The commerce Minister is expected to give his final position on the creation of casinos after Easter, he said yesterday. Minister Antonis Paschalides was yesterday invited to the House Commerce Committee to update deputies on how the situation was progressing. In the latest meeting, the minister said he was in the process of examining a survey by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) on the feasibility of building casinos in Cyprus and how this would affect the state’s economy.

The Communist Party and the state think that it is now not the right time to allow open casinos, because opinions still vary about this. Deputy Prime Minister said so during the National Assembly deputies about whether the country should allow open casinos at the latest legislative session. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung said: “It is not because we still cannot keep control over casinos.

Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker has ordered an independent audit of the system the Christchurch Casino uses to monitor its gaming machines. The casino has been under increased scrutiny since June when The Press published a series of articles about alleged irregularities at the casino. They were raised by the former acting chief executive Stephen Lyttelton and his deputy, Peter Arbuckle, who left the casino in May and June.

Sports bodies fighting the betting industry over ways of protecting the integrity of sport received backing from the government yesterday. Problems in sport have been highlighted by the case of Kieren Fallon, the former champion jockey, who is currently on trial charged with attempting to defraud customers of a betting exchange. Tennis has also been hit by scandal and Betfair, the online betting company, voided all bets on a recent match after noticing suspicious betting patterns.

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.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning is again sacrificing the well-being of people in the country to appease his religious beliefs, said local casino workers. Kenroy Phillip, chairman of the Union of Members Clubs and Lottery Workers, said yesterday at a news conference held at Henry St, Port of Spain: "The prime minister is set in his religious beliefs and will not see the gaming industry as an aid to the economy of Trinidad and Tobago."

Gordon Brown has signalled the beginning of the end for the proposed super casino plans. In a clear break from his predecessor, the incoming Prime Minister has indicated that plans for Britain’s first super-casino may not go ahead, marking a dramatic U-turn in the government’s attitude towards gambling.

The Minister for Territories, Jim Lloyd, says re-opening the Christmas Island Resort without its casino is the best way forward for tourism on the island. The resort casino closed in 1998 because of financial difficulties. Sydney businessman David Kwon bought the resort and tried to reopen the casino, but the Federal Government made it illegal to have casino operations on the Island in 2004.