Thursday, March 31, 2011

PartyGaming Plc, now known as bwin.party digital entertainment plc ('bwin.party' or the 'Company')

Completion of the Merger

The process of merging PartyGaming Plc and bwin Interactive Entertainment AG ('bwin') has been completed today. The Company has formally re-registered its name as 'bwin.party digital entertainment plc'.

The Company's ordinary shares of 0.015 pence each ("Shares") have today been de-listed and re-admitted to the premium segment of the official list and commenced dealing on the London Stock Exchange's main market. A total of 439,209,325 new Shares have today been issued in the form of dematerialised depositary interests and credited in CREST for onward transfer to the relevant securities accounts of former bwin shareholders no later than 1 April 2011. As a result of this issue of new Shares, the Company now has 852,271,026 Shares in issue.

The new London Stock Exchange 'ticker' for the Shares is 'BPTY'. The ISIN number for the Shares remains G1000A0MV757, whilst the SEDOL number has changed to B53TNH6. The London Stock Exchange will show the Company's new name of 'bwin.party digital entertainment plc' on its trading system from 1 April 2011.

As a result of the merger completing, the following appointments to the Company's board of directors have taken effect from today:

Simon Duffy, Non-Executive Chairman of the Board
Norbert Teufelberger, Co-Chief Executive Officer
Joachim Baca, Chief Operating Officer
Per Afrell, Independent Non-Executive Director
Manfred Bodner, Non-Executive Director
Helmut Kern, Independent Non-Executive Director
Georg Riedl, Non-Executive Director

Biographies for each of these directors are set out in the Company's prospectus and circular published on 23 December 2010 and available on bwin.party's website, www.bwinparty.com. There are no disclosures to be made under Listing Rule 9.6.13 in respect of any of the new directors other than those set out in the Company's prospectus and circular to shareholders published on 23 December 2010.

Commenting on the completion of the merger, Jim Ryan and Norbert Teufelberger, the Co-CEOs, said:

"We are delighted that our merger is now complete so that we can start with the integration of our businesses and capturing the synergies we have already identified. As we make the transition from unregulated to regulated markets we have an excellent opportunity to capitalise on our market-leading positions in sports betting, poker, casino and games as well as bingo."

Simon Duffy, the newly appointed Chairman of the Board, commented:

"Congratulations to bwin.party's directors and employees on managing the merger through to completion. This is a landmark day for the online gaming sector and bwin.party is now in a position to leverage its combined resources to take maximum advantage of regulating markets and the exciting opportunities in the real money gaming and digital entertainment sectors."

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

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WM27..WM AXXESS..HBK/HOF Personal..The Streak..Snoop & JR on Commentary?? Ready to Grill?, by Jim Ross - 30th March 2011

It's Wrestlemania 27 Week. What more needs to be said? Let's grill...

Preparing to head East to Atlanta is like preparing to return to one's former hometown. Being a former homeowner and living in Atlanta was a great experience and without question Atlanta was my favorite town of which to base out of while I've been in the wrestling business.

I have no 'assignment' for Sunday but I'm channeling Ricky Vaughn, Charlie Sheen's character in the film 'Major League,' and assuming the role of the relief pitcher while standing by in the bullpen and ready to 'throw the heater, Ricky' if needed.

Hopefully every performer, no matter their role Sunday, understands the importance of being better than they have professionally ever been. Don't allow one's minutes to dictate one's performance. Maximize the minutes while turning heads would be my suggestion.

Seeing HBK go into the WWE HOF is going to be particularly gratifying to me. After seeing @ShawnMichaels_ break into the business in Mid South Wrestling, I've seen the best and the worst of HBK. Traveling to San Antonio to visit with him about coming back to WWE after his 4+ year hiatus due to a back injury was one of the most profound trips of my career. It's hard to believe that Shawn returned after such a long hiatus and from the first minute that he stepped back into the ring he was better than everyone else.

HBK, HHH, and Undertaker, three, old school guys, arguably, in the eyes of many, stole the show Monday night on Raw on a night where MNR was loaded with star power.

Someone asked me if I thought @TheRock was going to get physically involved Sunday on PPV in the Miz vs. Cena WWE Title Bout. Facetiously, I answered "Oh, no Rock's going to turn the other cheek and let bygones be bygones." If Rock doesn't get physical Sunday in some shape, form or fashion I will allow burnt orange to be displayed in our home.

All our JR's products will be available at WM AXXESS at the WWE merchandise stand. They will be available w/o any issues with shipping, handling, etc. They all come in plastic bottles, the Beef Jerky in plastic bags, and are travel friendly in one's checked luggage.

At Axxess, I will be playing against Jerry Lawler at the WWE All Stars video game Friday night at the THQ area. @WWEGames has been working OT on promoting WWE All Stars which is getting superb reviews from gaming experts. The King and I reunite for this video game where you can book the greatest bouts that never happened.

The King and I, sounds like a musical, reunite this weekend on Saturday at 10-noon signing autographs at the WWE HOF booth at Axxess. Come by and say hello.

Word on the street, and not officially confirmed, is that Terry Funk, WWE HOF'er and a rather hardcore individual to this very day, will induct the originator of hardcore Abdullah the Butcher into the WWE Hall of Fame Saturday night at the sold out Phillips Arena. Some tickets may still be lingering for Saturday night's event so check with Ticketmaster or the box office. With no TV time restraints, the inductor and inductee speeches should be classic.

Even though Ticketmaster may indicate that there are no more tickets available for Sunday's WM27, as a rule a few tickets or even a section or two often times become available when the production setup is completed. The Georgia Dome will be packed but some tickets may become available as the weekend progresses. I expect the gate to be in excess of $6M with north of 65,000 fans on hand. I could easily be low on both projections.

No rumor to the fact that Snoop Dogg and I will share a trailer at WM27 even though I lobbied for it. I'd prefer to make no more comments on this matter. Here's an idea for you. What if Snoop Dog and Ol JR broadcast a match or two at 'Mania. Now that's what I'm talking about and the pregame would be classic. Pass the Doritos, please.

Snoop's gazillionaire body was once guarded by Brodus Clay. Clay reminds me of a modern day, UWF version of the One Man Gang. That's a good comparison BTW for you kids in the audience

What match will close the show Sunday? Whether it is The Streak or the WWE Title the WWE seems to be destined to be 'damned if they do and damned if they don't' with this one. I'd be a Streak lean but closing the show with the WWE Title, Rock, etc would work for me as well.

Will 'The Streak' ever be broken? My guess is no but I do agree that nothing lasts forever.

People have asked me for a prediction on the Lawler vs Cole match. Really. Really? Lawler wins in a 'quicker than a hiccup' bout and King won't need Stone Cold to get it done. The thought of having to broadcast a Cole victory would be more annoying than an irritable bowel. Thank goodness that chore or possibility thereof will be left up to others or so it seems.

Follow us on Twitter @JRsBBQ as we are over 118,000 followers now. I find that number amazing and its growing daily. We have a blast interacting with our Twitter friends. Well, most of them.

BTW...don't look now but Barry Bonds is in a whole heap of trouble. Perjury ain't cool especially when one allegedly lies to Uncle Sam. Some people would rather walk a mile to tell a lie than walk across the street to tell the truth.

The NFL strike/lockout nightmare will be settled before the start of the season because 1. most players can't sustain their opulent, out of control life styles without game checks coming in and 2. too many people will lose too much money if the stadiums stay empty and w/o games.

How cool is it to induct one's father into the WWE HOF? I think that it's great that Bob Armstrong's sons will have that distinction. Bullet Bob was a helluva hand and even at 71 years of age has still got one of the better set of 'guns' in the biz. The former US Marine was truly beloved in the Southern territories.

Coach Brock Lesnar starts his gig tonight on Spike on the new season of TUF. This week on a media tour Lesnar left the door open to return to WWE, smart strategy, some day if the opportunity and the money were to his liking. No smart businessman closes any potentially, lucrative doors but with that said Lesnar has miles to travel ahead of him in UFC which is the perfect vocation for the former WWE Champion. Lesnar's focus is to beat Junior Dos Santos in June and then to regain the UFC Heavyweight Title. I for one hope that Brock gets back to the top of the UFC mountain.

Lesnar's book ,co-written w/ Paul Heyman @HeymanHustle, will be out in May. I'm anxious to read it as Brock and I had some interesting days in WWE. BTW I would love to travel to Vancouver to see the next Lesnar fight. Can someone get word to @DanaWhite? :)

Thanks for the business and support of our JR branded products and remember that http://www.wweshop.com ships outside the USA and are doing a great job distributing our goods.

Boomer Sooner!

JR (Credit: Jim Ross official website)

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Local teacher breaking down barriers for disadvantaged, by Greg Tingle - 31st March 2011

We've all heard the stories of the "too hard basked", "will never get a job", and "in your dreams".

Local teacher, celebrated media businesswoman and artist, Eva Rinaldi, is once again proving the naysayers wrong with her new life skills and wellbeing course tailored for disadvantaged people.

Ms Rinaldi is used to achieving the possible, so when the opportunity presented to teach life skills at The Parramatta College to a dozen people categorized as "disadvantaged" as far as job and business prospects go, she jumped at it.

The class comprises of adult aged students who have to put it mildly, had a really rough go of it in life. We go around the room and learn of the stories of family breakdown, job retrenchment, depression, weight and diet issues, sexual abuse, homelessness and we need not elaborate any further.

Ms Rinaldi said "I feel so blessed to be able to give these people new hope. My life has not been sheltered either and I've had my own share of ups and downs on the rollercoaster of life so I feel that I was hand picked for this most challenging role. I think that everyone one of us has a calling. We are four weeks into the eight week course now and the students are starting to open up to me more about their goals, dreams, aspirations, fears and life journey now. Many of them were quite hesitant at first. We've identified a few diamonds in the rough and we have already got some work experience opportunities confirmed for a number of them and their overall positive mental attitude has increased remarkable".

The charismatic teacher, well known for her media and arts appearances, has been contacting her impressive network of business contacts and has also secured the strong interest of Channel Seven, Andrew McManus Presents, Michael Jacobsen, Media Man and beyondblue. She's already signed up a number of the students as models and artists assistants for her Human Statue BodyArt, organised interviews with Media Man to raise more awareness and to give the students an outlet to share the story, and book into some of them to be St John's Ambulance volunteers at a number of upcoming music and sports events.

Ms Rinaldi said "Every little thing counts and gets them a step closer to where they want to be. You have to keep their spirit alive and heading in the right direction. Even this modest news article helps them see that society cares and has an interest. A very good friend of mine who works in media showed me the documentary of 'The Choir Of Hard Knocks' which showed many disadvantaged people come together and build up a formidable choir. There's were some absolutely golden people with amazing talent. I'm certain we have a similar kind of scenario with the students in my class. They just need to find their niche, and step by step they are. We're all really excited".

Many of the students were hesitant to be interviewed as they want to achieve more first before getting too much attention in the media, but we secured permission to publish some overview details.

Andrew: 55 years, booked into St Johns Ambulance volunteer service, into motorbikes and music and is looking forward to getting back into the workforce.

June: 50 years, long term depression issues, enjoys dancing, is into nutrition and helping others. Eva has identified June as been extremely intelligent.

Sarah: 20 years, long term unemployed and weight loss issues, but has lost 20kg in the last 2 months. Loves her dog and is looking forward to getting out and about more, and easing herself back into the workforce.

In the coming weeks we will be tracking the progress of these never say die students, and Ms Rinaldi promises us that she will have some very special guests coming along to share their own stories, and further reinforce to her class that nothing is impossible, by providing real life examples and genuine work experience opportunities, some of which will likely lead to sustainable employment prospects.

An enthusiastic Ms Rinaldi closed in saying "We have some amazing talented people here with lots to offer and who can't wait to get back to work. The more the naysayers say it can't be done, the more I know it can be. I've made some big comebacks in my own career, and I've been sharing some of the secrets with my class. Together I know we will all cross the finish line. This assignment has been one of my careers biggest challenges, but already its turning into one of the most rewarding".

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PartyCasino News: The Offer You Can't Refuse and Wager the Billionth Dollar

PartyGaming is on a financial and innovation role, impressing players, the stock market, partners such as Bwin, and media associates including yours truly - Media Man.

The Offer You Can't Refuse

Rise to power with our big-money leader boards and guaranteed prizes
Starts: 00:00 ET, 16th March
Ends: 23:59 ET, 28th March

Prove yourself at your favourite casino and we'll reward you with prizes worth a fortune.

The Offer You Can't Refuse promotion will make playing any of our great slots and jackpot slots - including our new The Godfather Part I slot - even more thrilling as we are putting up $5,500 every day for 13 days in daily leader board races as well as giving away guaranteed cash bonuses just for collecting points.

Big business leader boards

Only the most dedicated players will rise to the top and earn our respect so make sure you impress us and pick up as many points as possible playing our slots and jackpot slots, especially The Godfather Part I.

Each daily leader board in The Offer You Can't Refuse promotion is worth $5,500.

Pay your respects to The Godfather Part I slot

The Godfather, one of the classic films of all time is now proudly recreated as one of our stunning slots featuring all the excitement of this epic movie.

Spin the reels of The Godfather Part I to start your life of crime. Make sure to look out for The Don's wild symbol, the generous expanding wilds that will boost your winnings and the five bonus games packed with free spins. Join the family in The Godfather Part I slot and spin this masterpiece of a slot today.


Wager the Billionth Dollar

Get ready to break a record!

PartyCasino.com’s legendary Fire Drake slot is about to set the online casino industry alight with a scorching world-first. The game is poised to pass $1 billion wagered – a monster milestone that we’re marking with Wager the Billionth $.

It’s a red-hot promotion that’s giving away some flaming good prizes.

Win a VIP Las Vegas holiday plus $2,500 cash.

Wager the billionth dollar on Fire Drake and you’ll win a VIP holiday to Las Vegas. You’ll also get $2,500 cash to spend while you’re there.

Wager the Billionth dollar on the Fire Drake slot and you’ll:

Fly to Las Vegas, and spend five nights in a luxury suite at a five-star hotel
Dine each night at Las Vegas’s top restaurants
Enjoy spectacular sell-out shows, and a breathtaking helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon
With airport limousine transfers and 24-hour concierge service included, you’ll do Sin City in style!

Plus - wager $50 on the day the billionth dollar is wagered and win $25!
If you wager at least $50 on the same day that Fire Drake’s billionth dollar is wagered you’ll win a super $25 cash bonus.

So spin the reels to trigger three Fire Drake symbols and raid the dragon’s lair. Crack open a treasure chest and escape with free spins.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

Websites

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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

CryptoLogic reviewing strategic options, may sell itself

Options include disposal of part of business

* Says no certainty any offer will be forthcoming

* Hires Deloitte Corporate Finance as financial adviser

* Nasdaq-listed shares up 44 percent

* Shares rise as much as 40 pct in Toronto (Updates share movement)

March 25 - Canadian gaming software maker CryptoLogic said it has initiated a strategic review of its business, including a possible sale of the company or a disposal of part of the business, sending its shares up 40 percent.

"The board wishes to stress that there can be no certainty that any offer will be forthcoming, the company said in a statement.

CryptoLogic, a developer of branded online betting games and internet casino software, said it had hired Deloitte Corporate Finance as financial adviser to assist with the process.

Shares of the company were up 37 Canadian cents at C$1.57 on Friday morning on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Its Nasdaq-listed shares rose 44 percent to $1.73, but pared some gains and were trading at $1.60.

Earlier this week, CryptoLogic, which has licensed its games to e-gaming operators such as 888.com and Betfair, posted a fourth-quarter loss of $0.8 million, but said total expenses fell by 69 percent.

In February, it served notice to terminate an agreement with a "significant supplier of games" after the supplier sent it an arbitration notice.

The Dublin, Ireland-based company's 2010 revenue fell to $26.0 million from $39.8 million a year ago.

Last year, CryptoLogic cuts jobs by 47 percent to 111 as part of a restructuring plan to reduce its cost base, and its chief executive had resigned.

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Gaming Affiliates Hit The Decks: 'GATM' Latest iGaming Scandal, by Greg Tingle - 30th March 2011

G'day punters, casino and gambling millionaires and billionaires, affiliate marketers, legal eagles, one and all. Folks, its been a while coming, but welcome back to another feature on the good, the bad and the ugly and affiliate marketing. Front and centre SlotoCash and 'GATM'. Media Man and Gambling911 probe the igaming affiliate sector and once again and discover that the at the mixed at best reputation is very well deserved. Cheers maties...

First, a little background...

My company, Media Man, is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company and we've been established for over a decade. We create and maintain media and brand campaigns, conduct internet publishing, offer personality management, and we have also participated in a modest amount of affiliate programs over the years. My background is journalism and media management.

What Media Man Received From SlotoCash Earlier Today...

Dear Affiliates,

I am writing to inform you that unfortunately we have lost GATM eCheck processor. This was a major processor for Deckmedia and a lot of money is owed to us by Echeck which appears to be lost at this stage.

Echeck was having issues with its confidential name 'GATM'. This term (GATM) leaked out across the internet and they contacted us on several occasions requesting that we ask affiliates to remove all references of 'GATM' from those gambling related sites listing it. Lots of affiliates assisted with this which was greatly appreciated. However many affiliates refused and the term 'GATM' remains on many sites and now the company has gone offline and is not responding.

In the past Deckmedia have taken huge loses upon us to ensure that affiliates have not lost out in such circumstances. For example, when Deckmedia lost Ewalletxpress and Mastercard, Deckmedia took the FULL hit ensuring all affiliates were paid the full amount for those months.

I regret to inform you that this time round Deckmedia will not be able to take these loses from Echeck and those affiliates who have earnings from Echeck deposits will have those earnings deducted. This will take place on the 31st March.

This is not a decision which was made easily and I apologize to all of those who will be affected by it.

Please try to understand the circumstances. This is a loss for everybody and unfortunately was out of our control.

Kind Regards,

Paul
Marketing Director

Us And Slotcash...

We first became aware of SlotCash about 12 months ago, but we decided to join their affiliate programs about 6 months ago, since they advised us that they accepted United States customers, and we liked that fact, since things are on the go in the U.S and we also own and operate website portals American Casino News and American Gaming News. We gave the SlotCash brands good coverage, however unfortuately we never earned 1 cent from them, despite getting good income from a number of other affiliate programs in the same sector, with roughly the same coverage, promotion and the like. For over 3 months we have not contacted SlotoCash. We decided to cut our (time - thus money) losses, and focus on areas of our business and other brands that are profitable, and not a waste of time. Deck Media is the parent company of SlotCash.

Background On The Online Affiliate Sector And Internet Space; Australian, US And European Connection...

What is a website portal?

In essence, a very popular website. Think like NineMSN, iGoogle, MSNBC, Wikipedia. Media Man is not as slick (or as well funded), but developed a niche and successful business model none the less. The Media Man website network is a work in progress, and is never completely finished (as is the dynamic nature of the web medium).

Background to iGaming and online sports betting

PartyGaming, London Stock Exchange listed powerhouse, is understood to be the world's first igaming giant and firm of considerable name value.

What is an online affiliate program?

An affiliate program is a largely commission based incentive b2b structure where an affiliate (i.e a web publisher) receives a % for generating successful sales / bringing in business. Website portals (and media companies) make for some of the most successful affiliates, as they have compelling unique content, high traffic, loyal readership interested in certain niche areas and the like. Some affiliate programs are quality and worthwhile, and some are not, and could be viewed as a waste of time.

Affiliate marketing (reference: Wikipedia)

Affiliate marketing is a marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's marketing efforts. Examples include rewards sites, where users are rewarded with cash or gifts, for the completion of an offer, and the referral of others to the site. The industry has four core players: the merchant (also known as 'retailer' or 'brand'), the network, the publisher (also known as 'the affiliate') and the customer. The market has grown in complexity to warrant a secondary tier of players, including affiliate management agencies, super-affiliates and specialized third parties vendors.

Affiliate marketing overlaps with other Internet marketing methods to some degree, because affiliates often use regular advertising methods. Those methods include organic search engine optimization, paid search engine marketing, e-mail marketing, and in some sense display advertising. On the other hand, affiliates sometimes use less orthodox techniques, such as publishing reviews of products or services offered by a partner.

Affiliate marketing-using one website to drive traffic to another-is a form of online marketing, which is frequently overlooked by advertisers. While search engines, e-mail, and website syndication capture much of the attention of online retailers, affiliate marketing carries a much lower profile. Still, affiliates continue to play a significant role in e-retailers' marketing strategies.

Disclaimers Explained

Responsible publishers such as Media Man put appropriate disclaimers on their work. ie: Media Man has a b2b relationship with X. Media Man owns shares in X. X is a client of Media Man. Media Man newsfeeds powered by Fairfax Media, The New York Times and Google News. X is not a client of Media Man, X is a former client of Media Man, and you get the idea...

Some History - 1998, Australia

Professor Jan McMillen, executive director of the Australian Institute for Gambling Research, and Dr Peter Grabosky, director of research at the Australian Institute of Criminology, argued that strict prohibition of internet gambling would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. "While prohibition would quite likely reduce online gambling to some extent it might detract from the capacity to address other, more pressing forms of online illegality such as fraud, child pornography, or other more serious forms of computer hacking."

International History

The UK was one of the first countries to fully regulate online gambling. This greatly assisted in both consumer protection, innovation and correct government taxation. Companies such as Virgin Games, PartyGaming (PartyCasino and PartyPoker etc), Paddy Power and William Hill have traditional enjoyed strong success in the United Kingdom.


Australian Snapshot And History...

Early Days Of White Australia History

Gambling thrived, largely underground, since settlers arrived in Australia, firstly via Captain Cook (depending upon what history books you wish to believe). Gambling was a favorite pastime and provided for hours, sometimes months, of entertainment.

Circa 1950 - 70s Australia

Illegal gambling dens thrived in Australia. Mainly on the east coast. George Freeman, as featured on some Network 'Underbelly' episodes was the king. Abe Saffron, subject of an 'Australian Families of Crime' feature was also considered king for many years.

Crown Casino Takes Casino Mainstream Down Under

Circa 1980, the late, great, Kerry Packer, sees Crown Casino launch in Melbourne Australia. Crown Casino also becomes home of many great entertainment industry events, including The Logies! (broadcast on Network Nine). Crown grows the empire acquiring a casino in Perth (1984), re named as Burswood Entertainment Centre. In 2005 Kerry passes away, having cheated death a number of times, and James takes the reigns. Packer Jr's aptitude was questioned (mainly by the Aussie press) for many years, but last year he proved the knockers wrong, with Crown Casino and Burswood powering along, followed by his City Of Dreams, Macau, holding up well in a global financial crisis. The Crown empire has showed itself to be recession resilient, but not recession proof. Packer is still standing while many lost their shirts and went down for the count. Packer key business strengths include (other than being seriously cashed up), networking, enjoying relationships with company such as Richard Branson, David Gyngell, Eddie McGuire, Shane Warne, Damian Aspinall (long family history), Sen Stephen Conroy, and a bush tucker bag of Australian state and federal politicians, and a number of the Aussie media and entertainment A-Listers. Packer's teaming up with Aussie mining giant, Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest (Team GenerationOne) earned him browny points, and some say well needed, PR, but both Packer Jr and 'The Twiggster' have both enjoyed long and largely positive history and relationships with Indigenous Australia. By all accounts, their hearts are in it.

Australian Productivity Commission Report - May 2010

Recommends that internet gambling be legalised and regulated

Australians are spending an estimated $1 billion per year on internet gambling (casino, poker and sports betting)

Firms offering online casino products are theoretically subject to fines of up to $1.1 million per day, but Australian Federal Police are refusing to lay charges against illegal operators.

Numbers just in show Aussies are expected to spend $968 million this year on online casino games, poker and bingo, approx 30% on online poker.

iGaming is thriving in Australia, and its cousin, videogaming, also remains one of the more financial stable business sectors.

*The below is credit to the Australian Productive Commission official website

http://www.pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/gambling-2009

The Productivity Commission's final report on Gambling has been completed and sent to the Australian Government for its consideration.

The release of the final report by the Government is the next step in the process. Under the Productivity Commission Act 1998, the Government is required to table the report in each House of the Parliament within 25 sitting days of receipt.

When the Government releases the report, a copy will be sent to all registered participants including those who made submissions, appeared at the public hearing, or were visited by the Commission. At that time, the report will also be available for download from the inquiry website.

The Commission thanks all those who have contributed to the inquiry.

Following a decision by the Council of Australian Governments, the Australian Government asked the Productivity Commission to undertake a public inquiry into gambling.

The inquiry provides an update on developments since the Commission's 1999 report, and can consider a wide range of issues, including:

the nature and definition of gambling and the range of activities incorporated within this definition

the participation profile of gambling, including problem gamblers and those at risk of problem gambling

the economic impacts of the gambling industries, including industry size, growth, employment, organisation and interrelationships with other industries, such as tourism, leisure, other entertainment and retailing

the social impacts of the gambling industries, the incidence of gambling abuse and the cost and nature of welfare support services necessary to address it

the contribution of gambling revenue on community development activity and employment

the effects of the regulatory structures - including licensing arrangements, entry and advertising restrictions, application of the mutuality principle and differing taxation arrangements - governing the gambling industries, including the implications of differing approaches for industry development and consumers

the implications of new technologies (such as the Internet), including the effect on traditional government controls on the gambling industries

the impact of gambling on Commonwealth, State and Territory budgets

the impact that the introduction of harm minimisation measures at gambling venues has had on the prevalence of problem gambling and on those at risk

evaluate the effectiveness and success of these harm minimisation measures used by the State and Territory Governments.

Media Man coverage continued

Forms Of Gambling...

Casino games - land based

Online casino games - games of chance, games of skill and sports betting

Sports betting - horse racing, AFL, NRL, UFC, Boxing, Cricket etc - (online or offline)

Illegal gambling - ie: betting at gambling dens, unregulated, be it in Las Vegas, Kings Cross, Maroubra Beach or China!

TV in Australia...

Both Australian network TV and pay TV companies have broadcast footage of World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour. Australian former WSOP champion, Joe Hachem, has appeared on a number of Australian TV shows including The Poker Star and Network Ten's 7PM Project. Hachem also writes for The Age. Australia's Shane Warne has appeared on a number of Australian TV shows with the 888 - Pacific Poker connection being clear, and 888 - Pacific is well branded and covered on Mr Warne's numerous websites. Sydney Roosters NRL players previously carried Full Tilt Poker branding on their shorts, but this is understood to be no longer the case. Years ago 'Joker Poker' was screened on Network Nine, and closely associated with James Packer's Crown Casino in Melbourne. Aussie celebrities such as Dave Hughes and Bessie Bardot appeared. NRL, AFL and numerous Australian sports broadcasts carry betting odds which appear on the TV screen. TV announcers will often reference the odds as part of the sports commentating. It's understood that a couple of years ago somehow an overseas online casino brand was advertised on Australian terrestrial TV late at night. The facts are not known on at matter, or in the public domain. Australia's ACMA is likely to have a file on the case.

Online Gaming Regulation In Australia - Yes Or No?

Media Man believes that online gambling, poker, casino, sports betting et should be regulated in Australia. That's a "Yes". As we advised Fairfax Media, we think there are good guys and bad guys. Good guys in our opinion include World Poker Tour (owned and operated by PartyGaming), World Series of Poker, PartyPoker, PartyCasino, Virgin Games - Virgin Casino (not currently available to Australians), PKR, Betfair, Centrebet, Betezy, PokerStars, Rewards Affiliates, DGM (admin for Betfair affiliates), and of course, Gambling911 (who cover the sector, but are not a casino as such, but are a gaming, sports and entertainment website portal). Regulation will assist greatly administering correct taxation of companies and and around the sector, and will likely bring in extra millions into Australian government coffers. Last, but not least, regulation should help ease the small % of what is named "problem gamblers". Readers, keep in mind, many people have a range of problems or issues, "problem gambling" is just 1 of dozens of issues a person may have. The "problem gambler" angle has been the topic of a number of "attack journalism" style news stories in Australia over recent years. Media Man, covering over a dozen different industry sectors... sports, entertainment, community, technology, property etc... believes the gambling (and gaming - video gaming etc) believes that gambling and igaming are "easy or soft targets" (as is the case for oil companies), but that's another story.

Media Man is hopeful that this relatively basic write up will help further explain the igaming sector in Australia - Asia Pacific, and will form part of the road map for law makers and those in and around the industry. It's a complex subject, one where the legal eagles will likely be winners, but one we hope responsible brands and punters alike will also be in the winners circle. Any haters or detractors out there, keep in mind that this news report is not comprehensive, nor is it intended to be. It's some commentary and information put into the public domain while the subject matter remains politically hot in Australia. Media Man has a number of disclaimers on this article to add some balance to the ongoing discussion.

We look forward to continued balance coverage from the likes of Fairfax Media, News Limited, the ABC, SBS and others. We thank Gambling911 as a global media platform to put our thoughts into the public domain.

As always, bet with your head, not over it, know the odds and have fun. Good hunting and happy punting.

Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' PartyCasino.com

Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Runner Up Virgin Games (no U.S, Canadians or Australians - sorry folks)

Media Man 'Online Gaming Affiliate Program Of The Month' PartyPartners, Runner Up: PKR, 2nd Runner Up Rewards Affiliates


Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Tell us in the forum.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered

Online Casinos, Online Poker and Sports Betting...

Ok readers, we hear you... you also want to know some of the best places to play online (that accept Aussies) if your in or around the Asia Pacific - Australia (including Tassie) and New Zealand, so here it is...

PartyCasino.com (Many of the world's best slot games. Aussies and Kiwi's welcome).

Captain Cooks Casino

Betfair (sports betting only)

PKR.com (poker, slots including Marvel slot games and sports betting)

PartyPoker.com (online poker at one of the world's most respected poker rooms and gaming brands)

Profiles

Australian Casinos

World Casino Directory

Global Gaming Directory

Casino Travel

Casinos

Australia

Media Man and Gambling911 remind our readers to keep the following in mind:

Take the time to research and learn games before placing down money

Media Man, Casino News Media and Gambling911 are website portals. Not casinos as such, however are recognised as world leading websites that cover the sector and act as central points to games, news, reviews and more.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered

Website Network

Media Man International

Media Man

Media Man Australia

Media Man Canada

Media Man Games

Media Man Brand

Media Man Network

Casino News Media

Poker News Media

Australian Casino News

Casino News Australia

Global Gaming Directory

PartyCasino Scoops Gaming And Media Awards, by Greg Tingle

The online gaming sector is one of the world's most competitive.

When you think about the pick of the online casino rooms one name keeps coming up time and time again - PartyCasino.com

You likely already know how awesome PartyCasino.com is, but they now have even more awards and games to their name.

The casino triumphed over the competition to walk away with the Online Casino Operator of the Year award at the International Gaming Awards. It’s the most prestigious prize of the evening and although more than 300 casinos would love to have this shiny trophy on their mantelpiece, it’s PartyCasino.com that was voted the winner! PartyCasino is also a multi-time Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory 'Online Casino Of The Month' winner.

Do you reckon their slot games are the best? Well, the panel at the eGaming Review Awards agreed! Party scooped the prize for Slots Operator of the Year at the the EGR Awards 2010 thanks to their action-packed slot games like Kung Food and Circus.

PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.

The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.

The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $5 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.

PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Unicorn Legend, Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot, Sensible Soccer and Robin Hood Mini.

PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.

PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out current PartyCasino exclusive promos that are being called some of the greatest online casino promos ever.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

Websites

PartyCasino.com

PartyCasino.com Marvel Slots

PartyPoker.com

Profiles

PartyGaming PartyCasino PartyPoker PartyBingo Circus PartyCasino Marvel Slots The Big One Melon Madness Casino World Poker Tour PartyCasino Promotions

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Australia: Do Gambling And Politics Mix?; Volatile Cocktail, by Greg Tingle - 29th March 2011

G'day punters, casino and gambling millionaires and billionaires, sports nuts, club and casino owner - operators, politicians, legal eagles, one and all. Australia is a big drinking and gambling nation. Do gambling and politics mix? Yes indeed, and its a volatile cocktail to say the least. Today we explore some of the relationships as well as other fun and games in the sector. Media Man and Gambling911 mix your drinks, and proclaim "Bar's Open" 24/7. Cheers maties...

NSW Liberals: Pubs, Property Developers Friendly And On Side...

Australia's Labor party has had big issues with the gaming, clubs and property developer sector over the years, but now with the NSW Liberal election win we learn that Liberal's are on side with these business sectors. NSW premier-to-be Barry O’Farrell advised registered clubs and property developers have been unfairly treated by Labor during its 16 years in office. O'Farrell has promised to give these mighty sectors more support. "The club industry has suffered what the property sector has suffered". Stay tuned from more on the club and developer friendly Liberals, and don't bet against them to be elected into Federal office, quicker than you can see "Mr X hates gaming".

Mandatory Pre-Commitment Questionable Success Based On Overseas Results...

Mandatory "pre-commitment" does not look to be a silver bullet. Tabcorp and Tattersalls may lose the monopoly they have on Victoria's pokies next year. Tattersalls may actually benefit with its poker machine monitoring system, Maxgaming, that touts its "pre-commitment abilities" as well as value-adding services such as wide-area linked jackpots, which are criticised for exacerbating problem gambling. The Woolies pubs and pokies subsidiary, ALH, will become the biggest operator of slots in Australia once Tabcorp and Tattersalls lose their monopoly but any impact will be diluted by its much larger grocery business. Australia's leading poker machine makers, Aristocrat Leisure and Ainsworth Game Technology, may be two of a small number of companies to profit from the prop, which has the potential to drive machine upgrades. Merrill Lynch, a consulting firm, said that a "systems-based solution" where most of the intelligence would be in the network connecting the machines rather than in the machines themselves "would represent a much less significant opportunity for Aristocrat" and other manufacturers.

Aussie Online Gamblers Continues To Bet $1 Billion Bucks Per Annum...

Gaming companies with a foothold down under in Australia are welcoming the news, but gaming haters are none to pleased with findings from the latest study. A recent probe has demonstrated that punters have been wagering over $1 billion a year on online betting per year. Sports betting is a major growth area, fuelled by sports television programs featuring cricket, the NRL and AFL, and poker, slots and classic casino games continue to performing strongly. PartyGaming, Captain Cooks and Playtech casinos are understood to be picking up most of the Australian and New Zealand business, with Party being more popular with live dealer and slots players. Bingo has not become as popular in Australia as it is in Europe and virtual gaming titles. Crown Casino and Star City casino are interested to get in on the action with igaming also, with Betfair, PartyGaming and NextGen Gaming talks understood to have taken place. Some have responded to the results with fresh concerns regarding the implementation of effective online regulation. Online gambling is authorised by the the Australian government and is further safeguarded by the Interactive Gambling Act. Sally Gainsbury, speaking on behalf of Southern University's Centre for Gambling Education and Research, stated "We know that 30% of Australians over 16 have gambled online, investing about $1 billion in 2010". She's called on greater safeguards to "protect the punter" in a very busy and diverse online industry. Former casino consultant and president of the Australian Casino Association, John Beagle, advised foreign gaming was responsible for sending millions of dollars worth of revenue overseas. He said that online poker was a "sociable game" demanding skill and intelligence. He concluded by calling for additional support from the Australian government as the reviewing process gets underway. Gamers, media, portal developers, operators and legal eagles are monitoring developments closely.


Gambling With Public Health In Australia. Dr Charles Livingstone Writes...

Why the gambling industry is a serious public health threat

Commercial gambling now permeates our society. In Australia, pubs, clubs, newsagents and casinos sell gambling products, and Australians spend (or, it might be said) lose around $19 billion a year, $12 billion of it on poker machines (also known as electronic gambling machines, or EGMs). Gambling businesses sponsor elite sports and good causes; state governments reap around $6 billion per year from the proceeds of gambling. But at any one time hundreds of thousands of Australians are directly affected by the consequences of excessive or ‘problem’ gambling, and many times that number of family members, employers or loved ones are affected by the gambling problems of others with whom they have a connection. At least 40% of the money that is spent on EGMs comes from people with a serious problem, and another 20% from those with a developing or moderate problem. The consequences of excessive gambling include physical and mental ill-health, family breakdown, the neglect and abuse of children, financial ruin, crime and associated incarceration, and in some cases self-harm and suicide. These are not trivial, and it is clear that commercial gambling in its current form presents a serious threat to health and wellbeing. However, unlike many other such threats, those presented by commercial gambling are highly avoidable, and highly amenable to a full range of public health interventions. The current approach to gambling problems adopted by the gambling businesses, regulators and governments, generally known as ‘responsible gambling’, shifts the focus of gambling problems and the responsibility for them on to the individuals affected. Although the counselling and other support services currently offered are important and should be continued, the approach currently employed to address the harms of problem gambling has been focused on the ‘pathologised’ individual. This approach minimises the responsibility of gambling businesses and governments, whose revenue shares would be adversely affected by serious upstream action against gambling. A comprehensive public health approach to gambling is necessary if we are to reduce these harms and generate social conditions which support health and wellness. These include changes to regulation to ensure that gambling devices are safe and that the interest of those who use them are well protected, technological interventions to allow gamblers to much better track and control their expenditure of time and money, systems to allow the earliest possible identification of those with a developing gambling problem, and to facilitate early intervention, and prohibitions on dangerous marketing such as promotions involving children, free food and drink, or rewards for gambling expenditure. The 2010 Productivity Commission report on gambling recommended that such initiatives were long overdue. It urged governments to implement pre-commitment (permitting gamblers to set binding limits on gambling expenditure BEFORE they start to gamble) and reductions in maximum bets and other regulated parameters, designed to make machines safer, less voracious, and more likely to provide low risk entertainment. All of these interventions are feasible and can be achieved at modest cost, and within a relatively short timeframe. It is well over time to address this eminently avoidable harm. There are many public health measures which cannot be well addressed at present, but we know a great deal about how to effectively reduce gambling related harm using public health measures. All that has been lacking, until now, is political will.


Canberra: Gambling Forum Update...

Before he was old enough to vote, Bob Everett's gambling problem was out of control. As a 15-year-old youngster, he spent time at the racetrack, where bookies were keen to take his money. If it wasn't horses Everett, 59, would play two-up with other men in the mining town of Port Pirie, South Australia. "Gambling made my adrenaline flow, it was just like getting high," the recovered gambling addict told the press. The introduction of poker machines in the 1970s "topped-off" his addiction, which lasted more than 40 years, cost an estimated $1 million, and ended in jail time for embezzlement. The seven-month prison stint and help from a support group in Adelaide helped Everett overcome his addiction several years ago. He travelled to Canberra last Tuesday to share his story of "a life in ruin" with federal politicians at a gambling forum, led by a new church-based taskgroup. Everett believes the community is unaware of the "disease", which he helps addicts to combat. "If you're an alcoholic or drug addict people have sympathy, but if you're a gambler they assume it's your own fault," he said. Everett is a strong advocate of the Gillard government's proposed crackdown on problem gambling. The church-led National Gambling Taskgroup is also lobbying in support of a mandatory pre-commitment scheme that will require gamblers to set limits with ATM-style cards. The plan is part of a deal Labor struck with independent MP Andrew Wilkie to form a minority government. Gambling taskgroup spokesman the Reverend Brent Lyons Lee says gaming groups want a voluntary scheme. "It needs to be mandatory (for all gamblers), everyone needs to be involved," he told reporters in Canberra. Federal Families Minister Jenny Macklin agrees, saying a mandatory scheme will provide "stronger protections". "A voluntary system would be like having seat belts in cars but making wearing them up to the individual," she told the forum on Tuesday. The government wants the states and territories to sign up to its plan by May, and has threatened to use commonwealth tax powers to force the measures. Daily withdrawal limits of $250 for ATMs near pokies and electronic warning signs will also be required under the scheme.

A Media Man spokesperson said "Australia has had approximately one major gambling forum per month, both last year and this, so awareness of what is called problem gambling has been raised significantly. The topic continues to attract strong state, national and international news coverage. We think that there is always room for improvements in any industry, and gaming and igaming are no different. We welcome intelligent reforms".

'Arcade Pokies' May Get Banned...

Amusement machines that have flashing lights rather like pokies, in a roundabout way, and also offer expensive prizes or reward players with prizes based on luck would be declared illegal, Gambling Minister Bernard Finnigan said. He will release a discussion paper, inviting public feedback "on plans to declare certain machines illegal". "Some amusement arcades have previously installed games that are very similar to gaming machines," Finnigan said. "Community concerns have been raised that some machines could be inappropriate for children and could become a pathway to gambling behaviour." Examples of machines which could be banned include one at a popular beachside arcade displaying the words "win win win" and providing DVDs as prizes based purely on luck, at a cost of $1. Finnigan stressed coin-operated ride-on toys, pinball machines, billiard tables, air hockey tables or claw-crane machines would not be banned. No Pokies Senator Nick Xenophon welcomed the move, saying the arcade machines to be targeted were "like kids training machines for poker machines" but he said the Government should have acted earlier. "These machines don't involve skill, they just rely on a random selection system to create winners and losers - just like poker machines - and we all know the devastating effect poker machines can have," he said. "We must do everything we can to ensure these machines targeting children don't normalise games of chance like poker machines." Xenophon said a study of 2500 teenagers by Adelaide University revealed a correlation between arcade and video gamers and anti-social behaviour that could lead to problem gambling. Independent MLC John Darley raised the issue in Parliament in November and supports the Government's plan. "Anything which looks like a poker machine should be banned because, once kids get hooked on these, the next stop is playing pokies when they're old enough," he said. "This is a preventative measure to stop people becoming hooked on such games and then poker machines and end up losing all their money." Finnigan said after the consultation period, which ends on May 13, Treasury and Finance would draft regulations to outlaw the relevant machines. There is no definitive list of machines that could be banned but the Sunday Mail understands such games can be found at shopping centres, cinemas and games arcades across the state. Speculation reins on what 'Mr X' may target next, but already we hear that his power is on a steep incline, with the Liberal - Nationals Coalition now in NSW office.

Punter Fev Still Gambling...

Brendan Fevola has been asked to leave Crown Casino again. He was staying at the Casino on Sunday night, and was turned away by responsible gambling officers when he tried to go onto the gaming floor with Ben Cousins. And there are reports, Fevola's fed up with playing VFL football for the Scorpions, after being told he'll be in the Reserves again this week. He's reportedly toying with the idea of playing in Tasmania, but as of now is still scheduled to start the season with the Scorpions.

Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Tell us in the forum.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered

Online Casinos, Online Poker and Sports Betting...

Ok readers, we hear you... you also want to know some of the best places to play online (that accept Aussies) if your in or around the Asia Pacific - Australia (including Tassie) and New Zealand, so here it is...

PartyCasino.com (Many of the world's best slot games. Aussies and Kiwi's welcome).

Captain Cooks Casino

Betfair (sports betting only)

PKR.com (poker, slots including Marvel slot games and sports betting)

PartyPoker.com (online poker at one of the world's most respected poker rooms and gaming brands)

Profiles

Australian Casinos

World Casino Directory

Global Gaming Directory

Casino Travel

Casinos

Australia

Media Man and Gambling911 remind our readers to keep the following in mind:

Take the time to research and learn games before placing down money

Media Man, Casino News Media and Gambling911 are website portals. Not casinos as such, however are recognised as world leading websites that cover the sector and act as central points to games, news, reviews and more.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered

Website Network

Media Man International

Media Man

Media Man Australia

Media Man Canada

Media Man Games

Media Man Brand

Media Man Network

Casino News Media

Poker News Media

Australian Casino News

Casino News Australia

Global Gaming Directory

Monday, March 28, 2011

Aussie Casino Gossip, by Greg Tingle - 28th March 2011

G'day punters, sports nuts, one and all. We're got a bush tucker bag of Aussie casino and gambling news and gossip for you today. Media Man and Gambling911 play eye in the sky with this special report...

Sin City Sydney Looks To NSW Casino Liquor and Gaming Control Authority For Entertainment Approval...

Down under's city of sin could have a better chance of premiering big musical productions after news that the only two state-of-the-art lyric theatres in Sydney capable of housing big Broadway shows are about to have the same owner. The Foundation Entertainment Group, the owner and operator of the Capitol Theatre in Haymarket, has announced its plan to acquire and manage the Lyric Theatre at Star City in Pyrmont, pending approval from the NSW Casino Liquor and Gaming Control Authority. In recent years the rival 2000-seat theatres have been part of a bidding war for the Australian premieres of the musicals The Producers, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Mary Poppins, Hairspray and Rock of Ages. In every instance Melbourne clinched the deal mainly because of Sydney's theatre shortage or timing issues.

Conrad Hotels 25th Anniversary Free Night Offered March 1-June 30...

Our friends at Wikipedia advise the first Conrad Hotel opened in 1985 with the Conrad Jupiters Gold Coast in Australia. So why 25 years in 2011? Apparently the hotel had a soft partial opening in November 1985 (start of summer season in Australia) and the hotel officially opened in February 1986 – 25 years ago. Conrad Hotels is celebrating its 25th Anniversary since the opening of the first Conrad Jupiters Gold Coast, Australia in 1986, yet this Hilton Worldwide hotel brand currently has just 16 hotel locations after a quarter century. Conrad was Hilton’s flagship luxury hotel brand until Waldorf-Astoria Collection developed into a Hilton brand in 2006. The emphasis, it seems to me, has been on Waldorf-Astoria Collection marketing over the past five years while Conrad has added very few properties and lost a couple of hotels. Conrad Sanya in China’s southeastern beach resort location just opened December 2010. Conrad Bali (2004), Conrad Miami (2004) and Conrad Maldives (2007) opened in the past seven years. The two Aussie Conrad hotels rebranded in April 2010 after a 20-year management contract expired and are no longer part of Conrad Hotels and Hilton Worldwide. Treasury Brisbane and Jupiters Gold Coast are casino hotels and Jupiters is affiliated with 450 global independent hotels in World Hotels. Nothing stays the same forever.

Alice Springs - Concert Raises $17,729 For QLD Flood Victims...

Lasseters Hotel Casino and the Alice Springs Convention Centre hosted an all age’s benefit concert on the lawns of the Juicy Rump on Friday to raise money for those affected by the Queensland flood disaster and had an exceptional turnout. On Friday 28th January the Juicy Rump lawns were packed with musicians and concert goers who generously donated over $17,729.10 to the Premiers Disaster Relief Fund. Approximately 600 people attended the event that was hosted by Imparja Television Newsreader Ryan Liddle. Whilst Yamba circulated the crowd, the talented Gareth J Dawkins and Leon Spurling were the first to wow the crowds with their smooth acoustic sounds. Mayor Damien Ryan officially welcomed the crowd to the important fundraiser which was followed by an astounding performance of the Australian National Anthem by local vocalist Claire Ryan followed by a minutes silence to remember those who had lost their lives. The line up of local talent included with Gareth J Dawkins, Leon Spurling, the Polynesian Dance Group who performed a traditional dance and the ‘haka’. Heavy metal band Miazma, Dr Strangeways and finished with the talented hip hop group Catch the Fly. All musicians and performers donated their time. Lasseters Hotel Casino Marketing Manager Megan Thompson says “We were overwhelmed with the turnout and the money raised, door donations generated $4405.60 which was astounding. The Alice Springs community really came out in force to show the people of Queensland that they care”. In addition to organising and hosting the Queensland Flood Relief Concert, Lasseters Hotel Casino and the Alice Springs Convention Centre are donating $5000. The Alice Springs Airport donated $3000, followed by the MacDonnell Shire Council who donated $2000 in addition to their employees reaching into their pockets and donating another $400. Door donations were $4405.60, raffle ticket sales reached $2645.40, merchandise sales were $158.55 and the Lil Antz Childcare face painting stand raised $118.35. The event would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the generous support of sponsors who included Imparja Television, SunFM, Harvey Norman and Staging Connections.

Cairns, Northern Queensand: Pullman Reef Hotel Casino Cairns Gets New Director Of Sales & Marketing...

Amanda Balaam has been appointed to the role of Director of Sales for Accor Hotel’s Pullman Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns, effective the 24th of March 2011. Amanda will relocate to Cairns from Melbourne where she was responsible for managing sales for the Grand Hotel Melbourne – a member of Accor’s exclusive MGallery collection – for the past two years. Previously Amanda was National Sales Manager for the Seasons Apartment Hotel Group based in Melbourne, and Business Development Manager for the Hotel Grand Chancellor Group. Amanda’s sales experience also extends to work with the Old Melbourne Hotel, Toga Hospitality (Travelodge) as well as 10 years experience with Ansett Airlines based in Australia and the UK. Pullman’s Hotel General Manager Adrian Williams says, "We are extremely pleased to welcome Amanda to Cairns and the Pullman family. Her extensive sales experience across various sectors of the tourism industry, and solid hotel history, will certainly be a big asset to our business as we look to strengthen our profile post cyclone Yasi in the coming months." The Pullman Reef Hotel Casino is in the heart of Cairns, overlooking the majestic Trinity Inlet and packed with great dining and entertainment options including award winning restaurant, Tamarind. The hotel is close to numerous shops and restaurants, located in walking distance to the Great Barrier Reef Terminal, Esplanade Lagoon and famous Cairns boardwalk. Each of its 128 rooms features its own private garden balcony and spa bath, and there is a rooftop swimming pool, full gym, and Cairns Wildlife Dome on the rooftop offering a complete ‘zoo in the heart of the city’ experience – complete with wallabies, native birds and a giant crocodile. In addition the Pullman hotel and casino complex offers endless entertainment options for guests, including cocktails in Vertigo Bar, and then the chance to party the night away in the Reef Casino (a boutique two level Casino), or Velvet Underground Nightclub.

Brisbane - LNP Win Hooks $20,000 Bet...

A Punter with an interest in Queensland politics has put up $20,000 in a bet that the LNP will snatch the next state election. Centrebet accepted the wager less than a week after Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman announced he would lead the opposition team at the next election. The punter will pick up a cool $36,000 at $1.80 odds if the LNP comes through. Centrebet spokesman Neil Evans said the bet had changed the LNP's odds from $1.80 to $1.70. Labor's odds have pushed out from $2 to $2.14.
"The ALP got a boost when the LNP's leadership team resigned in disgust over Mr Newman's takeover-style move, firming in from $2.10, but it didn't take long for the money to arrive and anoint Newman as the man who would be premier," Evans said in a statement. Sportingbet has the LNP as $1.75 favourite and Labor at $2.05.

Punter Fev Dropped By Management?...

Fevola’s footballing future has been thrown into more doubt with reports he has been dumped by his management. On the day he returned to Australia after a US holiday which caused concern to managers Alastair Lynch and Peter Blucher, Fevola and the firm were said to have split. "Our total focus is to make sure he gets himself well and we will continue to look after Brendan in terms of his health. But as far as his contract is concerned, we just don't feel we can represent Brendan because he has changed direction several times,” Lynch told The Age. The split comes after several differences of opinion between Fevola and Velocity, surrounding the holiday, his tell-all TV interview, his ill-advised trip to Crown Casino and his potential VFL club. Fevola was said to have misled his managers over whether he has spoken to Frankston, after training with Casey before he left for the US. Frankston coach Simon Goosey said last week he planned to speak to Fevola on his return, but Lynch said he knew nothing about the interest from the Dolphins. It's understood Velocity may also have been misled by Fevola on the morning of his appearance at the Melbourne casino.
Mention of Fevola was taken of Velocity’s website. Fevola had trained with Casey Scorpions before he left the country – a move that infuriated affiliate club Melbourne, who felt the move could hinder the development of some of their younger, taller players. “When Brendan gets back from the US ... he said to me that he would sit down with us and discuss the possibility of playing with Frankston,” Goosey said. “Brendan did not realise that Casey had to play 16 Melbourne players and six Casey players, and we are not dictated to by an AFL club so it probably sits a little bit better with him. “But until we speak with Brendan we don’t know what he is going to decide.” Fevola’s appearance at the Crown Casino in the hours before a tell-all TV interview had Casey considering their decision to open the door to Fevola. After Fevola was spotted and asked to leave Crown Casino on Thursday, hours before a tell-all TV interview, the Melbourne Demons-affiliate were considering his future. But despite his admission of numerous issues, including ADD, alcohol binges, depression and gambling addiction, Casey president John Sharkie said they would continue their association with Fevola. The club said it would "work with Brendan and his management to support his desire to play football".

Australian Casinos, Clubs, Poker, Sports Use Celebs To Promote Gambling...

A boom in online sports betting has seen punters' overall losses double in 5 years. Sports commentators (mainly in cricket, and to a lesser extent, AFL and NRL) are feeding the gambling beast and some say, putting Aussie kids at risk. Pick the odds the promoters shout. "Check out our betting promotions", says a sports commentator, and you get the picture. The leap in online betting firms and smartphone tech has allowed Aussies access to would you believe 2319 or so online gambling websites. Say G'day to Alex Blaszczynski, a psychologist who is treating a growing number of sports betting addicts. He's called for a crackdown on how gambling is marketed. "These sports stars are role models that people look up to," Prof Blaszczynski said. "My concern is over the next few years we're going to see a steady rise in sports-related problem gambling." Aussie punters are tipped to lose $611 million via online sports betting this year, up from $264 million in 2006, Global Betting and Gaming Consultants figures state. Total sports betting is much higher as the amounts do not include bets through phone calls, TAB outlets and some sports betting sites also offer casino games. One commentators called the marketing campaign techniques "blitzkrieg" in nature, which sounds pretty effective, if not evil. Sporting figures spruiking brands, promos and odds during matches are very big. "That is normalising gambling. Let's be sensible about it now and have a balance of appropriate advertising," Prof Blaszczynski said. We understand there were 24 new sports betting clients at Prof Blaszczynski's University of Sydney gambling treatment clinic last year...a 70% jump from 14 new clients the previous year.

Casino King James Packer And Ron Walker Share A Laugh At At Grand Prix...

Sebastian Vettel was burning things up in the F1 and in Pit Paddock lane Murdoch and Walker clutched hands and shared a laugh. Earlier in the day the Packers were seen together. It's rumored Packer and / or Walker have made a sizable donation to Japan to help out with disaster recovery. Watch the space.

Where Does Aussie Gambling Money Go To?...

About 50% of the gambling revenues go directly to state governments, about a third to the owners of the machines (Tatts, Tabcorp etc) and the rest to the pubs and clubs that house them. We’ve all heard the argument that state governments and pubs are dependent on gambling revenues and that if you took this revenue away from them they’d all go broke. It sums up everything that is most repellent about politicians that they can make these claims and expect people to believe them. If you turned all pokies to dust overnight what would happen to that $11 billion? The ABC 'Drum Unleashed' brains say "It doesn’t just vanish; it’s still floating around the economy, getting itself into trouble. That $11 billion is all in the form of personal earnings, so if you don’t put it into pokies it’s mostly going to end up as discretionary spending (shoes, holidays, restaurants, bars, art galleries, chocolate bars, piercings and football memberships), property (rent or mortgage repayments), entrepreneurial activities (starting or growing a new business) or savings. So if you took that money away from pokies it doesn’t mean that the government loses all that revenue, they just get it in another form: GST, land tax, dog registration, payroll tax, stamp duty and the like." So, punters, are you with the ABC or against them?

Burswood Casino Gets Another Attack...

A woman had her handbag stolen after leaving the Burswood Casino about 2am Saturday. She didn't get a glimpse of her assailants, however police said she recalled hearing a woman yell "Give me your handbag" before it was stolen. She was not injured in the incident. Security has been beefed up at Burswood in recent months, but obviously crime can and still does happen at casinos, despite how much security is out in force.

Kerry Packer Featured In Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo (Not The Slot - The Mag)...

Stay tuned Kerry Packer fans. The late gambling and media tycoon will be played by actor Rob Carlton and Asher Keddie will portray Ita Buttrose. It's a 22-part series and is understood to be one of the better shows to be screened by the ABC this year. If gambling is to be mentioned, it will be very lightly, with Packer's media interests, namely Cleo, an ACP women's publication, the main focus. Don't confuse the Cleo publication with the Cleo or Cleopatra slot game - they are very different animals.

Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Tell us in the forum.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered

Online Casinos, Online Poker and Sports Betting...

Ok readers, we hear you... you also want to know some of the best places to play online (that accept Aussies) if your in or around the Asia Pacific - Australia (including Tassie) and New Zealand, so here it is...

PartyCasino.com (Many of the world's best slot games. Aussies and Kiwi's welcome).

Captain Cooks Casino

Betfair (sports betting only)

PKR.com (poker, slots including Marvel slot games and sports betting)

PartyPoker.com (online poker at one of the world's most respected poker rooms and gaming brands)

Profiles

Australian Casinos

World Casino Directory

Global Gaming Directory

Casino Travel

Casinos

Australia

Media Man and Gambling911 remind our readers to keep the following in mind:

Take the time to research and learn games before placing down money

Media Man, Casino News Media and Gambling911 are website portals. Not casinos as such, however are recognised as world leading websites that cover the sector and act as central points to games, news, reviews and more.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered

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Australian Casinos And Sports Use Celeb Push Of Gambling, by Greg Tingle - 27th March 2011

G'day punters, sports nuts, one and all. Australia continues to be one of the world's hot spots for gambling and casino news. Sports stars and celebs are a couple of the biggest weapons gambling companies are using to promote gambling down under. Media Man and Gambling911 with a special report in Aussie online gambling wars with celeb power...

Australian Casinos, Clubs, Poker, Sports Use Celebs To Promote Gambling...

A boom in online sports betting has seen punters' overall losses double in 5 years.

Sports commentators (mainly in cricket, and to a lesser extent, AFL and NRL) are feeding the gambling beast and some say, putting Aussie kids at risk.

Pick the odds the promoters shout. "Check out our betting promotions", says a sports commentator, and you get the picture.

The leap in online betting firms and smartphone tech has allowed Aussies access to would you believe 2319 or so online gambling websites.

Say G'day to Alex Blaszczynski, a psychologist who is treating a growing number of sports betting addicts. He's called for a crackdown on how gambling is marketed.

"These sports stars are role models that people look up to," Prof Blaszczynski said.
"My concern is over the next few years we're going to see a steady rise in sports-related problem gambling."

Aussie punters are tipped to lose $611 million via online sports betting this year, up from $264 million in 2006, Global Betting and Gaming Consultants figures state.

Total sports betting is much higher as the amounts do not include bets through phone calls, TAB outlets and some sports betting sites also offer casino games.

One commentators called the marketing campaign techniques "blitzkrieg" in nature, which sounds pretty effective, if not evil.

Sporting figures spruiking brands, promos and odds during matches are very big.

"That is normalising gambling. Let's be sensible about it now and have a balance of appropriate advertising," Prof Blaszczynski said.

We understand there were 24 new sports betting clients at Prof Blaszczynski's University of Sydney gambling treatment clinic last year...a 70% jump from 14 new clients the previous year.

Organisations Relationships Australia and Gamblers Anonymous also told press of a new trend towards problem sports betting.

Addiction concerns come as match fixing now beats drugs as sport's biggest challenge, says numerous insiders.

Sports betting was the vice of choice, or brand of poison if you will, for a growing number of passionate gamblers, driven by smartphones which provide constant internet access, according to Southern Cross University researcher Dr Sally Gainsbury, who is conducting a major survey of the nation's gamblers.

"My figures indicate sports gambling is the fastest growing form of gambling in Australia," Dr Gainsbury said.

"Within Australia and internationally these online gambling companies are increasing their expenditure on marketing, anywhere from 30 to 50% in the last year alone.

"For problem gamblers there's that trigger, that impulse to gamble. For children...there is this link between the celebrity or sporting figure endorsing a gambling site.

"Kids look at that as something to aspire to. That certainly is of concern."
Mission Australia's Queensland state director Penny Gillespie said there was a growing sense sport could only be enjoyed with a bet.

"For children, they're are going to grow up thinking sport goes hand-in-hand with gambling."

On an international scale with online casinos, bingo and poker PartyGaming has used retired Formula 1 racing car drivers Jaime Alguersuari Giancarlo Fisichella to promote PartyPoker and cricket identity Phil 'Tuffers' Tufnel to promote both PartyCasino and their poker brand. Virgin's Richard Branson has also placed himself in the spotlight to promote his poker and bingo brands, thanks to a look-a-like animated character Ricardo Jalapeno. Party are regarded the strongest gambling brand linked to Hollywood, with an emphasis on games with themes such as The Godfather, The Terminator, Saturday Night Fever, Mission: Impossible and more. More and more Aussiewood and Hollywood themes are being used as the battle for the entertainment and gambling dollar continues to heat up.

Gold Coast: Stomp Musical Coming To Gold Coast's Jupiters Hotel and Casino...

A rhythmic theatre, comedy and dance spectacular that sees its cast use "everything and the kitchen sink" to entertain crowds aged from five to 95 will head to Jupiters Hotel & Casino in May for an exclusive Australian season. A slice of physical theatre, STOMP was created by co-directors Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas in Britain 20 years ago and has been touring the world ever since, playing to more than 15 million people in 48 countries. The show has become such an international success, it has been parodied on hit US TV series Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. The international stage phenomenon “STOMP” will be exclusive at Jupiters from 12th May and is tipped to run for 14 weeks.

Melbourne: Crown Casino Gets HIStory This Is It: Jackson Tribute Show...

The tour, entitled HIStory This Is It, is an opportunity for Jackson fans to celebrate the music, the magic and all the history! This concert is the product of twenty-five years' dedication from celebrated Las Vegas performer, Kenny Wizz, to championing MJ's genius. This is the closest you will ever get to see the King of Pop in concert... Don't miss out! DATE & SHOW TIME: Friday 3 June & Saturday 4 June 2011

Sydney: Star City To Get The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber...

25 - 29 May 2011: A new theatrical event featuring Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most timeless songs performed by the current stars of Australian musical theatre is coming to the Lyric Theatre on 25 May for 8 shows only. He’s been described as the master of musical theatre, the maestro of musicals, and a theatrical force to be reckoned with. His musicals have been seen by hundreds of millions around the world, translated into dozens of languages and won every major entertainment award. Now – Australia is set to fall in love once more with THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER in a stunning new theatrical event that will tour Australia in 2011. After more than 40 years, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music continues to have the extraordinary ability to touch an audience, lifting them to new heights of exhilaration and emotion after just a few bars of music. Through state-of–the-art technology, audiences will be swept from the avenues of Broadway to the magnificence of Eva Peron’s Argentina and the speedways of Starlight Express, in a dazzling journey through the many settings of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s greatest works. All the ‘big’ moments from Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sunset Boulevard, Woman in White to the current Love Never Dies will be there.

Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Tell us in the forum.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered

Online Casinos, Online Poker and Sports Betting...

Ok readers, we hear you... you also want to know some of the best places to play online (that accept Aussies) if your in or around the Asia Pacific - Australia (including Tassie) and New Zealand, so here it is...

PartyCasino.com (Many of the world's best slot games. Aussies and Kiwi's welcome).

Captain Cooks Casino

Betfair (sports betting only)

PKR.com (poker, slots including Marvel slot games and sports betting)

PartyPoker.com (online poker at one of the world's most respected poker rooms and gaming brands)

Profiles

Australian Casinos

World Casino Directory

Global Gaming Directory

Casino Travel

Casinos

Australia

Media Man and Gambling911 remind our readers to keep the following in mind:

Take the time to research and learn games before placing down money

Media Man, Casino News Media and Gambling911 are website portals. Not casinos as such, however are recognised as world leading websites that cover the sector and act as central points to games, news, reviews and more.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered

Website Network

Media Man International

Media Man

Media Man Australia

Media Man Canada

Media Man Games

Media Man Brand

Media Man Network

Casino News Media

Poker News Media

Australian Casino News

Casino News Australia

Global Gaming Directory