The Tories plan a shake-up of gambling laws after the number of betting addicts soared by 25 per cent. The proposals include a ban on internet gamblers using credit cards and stricter rules on advertising for casinos, bookmakers and betting websites. Foreign internet firms could not operate sites in the UK unless they could prove self-regulation. The call comes after addiction charities warned Britain's gambling problem could get worse as the economy shrinks.

A name change for Star City Casino is on the cards as part of a [[AUD]] 400 million upgrade. Gambling giant Tabcorp wants to sex up the image of its casino - dubbed the Pyrmont Workers Club - in the face of a challenges from the Asian gaming boom in Macau, Hong Kong and Singapore. And it wants to win over domestic tourists, who are known to favour the swankier Packer-owned Crown Casino in Melbourne, with its mix of high class and family entertainment, shopping and dining facilities.