Olympia, WA (March 17, 2011) – Members of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) from across the state of Washington are spending the day in Olympia today to ask their state lawmakers to overturn the draconian state law that makes Washingtonians felons for enjoying a hand of poker on their home computers. The PPA, the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide and more than 20,000 in Washington State...

It is seven years since Sir Alan Budd published a report that was supposed to usher in a new era of gambling regulation in the UK more relevant to the 21st century. Given what has happened since, the respected economist must wonder why he bothered. Although the Gambling Act 2005, which came into force last year, did adopt some of his 175 recommendations, the main thrust of the Budd report was ignored as the Government's deregulatory strategy lost its way amid controvesy and political dithering.

Washington (Reuters) - Two U.S. lawmakers have urged the U.S. Justice Department to suspend its investigation of European Internet gambling companies for possible criminal violations that occurred before Congress passed a law in 2006 to crack down on online gambling. Rep. Robert Wexler, a Florida Democrat, and Rep. Steve Cohen, a Tennessee Democrat, warned U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey in separate letters...

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (AP) - Pennsylvania lawmakers asking questions about the rescue of a financially troubled Pittsburgh casino project found a more complicated situation than they thought. The prime contractor on the Majestic Star casino said today that dozens of subcontractors may quit the partially built project next week. They've gone several months without pay from the owner, Detroit businessman Don Barden.

Lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong yesterday handed a written interpellation inquiring into the social responsibility of gaming industries in the present stage. Firstly, he asked the government to set up concrete measures to regulate franchise gaming corporations to account for the social responsibility in order to ease society's anxiety. In the interpellation, he asked if the government could regulate franchise gaming corporations to firstly cut back non-residential staff...

Pennsylvania lawmakers are trying to force Philadelphia's two licensed casino operators to move their casinos from the current unpopular locations. Two powerful lawmakers representing Philadelphia, state House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dwight Evans and outgoing state Senator Vincent Fumo, said at a news conference last week that they will draft legislation...

Lawmakers failed to agree on setting a clear definition of illegal Internet gambling to go along with a ban on online betting passed in 2006. The Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department have been unable to finalize rules to implement the ban because Congress didn’t clearly define online gambling when it passed legislation less than two years ago. The House Financial Services Committee rejected a bill Wednesday that would have prohibited the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve...

Palawan Representative Antonio Alvarez, chairman of the House committee on trade and industry, is supporting the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corporation's (Pagcor) establishment of a gambling complex near the Manila Bay on Roxas Boulevard, saying this would catch a portion of China's increasing spending on gambling and spice up the economy.

Less than a month after Pennsylvania's newest slots parlor -- Hollywood Casino at Penn National outside Harrisburg -- opened its doors, four machines have skyrocketed to stardom and become some of the casino's biggest moneymakers. The machines feature a game many thought wouldn't see the inside of a Pennsylvania casino anytime soon: blackjack. Or, to be more precise, virtual blackjack.

To control the tidal wave of slot machine outlets and casinos which have flooded Ukrainian cities, politicians are looking to copy a radical step taken by Moscow. The Russian capital passed a law in December 2006 forcing all gaming operations to move outside city limits to specialized gambling zones, and certain Ukrainian members of parliament (MP) want to do the same...

Lawmakers in Annapolis are moving to tighten up campaign reporting requirements for the November referendum on legalizing slot machines, as both sides gird for what's expected to be a free-spending battle to win voters. The Senate heard two bills last week that would expand and clarify the mandates for groups and businesses to report their expenditures on either side of the slots debate.

Trenton, New Jersey - New Jersey legislators on Thursday revived an effort to legalize betting on professional sports in Atlantic City casinos, rejecting claims by the National Football League that the move would risk the integrity of sports. An Assembly committee pushed forward legislation that would ask voters to allow casinos to offer professional sports wagering.