Pro Bono Australia – Peak social services organisation UnitingCare Australia has expressed its deep disappointment in the Federal Coalition Government’s plan to scrap changes to the national gambling reform. Last week, the Coalition made its move to dismantle the national gambling reform that includes voluntary pre-commitment on poker machines, dynamic warnings and $250 daily ATM withdrawal limits in gaming venues. Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews told ABC radio that if it wasn’t for the deal between Tasmanian Independent MP Andrew Wilkie and former Prime Minister Julia Gillard to keep her in The Lodge, the reform would never have happened. “Primarily…

Las Vegas Review Journal – Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval held discussions with Israel’s political leaders about introducing gaming to the Jewish state, which is considering the idea, the country’s consul general said Thursday. The discussions took place when Sandoval visited Israel in October as part of a trade mission to diversify Nevada’s economy. About 50 business leaders accompanied Sandoval and focused on opportunities involving water conservation, high-tech industries and the emerging drone aircraft sector. But David Siegel, the Los Angeles-based consul general, said Sandoval brought up gaming when he met with Israel’s leaders. Sandoval met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…

Daily Mail – Gamblers wagered a staggering £46billion on betting terminals last year – nearly 50 per cent up in four years. Dubbed the ‘crack cocaine’ of the high street, the machines allow punters to lose up to £100 every 20 seconds. They have been linked to the laundering of drugs money and councils are trying to rein them in. But Gambling Commission figures show that bookmakers raked in profits of £1.55billion from the terminals between April 2012 and March 2013. It also found that more than 600,000 children were either stopped in – or trying to enter – betting…

The world’s largest casino company is cautioning investors that online bets might hurt, rather than help, its brick-and-mortar casinos. Caesars Entertainment, which owns four of Atlantic City’s 12 casinos, wrote in a filing with securities regulators late Wednesday that online gambling could reduce patron visits to its casinos in New Jersey and Nevada, and harm the company’s bottom line. In a report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Caesars wrote that Internet gambling will compete with the company’s business in Nevada, where online poker is offered, and New Jersey, where all casino games are now available online. “Caesars will,…

Bloomberg – Japanese lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party submitted a bill to legalize casinos to parliament, bringing the nation closer to opening up what is estimated to be the world’s second-largest gaming market. The bill was jointly submitted with the Japan Restoration Party and other groups, Hiroyuki Hosoda, the chairman of a cross-party group of pro-casino lawmakers, said yesterday. LDP’s junior coalition partner New Komeito has approved the submission, LDP’s policy chief Sanae Takaichi said. The parties aim to pass the bill in the next Diet session that begins January, said Hosoda, who is also an executive acting…

Reuters – A $400 million Sri Lankan resort and casino complex planned by Australia’s Crown Ltd faces additional delays and is unlikely to be approved before the end of the year, a top government official said on Tuesday. The new delay comes after opposition politicians alleged Crown’s chief, gambling tycoon James Packer, was getting concessions not given to local entrepreneurs. Buddhist leaders also said the casino could be detrimental to the culture of Sri Lanka, a predominant Buddhist country where gambling is not accepted morally, despite the on-again, off-again presence of casinos dating back to the 1990s. The government said…