From Gaming Intelligence – The latest gambling participation data from the UK Gambling Commission shows an increase in the number of people playing National Lottery games online, while the overall level of gambling participation remains unchanged from a year ago. In the year to June 2013 an average of 57 per cent of survey respondents said they had participated in at least one form of gambling in the previous four weeks, the same percentage as a year ago, with the highest level of participation recorded among the 35-44 years old and 55-64 years old age groups. FULL STORY

From Cyprun-Mail – PAPHOS plans to lobby the government to change its recent decision to create one casino resort rather than give out licences to each district. Andreas Soteriades, Secretary of SEKO Paphos – the Coordinating Committee of Parties and Organisations – told the Cyprus Mail that a special meeting has been called for this coming Saturday to discuss the matter in more depth. “Representatives of local hotels, shops and other organisations, as well as the mayors from the district will discuss what we can do to ensure Paphos is able to have a casino,” he said. “It will be…

From Travel Daily Media – Vietnam’s first integrated casino resort has opened its doors on the country’s southeast coast. The Grand Ho Tram Strip features a 541-room hotel, plus a casino with 90 table games and more than 600 slot machines, meeting and convention space, 13 F&B outlets, a spa, three swimming pools and retail outlets. Work on a second tower is ongoing, and will eventually add another 559 hotel rooms along with additional entertainment facilities. “This has been a monumental effort, and we stand here today not just launching a hotel, not just launching a casino – we stand…

From Maricopa Monitor – The U.S. House is making another bid to block the Tohono O’odham Nation from building a casino on land it owns near the Arizona Cardinals stadium on the edge of Glendale. On a 35-5 vote, the Natural Resources Committee approved legislation this week that would let the tribe keep the land it purchased in 2003, a year after Arizona voters approved a measure giving tribes the exclusive right to operate casinos in exchange for a share of the profits. And it would not block the Tohono from  having the land made part of the reservation. But…

From Proactive Investors – Donaco International (ASX: DNA) is poised to increase its 75% stake in the joint venture company operating the Lao Cai International Hotel, after reaching a non-binding agreement in principle. The Lao Cai International Hotel, a casino in northern Vietnam, is located on the border with Yunnan Province in China – and has been operated by Donaco since 2002. The hotel is the first fully licensed table gaming business in Vietnam, and the property is currently being expanded from a 3-star 34 room hotel, to a brand new resort complex with 428 hotel rooms. Donaco operates the…

The New Macau Association wants the Public Prosecutions’ Office (MP) to investigate government officials in relation to the granting of casino sub-concessions. In a press conference held yesterday, the president of the association, Jason Chao, stated: “We have long heard that there are only three casino concessionaires in Macau and another three sub-concessions. But in reality these are not sub-concessions at all; we have six autonomous and independent concessionaires.” Chao mentioned a news article published last May in the newspaper Macau Business Daily. The article claimed that the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Francis Tam, had issued a letter addressed…