The Canadian government treated a bill that almost made online gambling illegal in Canada, but before the bill passed, Senator George Baker found that some amendments to modernize bookmaking laws by removing Criminal Code references to telephone and telegraph could cause problems for gamblers and Internet gambling services. Baker told Law Times the new amendments had gone through four House of Commons committee hearings with no mention of how the changes could affect online gamblers.

Crown casino chiefs have been ordered to go to trial over claims they allowed a banned problem gambler to blow USD 30 million. Supreme Court Justice David Harper today ruled that the Southbank casino had a case to answer in its explosive dispute with millionaire Gold Coast property developer Harry Kakavas. Mr Kakavas, 40, alleges he lost USD 30 million playing baccarat in a 14-month gambling spree starting in June 2005.

The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve continue to finalize a new rule that would put the onus on banks to help crack down on online gambling by US citizens, a Treasury official said Wednesday. In prepared remarks, Deputy Assistant Secretary Valerie Abend said banking regulators are focusing their efforts on banks that do business with gambling companies, as well as the interaction between US banks and foreign banks that may be tied to online gambling.

A cut in the number of permitted GBP 500 jackpot machines coupled with the smoking ban have dealt Rank a double whammy, sending shares in the bingo and casino group plunging and threatening its dividend. In a shock profits warning, Rank said its Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casinos businesses had "experienced a significant deterioration in revenue in recent weeks". Rank warned that should such disappointing trading continue "group operating profit would be significantly lower" than 2006's GBP 77.4m.

According to weekend reports in Gambling News Review, 4Flush and Launchpoker, the Norwegian government minister responsible for matters gambling is planning a Norwegian equivalent of the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The US law has caused so much grief in the industry by inhibiting financial transactions with online gambling companies. In an unsourced, but seemingly authoritative report, the portals claim that Norwegian culture Minister Trond Griske may be taking a page from the US legislation book on hamstringing online gambling in the Scandinavian country.

Atlantic City, New Jersey - Seven and 11 are lucky numbers at any casino, but for smokers in Atlantic City, it soon will be seven the hard way. In order to comply with restrictions on smoking passed by Atlantic City officials earlier this year, 7 of the city's 11 casinos plan to go totally smoke-free on the gambling floor. They'll do it by creating smoking lounges where gambling will not be offered.

Atlantic City (AP) - Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino will eliminate smoking on its casino floor, bringing to six the number of Atlantic City casinos that will ban smoking while gambling. No timetable was announced, but other casinos said they expected to the changes to take effect at their own facilities by next spring. All 11 casinos here must tell the state by Saturday how they intend to comply with a partial smoking ban enacted by the Atlantic City Council in February mandating that at least 75 percent of the casino floor be smoke-free.

Atlantic City (AP) -- Two Atlantic City casinos, blaming increased competition and a partial smoking ban for sinking profits, are offering buyouts to managers to avoid layoffs, according to a published report today. The president of Resorts Atlantic City and Atlantic City Hilton, both owned by Colony Capital of Los Angeles, said the managers are being offered one week's pay for every year of service with the casinos.

Legislation banning gambling halls and casinos may end up driving many operators out of business, but for some, it is spurring creative partnerships, while others are seeking fortune elsewhere. In June, St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko signed a decree to abolish gambling enterprises in the city effective January 1, 2008 - exactly one year before the introduction of the federal law. Most of the city’s 21 casinos and 571 gambling halls will close, though 19 will remain open in 2008.

Atlantic City - Donald Trump thinks his casinos and others in town deserve a smoking break. Trump wrote to Mayor Bob Levy and City Council President William Marsh on Wednesday calling on the city to repeal a partial casino smoking ban that he claims is scaring away business. In his two-page letter, Trump said gamblers are fleeing Atlantic City en masse for competing casinos in Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut that don't have smoking restrictions.

The Conference of the Caribbean Community, at its recent meeting in Barbados, expressed its appreciation and pledged its support for the efforts of Congressman Barney Frank and his legislation to regulate Internet gambling in the United States. The 15 Caricom member countries further pledged to work with Members of Congress who introduced bills to regulate and enforce Internet gaming and expressed continued support for Antigua and Barbuda...

In several decisions concerning clients of Hambach & Hambach, the Administrative Court of Munich has followed the EU Commission and the Bavarian Administrative Court of Appeal in deciding in favour of private eBookies. Aside from general legal considerations, it is primarily technical problems that have motivated these decisions against local restrictions on Internet sales. A Report by Attorneys-at-law, Dr. Wulf Hambach, Konrad Miller, LL.M and Karsten Schneidewindt.