Sweden has officially refused to meet long-standing European Union calls to open the country’s lucrative gambling market to non-Swedish companies. The Swedish government says while it intends to consider the demands, no changes to local law will be implemented. The government goes on to say it sees the lone Swedish exception to EU gambling laws as acceptable. In June the Commission demanded that Sweden scrap rules forbidding foreign firms from entering the Swedish betting market - an industry forecast to be worth over USD 5 billion dollars this year.

IMEGA is suing US Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, the US Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors seeking a judgement for a temporary restraining order on the enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) 2006. This Act prevents American-based credit card companies and banks from processing payments to online gambling businesses with violators subject to civil and criminal penalties including imprisonment.

Have you committed a crime in order to pay gambling debts? When you gamble, do you go back another day to win back money you lost? Have you lied to family, or others, to hide the extent of your gambling? Pretty personal questions, but they are just a sample of those in a government survey carried out over the past few months to help gauge the level of problem gambling in Britain. The last such “prevalence study” was in 1999 and the new survey, timed to coincide with the Gambling Act, which came into force yesterday, will be published later this month.

Macau: With a net worth of USD 20.5 billion, Sheldon Adelson is ranked third on the Forbes list of richest Americans. The 74-year-old chief executive of Las Vegas Sands attributes his rags-to-riches story to making right decisions at the right time. In Macau for the inauguration of the USD 12billion Venetian Macao resort with 3,000 hotel rooms, a 15,000-seat stadium and 350 shops, besides a USD 2.4 billion gaming centre, the gambling tycoon shared with The Times of India his success story.

(Bloomberg) -- Britain's new gambling law comes into force at midnight, legalizing U.K. advertising campaigns for the first time and licensing online casinos that can accept bets from gamblers worldwide including the U.S. William Hill Plc, Gala Group Ltd., and 13 other companies find out tonight if their virtual casino licenses have been approved to start accepting bets immediately, a spokesman for the Gambling Commission, the U.K.'s new regulator, said today.

The fight has been long and hard as jurisdictions around the world have sought to get the United States to ease up on restrictions against Internet gaming going as far as to suggest that what that country is doing must be illegal as far as consumer protection is concerned. This, of course, is mostly from the perspective of those within the United Sates who have become used to a certain freedom when it comes to wagering.

Any increase in problem gambling in Britain would be unacceptable, a government minister said on Tuesday in comments reflecting Labour worries that new liberalising laws could erode support for Gordon Brown. Gerry Sutcliffe, the minister for sport with responsibility for gambling, said officials would be closely studying an imminent report from the industry regulator on the prevalence of gambling. Asked whether any rise in problem – or addictive – gambling was unacceptable, Mr Sutcliffe said in a BBC interview.

Antigua and Barbuda’s claims against the US are likely to reach as high as USD 7 billion as the Internet gambling dispute continues. Antigua and Barbuda’s attorney at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Mark Mendel has warned the US to expect billions more in sanctions. Meanwhile, the country prepares to file its claim in respect of America’s decision to withdraw from its General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) commitment to international market access in the areas of gambling and betting services.

The British government’s gambling policy has come under attack again, this time from the tax haven of Gibraltar. Conservative MEP Neil Parish believes the UK government’s handling of their new gambling policy has led to inconsistencies and Gibraltar’s licencing regime is not deserving of any criticism. "The Conservative Party wants to ensure gambling regulation in the UK is consistent while providing protection for minors.

Las Vegas's days as the epitome of excess may be numbered. The USD 2.4 billion Venetian Macao Resort, scheduled to open here Tuesday, can easily give Vegas a run for its money. It has more floor space than four Empire State Buildings. The slot machines, baccarat tables and other games of chance sprawl across a casino more than three times the size of the largest in Las Vegas, making it easily the world's biggest.

Gambling operators are gearing to advertise on television for the first time when new laws come into force this week. Casinos, betting shops and gambling websites can place TV commercials from September 1 onwards. The change is part of the Gambling Act 2005 which brings with it a relaxation of current gambling advertising laws. Operators remained tight-lipped about which if any firms would launch new publicity campaigns on September 1.

Valletta, Malta (di-ve news) - Gambling giant William Hill announced that it will be transferring its online gambling operations from the Caribbean to Gibraltar and Malta following a number of amendments to the UK's Gambling Act 2005. Only gambling companies based within the European Economic Area (EEA) or on the UK's government 'white list' will be able to advertise on TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, taxis, buses, the underground and some websites in the UK.