Luzern – Das Restaurant Olivo lässt die Herzen von Champagner-Kennern nicht nur höher-, sondern geradezu überschlagen: Grund hierfür ist eine besondere Rarität aus dem 19. Jahrhundert.

UK Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has unveiled plans to introduce a tax on the gambling industry to pay for the treatment of problem gamblers. It would require bookmakers and other gaming companies to pay more than USD 7.4 million a year in order to fund education programmes, help lines and research into problem gambling. According to a report in The Independent newspaper this week, the voluntary donation scheme that has been in place since 2002 has consistently fallen short...

Las Vegas Sands Corp might spin off billions of dollars of Macau retail assets into a property fund, but is under no pressure for a quick sale despite problems funding ambitious casino expansion, an executive said. The company, which runs the giant Venetian Macao casino and is building more hotels and casinos in the territory, floated the idea of selling its shops into a listed property trust a couple of years ago.

The administrator to Betbrokers, the failed betting group whose board includes former Formula One team boss Eddie Jordan and City grandee Derek Tullett, is yet to establish whether funds deposited by punters were used in an abortive attempt to prop up the company. Administrator Vantis said it was investigating whether gamblers' funds were indeed placed in trust and ring-fenced from the operating costs of the business.

Sacramento - Inland governments and tribes are fighting to preserve millions in payments meant to help public agencies deal with the burdens of the region's tribal casinos. Local cities, sheriff's departments and other agencies have collected more than USD 40 million in gambling mitigation payments from a tribe-funded account since 2005, the most in the state. The money has paid for everything from traffic signals to police officers.

MGM Grand, the latest Las Vegas-style casino to be opened in the world's gambling centre of Macau next week, said Thursday it has already secured funding for its second-phase expansion. The 1.25 billion-dollar resort casino is a 50-50 joint venture between MGM Mirage of Las Vegas and Pansy Ho, daughter of the southern Chinese territory's casino mogul Stanley Ho.