Could gambling expansion grab a seat at the Pennsylvania budget negotiating table? In a sense, it already has. Lawmakers in both the Republican-controlled Senate and House are vetting proposals for Internet-based gaming with the potential to turn every digital device – at least those in the hands of adults – into a “gaming position.” Another perennial, authorizing gaming machines in bars and taverns, is also getting a fresh look. This is not, in bettors’ parlance, a lock. The Republican leaders still publicly list pension reform and liquor privatization as their top budget priorities. It is also not clear that either…

Those of you rooting for the demise of Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson might have finally gotten your wish. On Friday, the Guardian published an article saying that Adelson will soon face graft accusations in a US court of law. If you have no idea what graft is, we’ll let a dictionary fill you in: “practices, especially bribery, used to secure illicit gains in politics or business; corruption.” According to the Guardian, the charges stem from allegedly nefarious actions at Adelson’s all-important casinos in Macau and, if prosecutors are successful, could spell the end of his gaming licenses in…

The regulated online poker industry in the United States has found itself in the unenviable role of being a piñata for Sheldon Adelson, his Coalition to Stop Internet Gaming, and anyone else with a fiscal or moral ax to grind against regulated online gaming. These naysayers usually take their potshots, and aside from columnists and iGaming advocates, the regulated online gaming industry never hits back. One person who threw a few blows recently was Lyle Beckwith, the vice president of government relations for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Beckwith penned an op-ed that graced the cyber pages of…

Following a two year process, the European Parliament has approved a new anti money laundering (AML) directive, which aims to strengthen EU member states framework on tax evasion and terrorist financing. The AML directive will increase monitoring of digital transactions, making it accessible it easier for authorities to trace funds. Financial services institutions and online gambling operators will be made to follow specific reporting obligations with regards to suspicious transactions made by their customers. The directive has been welcomed by Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of the European Betting and Gaming Association (EGBA), who stated that the association was pleased of the…

Two influential American Indian tribes are publicly asking a politically powerful tribal coalition to ease its opposition to extending eligibility for online poker website licenses to California race tracks, but skepticism remains that a bill will make it out of the legislature this year. Council member Laurie E. Gonzalez of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians in a May 20 press release urged that tribes reach consensus on online poker legislation “rather than digging their heels into the ground,” an obvious reference to steadfast opposition against licensing race tracks by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and six other coalition…

Kansas State Governor Sam Brownback has signed a bill that will legalise fantasy sports gaming activities in the US state. Having received heavy support from the public and government figures, Bill HB 2155 was passed in the state senate by a vote of 37-1. Signed by Governor Brownback on Tuesday, the legislation will now allow for operators to begin offering fantasy sports services in the state. In addition to fantasy sports activities, the bill includes other pieces of legislature for charitable gaming, bingo, raffles and the lottery. Kansas will become the first state since Maryland in 2012 to legalise fantasy…