About 10 months after the application procedures for virtual slot machines and online poker began, the first permit has now been granted and more permits are likely to follow in the near future.

Tõnis Rüütel, head of the Estonian Association of Casinos Operators, told Eesti Päevaleht that the casino business is like any other business that is suffering from the current economic slowdown. “Almost all operators have been losing money for the last two quarters and the third quarter should be no different,” said Rüütel. Since spring, 15 casinos have already closed doors.

Beijing has further tightened restrictions on mainland visitors entering Macau, a report said this week, in the latest sign authorities are trying to put the brakes on the gaming haven’s stunning growth. Visitors from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, which neighbours Macau, will now be limited to one trip every three months, the South China Morning Post said, citing an unwritten policy conveyed to travel agents.

According to the Vietnam Investment Review, the country’s Ministry of Planning and Investment has a proposal that will cut back on hotels that can provide electronic gaming services. It states that only five-star hotels in Hanoi and southern Ho Chi Minh City and four-star hotels elsewhere can house the machines. Currently four-star and three-star hotels are able to do so.

A bill seeking to restrict offshore casinos to the sea beyond five nautical miles from Goa’s coast was introduced in the Goa Assembly last week. It also specified that casinos should be operated only from maritime vessels. ’The Goa Public Gambling (Amendment) Bill, 2008’ introduced by the leader of the opposition, Manohar Parrikar during the slot for private members’ bills, sought to amend section 13A of the Goa Public Gambling Act, 1976.

Panaji: A Bill seeking to restrict offshore casinos to the sea beyond five nautical miles from Goa's coast was introduced in the Goa Assembly on Friday. It also specified that casinos should be operated only from maritime vessels. 'The Goa Public Gambling (Amendment) Bill, 2008' introduced by the leader of the opposition, Manohar Parrikar during the slot for private members' bills, sought to amend section 13A of the Goa Public Gambling Act, 1976.

China may increase, yet again, individual visa restrictions to Macau in October, news agency Lusa reported. Quoting an unnamed source, it said that if the Chinese government goes ahead with the move, it can have an impact on the gaming revenues and number of visitors who visit the SAR. According to the same source, the alert was left by Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah at the Legislative Assembly last week...

As well as creating a new temporary exclusive licence for state-owned operator Holland Casino, a proposed Online Gaming Act also suggested that the Ministry of Justice is to target financial institutions dealing with unlicensed remote gambling operators. Justin Franssen and Aernout Kraaijeveld, of Van Mens & Wisselink, explain how although the Ministry's initial proposals have been watered down, the proposed Act still fails to justify its restriction on the freedom to provide services. In the political debate on the proposed Online Gaming Act, which creates a new exclusive temporary licence for remote gaming for Dutch state-owned casino monopolist Holland Casino, the enforcement of the prohibition of remote gaming is brought into focus.

The gambling industry has bowed to government pressure and agreed that the logos of betting companies should not be printed on children's replica football shirts. A new advertising code to be announced this week will commit gambling companies which sponsor Premiership clubs to remove their branding from children's kit. It will also restrict advertising before the 9pm watershed.

Thirty eight Russian regions have prohibited all gambling activities since Sunday when the new federal law restricting gambling in the country came into effect. The Primorye region, which is in the list of four gambling zones to be left in Russia by July of 2009, has not entirely banned gambling but has introduced considerable restrictions.