Gambling News by House of Odds

The mother of a teenage girl, allegedly sold by her (late) father when she
was one-year-old after incurring heavy debt in gambling, has threatened to
immolate herself if the girl, now 16, is not saved from being handed over to
a middle-aged man. Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on
Monday, Ms Nooran, of Zeal Pak Colony, Latifabad, said her late husband
Rahib was a gambler and he had sold their one-year-old daughter Rasheeda for
Rs10,000 to one Lal Hyder after incurring heavy debt in gambling. She said
that her parents gave her Rs10,000 and she returned the money to Lal. She
said that Lal was pressuring her to marry off Rasheeda to his son. She said
her sons Peeral and Abdul Wahab were receiving threats. She threatened to
immolate herself if she and her family were not saved from harassment and
provided protection from Lal, his son Ghani and others. Taking notice of the
press conference, Hyderabad District Police Officer Ali Ahmed Junejo ordered
registration of a case and the Site police station registered an FIR under
Sections 147, 148, 149, 504 and 506(2) of the Pakistan Penal Code against 10
people. Police teams have been constituted for the arrest of the accused.
Reuters adds: Rasheeda said she had filed applications with police and a
local councillor asking them to prevent Lal Hyder from taking her to his
home. Nooran said her husband had racked up the debt of Rs10,000 to Lal
playing cards. "My husband didn't have money to pay, and instead he told Lal
that he could take Rasheeda when she grows up," she said. Despite being paid
his money, she said, Lal still insisted the girl should be given to him
because of tribal customs. Both families belong to the same tribe. The
girl's
uncle, Dur Mohammad, said Lal apparently wanted to marry the girl to his
son. Khalid Rajput, a local councillor, said the decision that Rasheeda
should be handed over had been taken last week at a tribal council. "We know
some tribal elders from Balochistan came for the meeting in which the girl's
family was told to give her as per their customs," he said. Irfan Bhutto, a
police officer, said Lal had been summoned. "We will ensure the girl does
not have to do anything against her will."

Between January and February of 2007, 17 licenses were issued for gambling
business, contributing 10.116 m GEL as a monthly fee to central budget.
According to the Finance Ministry, during the reported period, 13 licenses
were issued for refurbishment of gambling rooms out of which 104 000 m GEL
went to the central budget. In the same period, 2 licenses were issued for
setting up totalizators and total contribution to the budget amounted to 10
m GEL. Quiz games received 2 licenses. Contribution to the budget from quiz
games totaled 12 000 GEL.

Just as Louis DeNaples received the go-ahead from the state of Pennsylvania
to open a slots casino at Mount Airy Lodge in the Poconos, word comes out
that an Indian tribe has plans to open a huge casino in the Catskills - not
far away - and those plans are moving forward. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
plans a $600 million casino at the existing Monticello racetrack. This
casino would have slot machines and table games such as blackjack, craps and
poker. The plan has the support of New York's governor. It only needs
federal approval for the tribe to buy non-tribal land to become a reality.
Mount Airy will not have table games at the present time and it's a
certainty that some of its would--be customers will go to the Mohawk casino
if it opens. This also raises the questions of projections of revenue for
property tax reduction in Pennsylvania. If fewer gamblers play at Mount
Airy, will fewer dollars be generated for property tax reduction? We hope
not, but we fear so.

UK Gambling shares were market down lower in early trade, following the news
of a large seller of PartyGaming stock, alongside a statement from 888 PLC
to the effect that its non-executive director and former Chief Executive
Officer, John Anderson, has been asked to attend an interview with the
French authorities. Ladbrokes, once seen as a potential bidder for 888, was
trading down 3% at 9.30 am local time. Shares in PartyGaming and 888 PLC
were both off 5%, whilst European betting market liberalisation play BWIN
was marked down 7%. Shares in William Hill fell back by 2% to 644p

A UK-based betting firm has pledged US$60 million to develop football
gambling as a legitimate industry in Viet Nam if the country makes the
practice legal.
The National Sports and Physical Culture Committee plans to submit a draft
proposal of the agreement with Ladbrokes to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
for initial approval in March, said Huynh Vinh Ai, vice chairman of the
committee. The proposal states bets would be limited to a maximum of
VND450,000 ($28) and only a certain number, as of yet undetermined, would be
permitted each month, said Nguyen Trong Hy, the committee's deputy chaiman.
Hy said the Vietnamese police force reported Viet Nam is missing out on
billions of US dollars each year by not legalising sports betting. Those
funds are being collected in places like Hong Kong and Macao instead, he
said.

Casinos and lotteries are the two most popular types of gambling in Arizona.
About 2.3 percent of adults in Arizona are problem gamblers, lower than the
national rate of 2.7 percent. However, Arizona is considered to have more
gamblers at risk of becoming problem gamblers.Problem gamblers are most
likely to identify slot machines as their favorite type of gambling, and
they are more likely to use tobacco, alcohol and drugs regularly. Of people
who called the Arizona Office of Problem Gambling's help line -
1-800-639-8783 - from September 2002 to June 2006, 147 lost their home due
to gambling and 138 lost their car.The Arizona Office of Problem Gambling is
holding a seminar on youth and problem gambling from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday
at Black Canyon Conference Center, 9440 N. 25th Ave., Phoenix.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown will reveal a plan in his budget
next month to encourage the online gambling industry, according to published
reports.
He will use the 21 March budget to announce that companies could obtain a
British licence and still remain based overseas in return for a tax --
possibly as low as 2 per cent or 3 per cent, the Daily Telegraph said on
Friday in an unsourced report. Named a Remote Gaming Duty, the new tax would
enable gambling firms to avoid paying VAT, the newspaper said. A comment was
not immediately available from HM Treasury. Internet gaming groups will be
able to relocate to Britain and obtain a licence in September under the
Gambling Act, the newspaper said. Such companies, however, have said they
would decline the chance if it meant paying a tax on gross wins, it added.

Attracting wide New Zealand media comment over the weekend was the news that
the New Zealand Green political party wants a new online gambling site shut
down because it "threatens the viability of the racing industry." Green
Party member of parliament Sue Bradford is at the heart of the row, claiming
that an online gambling site, Race-O New Zealand, 'might' be illegal because
the Gambling Act passed three years ago outlawed online gambling within New
Zealand. It also made betting on horses illegal unless bets were laid with
the TAB, she said. "Such online activities are illegal not only for the
operators but for the participants," said Bradford. "Perhaps to circumvent
these legal restrictions, Race-O is the trading name of a company registered
in Costa Rica, while its gaming and betting license has been secured within
the Kahnawake Indian nation near Montreal, Canada. "The Government should
immediately close down the site, and pursue prosecutions vigorously if laws
have been broken." The betting site, whose original investors included
leading breeder Sir Patrick Hogan and former top trainer Dave O'Sullivan, is
being investigated by the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs. Berri
Schroder, a part-owner of Melbourne Cup winner Brew, is a Race-O (NZ)
director. Race-O is registered in Costa Rica in central America and its
betting license has been secured from the autonomous Indian territory of
Kahnawake in Canada. Bradford said sites like Race-O New Zealand could
threaten the racing industry because the TAB monopoly guaranteed that
gambling profits were returned to the industry "in a reasonably accountable
manner". "Racing seems already to be in such a state of decline that it is
reduced, shamefully, to taking the proceeds of pokie money to bulk out major
stakes," she said. "It would be a pity if the advent of online gambling
sites like Race-O should even further undermine the distribution system
maintained by the TAB through the auspices of the Racing Board." It is
illegal to set up an internet betting website in New Zealand, and the
website has angered the Problem Gambling Foundation, which told the Sunday
Star-Times it was a deliberate attempt to get around the ban.

"we get all of the pain and none of the gain" - is about to be redressed,
with two major betting agencies set to sign lucrative deals with the NRL.
The NRL is on the verge of completing a long-form agreement with Tabcorp,
the merged entity of the NSW and Victorian TABs, to become a sponsor, while
Betfair, a joint venture between the booming London online exchange and PBL,
expects to make a similar arrangement. Under the surface of the deals lies
intense competition between Tabcorp and Betfair as each seeks to prove its
integrity to football codes anxious to stop players gambling on matches. A
meeting next month of NRL club chief executives will vote on a possible
three-strikes drug code but, unless similar sanctions apply to NRL players
caught gambling on matches, the code faces the same criticism directed at
the AFL when it named four players who had placed bets, but kept the
identity of drug-takers secret. A spokeswoman for Tabcorp refused to comment
on the forthcoming sponsorship, saying the giant wagering agency did not
confirm deals until contracts were signed. However, a Betfair spokesman
conceded an offer for use of intellectual property and allowing access to
gambling records had been tabled to the NRL, but the more lucrative Tabcorp
deal was expected to be announced first. League's reluctant acceptance of
the gambling dollar comes as the sport adjusts to the opposing philosophies
of its two main commercial partners: the pro-gambling Packer dynasty, which
is also the code's free-to-air telecaster, and the traditionally
anti-gambling Murdoch empire, which owns half the NRL. Tabcorp and Betfair
already have deals with the AFL, with the Melbourne-based totalisator paying
$600,000 a year and the betting exchange $450,000. Tabcorp's TAB Sportsbet
holds $140 million nationally on NRL matches, while $120m is bet across the
country on AFL matches. Although the AFL has teams in Perth, Adelaide,
Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, the really heavy wagers are on rugby league.
Betfair concedes TAB Sportsbet is the market leader, with perhaps 80 per
cent of all sports gambling, but the online exchange estimates overseas
betting on NRL games will increase exponentially. "We have 500,000
registered punters in the United Kingdom and some of them already bet on the
one or two live NRL games they get per week," a spokesman said. "The first
year of our operation - to February this year - we had 50,000 overseas
customers betting on Australian events."

Betfair points out its anticipated payment to the NRL is not a sponsorship
because advertising restrictions in NSW mean it can't promote its investment
via signage, branding or hospitality. Under NSW law, only wagering operators
licensed in NSW are allowed to advertise in the state.

Tabcorp's insistence that its new deal with the NRL be called a sponsorship,
rather than a product fee, is consistent with its reluctance to concede
sports are entitled to a fee for use of intellectual property.

However, Betfair, keen to legitimise a business in which punters can back a
team to lose, seeks strong relationships with sports via the product fee,
even though it can still take bets without the sport's endorsement.

Betfair points out it has no-charge information-sharing arrangements with
the International Cricket Council, Premier League football and English rugby
league and rugby union, yet has no commercial arrangements with these
sports.

On the other hand, it has information-sharing and product-fee agreements
with Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia, the PGA Tour and AFL. Both Betfair
and Tabcorp are keen to promote their integrity, with Betfair being the
first to name AFL player Simon Goodwin in an audit last November and Tabcorp
revealing another three players three months later.

Betfair boasts that it has a staff of nine checking records to determine if
athletes are gambling on their sports, while Tabcorp says: "No organisation
takes integrity more seriously than Tabcorp. We have the right level of
resources and excellent processes in place to monitor betting patterns for
account holders."

Tabcorp concedes it has no access to information on bets laid with TABs in
Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

The forthcoming deals with Tabcorp and Betfair are independent of the NRL's
membership of the Coalition of Major Professional Sports, which has been
lobbying the states for a fixed return on betting on sporting events.

The AFL intended to join COMPS but signed with Tabcorp and Betfair. NRL
chief executive David Gallop expects the Victorian Government to introduce
legislation soon which would set a mandatory percentage return for all
sports on money gambled on their events.

Communist China will begin "purifying" the cyber environment, taking a lead
from US legislators and law enforcement officials. They will begin cracking
down severely on internet gambling activity. "The prevalence of online
gaming has ruined the online environment and harmed young people's growth,
which runs against the policy of building a harmonious society," said a
circular jointly issued by the ministry of public security, the Ministry of
Culture, the Ministry of Information Industry and the state press and
publication administration. China's US counterpart, Republican Jon Kyl of
Arizona agrees: "A professor once appropriately likened Internet gambling to
cocaine use. Internet gambling's characteristics are unique, because: online
players can gamble 24 hours a day from the comfort of their home; leading to
possible addiction and, in turn, to bankruptcy, crime, and suicide."
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Zhejiang are key places to be targeted
during the three-month-long drive, it said, adding the government should
clamp down on online games that involve gambling and online betting. It said
local government departments should strictly supervise online game service
providers who are not allowed to exchange "virtual money" with real
currencies or properties, or use it to launder money. China's police busted
a total of 347,000 gambling cases involving 1.099 million people last year
and retrieved 3.56 billion yuan (USD 445 million), according to official
statistics. China follows the US lead. In October 2006, a handful of
politicians attached a measure to restrict online gambling to a port
security bill. This bill was later signed into law, placing the burden of
monitoring internet gambling transactions on the banks. An opinion appearing
in the American Politics Journal shows how closely China's position mimics
that of the US government's stance. "Jon Kyl (who chairs the Subcommittee on
Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security) voted to secretly monitor
MILLIONS of Americans who we KNOW must all be secretly helping Al-Queda (but
are allowing KNOWN terrorists to enter US borders due to inept leadership).
And, we sure are grateful for Jon Kyl's Family Values of banning Internet
gambling as we allow state lottery and casino gambling all over the U.S."
Kyl was also spearheading efforts to build a wall between Mexico and the
United States, much like the Great Wall of China.

The city of Wheeling would receive a projected $1 million annually from
table gambling profits after changes to legislation made by Senate Judiciary
Committee members Thursday. "Under the House version, Wheeling's share would
have been $180,000," explained state Sen. Andy McKenzie, R-Ohio, a member of
the Senate Judiciary Committee. The table gambling legislation, House Bill
2718, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by voice vote Thursday - but not
before committee members altered how tax dollars from table gambling would
be allocated. Specifically, tax money previously designated to the race
prize purse fund at the state's four racetracks has been redirected to
municipalities - to those that house tracks, as well as to all of West
Virginia's 55 counties. "We amended the bill significantly," said Senate
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall. "We adjusted the
allocation of monies. "Under the House version, the purse fund would have
got 6 percent of the gross profits. That has now been changed to 2 percent,
and we have reallocated the other 4 percent to municipalities."
The changes are as follows: 1 percent of the gross profits would be directed
to the counties where racetracks are located - Ohio, Hancock, Kanawha and
Jefferson. 2 percent would be split among racetrack municipalities -
Wheeling, Chester, Nitro, W.Va. and Charles Town, W.Va. An additional 0.5
percent would be specifically for Wheeling and Nitro for providing related
services. The remaining 0.5 percent would go to the state's general fund.
West Virginia's racetracks would continue to pay 35 percent of their gross
table gambling revenue in taxes. Of this tax amount, 76 percent would be
placed in a newly created State Debt Reduction Fund. But the remaining 24
percent would be directed as follows, under the changes made by the Senate
Judiciary Committee:

10 percent would be divided among the remaining 51 counties in the state.

10 percent would be divided among the remaining 203 municipalities in West
Virginia.

4 percent would be placed into track employee pension funds.

The Senate Judiciary Committee specified that the money received by
municipalities be used for capital improvements and municipal pensions.
Counties can use the funds to cover regional jail costs.

The West Virginia Lottery Commission has predicted that table gambling would
bring in an additional $10 million annually to racetracks.

The racetracks still would have to pay an initial $1.5 million license fee
to offer table gambling products, as well as an annual $2.5 million renewal
fee under the legislation.

"We thought it important that all municipalities in the state share in these
revenues," Kessler said. "We thought it was important that all 1.8 million
people in the state and the track employees get the money - rather than the
tracks and owners of the dogs and horses that race. Many of them live out of
the state."

State Sen. Ed Bowman, D-Hancock, termed West Virginia's purse fund "one of
the richest in the country."

"We will still have additional $3 million going in there, according to
figures provided by the lottery commissioner," John Musgrave, Bowman said.
"He told us his figures are 'conservative,'but once people come in to play
table games, slot play will increase. There will be more money from slots
going into the fund.

"The fund could realize as much as another $10 million," he added. "They
could get another $13 million, if he is correct. This is a very rich purse
fund."

The senators said they already have conversed with Senate President Earl Ray
Tomblin, D-Logan, as well as Senate Finance Committee Chairman Walt Helmick,
D-Pocohontas, regarding the legislation.

The Senate Finance Committee is slated to pick up the table gambling bill
early next week. If quickly approved in committee, a vote by the whole
Senate on the legislation could come within a week.

"They say the bill is satisfactory,'' Bowman said. ''But there are X number
of committee members. Not knowing their thoughts, it is hard to say.''

McKenzie added that Senate Judiciary Committee members knew they had to make
a decision.

"The House put a higher emphasis on the purse fund than the counties and
municipalities in West Virginia," he said. "We shifted the numbers and made
cities, counties and pensions more important."

Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer, is reportedly set to announce
plans in next month's budget to entice offshore gambling firms to be
regulated and licenced in the UK in return for a tax. The new tax, which
will be called the Remote Gaming Duty, would allow gambling companies to be
licenced in the UK but still be based overseas and could be as little as two
or three per cent. The nature of the tax would also allow these companies to
avoid paying British Value Added Tax (VAT), the very reason they are based
abroad in places such as Gibraltar in the first place. An exact figure for
the new Remote Gaming Duty is yet to be decided but the government are aware
that anything too high will deter companies from paying a tax they do not
necessarily need to pay, even if they do want the kudos of being a UK
licenced company. The new tax will be introduced come the implementation of
the new Gambling Bill 2005. However, it is unlikely that remote gambling
companies would relocate to the UK completely if they had to pay a tax on
gross wins, which could be as high as 40 per cent. The UK government's
stance on online gambling is a complete mirror image to that of the US,
whose tough clampdown last year on online casinos and online poker caused
panic within the industry and wiped $6.5 billion off the value of the
market. The treasury have long been eager to get their hands on the tax from
online gambling companies. With the introduction of the Remote Gaming Duty
they could receive as much as £3 million a year from each company that
decides they want to be licenced and regulated in the UK.

British finance minister Gordon Brown will reveal a plan in his budget next
month to encourage the online gambling industry, the Daily Telegraph
reported on Friday.
He will use the March 21 budget to announce that companies could obtain a
British license and still remain based overseas in return for a tax --
possibly as low as 2 percent or 3 percent, the newspaper said in an
unsourced report. Named a Remote Gaming Duty, the new tax would enable
gambling firms to avoid paying British VAT, it said. A comment was not
immediately available from the Treasury. Internet gaming groups will be able
to relocate to Britain and obtain a license from September under the
Gambling Act, the Telegraph said. However, all have said they would decline
the chance if it meant paying a tax on gross wins, it added.

The just concluded NBA All-Star game yet again rehashed the sports league
hypocrisy when it comes to gambling. David Stern can rant all he wants
about how betting on sports sullies the image of his league worse than its
millionaire players being unable to avoid getting arrested. The fact is the
leagues conveniently overlook some of the real harm they cause and do
nothing to stop. How can anyone legitimately argue advertising casinos rife
with slot machines is acceptable when sports betting is supposedly so
shameful? Maybe the commissioners need to be informed that slot machines
have created countless times more addicted gamblers than sports betting ever
could. Sports bettors occasionally get in trouble chasing losses, but the
stories of the ruin from machine addictions are many times worse both in
financial harm done and numbers of lives affected. Yet try and find a
professional team which doesn't benefit from gambling advertising in
stadiums or in game broadcasts. You might think the Utah Jazz might be an
exception, but you would be wrong. If you ever catch a televised Jazz
broadcast, you would see as many or more casino advertisements than you
would watching the New York Knicks. New York is about as far from Atlantic
City as Salt Lake City is to the Nevada border, but the Knicks seem to have
a few more interested parties wanting to advertise with them. Maybe the
Mormon church just wants nothing to do with the hypocrisy of the NBA either.
What about fantasy sports? Fantasy sports can be more addicting on average
than sports betting. Studies have shown a large percentage of fantasy
participants spend an hour or more a day in season either researching or
just thinking about strategies to use. How many average gamblers do you
know of who spend an hour a day coming up with strategies regarding who to
bet on? Experts claim a common sign of risk for problem gambling comes from
spending idle time thinking about gambling. How are they missing this
budding addiction from fantasy sports that is fed by the sports leagues? The
leagues love fantasy sports fans. They are the much desired "sticky"
visitor to their web sites, generating advertising revenues sports bettors
don't. Sports bettors apparently have this nasty habit of just checking the
scores while fantasy bettors spend hours searching for crucial numbers like
kicking stats. Many would say fantasy sports isn't financially draining like
sports betting, but studies suggest otherwise. Fantasy sports participants
often spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on their teams, often
exceeding amounts they could win in prize money just to look smarter than
the competition. Some sports gamblers might be dumb, but none I have ever
heard of have bet $500 to get back a total of $350.

Whenever these commissioners tell you sports betting is evil and ruins the
carefully crafted image of their sport, just think of the unspoken harm they
cause. Their hands are dirty from the addictions they promote and push to
their benefit. Betting on sports is a sin, but buying a baseball themed
instant lottery ticket is a virtue?

The sports leagues spend money to warn of the dangers of betting on sports,
but when are they going to take responsibility for the addictions they
support with fantasy sports. Maybe it's time to produce some public service
warning messages for fantasy participants?

In the meantime thinking about the hypocrisy just might be a sign of being
addicted to anxiety. To kick such a habit make sure when the NCAA website
in a few weeks posts brackets for office pools, you fill them out and put
your money into the prize pool with great joy. Celebrate the fact you won't
get fired like you are some $2 million a year football coach who didn't get
the right memo.

The province's lottery corporation wants more British Columbians to take up
gaming, as the government that once vowed as party policy to halt the growth
of gambling in B.C. reaps ever increasing revenue from it. "They are
becoming gaming crackheads," NDP Crown corporations critic Guy Gentner
charged yesterday, noting that government income from gambling in the
province for the coming fiscal year is projected to soar to more than
$1-billion for the first time. By 2009-2010, the B.C. Lottery Corp. (BCLC)
plans to swell government coffers by $1.142-billion from gambling proceeds,
a three-year increase of 15 per cent and more than double what the province
earned from gaming when the Liberals came to power with their anti-gambling
rhetoric in 2001. The government-owned Lottery Corp. is also out to increase
public participation in legal gambling, including lottery ticket purchases,
to 68 per cent of the adult population from 65 per cent over the next three
years. The lottery corporation's recently released, three-year service plan
unveils an ambitious agenda to turn existing casinos into lavish,
multipurpose facilities such as the River Rock casino in Richmond, increase
the number of slot machines in once-dowdy bingo emporiums, and dramatically
expand online access to lottery tickets and simple games of chance. In the
legislature, Mr. Gentner accused the government of seeking to go down the
route of more serious Internet gaming, which currently produces about
$12-billion (U.S.) in revenue worldwide from such activities as online poker
and baccarat. "The [gambling] addiction rate is way, way up. It's coming to
a crisis proportion. . . . How far are you taking us into the field of
Internet gaming?" he asked Solicitor-General John Les, the minister in
charge of gaming in B.C. Mr. Les said there are no plans afoot to market
online gambling. "There will be no Internet gaming conducted by the B.C.
Lottery Corporation. Period. We are absolutely committed to responsible
gaming," Mr. Les declared. The push to boost gambling comes at a time when
public acceptance of the activity is declining. The percentage of those with
a favourable impression of how gaming is conducted in B.C. has dropped to 52
per cent from 58 per cent during the past three years. The lottery
corporation is also faced with what it terms an anticipated "significant
[downward] impact" on revenue when smoking is banned at casinos and bingo
halls next year. There are currently 16 casinos in B.C., one so-called
racino (a race track with slot machines), and 29 bingo sites, five of which
currently contain slots. One of the ways to keep revenue rising, said Mr.
Gass, is not to build more casinos, but to make them bigger, with more
facilities.
However, Richmond's River Rock Casino, the province's largest gambling
resort, with a hotel, theatre, and 1,000 slot machines plus gaming tables,
has been plagued with allegations of criminal activity.

Three kidnappings last year were said by police to have been related to
gambling activities there, several women were assaulted and robbed earlier
this year after leaving the casino with large winnings, and Rong Lilly Li,
last seen in the casino's parking lot, was killed.

"There is zero tolerance for unlawful activity in casinos," Mr. Gass said.
"We co-operate fully with police."

The last remaining defendant has put a quiet end to the Maple Park gambling
case, pleading guilty and avoiding prison time. A case that began with both
the Maple Park police chief and village president being arrested in May of
2004 ended with one dismissal, 12 guilty pleas and no prison sentences.
Bartender Keith Nickels, 56, of the 100 block of Main Street, Maple Park,
pleaded guilty to misdemeanor keeping a place of gambling earlier this
month. He received one year of supervision and is required to complete 40
hours of community service, according to court records. In 2004, 13
employees or patrons of D.J.'s Tavern were charged in connection with a
State Police investigation into illegal slot machines, a bookmaking
operation, a spin-the-wheel lottery and other illegal gambling at the bar.
Most were charged with conspiracy to commit gambling.

The Wampanoag Indians, among others connected to the gaming industry, are
talking to Doug Rubin, one of Governor Deval Patrick's top campaign
advisers, about representing their interests. Rubin, who is in the process
of setting up his own consulting business, said he has not "finalized
anything" with any gambling client. If he signed on with one, he said, it
would be as a communications strategist, not as a lobbyist. "I'm not
lobbying. . . . That's a bright line," Rubin said. "When I talk to people, I
tell them, if they are looking to hire me for direct access, we shouldn't be
having this meeting." The pressure for new sources of state revenue comes as
the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe fulfilled its quest to win recognition as a
sovereign Native American nation. This historic designation sets the tribe
down a path that could lead to a casino -- if the state legalizes casino
gambling. Without that change, the tribe would be limited by current law,
which permits only bingo, the lottery, and table games such as poker and
blackjack within strict limits. According to published reports, the tribe is
searching for property on which to build a resort-style casino within 50
miles of land it owns in Mashpee. Meanwhile, Patrick's first state budget is
due Wednesday. One draft submitted for his consideration included
hypothetical revenue from gambling. "We put gaming revenue on the table, "
said Leslie A. Kirwan, the secretary of administration and finance. She said
Patrick took it off the table for the fiscal 2008 budget debate. But it's
not off forever. "The governor wants to hear both sides," Kirwan said. "He
has not made up his mind." According to Kirwan, Patrick told his budget
staff that "emotions are so high on both sides, we need to engage more in
that conversation. But he is not morally opposed" to gambling. Daniel
O'Connell, the secretary of housing and economic development, is leading the
administration's study group on expanded gambling. During the gubernatorial
campaign, Patrick expressed concern about the negative consequences of
gambling. But as governor, he is signaling an openness to considering it as
a revenue source. Wampanoag spokesman Scott Ferson recently said the tribe
is optimistic because "the Patrick administration has indicated they are
more willing to explore gambling." Patrick called the tribal council to
extend his congratulations moments after the tribe won federal recognition
and issued a statement that said: "For a tribe that greeted the Pilgrims
when they landed on the shores of Massachusetts, this recognition is long
overdue. I look forward to working with the tribe to move Massachusetts
forward."

Historically, expanded gaming faced opposition in the Legislature,
especially in the House where Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi opposes it.

The stakes on this are obviously high for gambling interests -- and for the
Patrick administration. With Rubin potentially in the mix as an advocate for
gambling interests, the governor could have an appearance problem bigger
than a leased Cadillac and expensive new office drapes.

Rubin is not a state employee. He has a right to make a living. But he
sounds naive when he talks about a "bright line" between lobbyist and
communications strategist. The line might be bright to him, but it's not
that bright to anyone else. His closeness to Patrick is part of his appeal
to any client.

If someone as close to Patrick as Rubin takes on a gambling client, it will
be another example of this administration not understanding perception and
its critical role in politics.

Symbolism means everything in politics. The leased Cadillac, the $10,000
damask drapes, and new office furniture were the wrong symbols for a
candidate who ran a populist campaign, and now heads an administration
grappling with a $1 billion budget deficit.

It took a while, but Patrick finally got that message. He announced he would
contribute $543 each month to the lease of the Cadillac DTS he uses for
state business, bringing the cost to the public in line with the Ford Crown
Victoria used by Governor Mitt Romney. He also said he would repay the state
for the draperies and new furniture.

Patrick promised a new order of business on Beacon Hill. Having a close
political associate such as Rubin represent a gambling client represents a
very old order of business.

A Waialua man admits he paid off the girlfriend of a Honolulu police officer
because he feared possible shutdown of his illegal gambling business that
included cockfights, card games and craps on family property in Waialua. "I
was running the Waialua cockfights, and I was paying Micha Terragna weekly,"
Charles Gilman told U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren yesterday. Gilman,
51, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to two charges stemming
from drug and gambling conspiracies uncovered by a wiretap investigation in
the rural North Shore town. Also indicted last April in connection with the
gambling conspiracy were three other relatives, police officers Kevin Brunn,
Bryson Apo and Glenn Miram, and Terragna. Gilman admitted to conspiring with
co-defendants Brunn, Apo, Miram and Waialua resident John Saguibo to
obstructing the enforcement of state laws that prohibit gambling. In a plea
agreement, Gilman admitted that he operated the illegal business on family
land across from Waialua Elementary School along with his father, Douglas
Gilman Sr., and his brothers Douglas Gilman Jr. and William Gilman. He also
admitted that Terragna was his "partner" in the Waialua cockfights that
netted in excess of $2,000 on any single day. The cockfights were in
operation from at least November 2004 to March 31, 2005, when federal agents
searched Gilman's home and the home of Brunn and Terragna. The wiretaps
caught conversations between Saguibo, Gilman and Apo about what happened at
the cockfights, including the number of fights and number of draws, said
Assistant U.S. Attorney Florence Nakakuni. There were also calls between
Gilman and Saguibo and Saguibo and Terragna regarding payments to her and
Brunn, Nakakuni said. According to the plea agreement, Gilman admitted that
he paid Brunn and Terragna about $700 to $1,000 a week during the
cockfighting season from November 2004 through March 2005. Gilman admitted
to paying Terragna, who lived with Brunn and has three children from him,
because he believed Brunn was responsible for his not being in jail on drug
charges and because Brunn threatened to "shut down" the cockfights unless he
and Terragna were paid, the plea agreement said. Gilman has state felony
convictions in 1994 and 1995 involving drugs.

In the drug conspiracy, Gilman admitted to conspiring with co-defendants
Keele Vesnefski, Ahisa Kaluhiokalani and others to distribute three pounds
of crystal methamphetamine, or "ice."

As part of the plea agreement, Gilman has agreed to cooperate with
investigators and testify if required against any co-defendants in any
criminal or civil proceedings.

Gilman was allowed to remain free on bail until his sentencing July 12
before Chief U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor. He faces a maximum life term
for the drug charges and up to five years for the gambling offenses.

Simon Goodwin will lead Adelaide against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on
Friday night in the opening round of the NAB Cup. "It was selected by the
leadership group," experienced defender Jason Torney said at a media
conference on Thursday. "He's the most experienced guy there." Goodwin will
be standing in for regular captain Mark Ricciuto, who is resting a back
complaint. Asked how Goodwin had handled 'a pretty tough week' after having
been named in an AFL investigation of players betting on matches, Torney
said: "I think pretty well. It doesn't seem to have affected his preparation
for the game and training, so I think he's handled it quite well." Asked
Adelaide's attitude to the NAB Cup, Torney said: "We're in every game to
win. It's already been said we've taken a few per cent - if you can add it
up somehow - off our pre-season, so things have been taken back a little
bit, and we'll be performing with an attitude that we want to win.
"There'll be some new faces and some new things happening on ground to make
us better, so we'll be using it as every game (is there) to win but also
trying different things." Torney said the NAB Cup was 'massively important'
for the Crows' young ruckmen (such as Ivan Maric, John Meesen and Jonathon
Griffin) 'to get experience, to get game time, to compete with some big
bodies and some big players who know the craft pretty well'."We've got some
good numbers there," he said. "Games-wise, they're obviously very
inexperienced but we just (have to) give these guys opportunities to play
footy at the highest level. "I'm confident they will perform. Their fitness
and their pre-season have been top-notch and nearly all of them have trained
every session and not been out with injuries."

A majority of Kentuckians favor allowing casino gambling at the state's
racetracks, according to a Bluegrass Poll released Wednesday. The poll
conducted by The Courier-Journal of Louisville found that 52 percent of
Kentuckians favor casinos at the tracks, while 38 percent oppose them and
another 10 percent were undecided. The poll was encouraging for members of
the thoroughbred racing industry who support putting the gambling questions
to a statewide vote as a constitutional amendment. The phone survey has a
margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. "To me it just
reaffirms the people's support that they'd like to vote on gaming," said
Steve Sexton, a Churchill Downs Inc. executive vice president. The poll was
conducted between Feb. 8 and 14, and surveyed 801 adults in Kentucky. In the
General Assembly this year, bills to allow casinos at racetracks and other
sites are pending, but they aren't expected to advance during the 30-day
session. On Tuesday, House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark filed bills to allow
up to nine casinos at tracks and other locations. But Clark said he offered
them as a starting point for discussions in 2008, when the legislature meets
for 60 days. The Rev. Nancy Jo Kemper, executive director of the Kentucky
Council of Churches, said she believes gubernatorial candidates would be
foolish to embrace an issue opposed by 38 percent of Kentuckians. She said
she believes the opposition would grow if a campaign showed gambling hurt
the quality of life in communities that have casinos. "It's no way to fund
government," Kemper said. Kentucky tracks have complained for years that
their business is hurt by competition from states that have expanded
gambling. Indiana is considering expanded gambling at its racetracks, and
West Virginia, which has slots at tracks, is considering adding table games.

One of the final bills filed by house lawmakers could authorize up to nine
casinos at racetracks and other locations in Kentucky. This could happen
only if voters give their approval to a constitutional amendment in the
November 2008 election. But first, the general assembly has to give its
approval. Expanded gambling could provide jobs for Kentucky residents and
generate more revenue for the state.

When it comes to betting on sports, it seems the gambling industry has left
no stone unturned. There are government-sanctioned Sport Select kiosks in
virtually every corner store, casinos in every corner of the city and
chances to bet on just about any horse race in the world at Edmonton
Northlands. There are illegal book-makers more than willing to cater to the
sports-betting junkie's whims. And then, of course, there's the Internet,
where bettors can wager on any sport at any time. So with this kind of
saturation, what more -- or less -- can the future bring? The opinions of
gambling researchers, industry insiders and government officials vary,
although most believe that sorting out issues related to Internet wagering
holds the key to determining which direction sports gambling ultimately
heads. Fuelled by the online-poker craze and betting on sports events,
Internet gambling sites have seen revenues explode to an estimated $15
billion in the past year alone. Operating such a site in Canada (and the
United States) is illegal, but online proprietors get around that by setting
up shop off North American soil in places like Antigua and Costa Rica. Even
though it's unclear whether it's also illegal for Canadians to bet on those
sites, thousands do -- so far without any repercussions. With all that money
heading to off-shore operators, some analysts are beginning to wonder if
Canadian governments should consider legalizing Internet gambling and get a
piece of the billions in profits. "(Internet gambling) has reached the point
where it wants to be regulated," says Michael Lipton, a Montreal lawyer and
founding member of the International Masters of Gaming Law. "I don't have a
problem with government running it if it means they can get a huge amount of
revenue. But if they are going to do it, let's do it and not pussyfoot
around." The United Kingdom, for one, has decided to do just that. Starting
on Sept. 1, online gambling will be regulated and taxed by governments
there. The United States has taken the opposite approach, trying to stamp
out online betting. Last October, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement
Act made it illegal for banks and credit card companies to settle payments
with Internet gaming sites. While not necessarily criminalizing gaming, U.S.
legislators are effectively trying to abolish Internet gambling by stopping
the flow of money.

Canada has another unique quandary. Although operating online gambling sites
here is supposed to be illegal, the Kahnawake Mohawk reserve in Quebec has
been hosting dozens of betting sites for a decade, claiming that Canadian
laws don't apply to them. They insist that they maintain sovereign authority
over Internet gambling on their territory, arguing gambling is part of their
ancient rites and traditions.

Now the Alexander First Nation near Morinville plans to start a similar
online-hosting scheme, forcing the Alberta government to make a decision
about the future of online gambling in this province. As such, the Alberta
Gaming and Liquor Commission has commissioned a poll to determine what
Albertans think of the issue.

New laws come into effect later this year which mean that anyone who wants
to run a gambling business in the North East area, including local betting
shops, amusement arcades, bingo halls and casinos, must apply for a licence.
The Gambling Commission will be responsible for licensing and regulating
gambling in Britain under the Gambling Act 2005 which comes into force on 1
September 2007. For the first time, the betting and internet gambling
industries will come under the regulator's power. "If you provide commercial
facilities for gambling in Britain you will have to be licensed by the
Commission, it is as simple as that," said Hazel Canter, the Commission's
Director of Licensing and Compliance. "Local bookmakers and other smaller
operators may find the new system difficult to manage at first but the
application forms and guidance notes are comprehensive. Further information
is on our website and we will help and support operators in the early stages
to get it right, particularly those in sectors new to being regulated by
us." There are three categories of licence - operating, personal and
premises - and businesses may need all three. The Commission will issue
operating and personal licences, while local licensing authorities will be
responsible for issuing premises licences. Examples of operators requiring a
licence include: anyone operating a casino; providing facilities for bingo,
betting, and pool betting; acting as a betting intermediary; making gaming
machines available for use in adult gaming centres or family entertainment
centres; manufacturing, supplying, installing, adapting, maintaining or
repairing a gaming machine, part of a gaming machine, and producing gambling
software; and promoting a lottery. In considering an application for an
operating licence, the Commission will look at how the operator will meet
the three licensing objectives of keeping crime out of gambling, ensuring
that gambling is fair and open, and protecting children and other vulnerable
people from being harmed or exploited by gambling. Hazel Canter added: "New
operators can make their applications now. Existing operators can continue
working beyond 1 September 2007 as long as their operating licence
applications are with the Commission before 27 April 2007. Similarly any
premises licence applications need to be made by 31 July to guarantee
continued operation by existing operators. Applications may be made for
premises licences to the local licensing authority from 21 May 2007."
Applicants, both operators and individuals will be assessed on five issues -
identity, suitability, including competence, criminality, finances and their
compliance with the licensing objectives. Once licensed all operators will
need to conduct their business in line with the Commission's licence
conditions and codes of practice.

With the NBA All-Star Game taking place in Las Vegas this past Sunday night,
the issue of moving a NBA team to Las Vegas has come to the forefront of NBA
conversation. Commissioner David Stern is just now opening discussion about
fielding a Sin City franchise. What was his reason for neglecting mention of
moving a team to one of the fastest growing cities in the country for so
long? Stern did not want the NBA to be associated with sports betting
because he knows that it is an addictive problem that has been growing in
popularity just as quickly as the city of Las Vegas. Sports betting is not
only a problem for the image of the NBA front office, but also is a problem
for the most casual of sports fans. One of the most popular places to find
sports betting is right here on a college campus. Thirty to 45 percent of
college students gamble on a weekly basis. It is an addiction as popular as
drugs or alcohol and is just as serious. Gambling has grown drastically
because of the Internet, making online poker and sports betting
multi-billion dollar industries. The accessibility and ease of online
gambling is especially attractive to college students. With extra free time
and illusion of instant fortune, many students turn to betting for fast
money. The NCAA reports that more than one out of every three male college
students bets on sports. Today we are at the height of casual gambling. The
Super Bowl, which took place a few weeks ago, is a betting feast day. Those
who are not even football fans place bets on various game-related events:
obviously the winner, the over-under of the score, individual performances,
and even such trivial matters such as the number of times commentator Phil
Simms uses the telestrator.

Illinois House Republicans have proposed a $5 Billion budget for roads,
schools and mass transportation. The money to cover the budget will come
from an expansion of Illinois' casinos. Expanding gambling in the State has
not been a popular option in the past. But when compared to other options,
such as increased sales tax or an increase on State income tax, offering
more gambling in the State may be viewed as the most favorable option
available. House Republican Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) remains hopeful
about the proposal's odds of approval. The State has been in desperate need
for a Capital Construction Plan for years, to repair aging roads and
bridges. Adding to his hopes are that both parties have already mentioned
using more gambling to cover the costs of these projects.
"We haven't done an infrastructure bill in seven years," Cross said. "When
you look at roads, schools and higher education issues, it's time to quit
talking about it."
Cross continued on to explain that while not everyone has embraced the idea,
nearly everyone is in agreement on the need for a capital plan, and that the
money for this plan has to come from somewhere. The last Capital Budget was
the "Illinois FIRST" plan, which was passed in 1999 during the early days of
Gov. George Ryan's term. More recently, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has proposed
multiple Capital Plans; all of which have failed to gain the approval of
State Lawmakers.
A spokesperson for Governor Blagojevich, Abby Ottenhoff, stated that the
Governor is open to considering any proposal put forth by the State
Legislation.
"But it's ironic that these are the very legislators who stopped the
governor from passing any capital plans for the last four years," Ottenhoff
continued.
Throughout his first term, Governor Blagojevich has pushed several plans to
fund school construction and various public works projects. None of these
plans received proper support to be passed. House Republicans held up his
most recent proposal, stating that there was not adequate funding to
complete it. The Governor suggested that the State could add a keno lottery
game to pay for the plan, but was ultimately forced to drop the idea. The
new plan proposed by the GOP would provide a budget of $3 Billion for
purposes of road construction and mass transit projects. An additional $1.5
Billion would be applied to construction costs for schools in the State, and
another $500 Million would go to various Universities and Community
Colleges. The money required to pay for this plan would be derived purely
from an expansion of available gambling at the casinos in Illinois. "I
understand that this does not expand gambling locations, but it would expand
the positions," said Rep. Jil Tracy (R-Mount Sterling). Tracy said that the
plan is both vital and long overdue, even if an expansion of gambling is not
her favorite source of funding.

New laws come into effect later this year which mean that anyone who wants
to run a gambling business in the North East area, including local betting
shops, amusement arcades, bingo halls and casinos, must apply for a licence.
The Gambling Commission will be responsible for licensing and regulating
gambling in Britain under the Gambling Act 2005 which comes into force on 1
September 2007. For the first time, the betting and internet gambling
industries will come under the regulator's power. "If you provide commercial
facilities for gambling in Britain you will have to be licensed by the
Commission, it is as simple as that," said Hazel Canter, the Commission's
Director of Licensing and Compliance. "Local bookmakers and other smaller
operators may find the new system difficult to manage at first but the
application forms and guidance notes are comprehensive. Further information
is on our website and we will help and support operators in the early stages
to get it right, particularly those in sectors new to being regulated by
us." There are three categories of licence - operating, personal and
premises - and businesses may need all three. The Commission will issue
operating and personal licences, while local licensing authorities will be
responsible for issuing premises licences. Examples of operators requiring a
licence include: anyone operating a casino; providing facilities for bingo,
betting, and pool betting; acting as a betting intermediary; making gaming
machines available for use in adult gaming centres or family entertainment
centres; manufacturing, supplying, installing, adapting, maintaining or
repairing a gaming machine, part of a gaming machine, and producing gambling
software; and promoting a lottery. In considering an application for an
operating licence, the Commission will look at how the operator will meet
the three licensing objectives of keeping crime out of gambling, ensuring
that gambling is fair and open, and protecting children and other vulnerable
people from being harmed or exploited by gambling. Hazel Canter added: "New
operators can make their applications now. Existing operators can continue
working beyond 1 September 2007 as long as their operating licence
applications are with the Commission before 27 April 2007. Similarly any
premises licence applications need to be made by 31 July to guarantee
continued operation by existing operators. Applications may be made for
premises licences to the local licensing authority from 21 May 2007."
Applicants, both operators and individuals will be assessed on five issues -
identity, suitability, including competence, criminality, finances and their
compliance with the licensing objectives. Once licensed all operators will
need to conduct their business in line with the Commission's licence
conditions and codes of practice.

When it comes to betting on sports, it seems the gambling industry has left
no stone unturned. There are government-sanctioned Sport Select kiosks in
virtually every corner store, casinos in every corner of the city and
chances to bet on just about any horse race in the world at Edmonton
Northlands. There are illegal book-makers more than willing to cater to the
sports-betting junkie's whims. And then, of course, there's the Internet,
where bettors can wager on any sport at any time. So with this kind of
saturation, what more -- or less -- can the future bring? The opinions of
gambling researchers, industry insiders and government officials vary,
although most believe that sorting out issues related to Internet wagering
holds the key to determining which direction sports gambling ultimately
heads. Fuelled by the online-poker craze and betting on sports events,
Internet gambling sites have seen revenues explode to an estimated $15
billion in the past year alone. Operating such a site in Canada (and the
United States) is illegal, but online proprietors get around that by setting
up shop off North American soil in places like Antigua and Costa Rica. Even
though it's unclear whether it's also illegal for Canadians to bet on those
sites, thousands do -- so far without any repercussions. With all that money
heading to off-shore operators, some analysts are beginning to wonder if
Canadian governments should consider legalizing Internet gambling and get a
piece of the billions in profits. "(Internet gambling) has reached the point
where it wants to be regulated," says Michael Lipton, a Montreal lawyer and
founding member of the International Masters of Gaming Law. "I don't have a
problem with government running it if it means they can get a huge amount of
revenue. But if they are going to do it, let's do it and not pussyfoot
around." The United Kingdom, for one, has decided to do just that. Starting
on Sept. 1, online gambling will be regulated and taxed by governments
there. The United States has taken the opposite approach, trying to stamp
out online betting. Last October, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement
Act made it illegal for banks and credit card companies to settle payments
with Internet gaming sites. While not necessarily criminalizing gaming, U.S.
legislators are effectively trying to abolish Internet gambling by stopping
the flow of money.

Canada has another unique quandary. Although operating online gambling sites
here is supposed to be illegal, the Kahnawake Mohawk reserve in Quebec has
been hosting dozens of betting sites for a decade, claiming that Canadian
laws don't apply to them. They insist that they maintain sovereign authority
over Internet gambling on their territory, arguing gambling is part of their
ancient rites and traditions.

Now the Alexander First Nation near Morinville plans to start a similar
online-hosting scheme, forcing the Alberta government to make a decision
about the future of online gambling in this province. As such, the Alberta
Gaming and Liquor Commission has commissioned a poll to determine what
Albertans think of the issue.

A majority of Kentuckians favor allowing casino gambling at the state's
racetracks, according to a Bluegrass Poll released Wednesday. The poll
conducted by The Courier-Journal of Louisville found that 52 percent of
Kentuckians favor casinos at the tracks, while 38 percent oppose them and
another 10 percent were undecided. The poll was encouraging for members of
the thoroughbred racing industry who support putting the gambling questions
to a statewide vote as a constitutional amendment. The phone survey has a
margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. "To me it just
reaffirms the people's support that they'd like to vote on gaming," said
Steve Sexton, a Churchill Downs Inc. executive vice president. The poll was
conducted between Feb. 8 and 14, and surveyed 801 adults in Kentucky. In the
General Assembly this year, bills to allow casinos at racetracks and other
sites are pending, but they aren't expected to advance during the 30-day
session. On Tuesday, House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark filed bills to allow
up to nine casinos at tracks and other locations. But Clark said he offered
them as a starting point for discussions in 2008, when the legislature meets
for 60 days. The Rev. Nancy Jo Kemper, executive director of the Kentucky
Council of Churches, said she believes gubernatorial candidates would be
foolish to embrace an issue opposed by 38 percent of Kentuckians. She said
she believes the opposition would grow if a campaign showed gambling hurt
the quality of life in communities that have casinos. "It's no way to fund
government," Kemper said. Kentucky tracks have complained for years that
their business is hurt by competition from states that have expanded
gambling. Indiana is considering expanded gambling at its racetracks, and
West Virginia, which has slots at tracks, is considering adding table games.

Illinois House Republicans have proposed a $5 Billion budget for roads,
schools and mass transportation. The money to cover the budget will come
from an expansion of Illinois' casinos. Expanding gambling in the State has
not been a popular option in the past. But when compared to other options,
such as increased sales tax or an increase on State income tax, offering
more gambling in the State may be viewed as the most favorable option
available. House Republican Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) remains hopeful
about the proposal's odds of approval. The State has been in desperate need
for a Capital Construction Plan for years, to repair aging roads and
bridges. Adding to his hopes are that both parties have already mentioned
using more gambling to cover the costs of these projects.
"We haven't done an infrastructure bill in seven years," Cross said. "When
you look at roads, schools and higher education issues, it's time to quit
talking about it."
Cross continued on to explain that while not everyone has embraced the idea,
nearly everyone is in agreement on the need for a capital plan, and that the
money for this plan has to come from somewhere. The last Capital Budget was
the "Illinois FIRST" plan, which was passed in 1999 during the early days of
Gov. George Ryan's term. More recently, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has proposed
multiple Capital Plans; all of which have failed to gain the approval of
State Lawmakers.
A spokesperson for Governor Blagojevich, Abby Ottenhoff, stated that the
Governor is open to considering any proposal put forth by the State
Legislation.
"But it's ironic that these are the very legislators who stopped the
governor from passing any capital plans for the last four years," Ottenhoff
continued.
Throughout his first term, Governor Blagojevich has pushed several plans to
fund school construction and various public works projects. None of these
plans received proper support to be passed. House Republicans held up his
most recent proposal, stating that there was not adequate funding to
complete it. The Governor suggested that the State could add a keno lottery
game to pay for the plan, but was ultimately forced to drop the idea. The
new plan proposed by the GOP would provide a budget of $3 Billion for
purposes of road construction and mass transit projects. An additional $1.5
Billion would be applied to construction costs for schools in the State, and
another $500 Million would go to various Universities and Community
Colleges. The money required to pay for this plan would be derived purely
from an expansion of available gambling at the casinos in Illinois. "I
understand that this does not expand gambling locations, but it would expand
the positions," said Rep. Jil Tracy (R-Mount Sterling). Tracy said that the
plan is both vital and long overdue, even if an expansion of gambling is not
her favorite source of funding.

One of the final bills filed by house lawmakers could authorize up to nine
casinos at racetracks and other locations in Kentucky. This could happen
only if voters give their approval to a constitutional amendment in the
November 2008 election. But first, the general assembly has to give its
approval. Expanded gambling could provide jobs for Kentucky residents and
generate more revenue for the state.

With the NBA All-Star Game taking place in Las Vegas this past Sunday night,
the issue of moving a NBA team to Las Vegas has come to the forefront of NBA
conversation. Commissioner David Stern is just now opening discussion about
fielding a Sin City franchise. What was his reason for neglecting mention of
moving a team to one of the fastest growing cities in the country for so
long? Stern did not want the NBA to be associated with sports betting
because he knows that it is an addictive problem that has been growing in
popularity just as quickly as the city of Las Vegas. Sports betting is not
only a problem for the image of the NBA front office, but also is a problem
for the most casual of sports fans. One of the most popular places to find
sports betting is right here on a college campus. Thirty to 45 percent of
college students gamble on a weekly basis. It is an addiction as popular as
drugs or alcohol and is just as serious. Gambling has grown drastically
because of the Internet, making online poker and sports betting
multi-billion dollar industries. The accessibility and ease of online
gambling is especially attractive to college students. With extra free time
and illusion of instant fortune, many students turn to betting for fast
money. The NCAA reports that more than one out of every three male college
students bets on sports. Today we are at the height of casual gambling. The
Super Bowl, which took place a few weeks ago, is a betting feast day. Those
who are not even football fans place bets on various game-related events:
obviously the winner, the over-under of the score, individual performances,
and even such trivial matters such as the number of times commentator Phil
Simms uses the telestrator.

When it comes to betting on sports, it seems the gambling industry has left
no stone unturned. There are government-sanctioned Sport Select kiosks in
virtually every corner store, casinos in every corner of the city and
chances to bet on just about any horse race in the world at Edmonton
Northlands. There are illegal book-makers more than willing to cater to the
sports-betting junkie's whims. And then, of course, there's the Internet,
where bettors can wager on any sport at any time. So with this kind of
saturation, what more -- or less -- can the future bring? The opinions of
gambling researchers, industry insiders and government officials vary,
although most believe that sorting out issues related to Internet wagering
holds the key to determining which direction sports gambling ultimately
heads. Fuelled by the online-poker craze and betting on sports events,
Internet gambling sites have seen revenues explode to an estimated $15
billion in the past year alone. Operating such a site in Canada (and the
United States) is illegal, but online proprietors get around that by setting
up shop off North American soil in places like Antigua and Costa Rica. Even
though it's unclear whether it's also illegal for Canadians to bet on those
sites, thousands do -- so far without any repercussions. With all that money
heading to off-shore operators, some analysts are beginning to wonder if
Canadian governments should consider legalizing Internet gambling and get a
piece of the billions in profits. "(Internet gambling) has reached the point
where it wants to be regulated," says Michael Lipton, a Montreal lawyer and
founding member of the International Masters of Gaming Law. "I don't have a
problem with government running it if it means they can get a huge amount of
revenue. But if they are going to do it, let's do it and not pussyfoot
around." The United Kingdom, for one, has decided to do just that. Starting
on Sept. 1, online gambling will be regulated and taxed by governments
there. The United States has taken the opposite approach, trying to stamp
out online betting. Last October, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement
Act made it illegal for banks and credit card companies to settle payments
with Internet gaming sites. While not necessarily criminalizing gaming, U.S.
legislators are effectively trying to abolish Internet gambling by stopping
the flow of money.

Canada has another unique quandary. Although operating online gambling sites
here is supposed to be illegal, the Kahnawake Mohawk reserve in Quebec has
been hosting dozens of betting sites for a decade, claiming that Canadian
laws don't apply to them. They insist that they maintain sovereign authority
over Internet gambling on their territory, arguing gambling is part of their
ancient rites and traditions.

Now the Alexander First Nation near Morinville plans to start a similar
online-hosting scheme, forcing the Alberta government to make a decision
about the future of online gambling in this province. As such, the Alberta
Gaming and Liquor Commission has commissioned a poll to determine what
Albertans think of the issue.

A majority of Kentuckians favor allowing casino gambling at the state's
racetracks, according to a Bluegrass Poll released Wednesday. The poll
conducted by The Courier-Journal of Louisville found that 52 percent of
Kentuckians favor casinos at the tracks, while 38 percent oppose them and
another 10 percent were undecided. The poll was encouraging for members of
the thoroughbred racing industry who support putting the gambling questions
to a statewide vote as a constitutional amendment. The phone survey has a
margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. "To me it just
reaffirms the people's support that they'd like to vote on gaming," said
Steve Sexton, a Churchill Downs Inc. executive vice president. The poll was
conducted between Feb. 8 and 14, and surveyed 801 adults in Kentucky. In the
General Assembly this year, bills to allow casinos at racetracks and other
sites are pending, but they aren't expected to advance during the 30-day
session. On Tuesday, House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark filed bills to allow
up to nine casinos at tracks and other locations. But Clark said he offered
them as a starting point for discussions in 2008, when the legislature meets
for 60 days. The Rev. Nancy Jo Kemper, executive director of the Kentucky
Council of Churches, said she believes gubernatorial candidates would be
foolish to embrace an issue opposed by 38 percent of Kentuckians. She said
she believes the opposition would grow if a campaign showed gambling hurt
the quality of life in communities that have casinos. "It's no way to fund
government," Kemper said. Kentucky tracks have complained for years that
their business is hurt by competition from states that have expanded
gambling. Indiana is considering expanded gambling at its racetracks, and
West Virginia, which has slots at tracks, is considering adding table games.

One of the final bills filed by house lawmakers could authorize up to nine
casinos at racetracks and other locations in Kentucky. This could happen
only if voters give their approval to a constitutional amendment in the
November 2008 election. But first, the general assembly has to give its
approval. Expanded gambling could provide jobs for Kentucky residents and
generate more revenue for the state.

Illinois House Republicans have proposed a $5 Billion budget for roads,
schools and mass transportation. The money to cover the budget will come
from an expansion of Illinois' casinos. Expanding gambling in the State has
not been a popular option in the past. But when compared to other options,
such as increased sales tax or an increase on State income tax, offering
more gambling in the State may be viewed as the most favorable option
available. House Republican Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) remains hopeful
about the proposal's odds of approval. The State has been in desperate need
for a Capital Construction Plan for years, to repair aging roads and
bridges. Adding to his hopes are that both parties have already mentioned
using more gambling to cover the costs of these projects.
"We haven't done an infrastructure bill in seven years," Cross said. "When
you look at roads, schools and higher education issues, it's time to quit
talking about it."
Cross continued on to explain that while not everyone has embraced the idea,
nearly everyone is in agreement on the need for a capital plan, and that the
money for this plan has to come from somewhere. The last Capital Budget was
the "Illinois FIRST" plan, which was passed in 1999 during the early days of
Gov. George Ryan's term. More recently, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has proposed
multiple Capital Plans; all of which have failed to gain the approval of
State Lawmakers.
A spokesperson for Governor Blagojevich, Abby Ottenhoff, stated that the
Governor is open to considering any proposal put forth by the State
Legislation.
"But it's ironic that these are the very legislators who stopped the
governor from passing any capital plans for the last four years," Ottenhoff
continued.
Throughout his first term, Governor Blagojevich has pushed several plans to
fund school construction and various public works projects. None of these
plans received proper support to be passed. House Republicans held up his
most recent proposal, stating that there was not adequate funding to
complete it. The Governor suggested that the State could add a keno lottery
game to pay for the plan, but was ultimately forced to drop the idea. The
new plan proposed by the GOP would provide a budget of $3 Billion for
purposes of road construction and mass transit projects. An additional $1.5
Billion would be applied to construction costs for schools in the State, and
another $500 Million would go to various Universities and Community
Colleges. The money required to pay for this plan would be derived purely
from an expansion of available gambling at the casinos in Illinois. "I
understand that this does not expand gambling locations, but it would expand
the positions," said Rep. Jil Tracy (R-Mount Sterling). Tracy said that the
plan is both vital and long overdue, even if an expansion of gambling is not
her favorite source of funding.

With the NBA All-Star Game taking place in Las Vegas this past Sunday night,
the issue of moving a NBA team to Las Vegas has come to the forefront of NBA
conversation. Commissioner David Stern is just now opening discussion about
fielding a Sin City franchise. What was his reason for neglecting mention of
moving a team to one of the fastest growing cities in the country for so
long? Stern did not want the NBA to be associated with sports betting
because he knows that it is an addictive problem that has been growing in
popularity just as quickly as the city of Las Vegas. Sports betting is not
only a problem for the image of the NBA front office, but also is a problem
for the most casual of sports fans. One of the most popular places to find
sports betting is right here on a college campus. Thirty to 45 percent of
college students gamble on a weekly basis. It is an addiction as popular as
drugs or alcohol and is just as serious. Gambling has grown drastically
because of the Internet, making online poker and sports betting
multi-billion dollar industries. The accessibility and ease of online
gambling is especially attractive to college students. With extra free time
and illusion of instant fortune, many students turn to betting for fast
money. The NCAA reports that more than one out of every three male college
students bets on sports. Today we are at the height of casual gambling. The
Super Bowl, which took place a few weeks ago, is a betting feast day. Those
who are not even football fans place bets on various game-related events:
obviously the winner, the over-under of the score, individual performances,
and even such trivial matters such as the number of times commentator Phil
Simms uses the telestrator.

This year, the deadline is April 17 for federal and state returns. Gambling
winnings are taxable and must be reported on your return. Such income
includes, but is not limited to, winnings from lotteries, raffles, horse and
dog races and casinos, as well as the fair market value of prizes, such as
cars, trips or other noncash prizes.
Depending on the type and amount of your winnings, the payer might provide
you with a Form W-2G and might have withheld federal income taxes from the
payment. The full amount of your gambling winnings for the year must be
reported on line 21, Form 1040. You may not use Form 1040A or 1040EZ. If you
itemize deductions, you can deduct your gambling losses for the year on line
27, Schedule A (Form 1040). You cannot deduct gambling losses that are more
than winnings. It is important to keep an accurate diary or record of your
winnings and losses. To deduct your losses, you must be able to provide
receipts, tickets, statements or other records that show the amount of both
your winnings and losses.

Lawyers for two men charged with importing 100 gambling machines last year
have been submitting to the trial magistrate that their clients have no case
to answer.
Once Senior Crown Counsel Carrington Mahoney closed the prosecution's case
this morning, barrister Kevin Bean addressed the Wor. Khamisi Tokunbo,
arguing that the Crown's case isn't strong enough to support the charges and
warrant a rebuttal by the defence. George Kezas, 71, of Lilly Park, St.
George's and Fermin Alfonso Reyes, 29, of Panama City, Panama are charged
with importing the machines on July 24 aboard the vessel 'Niobe Corinthian',
which berthed at Marginal Wharf in St. David's. Their intermittent trial has
heard of a police and customs raid on the vessel and the seizure of the
machines, which a prosecution expert has said were manufactured for the sole
purpose of gambling. Mr. Bean's arguments centred on the legal meanings of
the words 'importation' and 'gaming machines and parts'; that a search
warrant was invalid; that his client, Mr. Kezas, was only an employee of the
Corinthian company and didn't cause the vessel to come to Bermuda; that the
gaming machines were fixtures of the ship and not goods being imported; and
that there was no evidence given that the gambling machines were capable of
operation as such. Earlier, Detective Constable Paul Ridley told the court
that he felt sympathy for Sr. Reyes, the vessel's captain, when he told him
that he would be in police custody over the full weekend of his arrest. "Did
I feel compassion for him?" the officer said. "Yes, I did. Did I know that
his wife was pregnant? Yes, I did. Did I lend him my cell phone? Yes, I
did." It was after using the phone that Sr. Reyes told the officer that his
wife had given birth.
Dc Ridley also told the court that he'd offered to guard Sr. Reyes while he
showered at Hamilton Police Station. "Did I feel sympathetic to Capt. Reyes?
Yes, I did," he continued. "Did I feel he broke the law nonetheless? Yes, I
did." However, he denied defence lawyer Elizabeth Christopher's suggestion
that he'd visited her client in custody to advise him to plead guilty to the
charge. "Absolutely not," he said.

Richard Calderon of the Bermuda Land Development Corporation told the trial
that the Corporation had leased a berth at Marginal Wharf to the Niobe
Corinthian's owners for six months from July to January.

Unusually, he said, the contract wasn't first signed nor was payment made
from the outset.

He agreed with Mr. Bean that payment would be due even if the vessel weren't
in port: "Not to sound like a greedy landlord."

Discussions about gambling in south-central Kansas will continue Thursday at
a meeting in Wellington with officials from six counties. Sedgwick County
Commissioner Gwen Welshimer and community development director Irene Hart
will represent Sedgwick County. Other commissioners may attend as well.
Welshimer said representatives will talk about creating a regional coalition
to influence the Legislature to include south-central Kansas in any plan to
authorize casinos. "It hopefully gives us a little more clout, power, a
louder voice," she said. "That's the purpose of putting this together -- to
have a louder voice."

Ministers were last night accused of ignoring calls for an advertising drive
on the dangers of problem gambling outlined in one of their own reports. The
Scottish Executive last year published a weighty investigation into the
social costs of the rise and rise of the gaming industry. The report,
written by Glasgow University academic Gerda Reith, made clear
recommendations on the need for a public awareness campaign on the scale of
the executive's public warnings on smoking, drinking and drugs. Dr Reith
yesterday demanded to know why her advice had been ignored. "I always assume
that when a report comes out there will be some action. When that doesn't
happen - when there is not even any debate - you feel people are not paying
the right kind of attention. "The important thing that came out of the
report is that problem gambling is very difficult to treat when it becomes
pathological. An awareness campaign would prevent a lot of money being spent
in the long term on treatment." Dr Reith's report, Research on the Social
Impact of Gambling, was published by the executive last September as Glasgow
forged ahead with its failed bid to host Britain's only supercasino. But she
believes the debate on gambling has focused far too much on a single venue -
the supercasino will now be in Manchester - and neglected other far more
accessible ways for would-be punters to have a flutter. Casinos account for
just 3% of betting.
Slot machines or fixed-odds betting terminals have mushroomed in pubs, clubs
and betting shops in recent years, with jackpots far bigger than the change
that used to spill out of old-time "puggies" or one-armed bandits. Online
gambling is thought to be growing fast too. Dr Reith does not oppose
betting. She simply believes the public, who, especially after the gradual
liberalisation brought in since the National Lottery was launched in 1994,
need to know of its potential dangers. Crucially, public information
campaigns, she argues, have helped reduce the social costs of increased
gambling elsewhere. She added: "The supercasino has been a bit of a
distraction from the real debate. There will, after all, only be one of
them." The executive, meanwhile, stressed gaming laws were the
responsibility of Westminster, not Holyrood. Its spokeswoman focused largely
on the prospect of a supercasino, despite Dr Reith regarding that debate as
something of a sideshow.
The spokeswoman said: "If any future new casino development was to be
located in Scotland, we will monitor the impacts of such a development very
carefully.

"Gambling law, and therefore the public communication of those laws, is a
reserved area of responsibility."

Shona Robison, the SNPs spokeswoman on health, yesterday saw no reason why a
public education campaign, or even a national strategy on problem gambling,
should not be launched in Scotland just because Westminster was in charge of
the licensing regime.

She said: "Dr Reith's report made clear recommendations.

"It's disappointing the executive has chosen to treat it with disregard. It
is just passing the back to make it Westminster's responsibility."

Following the gambling scandal, where AFL players were found gambling on
other AFL matches, government regulated territory corporations (TAB) were
instructed to hand over access to gambling accounts to investigators. TAB in
Victoria and New South Wales did release information to assist the the
investigation of the football gambling of Goodwin, Melbourne defender Daniel
Ward, Kangaroos ruckman David Hale and Sydney rookie Kieren Jack. However,
the SA TAB will not hand access to its accounts to the AFL investigators. SA
TAB general manager Grant Harrison said his agency, in contrast to the TAB
in Victoria and New South Wales, did not have an agreement with the AFL
sanctioning an audit of its account holders. Its privacy policy would not be
compromised for the AFL, Mr Harrison said. "Our policy, at this moment, is
not to disclose details of our accounts unless we are served a court order
or a legal notice to produce," he said. "We will disclose to the police and
to the Australian Tax Office, but not to the AFL." With the SA TAB blocking
the AFL audit of Crows and Power players, case investigators may have a
greater curiosity on whether Goodwin's football bets with Betfair last year
were his alone or part of a syndicate involving current and former Crows
teammates. Rugby league legend Garry Jack says his son Keiren (AFL Syndey)
is shattered after being linked to an investigation into illegal gambling
after making two bets totalling $10 on the internet. The league has made it
clear that wants to broaden its audit into other states.

House Republicans restarted the capital construction debate on Monday with a
plan to boost gambling opportunities at existing riverboats. "It has been
seven years since we made a major investment in our infrastructure," said
House Republican Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego. "We believe the plan we are
putting forth today is reasonable and responsible." The proposal would
provide $3 billion for mass transit and road construction, $500 million for
building and renovation projects on university and community college
campuses and $1.5 billion for the state's school construction grant program.
The first $149 million of that would cover the two dozen school districts
that have been waiting on promised grants since the program ran out of money
in 2002. The rest could be used to help fix crumbling buildings, deal with
overcrowded schools or house new cooperative high schools across Illinois.
To pay for it, the state would raise about $500 million by selling existing
riverboats the rights to a total of 6,000 new gaming positions. Those slots
are expected to bring in $450 million a year in new revenue at the existing
riverboat tax rate. House Republicans called the program fiscally
responsible, and noted that it does not call for any new tax hikes. But they
are likely to face immediate criticism from both the horse racing industry
and anti-gambling groups, not to mention competing proposals from members of
the majority party. Multiple capital proposals have been introduced in
recent years, but each one was derailed by disagreements over what projects
would be included and how the bonds would be repaid. House Democrat
spokesman Steve Brown noted that House Republicans were among the chief
objectors. "It's heartening, I guess, to see that the Republicans have come
out of the slumber they have been in," Brown said on Monday. "It's been
several years that they have been dragging their feet and there are needs up
and down the state." Cross said his party's past concerns involved selling
bonds without providing a specific revenue stream from which to repay them.
State Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, acknowledged gambling was a controversial
way to provide that revenue stream, but called the House Republican plan a
good starting point. "We are willing to listen to a reasonable alternative,"
he said.

Getting the three-fifths majority needed to pass a capital plan this year
won't be easy, but desperation could help drive a compromise.

"The pent-up desire to do it is there," Black said. "Talk and fingerpointing
for the last four years hasn't solved the potholes, hasn't taken care of the
backlog in school construction grants."

He said he hoped at least some of the money would be used for the
long-awaited Lincoln Hall renovation project at the University of Illinois.