The Nevada Gaming Commission approved a $1 million fine against the Seeno family’s Nevada casino operations Thursday, after the Peppermill chain admitted to ordering an employee to steal proprietary data from rivals through a slot machine spying scam. The Nevada Gaming Commission voted 3-0 to approve the steep fine, which Peppermill’s ownership agreed to pay last week. One commissioner recused himself from the vote and another abstained, according to Karl Bennison with the regulatory agency. Peppermill President William Paganetti read a brief statement at the Las Vegas hearing, apologizing for the casino’s action, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’m…

In a unanimous opinion, the Kentucky Supreme Court made a decision on so called Instant Racing. They ruled that the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has the legal authority to regulate wagers on previously run horse races presented on electronic gambling machines — but that the legality of the wagers themselves has yet to be established. The court said the case must go back to Franklin Circuit Court, where it originated, to determine whether “the licensed operation of wagering on historical horse racing as contemplated by (the racetracks and the state) constitutes a parimutuel form of wagering.” The court also reversed…

inCypress – Cabinet yesterday decided to establish ministerial and coordination committees and appoint a project manager amid efforts to create casinos that are “the best of their kind in Europe and amongst the best in the world”. Deputy Government Spokesman Viktor Papadopoulos made the announcement after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting. He revealed that Deloitte has been selected as the successful candidate to consult the government on the casino issue following an international tender process undertaken by the Commerce Ministry. Papadopoulos announced the Cabinet’s decision to create a Ministerial Committee and a Coordinating Committee and to designate a project manager for the…

Bloomberg – Crown Resorts Ltd. (CWN), the gaming company controlled by billionaire James Packer, slumped after first-half profit missed analyst estimates as a 26 percent decline in bets from high-rolling gamblers weighed on earnings. Net income was A$382.5 million ($344 million) in the six months ended Dec. 31, the Melbourne-based company said in a regulatory statement today, more than double the A$180.8 million result a year earlier. Crown fell 3.2 percent to A$16.68 at the close in Sydney trading, the biggest decline since Dec. 13. Australian casino companies are counting on growing demand from high-spending Chinese and other Asian tourists…

VOA News – A number of countries in Asia are considering relaxing their gambling legislation to cash in on an expanding pool of wealthy gamers from the world’s most populous and fastest growing nations. This may pose a possible threat to the world’s biggest gambling center, Macau. According to some, 2014 could be the year Japan legalizes gambling. The country’s ruling party has submitted a bill to the parliament.  If it goes through, which many expect to happen, it could turn Japan into the world’s second largest gambling market. But the country is far from the only one in Asia…

UBC News – UBC Psychology Prof. Catharine Winstanley’s work on gambling addictions will be a highlight of the new Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, a major new research and clinical facility opening later this month. What has your research revealed about gambling addictions? We have learned that, in animal models, problem gambling behaviours can be treated with drugs that block dopamine D4 receptors. These receptors are linked to a variety of behavioural disorders, but research had not yet shown a useful role in treatment. Our 2013 study found that rats treated with a dopamine D4 receptor-blocking medication showed reduced…

Canton Rep – What had been money in the pockets of betting men and women and became loot lost on the craps tables, slot machines and other games of chance at the Ohio’s four casinos has landed in the coffers of local public and charter school districts. What had been money in the pockets of betting men and women and became loot lost on the craps tables, slot machines and other games of chance at the Ohio’s four casinos has landed in the coffers of local public and charter school districts. The Ohio Department of Taxation distributed $47.3 million in…

TTG Asia – LONG-STANDING political tensions were no barrier for Chinese travellers looking for sun, surf and gaming as arrivals from China to the Philippines surged a dramatic 69.9 per cent year-on-year in 2013. Travel consultants said this affirmed the Philippines’ appeal as a top beach destination. Oliver Sison, general manager at Far Eastern Travel Agency, said Chinese travellers love the beach and “primarily Boracay and (its) party atmosphere”. China was the Philippines’ fourth biggest source market according to Department of Tourism (DoT) statistics, totalling 426,352 arrivals and a 9.1 per cent total market share in 2013. DoT attributed this…