The Guardian – Amid criticism bookmaker vows to link executive pay to targets tackling issue and set up a board committee to investigate policy Ladbrokes will seek to calm the row over the lucrative fixed-odds gambling machines in high-street bookies this week with a vow to link executive pay to targets on tackling problem gambling. The bookmaker also plans to set up a board committee to investigate responsible gambling policies as it responds to widespread criticism of machines dubbed the “crack cocaine of gambling” by campaigners. Ladbrokes has written to the minister responsible for gambling, Helen Grant, and industry stakeholders…

South China Morning Post – Singapore announced steep increases in alcohol, gambling and tobacco taxes as it pledged billions of dollars in health care subsidies for its growing ranks of elderly citizens. Alcohol taxes will rise 25 per cent, while duties on tobacco will jump 10 per cent. Betting duties from the state-linked betting firm Singapore Pools will rise to 30 per cent from 25 per cent of gross bets from July. In his budget speech on Friday, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam also unveiled a S$9 billion (HK$55 billion) package to provide life-long health care for the elderly. Under the…

iGaming Business – The Colorado House has given its initial approval to a bill that prohibits the sale of lottery tickets online in the US state of Colorado, according to the Associated Press news agency. The bill would ban the Colorado Lottery Commission from approving such sales, allowing for tickets to only be sold in-person at licensed stores in the state. Lawmakers voted in favour of the bill on Monday with an unrecorded voice vote, with a final vote to take place this week to refer the bill to the Senate. Loveland Republican Representative Brian DelGrosso sponsored the bill and…

Baltimore Sun – The Northern Virginia couple throwing down $100 tokens at Maryland Live casino last month may have looked like aspiring high-rollers, but police say they were gambling with fake chips. Maryland State Police have charged a husband and wife from Annandale, Va., with conspiracy and theft after determining that they were using counterfeit chips at the Hanover casino. Authorities are looking for two other suspects in a similar, but unrelated, case. According to police, Rosa A. Nguyen, 36, purchased $150,000 worth of counterfeit casino chips — which had been altered to appear to be Maryland Live chips —…

Bloomberg – Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS), the world’s largest gambling company by market value, said it’s ready to invest $10 billion in Japan, projected to be Asia’s second-largest casino market. “We will spend whatever it takes,” billionaire Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sheldon Adelson said at a media briefing in Tokyo. “We could pay all cash. We don’t have to, but we will borrow money in a typical mortgage-to-value ratio.” Sands is opening offices and hiring in Japan, said Adelson, who’s attending a conference on investing in Japan today. The company would also consider working with a local partner…

Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing was one of the largest in history, reaching a staggering $425 million. It was hit by a single ticket, according to reports. The ticket was sold in Northern California, at Dixon Landing Chevron in Milpitas. There has been no word yet on who the winner is. The gas station will receive $1 million. The winning numbers drawn Wednesday night were: 1, 17, 35, 49, 54 and a Powerball of 34. According to the Associated Press, the nation’s biggest lottery prize was a $656 million dollar Mega Millions jackpot in 2012. The biggest Powerball jackpot was $590.5…