaming Control Board told its license holders Tuesday they cannot participate in the state’s potential medical marijuana business. In an industry notice posted to the Control Board’s website, the agency, which is charged with licensing and regulating the state’s casinos and gambling equipment providers, said the federal government views distribution, possession and sale of marijuana as a crime. “Accordingly, unless the federal law is changed, the board does not believe investment or other involvement in a medical marijuana facility or establishment by a person who has received a gaming approval or applied for a…

NetPlayTV commits to Big Brother sponsorship

iGaming Business – UK-based interactive gaming company NetPlayTV has announced that its SuperCasino.com brand will again serve as the headline sponsor of UK reality television programmes Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother for a second consecutive year. Big Brother 2014 will begin in June while Celebrity Big Brother 2014 is scheduled for broadcast later this year. Both programmes will air on UK commercial broadcaster Channel Five. The advertising deal, which will begin in June and run for approximately 14 weeks, will see SuperCasino.com branded bumpers appear from 9pm onwards on all Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother television, online and…