Members of the online gambling industry are trying to wait patiently as the new US President Barack Obama repudiates many changes, with the UIGEA hopefully on the horizon. Obama and the members of his administration have acted swiftly to undo last-second changes and midnight rules pressed into policy by George Bush in his last days as a lame duck. Members of the online gambling industry are trying to wait patiently as the new President repudiates many changes, with the UIGEA hopefully on the horizon.

Visitors to ICEi, the remote gaming sector within the 2009 International Gaming Expo, will be part of what is already certain to be a landmark event as record after record tumbles even prior to the doors opening (27-29 January, Earls Court Exhibition Centre). Over subscribed as early as the summer, ICEi will feature more exhibitors (90) from more jurisdictions (25) and occupy more stand space (2,750 square metres) than at any time in the event’s history.

"The biggest and most important exhibition that we attend each year, a vital part of our commercial strategy" is how Jens Halle, managing director of Austrian Gaming Industries GmbH, chose to preview London’s forthcoming International Gaming Expo (incorporating ICE and ICEi) which will host more than 300 companies from 48 nations across January 27th–29th at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre.

Local Australian newspaper The Age reported that a number of major corporate bookmakers are working jointly to produce figures that show they will contribute around USD 9.7 million to the racing industry in the 2008 fiscal year. The bookmakers are cooperating, the paper says, in an effort to deflect criticism from certain members of the racing industry that, because the corporate bookies compete directly with the TAB, racing’s financial future is being threatened.

The legalization of Internet gambling will be the hottest federal issue facing Nevada’s gaming industry in the next few years, the president of the American Gaming Association said. "The need for new tax money could drive its legalization in both houses of Congress,” said Frank Fahrenkopf, the AGA president and CEO. “There have been projections circulated on the Hill that it can raise billions of dollars in new federal revenue,” said Fahrenkopf, a Reno High School graduate.

Secretary for Economy and Finance, Francis Tam Pak Yuen said Friday Macau’s gaming industry entering a period of consolidation, “precisely” at a time when the government is comprehensively assessing the development and size of the sector. “Through this consolidation, the governor hopes that Macau’s economy and society can develop in a healthier and more sustainable way,” he said.

New Jersey's casino industry has been the subject of much sensationalistic gloom and doom in some recent media accounts. We believe a longer-range perspective is important to bring balance that appears to be missing. While it is true that we have experienced revenue declines over the past year and a half, let's not lose sight of the fact that New Jersey's casino industry is far larger and more important to our state's economy than its original advocates projected.

The government will release an assessment report by December on whether to develop the gambling industry in Taiwan, and if it is assessed as feasible, priority will most likely be given to the outlying islands to open this type of business, the country's top economic planner said yesterday. Chen Tain-jy, chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development, said that the outlying island county of Penghu...

Macau's casino industry is showing the first signs of slowing down after seven years of breakneck growth. Operators are reporting plunging profits. The stock values of some gaming companies have fallen, and one operator even had to lay off staff last week. Galaxy Entertainment, one of Macau's six gaming concessionaries, last week cut 270 jobs at two of its casinos, the South China Morning Post reported yesterday.

Last July 2nd, it started operating the National Chamber of the Gambling Industry (Canaju). The entity will concentrate at least 25 companies among the 24 existing official agents, operators (just Grupo Caliente is active) and providers (around 40 companies). This will be the first Chamber of this sector in Mexico, which moves us$ 800 million a year –according to Canaju- and will be integrated to the National Confederation of Industry Chambers (Concamin).

They are associated with style and glamour for those with plenty of cash and an appetite for risk. But Britain's casinos are facing more mundane pressures as they deal with a combination of gambling taxes, the smoking ban and changes to gaming legislation. Genting Stanley, the UK's largest operator, says the future of the industry relies on attracting younger customers in their 20s and early 30s who visit casinos not only to gamble but also to spend money in their bars and restaurants.

The backlash against the casino industry has seen the closure of seven venues in recent months and is about to claim another victim, with industry leaders warning of more to come unless ministers act. Gala Coral has closed two casinos, in Nottingham and Glasgow, while Rank has pulled down the shutters on its Grosvenor operations in Scarborough, Liverpool and its Manchester Hard Rock venue. Two independent casinos have also shut in the Midlands.