Gamblog.co.uk - Gambling & Casino Blog

Alan Brazil Racing Runs Raza Club today. Alan is all over the radio this morning and is very bullish about Raza Club's chances of turning over the favourite Hypnotic.

Of course, Alan is biased because Raza Club hails from The Alan Brazil Racing Club and he has tipped his share of losers before. However, Raza Club should be favourite in my eyes and is 5-2 second favourite on the tissue prices, so we shall see. Anything around 5-2 is an excellent betting opportunity i'd say.

Lingfield 26th August 2004 2.20 Hays Montrose Novice Stakes (Class D)
£5000 added, 2yo only, 7f, penalty �3562, 8 runners
1) Hypnotic
2) Raza Club (Alan Brazil Racing Club)
3) Antonio Stradavari
4) Bunny Rabbit
5) Linngari
6) Aberdeen
7) Takhleed
8) Turtle Bay

Join Ladbrokes Here For Horseracing Odds

Mike Porky Parry returns to the radio on Talk Sport Radio at about half 8 to a quarter to 9 this morning, so tune in.

Mike The Porkster Parry is still unwell and needs a heart transplant, but has squeezed in an interview with the papers. Mike Parry does loves a newspaper heheh.

The Sun Newspaper have a full page spread about Mike Parry And His Dodgy Ticker

Sue Evison Says

MIKE "PORKY" PARRY is the man thousands wake up to every morning, hearing him rant about his football favourites as TalkSPORT radio's breakfast presenter.
Now Mike is just glad to wake up.
Five months ago he was given a clean bill of health in a routine check.

"One minute I was fit as a fiddle, the next doctors in hospital couldn't find my pulse because my heart was failing so rapidly. If I hadn't received treatment so quickly, I'd have had up to three months to live."

Weekend Football Betting Coupon 27/28/29th of August 2004 (odds/prices)

Click Here to Join Bet 365 and tke advantage of their football betting accumulator offer. The 20% for a six fold looks good, thats if you can get 6 easy home teams in the Premiership Only that is? Hmmm

Terms :: Special Bonuses On Premiership Accumulator Bets
Applies to straight accumulator bets on the match result involving Premiership games only. Does not apply to accumulators in Yankees, Lucky 15s etc. Maximum bonus �50,000 or currency equivalent. The bonus part of your winnings will be added to your account the day after your last selection has been played. Does not apply to Lay bets.
4-folds - 5% bonus | 5-folds - 10% bonus | 6-folds - 20% bonus | 7-folds - 30% bonus | 8-folds - 40% bonus | 9-folds - 50% bonus | 10-folds - 60% bonus

Weather Bug Meteorologist Ryan Towell is a former TV meteorologist who earned the American Meteorological Society (AMS) TV Seal of Approval in 2000.

I struggle to blog or tie in Meteorologist Ryan Towell BLOGS HURRICANE CHARLEY LIVE to gambling or sport but hey, (1) this is my blog and (2) some UK readers will have absolutely NO IDEA what Hurricane Charley was like and may want to see for themselves. There are photos too for the "skimmers".

I found Ryan Towell's blog about Hurrican Charley a TENSE read and it gave me a great insight into what it was like to be anywhere near the danger zone. Eerily scarey ~ does that make sense?

Anyway, my advice is to read it, from top to bottom chronologically to get the feel of Bryan Towell's "Hurrican Charley" Live Chronicle Of Events ~ is quite a thing.

Source :: I found The Hurricane Charley Chronicled Blog via reading at The Business Blog Consulting Blog on the Hurricane Charley Weather Bug Blog write up page.

Internet Poker Boom Brings The TV Firms Running (not the other way around)

The San Diego Sign Newpaper have written a decent report about Online Poker and it's popularity on TV.

Excerpt From The Online Poker and TV Report

"With her black cat Little Oscar lounging on her arm, Madruga joins tens of thousands of poker players from across the nation and around the world who square off against each other daily at virtual tables in Internet Poker Parlors.

A game played on some level by an estimated 50 million Americans, poker is the engine driving a renewed surge in gambling, from Indian casinos and Vegas pleasure palaces to burgeoning Internet gaming sites.

Poker owes its new-found popularity to television, specifically a new technique that puts viewers in the middle of the high-noon, heart-thumping intensity of high-stakes showdowns in a deceptively simple game called Texas Hold 'Em". Read more about the Internet sees poker's resurgence on TV, then raises game's popularity to new heights

The Fair.dice Game Testing Project is run and maintained by Douglas Reay and is aimed pretty much solely at the Online Gaming Industry, although any game utilising a random number generator will do.

How it all works will have to be a matter of investigation for me and a learning curve so I will be visiting The Fair.dice Message Board frequently from now on to find out what gives about this open source random number generator/game testing project.

Anything that is Open Source, therefore the code is checkable by the public, is sure to be a welcome attempt at keeping an eye on the old enemy, ie the layers, especially online casino software/providers.
Transparency is King for the Honest Gambling Operations and Fair Gaming Advocates alike.

What is Project Fair.dice all about?
When you are physically sitting at a table, and see a dealer roll a die, shuffle a deck of cards, or spin a Roulette wheel, you can see what is going on. That's why you trust them enough to stake money on the outcome.
But who'd trust a dealer who insisted on rolling their dice hidden behind a screen, and who wanted just to tell you the results and have you believe him when he said you'd lost?

That's the current situation with the online gaming industry, and that is what Project Fairdice is setting out to change.

What is the Fair.dice Protocol?
Event Selection means picking one of a possible number of outcomes. So for instance, rolling a six sided die is one means of selecting between six possible outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Other examples are: shuffling a deck of cards, spinning a roulette wheel or flipping a coin.

The Fairdice Protocol is a means by which several people may collaborate to select an event in a manner which is provably fair to all of them. In other words, it remove the screen and forces the dealer to roll their dice in the open, where everyone involved can see they are not fixing the result

Unnecissary Olympic Rubbish

The Olympics have been great to watch up to now. Being a sports and gambling fan I guess I would say that though no?

Anyway, the Athens Olympic Official Guidelines on Linking are beyond laughable. Quite sad actually. Rick Bruner of Business Blog Consulting describes it as a Moronic Linking Policy and he knows about blogging and internet stuff better than I. Am glad to hear I know what I am thinking is actually correct.

More Olympic madness is one of sheer Commercial Greed

To quote the Official Olympic Website

♠ No external food and beverage is allowed into Olympic venues.
The venue concessions are tightly monitored for food safety and security, which are of primary concern.

♠ Protect the health of spectators by assuring the quality of all food served/consumed in the venues.

♠ Protect the safety of spectators as part of the security exercise for the venues (e.g. no cans, glass bottles or other objects that can be hazardous or dangerous will be allowed in the venues).

♠ Prevent over-commercialism as part of the overall IOC ideals for the Olympic Games.

♠ Protect the important sponsorship investments, necessary to the staging of the Games

♠ Spectators cannot bring in the Olympic Venues bottles or flasks with water, cans or bottles of beer or other beverages, tupperware with food, etc. Spectators can bring in the Olympic Venues candy bars, chewing gum, etc.

It's well and good to tell atheletes that they compromise their integrity and shame the games when they take steroids, but what about the perceived integrity of the game when a ticket-holder is turned away for carrying the wrong brand of bottled water?

Genuine Free-Play Crazy Golf Game

Funnyville.com Jokes and Films are free to use. The only drawback is the pop up ads etc they have onsite to pay for their hosting or whatever.

Anyway, the Free Crazy Golf Game is very good indeed if you like that kind of thing.

When I say Crazy Golf, I do not mean like "Crazy Golf " ~ I genuinely mean like the Crazy Golf you can play at the seaside. The instructions and gameplay are simple and the Crazy Golf Game actually worked on my computer, which is a good sign it may work on yours too.

A couple of other things caught my eye at Funnyville. (sound needed)

♣ Michael Schumacher's Nightmare Formula 1 Grand Prix Madness

♣ The Politically Incorrect Which Backstreet Boy Is Gay

Football :: Arsenal Versus Middlesborough Betting Prices

Arsenal v Middlesbrough (Live Football on Sky Sports 1, Sunday, August 22)

Full Time Result (betting/odds/prices)
♠ Arsenal (4/11)
♠ Draw (10/3)
♠ Middlesbrough (8/1)

Half Time Football (betting/odds/prices) (Live on Sky Sports 1)
♠ Arsenal (4/6)
♠ Draw (13/10)
♠ Middlesborough (10-1)

Half Time/Full Time Football Betting Arsenal v Middlesbrough (Live on Sky Sports 1)
Arsenal - Arsenal (5/6)
Arsenal - Draw (18/1)
Arsenal - Middlesbrough (50/1)
Draw - Arsenal (10/3)
Middlesbrough - Arsenal (28/1)
Draw - Draw (6/1)
Middlesbrough - Middlesbrough (18/1)
Draw - Middlesbrough (22/1)
Middlesbrough - Draw (18/1)

Winning Margin Football Betting :: Arsenal v Middlesbrough (Live on Sky Sports 1)
♠ Arsenal to win by 1 goal 13/5
♠ Arsenal to win by 2 or more goals 10/11
♠ Middlesbrough to win by 1 goal 9/1
♠ No score draw 12/1
♠ Middlesbrough to win by 2 or more goals 16/1
♠ Score Draw 5/1

Written for me by Mr Racetrack because I know eff all about Harness Racing. Everything horseracing related is of interest to me, just because I call Harness Racing Chariot Racing, does not mean I am disinterested.

By Mr Racetrack ::

Harness Racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race in a specified gait. They also usually pull two-wheeled carts called sulkies.

In most jurisdictions harness races are restricted to standardbred horses. Standardbreds are so called because in the early years of the standardbred stud book only horses who could race a mile in a standard time were entered into the book.

Standardbreds have shorter legs than thoroughbreds, and longer bodies. They also are of more placid dispositions, as suits horses whose races involve more strategy and more re-acceleration than do thoroughbred races.

Races are conducted in two gaits. In continental Europe all harness races are conducted between trotters. A trotter's forelegs move in tandem with the opposite hind legs -- when the right foreleg moves forward so does the left hind leg, and vice versa. In Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., and the United States, races are also held for pacers. Pacers' forelegs move in tandem with the hind legs on the same side.

Pacing races constitute 80% to 90% of the harness races conducted in North America. The horses are faster and, most important to the bettor, less likely to break stride (a horse which starts to gallop must be slowed down and taken to the outside until it regains stride). One of the reasons pacers are less likely to break stride is that they often wear hopples or hobbles, straps which connect the legs on each of the horse's sides.

Most harness races start from a motorized gate. The horses line up behind a hinged gate mounted on a motor vehicle which then takes them to the starting line. At the starting line the wings of the gate are folded up and the vehicle accelerates away from the horses. Some European races start without a gate.

The sulky (sometimes called a bike) is a light two-wheeled cart equipped with bicycle wheels. The driver carries a long, light whip which is chiefly used to signal the horse by tapping and to make noise by striking the sulky shaft.

Almost all North American races are at a distance of one mile, and North American harness horses are all assigned a "mark" which is their fastest winning time at that distance. Harness races involve considerable strategy.

First of all, drivers try to avoid getting boxed in as the horses form into two lines -- one on the rail and the other outside -- at the beginning of the race. They may decide to go to the front, to race on the front on the outside ("first over", a difficult position), or to race with cover on the outside. On the rail behind the leader is a choice spot, known as the pocket, and a horse in that position is said to have a garden trip. Third on the rail is an undesirable spot, known as the death hole. As the race nears the three-quarter mile mark, the drivers implement their tactics for advancing their positions ? going to the lead early, circling the field, moving up an open rail, advancing behind a horse expected to tire, and so on. Unlike thoroughbreds, harness horses accelerate during the final quarter mile of a race. The finishes of harness races are often spectacular and perhaps more often extremely close. The judges (equivalent to thoroughbred stewards) often have to request prints of win, place, and show photos to determine the order of finish.

Harness races are run over 4 various sized tracks. A half mile track, where the horses go around twice, a 5/8 mile track, where the horses start in the backstretch, and a 7/8 and a mile oval, the later two having wider, sweeping turns, opposed to the "sharp" turns a half mile track has, and a longer stretch. Some horses cannot negotiate the smaller ovals, as their stride and maneuverability are better suited for the bigger tracks. Horses for courses would be applicable.

Many different methods are used to "handicap" these races, and I will discuss some of these, along with the various "betting propositions" offered, in my next installment of "HARNESS RACING"

Bad 2004 Olympic Games Stuff

Fucked Sports.com report the news in the Sporting World in their own sweet way. Sometimes they are very funny, other times crude.

The Olympics are big news and Fucked Sports.com have spotted a couple of bad things happen at The Olympic Games already worthy of a mention.

We have The Olympics Hit by Crisis Over Iran-Israel Contest which was covered by Reuters entitled the same Olympics Hit by Crisis Over Iran versus Israel Contest :: Pretty much an Iranian Judo contestant won't fight against an Israeli contestant. Now that just makes much sense right? The 1 chance for a legal fight with an Israeli and the Iranian guy says no?

Secondly there is the Sprinters suspended from the Greek team for failing to turn up to a drug test together, followed by a second missed drug test, for a rather mysterious motorbike crash that happened while on route? Hmmm.

A GOOD Olympic thing is the Olympic Betting which the bookies struggle with because of lack of knowledge.

Olympic Gambling Plug :: Bet Here Ladbrokes

Gambling On Crickets? Not Cricket But Crickets, The Insect Ones.
In Hong Kong there have been arrests made for illegal gambling ~ On Insects (crickets).

$1,025 was seized believed to be illegal gambling money, along with 115 men believed to be betting on Cricket Fights. 300 Crickets were taken away for questioning too.

Gamblog Comment :: These Insect Fight Gamblers face up to 3 months in jail for their troubles and possible fines of up to $1,280 each.

I have only seen the likes of Insect Gambling on the television in films before now, but must say betting on animals fighting each other is pretty abhorent I think. I dunno what people be so silly for.

Maybe a better punishment than fines or jail for these insect fight gamblers, would be to stick them 1 by 1 into a ring with a proponent of the art of Gracie Jujitsu

Place Your Bets Ladies and Gentlemen! (just be quick though eh?) Don't forget the ear mufflers to drown out the screams and don't blink.

Find Olympic Blogs Day

For me, today, was Find as many Olympic Games Blogs as I could DAY.

I found a few olympic related blogs, I knew of a few too, then I found miss-information.net who have very kindly listed every 2004 Olympic blog there could ever be.

If an Olympic Blog is what you wanted, then why are you here? You should be there by now. I will be spending Gam blog Find Olympic Blogs Day downstairs relaxing, probably watching the Olympics heheh.

The Manila Times have caught on to the value of running stories about gambling.

Unsurprisingly, it is another negative of gambling with a wonderful headline entitled Slot Machine Mania, addictive gambling sweeping all over Russia

In most slot machines in Russia, the minimum deposit needed for a play is five rubles, or about 15 US cents, just half the cost of a bus ticket.

The games are practically unregulated, meaning anyone from the country's few super-rich oligarchs to its many destitute pensioners, children and alcoholics can take a spin at the wheel of fortune.

"You can't even get into the store to buy milk in the evening because all the shopkeepers close up to go play the slots," complained one Moscow resident.

"The school principal cancels all meetings whenever she gets a little cash. She wears the same dress every day, she's lost all her teeth, but she runs off to gamble every chance she gets," another resident said.

Fred Done the well known UK bookie from up North who loves a bit of Man Utd, and Victor Chandler who was the first UK bookmaker to leave for the shores of Gibralter to circumvent the 9% UK Betting Tax, thereby heading the forward movement toward the abolishment of said Betting Tax ~ have had a bet.

The bet is who will finish highest in the Premier League table.

The bet is for £1 Million ~ on the nose.

Man Utd or Chelsea?

Fred Done is with Man Utd and Chandlers have Chelsea.

My head says Chelsea, my heart says Man Utd ~ I am a QPR fan afterall.

Go Fred! Go Man United!

Bet-Fred Versus V-Chandler ~ links
Online Bookmaker Betfred - 1 Million Pound - Chelsea V Man Utd Match Bet

Talk Sport Radio Head Of Sport Broadcasting Mike Porky Parry has sent a very sad message to the kisteners to thr breakfast show via his co host Alan Brazil.

Read Mike Parry's Messages about his heart condition and how things are progressing.

Mike Parry, who only last year was blasting out "I Want To Paint It Black" with The Rollin' Clones has sadly informed everyone via Alan Brazil that his heart condition, CARDIOMYOPATHY, has not improved. The Brompton Hospital in Chelsea, Chief of Cardiology, has told Mike he needs a Heart Transplant

Mike Porky Parry did not hesitate to go on the transplant list as apparently some people do, which figures really. Our Mike will never be backward on coming forward.

I wish Mike well ~ yeah the guy drives me nuts but you know, he does not deserve this for just annoying a few people every morning right?

Womens Olympic 800 Metres Betting

Maria Mutola is a standout Betting opportunity at EVENS with Ladbrokes Olympic Betting Section to win the Womens 800 Metre Olympic Title.

Maria Mutola is the standout athlete at the 800 Metre discipline for women and has been so for nion a decade.

Maria's Training Partner Kelly Holmes cannot be a bad bet at 14-1 to land one of the places for EW gamblers. However, in my opinion the win portion of the bet is pretty much a waste of a stake because Maria Mutola will win bar injury.

I have found no reports of Maria Mutola being drastically out of form this year over 800 Metres and am very surprised to see Evens being offered about Maria draping the 800 Metre Womens Olympic Gold around her neck.

I suppose the biggest worry or doubt about Maria Mutola landing the 800 Metre spoils is that it is Ladbrokes that are out of line with other bookies about Maria's chances. I am loathe to take on Ladbrokes aka "The Magic Sign" when they take a view on an event, albeit an Olympic one, but hey ~ Evens is wrong. Maria Mutola will win. Probably not by much as per usual, but she will win.

Well I think she will.

Take Maria Mutola At Evens With Ladbrokes Online Betting Shop To Win The Women's Olympic Games 800 Metres.

(Olympic 800 metre betting odds/prices subject to change but Maria Mutola is definately EVENS at the moment ~ she won't be that price for long I reckon)

Chris's Sports Blog begs the question of whether Star American Swimmer Michael Phelps Will Fail in his bid to break Mark Spitz's Olympic Swimming Record of 7 Gold Medals In A Single Olympic Games

Chris's Sport Blog says ::

With the media focused on Phelps' attempt to break (or tie) Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in a single Olympics, anything less than those seven golds will be a disappointment.

But can five gold and three silver medals really be a letdown?

It will be for NBC, who will make Phelps the showcase of their first week of Olympic coverage. The peacock network has been breathlessly hyping Phelps' quest for seven golds for the past two years and will certainly be doing much of the same during their primetime coverage beginning this weekend.

Speedo, one of Phelps' sponsors, also has a lot to lose if he should fall short. The swimming apparel giant has promised Phelps a $1 million bonus if he ties or beats Spitz's mark. The publicity Speedo will earn for doling out the bonus will far outweigh what they pay to Phelps.

Liverpool Football Club Legend or indeed Leg End, the one and only Michael Owen is off To Real Madrid for �8 Million apparently.

24 Year Old Michael Owen will be joining the Liverpool FC Official Hall of Hame in the not too distant future. He will do so not having reached his full potential at the club.

Michael Owen was frightening footballer as an 18-19 year old. Too good was the boy Owen, Liverpool manager Roy Evans I think it was proceded to run the kid into the ground alongside the England International Team, season after season. All the while Liverpool and Evans were doing the same to Robbie Fowler, at the same time as destroying Stan Collymore by subbing him, forcing Stan to sit and watch 2 little guys running around up front in his place.

Maybe now Michael will be off to Real Madrid, they might not rush him back into games 3/4's fit. I mean let's have it right ~ Michael Owen is prone to an injury or 2. He's not really the type of player that can be played until he's really ready. Playing Michael Owen in early to get his touch back has a bad affect on his physical wellbeing, therefore his general form. At Real Madrid he may get a rest long enough to see the best of him. If that be the case, �8 Million may be the nip of the century judging by Michael Owen's precocious form as a youth.

Gambling On The 2004 Athens Olympic Games


Gam blog's choice of bookies to Gamble with at the Olympic Games | Ladbrokes
First off before I rabbit on about the Olympics and Gambling I will first ask you to take a record of how my Olympic Games Betting Tips get along. So you can wind me up like The Burnley Wallet Fantasy Football Freaks often attempt to do. To no avail so far may I add.

My Olympic Games Betting Tips ~ or Guesses
♣ Mens Olympic 400 Metre Gambling Tip
♣ Womens Olympic 100 Metre Gambling Tip
♣ Mens Olympic 100 Metre Gambling Tip
♣ Womens Olympic 800 Metre Tip

The Olympics and Gambling do not necissarily go hand in hand. Some bookies are fearful of pricing up gambling opportunites for punters where the Olympic Games are concerned.

Olympic Games participants form and statistics are hard to collate. Worldwide experts in shooting and archery, swimming and the hammer throw are thin on the ground. Therefore the bookies are open to mis-pricing any given Olympic Event depending on their Olympic advisors expertise.

2 Olympics Games ago, a firm of Finland or Finnish Gamblers who knew their "Olympic Games" stuff hit various UK highstreet bookies for many hundreds of thousands of pounds. Well, so the bookies reported.

My advice to Olympic Game Gambling FOLK is to stick to events where you know the form of the Olympic Participants by eye ~ ie in your head. If not search through some bookies for value gambling opportunities based on the prices you see ~ that's if you can't watch the Olympic Games without having a Gamble

Decent stats for Olympic Game Participants for the purpose of Gambling are not very good atall. There are some Athens 2004 Olympic Game Blogs out there though.
====================
Athens Olympic Games Blogs :: From Elsewhere and Greece

There is the Olympic Fanatics Blog from a couple of Olympic Game Nuts. I think 1 is a male teacher who likes a Yoga, the other a lady from Macromedia i think?

You can Submit Olympic Games Articles To This Blog ~ although there is no guarantee your story will be used.

There are a couple of Olympic Games Blogs from bloggers that live in Greece and a Canadian one too that is a decent read aswell.
Greek Resident Olympic Diary Blog
Greek Resident Olympic Blog
Canadian Olympic Blog
====================
Gam blog's choice of bookies to Gamble with at the Olympic Games | Ladbrokes

Jailed Rapist Iorworth Hoare Wins £7 million Lottery ~ While Out On Day Release

Scotsman.com News reports on a convicted Rapist "Iorworth Hoare" winning 7 milion quid on the National Lottery while out on day release from a bail hostel.

For his troubles, Iorworth Hoare is now back behind bars for his own protection in case a perturbed public lynch him.

The judge at Iorworth Hoare's trial 15 years ago told him: "every moment you are at liberty some woman is at risk".

According to newspaper reports at the time, lottery winner Hoare was jailed for life on May 17, 1989.

Mr Justice Rougier told him: "You have been found guilty on overwhelming evidence and your previous record shows you are a menace to women."

"It seems from the psychiatric reports that I have read that there is no psychiatric illness."

"Paramount in my mind is that every moment you are at liberty some woman is at risk and I believe it to be my duty to protect, so far as I am able, women from the risk you represent."

"This is the last in a long line of appalling offences committed against women and the only sentence I can pass is one of imprisonment for life."

Hoare showed no emotion as he left the dock

Mike Mendoza on talksport radio 1089 and 1053 is talking to a gregarious sounding American businessman. His the boss of a firm selling Speed Camera Spray to defeat Photo Radar, Speed Cameras and Red Light Cameras.

"This spray makes license plates illegible by traffic-enforcement cameras by reflecting the flash back at the camera"

Interesting yet illegal to use in England. Maybe I should be a bit quicker on coming forward and just use the License Plate Spray Speed Camera Blocker regardless of the law.. Naagh, could'nt possibly condone that.

The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games Official Website is a mass of information about the Olympics much too varied and large for me to cover here.

I am after Olympic Games Betting, Odds and Prices and have had a look around and plumped for 3 bookies or betting firms that will be covering the Athens 2004 Olympic Games across the board. Prices can vary alot in Olympic Games Betting so a range of prices is needed by all Olympic Games punters.

Gam blog's choice of bookies to bet with this Olympic Games
| Ladbrokes Betting
♠ Punters will get paid if they win unlike with some online bookies I could mention.
♠ Bet 365 and Sporting Bet are offering sign up bonuses for first time gamblers.
♠ Ladbrokes take big money bets on the Olympics like no other so they are a must recommendation-wise

♠ These are the Olympic Events covered by the Big 3, Ladbrokes, Bet 365 and Sporting bet.

♠ Join Ladbrokes For Olympic Rowing Betting

These are the Ladbrokes Olympic Games Betting Coverage Events.

Men's Track and Field Betting Odds/Prices Available

Online Casino News.com report on the World Gaming.inc and sportingbet.com contract.

World Gaming and Sportingbet Revise Their Agreement

World Gaming Plc and Sportingbet have released details of a new agreement they have formed, making revisions to their existing partnership. World Gaming is a provider of software used by online casinos and sports and horse betting sites, Sporting bet is one of their licensees. In fact Sporting bet is their largest licensee being responsible for 80% of the royalty revenue that World Gaming earned last year. Sporting bet also currently own a 29.5% share of World Gaming's outstanding equity, as well as holding a convertible loan of the value of US$900,000, which when converted would translate into them owning a 39.2% stake in the equity of World Gaming.

The new agreement now dictates that Sporting bet will make staggered payments worth US$10 million to gain a 50% interest in their software, and an additional US$3.3 million which will cancel the $900,000 loan as well as the economic and voting rights currently earned by the existing 29.5% stake they have in the company. Other aspects of the agreement deal with future development plans, with both parties agreeing to devise a joint development plan :: Sporting bet agreeing to funding US$4.5 million worth of the development (over the period of four years); Sporting bet in return to gain a now royalty free license for its own use and World Gaming to undertake an exclusive hosting agreement for the US branch of Sporting bet.

The Chief Executive of World Gaming, Daniel Moran said of the new agreement :: 'We are pleased that we have now successfully resolved this issue with Sporting bet allowing for continued growth in the World Gaming software and infrastructure. The restructured relationship not only stabilizes World Gaming's future but will allow us to move forward and expand into new markets as well as open new investment opportunities that previously were not possible.'

Chief Exec of Sporting bet, Nigel Payne, released his own statement concerning the changes in their agreement: 'We are pleased to have agreed new arrangements with World Gaming which will give Sporting bet greater control over the software platform for its U.S. facing business and, importantly, over the future development of that software. Furthermore, these arrangements will also reduce our costs significantly going forward. We are also pleased that these arrangements will allow World Gaming to emerge a stronger, more profitable business independent of Sportingbet's revenue streams.

Athens Olympics 400 Metre Betting

The Mens Olympic 400 Metre Crown will be lifted by the favourite Jeremy Wariner this time round.

400 Metre runners need to break the 45 second mark to have any chance of winning a high quality 400 Metre race and Jeremy Wariner manages to do just that more often than not.

Alleyne Francique will be in the Olympic 400 Metres Final bar injury and so will Michael Blackwood.

Welsh or Great Britain's 400 Metre entrant Timothy Benjamin (pictured above) will do well to get to the 400 metre final. For sure Tim Benjamin has the times under his belt to manage to get to the 400 Metres Final, he is slightly erratic though and just a touch off the top 400 metre runners times to challenge for a medal.

At odds of 75-1 Timothy may prize a few quid from UK EW Punters Wallets, however I doubt he will make the podium.

All in all the odds of Evens about American 400 Metre Specialist Jeremy Wariner could well turn out to be a standout price. I can just see Jeremy wearing down the opposition early on in the 400 Metres Olympic Final and holding on to the line without much of a problem.

Olympic 400 Metre Betting

Betting :: Jeremy Wariner (USA) Evens
Betting :: Alleyne Francique (GRN) 7/2
Betting :: Michael Blackwood (JAM) 13/2
Betting :: Brandon Simpson (JAM) 9/1
Betting :: Leslie Djhone (FRA) 9/1
Betting :: Avard Moncur (BAH) 16/1
Betting :: Lewis Banda (ZIM) 16/1
Betting :: Derrick Brew (USA) 16/1
Betting :: Otis Harris (USA) 20/1
Betting :: Gary Kikaya (CIV) 33/1
Betting :: Saul Weigopwa (NGR) 33/1
Betting :: Eric Milazar (MRI) 50/1
Betting :: Marc Raquil (FRA) 50/1
Betting :: Ingo Schultz (GER) 50/1
Betting :: Timothy Benjamin (GBR) 75/1
Betting :: David Canal (ESP) 75/1
Others Runners On Request / Each-way 1/5 1-2-3

Gamblog Comment :: Take Evens on the Favourite Jeremy Wariner to lift the Mens 400 Metres Olympic Gold.

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The $50 for $50 bonus has a playthrough of 20 times. ie $2000 credits.

If you understand all that, then go win a jackpot on the slots for free or go for the extra $50 bonus ~ its up to you.

Casino Bonus | $25 No Deposit Casino Bonus With $50 for $50 bonus to follow

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Poker Bonus News

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Lee Hughes Guilty ~ Lee Hughes Gets 6 Years

West Brom striker Lee Hughes has been found guilty of causing death by wreckless driving and is to serve a 6 year jail sentence.

Lee Hughes was reported to be driving like a madman in his £100,000 5.5 Litre Mercedes Coupe. The collision in Pickford Grange Lane, Coventry, took place on the morning of the 23rd of November 2003.

West Brom unofficial website "The Baggies Boing" reports ::

It was alleged that Hughes had driven "like a madman" leading up to the crash. Motorist Deborah Vallance, not directly involved in the incident, told the court that Hughes rounded a bend "at some speed" on the wrong side of the road before he hit the Renault Scenic and added "The only way I can describe it, to be honest, is that he was driving like a madman. It looked as if it was on the wrong side of the road."

She then told the court of a conversation she had with the man who climbed out of the Mercedes: "All I can remember is the driver getting out of the car and putting his hands on his head and bending down and saying: 'I can't believe what has happened, I was only doing 30mph'. I just remember saying: 'There was no way you were doing 30mph'"

Hughes' defence counsel, however, suggested that she had made up the story, because it was not included in her statement to the police. Mrs Vallance answered by saying "You forget things and they come back".

Evidence was also presented regarding the actions of Hughes in the pubs before the incident. One barmaid at the Queen's Head said she served him a double Jack Daniels and Coke, and the licensee also said she had served the same drink but could'nt remember what measure of the whisky was in it.

The UK Gambling Blog reports on whether there are Children At Risk To Big Stakes Gambling

The UK Gambling Blog says ::

The Guardian reports on the negative aspects of internet kiosks that are offering offshore gambling 'to children'. Essentially, it seems that legal internet kiosks are acting as portals to offshore casino sites and since these kiosks are allowed anywhere in the UK, naturally there's been a strong reaction to their accessibility by kids. The operators argue that since the casino is registered offshore - its not covered by UK law.

Whilst the operators are no doubt correct in their interpretation of the current laws, there needs to be some restraint in place to allow the gambling regulation to go through without too much restriction on the part of online casino operators. Whilst I have no issues with offshore gambling in the privacy of someone's home (thats what the internet is all about) - allowing a physical box in a public unlicensed area to offer offshore casinos is really giving gambling a bad name - that it doesn't need right now.

Lottery Scam By Email

WTAP have a report about an Email Lottery Scam doing the rounds at the moment.

The jist of the story is one of a similar nature to my last entry about Scam Lotteries where some bunch of idiots tell you that there is a million pound prize for you to claim. All you gotta do is get in contact the lottery firm yourself and claim your winnings. The catch is it will cost you a pretty penny and you won't be seeing any unclaimed millions coming your way either.

Wtap lottery scam excerpt ♣

Old Scam Reinvented.

Attorney General Darrell McGraw says his office is being inundated with calls about a new approach to an old scam.

Consumers say they have received e-mails from various companies notifying them they've won money in an "international lottery"

One such company, Lottery Winners International, e-mailed consumers saying they'd each won a million dollars.

The e-mail warns consumers to tell no one about their good luck, but to call a telephone number outside the United States to find out how to get their money.

The consumers who call are told they have to send a fee ranging from $25 to more than $1,000 to the company to claim their winnings.

McGraw warns that once you send money to another country, there's virtually no way to get it back. ♣

Athens Olympics Womens 100 Metre Betting

The Womens Olympic 100 Metres will is an open affair with Marion Jones not competing this time round to defend her Olympic crown.

The favourite will likely be Christine Arron from France. A fluent mover Christine Arron will be surely pushing hard to lift this years female Olympic 100 Metre crown.

My choice to lift the Womens 100 metres crown for the women's this time round is experienced Bahamian sprinter Debbie Ferguson.

Debbie Ferguson is not new to the sprint scene, an experienced runner and funnily enough yesterday ran the favourite for this years Athens Olympics 100 Metre crown Christine Arron to 1/100th of a second in Zurich.

The Olympics 100 Metres is not quite a 2 runner race and there are other ladies who are in with a fair shout of lifting the Womens 100 Metre title. Aileen Bailey (Jam) is a lively outsider, Veronica Campbell (another Jamaican sprinter) and American Lauryn Williams will be in the final no doubt. It would be remiss of me to not mention Gail Devers and Merlene Ottey, neither of whome has been in the greatest of form this year, but are always dangerous. Ela Thanou is always strong too and there are others to consider so do your homework before you bet.

2004 Olympics 100 Metre Betting | Odds and Prices

Prices/Odds/100 Metres/Women Each-way 1/5 1-2-3

Betting :: Christine Arron (FRA) 9/4
Betting :: Ekaterini Thanou (GRE) 4/1
Betting :: Ivet Lalova (BUL) 5/1
Betting :: LaTasha Colander (USA) 8/1
Betting :: Torri Edwards (USA) 8/1
Betting :: Lauryn Williams (USA) 11/1
Betting :: Sherone Simpson (JAM) 11/1
Betting :: Debbie Ferguson (BAH) 14/1
Betting :: Yuliya Nesterenko (BLR) 16/1
Betting :: Veronica Campbell (JAM) 16/1
Betting :: Aleen Bailey (JAM) 16/1
Betting :: Zhanna Block (UKR) 18/1
Betting :: Marlene Ottey (SLO) 50/1
Betting :: Kim Gevaert (BEL) 50/1
Betting :: Muriel Hurtis (FRA) 50/1
Betting :: Yuliya Tabakova (RUS) 50/1

Others Runners On Request

(prices will change as the womens 100 metre races and betting goes on but they are correct as of now :: August 5th Olympic Betting/Prices/Odds/100 Metres/Women

Gamblog Womens 100 Metre Tip :: Debbie Ferguson EW/14-1

The Burnley Wallet is a blog run by 3 blokes (Peter, Keith, and Mike) who no doubt would consider me a Southern Softie.

They have also just opened A Premiership Football League Blog which is not really much use to me because I am a QPR fan but hey, they seem to have a sense of humour so I read their stuff anyway.

My message to them ~ "Beware The Fallen Ranger"

3 things I found on their Burnley Wallet Blog I quite like are.

(1) Jengajam's flash technology built In My Burberry

(2) Clown Staples website e'balloon which is just a Balloon On A String or indeed a ball on a string? Why I liked it I know not.

(3) Lastly Clown Staples again with this Sound Thingy which you need speakers for obviously.

If you have a warped sense of humour the Burnley Wallet Crew will make you laugh. No they are not comedians, they are Middlesborough fans. Most likely a contradiction of terms because surely you must be a joker to support Boro.

The UK Football Association Letter To All Football Fans ~ Bar Those In The Premier League

Dear Supporter,

Welcome to the start of the 2004/05 football season.

It is a pleasure to welcome Coca-Cola to their sponsorship of the Football League. To have one of the world's most recognised brands onboard is a genuine boost for League football.

By introducing the names "Championship", "League One" and "League Two", The Football League has begun a concerted effort to refresh the public's perception of the competition. In doing so we are seeking to reclaim rather than dispense with our heritage. Our top clubs will be competing for the same trophy that has been used since the end of the nineteenth century - a Trophy that is engraved "The Football League Championship Cup".

The aim of this re-branding exercise is to make our matches more attractive to a wider audience, so that more people regularly choose to spend their Saturday afternoons at Football League matches and in addition to make our competition and clubs more attractive to commercial partners. By achieving these ambitions we will help to ensure the long-term viability of The Football League.

The supporters are central to these plans. Last season 16m supporters attended League games; the most for 40 years. We are looking to build on this to attract 21m supporters to League games by 2010. To achieve this goal we as a League must ensure that the next generation of football supporters follow their local club.

How are we proposing to do this? By focusing our attention on the integral role all the clubs play in their local communities.

Our 72 clubs are the embodiment of community :: in many cases they are the biggest communal activity in their towns and cities. We want to further enhance the value of each club to its local community.

What does this mean in practice? During the next twelve months The League plans to develop a series of initiatives in conjunction with the clubs. These will enhance the relationship and links that clubs have with their supporters and communities, encourage more people to attend games at their local clubs, increase the number of children playing football and deliver vital new commercial revenue.

The Football League is developing a sense of renewed confidence and an enhanced appreciation of its values, and its value for money. Our competition is about "real football for real fans".

Thank you for the support you give your club and the Football League.

Sir Brian Mawhinney
Chairman, The Football League

More From Faria Alam
(Sunday August 8 Update) Faria Alam has sold her story about "Sven Goran Eriksson, the F.A and Faria Ferrari Alam" to the papers.

This is the News Of the World's next addition to the long running Faria Alam Saga. Stuff about Faria and Sven on the stairs etc. You probably know the drill.

The Daily Mail Go with the probably more interesting headline of The Knives are out for Sven warns Alam It seems Sven is in a very difficult position at the moment, maybe he should listen to Faria?

Also Max Clifford has been on the radio today saying that Sven Goran Eriksson and Faria "Ferrari" Alam are in contact every day and seem very close, which is nice is'nt it? Aaah
===================
Sven , Faria Alam and The F.A update

Sven Goran Eriksson is in the clear after a meeting of F.A officials today. Sven will keep his job, Mark Palios and Colin Gibson (chief communications expert) are gone.
Read the Full Official F.A Sven and Faria Alam Statement

Sven Goran Errikson has been reported by his agent as saying he is "relieved" the Faria Alam story has not cost him his job.
Immediately after Faria Alam Resigned from her job as secretary for the F.A and will be selling her "F.A and Faria Sex Story" to the highest bidder.

Max Clifford is reported to be Faria Alam's representative now which ensures this story of sex, lies and deceit will rumble on further.

The F.A have decribed this whole Faria "Ferrari" Alam, Sven Goran Eriksson and the F.A Affair as "regrettable and bad for English football all round".

Gamblog Comment :: I should Coco. Faria Ferrari Alam is a name the F.A and Football will never forget.

Read more about :: Sven Goran Eriksson and the Faria Alam Affair
==================

(August 6th 9am) Max Clifford, PR Guru and representative of Faria Alam Speaks.

Faria Alam's PR Man Max Clifford has just had a chat live on Talk Sport Radio to Presenters Patrick Kinghorn and Tony Cascarino.

Max said in part that Faria Alam has sold her story to The News of the World and the Mail on Sunday Newspapers.

Max added that Faria Alam speaks and thinks highly of Sven Goran Eriksson and is not enamoured by the treatment her and Sven have been subjected to by The F.A. "Treated Badly" to quote Max was the exact wording used by Max in relation to Faria Alam's thoughts on the matter.

Max Clifford's job as a PR Guru amongst many things is to "steer people who are his clients through the minefield of the media" said Max.

Max said Faria Alam, her lawyer and some of Faria's friends contacted Max while he was in Spain last week for advice on how to handle the "Svengate" situation.

Max Clifford's advice to Faria Alam was to wait and see how meetings with the F.A pan out beforeshe makes up her mind what to do. According to Max, Faria turned down a lot of money during this time, but after the F.A and Faria met, she decided she needs to speak out to level the playing field as she was being treated shoddily by the F.A.

Additionally in the meantime apparent friends of Faria were all over the press with stories of her sex life and whatnot, so she figured that was another good reason to air her side of the story.

Max gave 3 reasons why Faria decided to speak out ::
(1) Faria could make a lot of money.
(2) The F.A treated her badly and she wants the truth to be told, ie her experiences and what was said in cetain conversations within the F.A.
(3)So called friends of Faria's were talking total nonsense about her and she needs to set the record straight.

Max Clifford added " the F.A waged a campaign to get rid of Sven Goran Eriksson, all the while they were supposed to be protecting Sven". Bear in mind the F.A were supposed to be "Sven's protectors" added Max.

Max went on to say that "how can Sven trust the F.A to look after his interests or indeed trust the F.A atall after this".

All in all Max said "sex sells and if the media are looking to make a few quid from Faria Alam's story, then why should'nt she"?

Gamblog Comment :: Faria Alam has every right to make as much money as she can as her position at the F.A had become untennable and she is effectively unemployed. Faria Alam is allowed to shag who she likes, when she likes, married or not and if people like me are going to write about her, then get paid she should indeed and handsomely so if people want to read about her and Sven.

Faria Alam Links Update
Spoof - Faria shagged me senseless says sacked FA Chief
Faria Alam Says Her Life Has Been Ruined By Sven Affair
The Faria Alam Story

I also Read that Faria Alam will be on The Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Show?

Athens Olympics 100 Metre Sprint Betting

The Olympic 100 Metre Crown will go this year to either Maurice Greene or Asafa Powell.

Maurice Greene is coming into good form right now and broke the 10 second barrier in his last 100 metre race. Greene will be in the final for sure bar injury. In fact Maurice Greene will pretty much jog to the Olympic 100 metre final.

Asafa Powell is a 21 year old Jamaican sprinter of both the 100 metres and 200 metres disciplines. This year Asafa has broken the 10 second barrier regularly and even managed to do so after a stumbled start. Asaafa Powell will too jog through to the 100 metre Olympic final.

Kim Collins will be the liveliest outsider in the 100 metres this year and could well be the one for the EW betting punters. Collins too is almost guaranteed a 100 metre final berth bar injury.

My choice is to side with the more experienced sprinter in Maurice Greene. It will be tight but Greene will prevail over Asafa Powell in a tightly run affair. The Olympic romanticists will be thinking a new 100 metre record will be set under the backdrop of the Athens skyline, but I doubt that will happen personally.

All in all I say a bet on Maurice Greene to win the Athens 2004 Mens 100 Metre Final in almost what amounts to a betting match with Asafa Powell. 11-4 on Greene is a standout wager, and is a decent betting opportunity with the full knowledge of an assured run for your money.

Take MAURICE GREENE at 11- before the price shortens which it surely must. When the 100 metre Final is run Maurice Greene will be a starter and will not be available at a price of 11-4 then.

Audley Harrison To Fight Matt Skelton for The British Heavyweight Boxing Title (October 9th)

British Boxing fans will be glad to hear that Audley Harrison will be taking on Ex K1 Muay Thai And Kickboxing Heavyweight Champion and now reigning British Heaveyweight Boxing Champion Matt Skelton (Matt, Mat, short for Matthew?)

Fight Date to be announced at a boxing press conference on Aug 6(CANCELLED) but the fight will NOT take place and I hear it will be October 9 and will be on the undercard of another UK Boxer, Joe Calzaghe.(super middleweight title defense)
Boxing Betting Prices/Odds will be available after the proper fight date announcement.

Audley Harrison (33) who stands at 6'5, weighs in around 245lb or 19 stone and with a reach of 83cm is a formidable opponent for any heavyweight boxer.

Audley Harrison has obvious ability but has certainly taken his time coming through from amateur boxing. It is about time Audley took on a decent boxer and will not be able to toy with this guy. Finally we will get to see Audley come out of his shell and show some aggression. If he does'nt he could well get beat on points for sheer lack of workrate. (Speaking of lack of workrate ~ Audley Denies The Fight Will Take Place

Matt Skelton (38) stands at 6'3 and was very dangerous with his feet back in his kickboxing days. I never got to see him use his hands all that much but do recall he wants for nothing in the aggression department and will make the fight a very interesting heavyweight boxing fight.

There will most certainly be boxing betting and prices/odds available. I will post the prices and odds as they come in. I envisage Audley being favourite at around odds of 1-2. Any betting odds better than that and the bookies might just get caught out by the games Audley has been playing by not bothering to be very aggressive in his previous fights.

Audley has been playing the old game of "not let them see" ~ I see Audley Harrison as dangerous and very mobile for one so large. Add that to his fastish hands and he will make for quite a fearful opponent if he actually opens up. If Audley can up his work rate he may actually make it to Heavyweight World Title Holder status (especially if Evander Holyfield is the opponent). Skelton does not have that much quality boxing wise, probably holds his chin too high like most martial artists who box on the level, and at 38 is just making up the numbers in his bank account ~ also so I can have a look at the betting and put some prices/odds up.
------------------
Harrison v Skelton fight update (august 4)

Audley Harrison Press Release.

London, ENGLAND (August 4, 2004) "There will be no fight between me and Matt Skelton," stated Olympic heavyweight gold medallist and WBF Heavyweight Champion Audley Harrison (16-0, 11KOs) today after learning that British promoter Frank Warren had issued a press release declaring the fight was done and announced a press conference for Thursday to discuss particulars.

"I am not going to any press conference nor is a fight between myself and Matt Skelton a done deal," said Harrison. "Unfortunately Mr. Warren's overzealous and premature announcement that the fight is happening is irresponsible on his part as his statement is false and in fact, no contracts have been signed."

Harrison, who is self-managed and represented by his own promotional company, A-Force Promotions, has been deep in negotiations with Warren, working overtime to make this fight happen for October 9. "At this stage of my career, I want nothing more than to fight Matt Skelton," said Harrison. "I and my team have been doing our part to move things along and I felt quite confident that a deal for the fight was close to being made."

Harrison continued. "Unfortunately Frank's latest actions have now hamper the spirit of the negotiations, and it seems totally inappropriate at this stage of our talks that he would release such a statement when in fact there is no paper worked signed to back it up."

Harrison, who has a tentative deal in the United States for a fight on November 13, is disappointed by Warren's actions and will proceed with alternative career opportunities if a deal cannot be finalized soon. "Frank knows how to play the game, has a wonderful gift for the gab and his words are very convincing," said Harrison. "Unfortunately none of this is good enough for me and unless there are signed contracts, which will give me 100% confidence that we have a fair and agreed upon deal, there is no fight to announce."

Harrison finished. "Frank is all smoke and mirrors and once again trying to fool the boxing public in to believing that he is responsible for making this fight happen. In reality, Frank is responsible for it almost not happening by continuing to ignore the fact that A-Force is a co-promoter of this event and we will be treated with respect and professionalism if he wants to get the deal done."

Promoter Frank Warren has today issued the following statement:

"As members of the media are aware I called a press conference for today (5 August) to announce that the fight had been made between British and Commonwealth Heavyweight Matt Skelton and Audley Harrison."

"This was on an agreed understanding between Harrison's company A-Force Promotions and Sports Network that should Harrison and I not finalise terms that the press conference would be cancelled."

"I was flying back from abroad yesterday afternoon and I suggested to Harrison we meet this morning to finalise details because he was unavailable last night due a film premier he had to attend."

"Had we finalised agreed terms, I wanted the press conference to take place today as next week is the start of the football season and obviously the media would be football mad."

"Throughout my years involved in boxing, and I have negotiated with everybody including Don King, Bob Arum and significant boxers, I must say the most difficult I have encountered have been with Harrison,"

"I had agreed terms with A-Force Promotions and my lawyers drew up a Memorandum of Understanding leaving a few issues to be resolved."

"One of the issues was that Harrison insisted on having three judges assigned to the fight instead of a referee."

"I spoke with the Simon Block, the General Secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control, who wasn't happy about this. He couldn't understand why this request was being made."

"I had no objections to the judges, Skelton said we won't need judges and that he would bring his own two judges to the fight " his fists."

"If Harrison is to taken seriously in the heavyweight division, then he should take a leaf out of Danny Williams? book who went into the lion?s den to beat Mike Tyson. Harrison has fallen behind Williams and Skelton who are the leaders of the British heavyweight ranks."

"If he is serious about being a respected fighter then he should prove to the British public what he is made of which until now has been all hot air and wind."

"What is revealing to me is that Harrison was not serious about fighting Skelton is that he stated in his press release he has provisional date of November 13 in America for a fight. If he is so keen on taking on Skelton and he said on Monday that he would "take care of Matt Skelton" then why was he arranging another fight whilst we were negotiating?"

"I will leave that up to the media and public to decide that one."

Ladbrokes Poker Room Has Dealt 100 Million Hands ~ and counting..

The Casino Meister news section delivered by Jetset aka Brian Cullingworth talks about One Hundred Million Poker Hands At Ladbrokes

Jetset says ::

It was a great poker milestone for Ladbrokes Poker.com last week when a very special hand was dealt to UK sales exec Mike Ventham to claim a European record-breaking 100 millionth hand for the popular online poker site.

The hand won Mike, a lifelong Spurs fan, �10,000 in one of the biggest online table pots ever at Ladbrokespoker.com. Mike, known as "Tricky" has been playing online at ladbrokespoker.com since its launch in May 2002 and has enjoyed a series of online wins totalling over $50,000.

When Ladbrokespoker.com informed Tricky he had made history as the 100 millionth hand, he said: "As soon as the pot went to $10,000, the whole table went all-in. I had a ACE / 9 and knew no one was ever going to fold! It's my biggest online win to date and I'm absolutely delighted!"

Paul Scholes has decided to stop playing International Football and Adrian Durham has called Paul a "Bottler", Disgraceful and described Paul's actions as Utterly Unacceptable.

Today Paul Scholes (29) issued a press release saying he has retired from the International Football Scene and my mate at Talk Sport Radio ~ the indomitable mouth on legs Adrian Durham has the balls to call Scholes a Bottler.

Remember, this is a guy, Adrian Durham, who says he would like to meet Jerry Adams because quote ""I cannot be judgmental until I fully understand""

I Quote Adrian Durham again ~ ""Scholes ~ have you ever known a bigger bottler?""

Durham ~ You talk shite son and need to stop shouting into the microphone aswell. The callers ringing the radio station going on about overpaid footballers are going to annoy me again also.

Gamblog Comment :: Paul Scholes is an asthma sufferer who plays professional football for a living and has done so at the highest level for a decade.. Bottler? I think not.

Online Gambling Sites, This Is A Holdup

Business Week report about the denial of service attacks hitting the online gaming operators and deduce that soon the cyber attackers will start to target government institutions and banks etc.

Organized criminal hackers threaten to paralyze their networks if they don't pay up. Something nasty was up. It was an autumn afternoon in the offshore gambling haven of Costa Rica. The banks of computers at online bookmaker Betcris.com whirred away, processing thousands of bets on the Cowboys, Patriots, and Buckeyes. All at once a flood of blank incoming messages inundated the computers, slowing traffic to a crawl. Within hours, the manager of Betcris.com, Mickey Richardson, received a threatening e-mail. The English was broken, but the message was clear: What he had experienced was a mere taste of a massive denial-of-service attack. If he wanted his computers to stay up and running through the football season, he was to wire a total of $40,000 to 10 different accounts in Eastern Europe.

The extortionists may be just beginning to flex their muscle. Industry experts fear that they could soon target government operations, e-commerce companies, banks -- practically any organization with an online presence.

This Is "Responsible Gaming Education Week"

KLASTV.com reports that this is Responsible Gaming Education Week

This week is "Responsible Gaming Education Week." That means casinos in the American Gaming Association are highlighting their programs to help customers and employees who may have a problem.

You will be seeing more brochures around town. Casinos are using brochures and signs to raise awareness for their gambling addiction programs.

The good side of gambling always comes at a price. A small percentage of people who gamble have a problem. "That is where the responsible gaming programs step in. It's a matter of making that available to the patron or the employee," said Rob Stillwell with Boyd Gaming

If you listen to talkSPORT Radio during the night, no doubt you will have heard the graveyard shift presenter Mike Mendoza rabbit on about The Gadget Detective

There is a section down the left called "Dozy World" ~ find the Dozy World Link and there are some Mike Mendoza bits and pieces he clearly wants you to see.

Looking at them I am not sure why. Anyhow, check out Dozy World at the The Gadget Detective and Mike may not mention it again.

Mike Mendoza
♠ ♠ Mike Mendoza Replaces Steve Jones on Talksport Radio
♠ Mike Mendoza Official
♠ Mike Mendoza At Talksport Radio
♠ Mike Mendoza Official On Myspace
♠ Mike Mandoza Wiki Page
♠ Mike Mendoza Interview On Smoking and Health
♠ Mendoza's Friend - Fevzi Turkalp - Gadget Detective
♠ Phil on Myspace - Mike Mendoza Show Producer
♠ Al Rantel - Mendoza's American Friend
♠ Mike Mendoza On The Travel Show
♠ Unofficial Talksport Forum
♠ Mini Mike Russell - Mendoza Show Producer
♠ Mini Mike On Myspace
♠ Mini Mike's Journey Blog - Mendoza's Ex Producer

I was going to do a post about all 92 clubs in the English Football leagues this season.

The aim was to :: (1) Find pretty much the best sites relating to each club, not withstanding the official sites because most of them suck because you have to pay or sign up to veiw them. (2) Find some info on each club, ticket prices, ground location, photo of the stadium and pitch etc, stuff like that. (3) Was thinking to work out what each 92 of the clubs fans sing at each other, you know, football chants etc. (4) Anything else that was worthy of noting regarding all 92 professional clubs and maybe some non league clubs info too.

Well, I am lazy and can do all of 1, 2, 3, and 4 by pointing you towards The Internet Football Ground Guide who have done it all for me already, therefore for you already. There is more information on each of the 92 clubs than I really cared to know actuially.

Go to The Internet Football Ground Guide Then Click Your Club ~ You can even write a review for their site. They are short of them, do so please? Only write about your own clubs though eh?

No? No reviews? If not then sign up to Sporting Bet and bet on your team or something. Just back them to lose, whenever I bet on QPR we lose. I am a Bok.

Gamblog Comment :: I think I am annoyed they did such a good job, but happy because to find all that info about every one of the 92 football clubs was gonna take me atleast 2 days.

UK Scientist Professor Stephen Hawking Loses Bet For A Baseball Encyclopedia Over His Black Hole In Theory

The Sydney Morning Herald talks of betting/gambling in an almost romantic light for once. Rather than snyde remarks that are abound the internet and some parts of the press about gambling in general, so much so that after porn gambling is the next in line for "taboo" status, especially online.

Paralysed UK Scientist Professor Stephen Hawking Loses A Bet is something you are going to have to click the link to read because I don't know much about black holes and space and whatnot.

I am more interested in posting a story about gambling that is not enshrouded in negativity. Maybe because the report mentions the word "wager" rather than "betting" or indeed, "gambling" it feels less taboo like ~ who knows? Maybe it is because Prof Stephen Hawking is a scientist and/or he is paralysed that the papers don't like having a go at him, therefore not being negative about a "wager"? Anyway, Stephen payed up the baseball encyclopedia, not before trying to palm American Physicist Professor John Preskill off with a cricket encyclopedia instead.

Gamblog comment :: Hahah ~ Nice to know Professor Hawkins has a sense of humour. I do not buy for 1 minute he had trouble finding a baseball encyclopedia.

The US push from some quarters of America have slowed down the online gambling scene somewhat with credit cards being denied. However, regulation is more appropriate in my opinion.

Reading between the lines of this M Live.com report, I think it the answer to the question of question of whether The US Bid To Ban Online Gambling Is Doomed To Fail? is obvious.

M Live report :: David Carruthers, a 46-year-old executive with thinning gray hair, is an unlikely outlaw. Recently, a wild moment for him was drinking a champagne toast in his banker's office after his company went public on the Alternative Investment Market, a London stock exchange.

Nonetheless, many U.S. lawmakers and regulators would like to shut down Mr. Carruthers's London-based BetonSports, along with other operations that run Web gambling sites catering to Americans. Under the 1961 Federal Wire Act, betting on sports via telephone or the Internet is illegal in the U.S.

But online gambling is legal in many other countries, and the U.S. can't do much to prevent companies operating abroad from accepting wagers from U.S. citizens. As a result, a gigantic online gambling market has sprung up overseas. Last year, world-wide revenue from online gambling totaled $5.7 billion, and a majority of the gamblers were American, according to Christiansen Capital Advisors, a market-research firm. BetonSports, which says 98 percent of its customers are U.S. based, had a profit of $26.8 million for the year ended Jan. 31.

Mr. Carruthers and many other Internet gambling executives are betting that the U.S. will eventually have to drop its online-gambling prohibition. "What happened with alcohol was a disaster," he says. "Nobody wants this business, which is flourishing offshore, being pushed back onto the streets and the back alleys of the U.S." He also argues that "there's a huge missed opportunity here" to collect revenue.

So far, the U.S. government isn't convinced. But that could change as the result of talks that will start this month between the tiny twin-island Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda and the U.S.

U.S. opposition to Web gambling has hurt Antigua and Barbuda. Until 1999, the island nation was a favorite spot for online companies catering to U.S. gamblers. The industry employed 3,000 people and was responsible for 8 percent to 10 percent of the nation's GDP.

But then the U.S. cracked down. In 2000, the Justice Department successfully prosecuted Jay Cohen, a U.S. citizen who was running a betting operation called the World Sports Exchange from Antigua. In 2002, after New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer went after Citibank and PayPal for processing credit-card payments for online gambling, both agreed to stop. Now, most U.S. credit-card issuers won't process online gambling payments.

Last year, the Justice Department notified the National Association of Broadcasters that accepting money from Web gambling advertisers could be considered "aiding and abetting" an illegal activity, and it issued subpoenas to such media companies as radio giant Clear Channel Communications. Then, in April, U.S. marshals seized $3.2 million that Discovery Communications had accepted for ads from Tropical Paradise, a Web casino operation based in Costa Rica. The result: Online gambling ads vanished from Google, Yahoo and Howard Stern's radio show, among other venues.

In part because of U.S. actions, Antigua and Barbuda says, its gambling industry has shrunk to only 31 licensed companies from a peak of 112, and it now employs fewer than 500 people.

In response, Antigua and Barbuda took the highly unusual step last year of challenging the U.S. at the World Trade Organization. The island nation claimed that by permitting U.S. operators to offer gambling services in the U.S. but prohibiting offshore operations from doing so, the U.S. was violating the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

In March, a WTO court sided with Antigua and Barbuda; the two sides have said they hope to negotiate a settlement by Aug. 23. Many in the online-gambling industry worry that the islands will cave in to U.S. pressure. But Mr. Carruthers, whose BetonSports has an Antigua subsidiary, says the island government has assured his company that it is sticking by the industry.

If Antigua wins, other countries could bring similar charges against the U.S. Already, the U.K. has been working on a set of laws -- which could pass by the end of this year -- that will regulate and license online gambling operations. And the Australian government last month announced it had completed a review of online gambling and had decided not to ban the practice.

In the face of such pressure, U.S. law-enforcement efforts are "like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon," says Joseph Kelly, a law professor who studies Internet gambling at the State University of New York College at Buffalo.

Even if Antigua loses, the reality of the Internet is that no one government can control it. Despite world-wide crackdowns, spammers and pornographers continue to find dark corners of the world where they can operate. And fly-by-night online casinos occasionally shut down without paying out their winnings.

In such a world, the best hand the U.S. can play may well be regulation. By legalizing and regulating online gambling, the U.S. government would make it safer for the 5.3 million Americans who are already gambling in offshore online casinos. After all, says Mr. Carruthers, "the voice of the people has spoken."

The Anti Gambling Brigade are on a roll.

We have the women on the slots and the women on the poker and the underage online gamblers aged down to 11, the US attempt to ban online gambling and now Boca News.com reports about the old folk playing too much bingo or whatever.

South Florida resident Bernard Williams says he isn't much of a gambler. He was at a bingo parlor in Delray Friday with friends socializing and playing bingo. But he doesn't even consider it gambling.

"I don't play that much. I?m not a gambler. I come here to pass the time and spend time with friends," he said. The most he's ever won was $600, he said.
Another patron of the bingo parlor had a different story. A friend of Williams who was there said she's been playing bingo "all of her life."
She didn't want to be identified by name because she didn't want the employees she manages to know that she plays bingo.
"I don't play that much. The most I've won was $1,500. You can win more than that if you're hot," she said, grinning.

Neither of them said they have a problem with gambling. They don't play cards for money and they don't go to gaming casinos or riverboats.
And they're not senior citizens.
But a quick scan of the bingo parlor Friday found more seniors than any other age group. And more of the seniors were women.

Casinos Fined for Letting Self-Excluded Gambler Play

A problem gambler who decided to voluntarily ban himself from gambling in casinos in America via a self exclusion programme, managed to get past security checks and indeed, have a bet. In so doing he got 2 casinos a $10,000 fine for their troubles

The Casino City Times reports the story about Casinos Getting Themselves Fined for Letting Self Excluded Gambler Play

Two casinos have been fined $10,000 apiece for allowing a gambler who had voluntarily banned himself from casinos to obtain cash and play.

Resorts Atlantic City casino hotel and Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino both allowed the same gambler to play, in violation of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission's self-exclusion program.

The commission, which imposed the fines Wednesday, established the self-exclusion program in 2001 to help compulsive gamblers stay out of casinos.

In each case, he got authorization from Global Cash, took it to the casino cage, showed identification and got the money even though he was supposed to be banned from doing so.

African Cricket Betting Scandal

Fox Sports have reported a Kenyan Cricket Betting Scandal involving former Kenyan Cricket Captain Maurice Omondi Odumbe and 6 other cricketers at an International Cricket Council (ICC) tribunal in Nairobi.

Fox Sports ::

THE estranged wife of former Kenya cricket captain Maurice Odumbe has implicated six other players in the corruption scandal involving her husband at an international Cricket Council (ICC) tribunal in Nairobi today.

Katherine Maloney told the hearing that the group of six had received US$5000 ($7200) from Jagdish Sodha, the same Indian bookmaker who is alleged to have had links with Odumbe.

"Maurice said he had been approached by a middleman of a bookmaker to throw away a match. He had invited five or six members of the team because he could not do it alone," Maloney said in her testimony, recorded by the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit investigators.

Odumbe's estranged wife who was summoned as a witness to the case by presiding judge Ahmed Ebrahim of Zimbabwe, said the players' relationship with Sodha had led to a breakdown in her two-year marraige with Odumbe.

The couple, who have two children, are currently involved in a bitter divorce settlement in Kenya.

The wife of Kenyan cricketer Maurice Odumbe has told an inquiry how she collected thousands of dollars from a bookmaker on his behalf.
Katherine Maloney was giving evidence at a disciplinary inquiry in Nairobi, which could lead to Odumbe being banned from the game.

She said Odumbe once told her how he had asked five or six other players to help him throw a match.

The couple are currently in the middle of divorce proceedings.

Odumbe is accused of having "inappropriate contact with a known bookmaker, and receiving money, benefit, or reward from that bookmaker."

If found guilty, he could face a ban ranging from two years to life.

He was charged following an investigation by the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.

Maloney told the hearing she had been "very unhappy" about Odumbe's relationship with bookmaker Jagdish Sodha, who she claims he described as a "gangster".

She described how, in 2002, she collected a large roll of money from him at a hotel in the Kenyan capital.

"He handed me a roll of American dollars. I was uncomfortable and expressed concern about all this money.

"He said the money was for a pharmaceutical business," Maloney said.

Defence strategy

Odumbe's lawyer Ishan Kapila later said he would present written submission to the inquiry panel on Friday and would not be calling Odumbe to testify.

On day two of the hearing, Anti-Corruption investigator Martin Hawkins told how Odumbe made four trips to meet Sodha in India before last year's World Cup.

"Odumbe said he had been introduced to Sodha as someone he could take part in a solar lighting business with when he retired from cricket.

"Sodha would also provide medicine for his mother, who had hypertension," said Hawkins.

Odumbe, 35, has played 61 one-day internationals for Kenya and captained the team to a famous World Cup victory over West Indies in 1996.

An In Depth Study Of Online Gambling.

Only for the die hard gamblers because it is very long, but very good indeed.

The aim of this study is to look at the way bookmakers, and the gambling industry as a whole, are regulated and the problems that can occur through the lack of regulation in certain areas.

It is by no means exhaustive but we hope it will act as a catalyst for debate.

Throughout history, from the pastimes of ancient Pompeii to those of the twentieth century, gaming has presented its appeal to all sections of society and also its inescapable problems. This statement rings true for all forms of gambling such as betting and lotteries as well as gaming.

The Law in the UK relating to gambling is in the process of a much needed overhaul. In 2000 the Government appointed Sir Alan Budd to conduct a report into the reform of the UK?s gambling laws.

The Gambling Review Body was instructed with the task of scrutinising the current legislative and regulatory framework and asked how the law should be changed to bring it up to date with the rapid changes the industry has experienced in recent years. The report was published in July 2001. The Government has taken on board these recommendations and published its key objectives in its response A Safe Bet For Success published in 2002.

Gambling is a pastime that is enjoyed by many in the UK, three quarters of the population (33 million adults) have taken part in some form of gambling activity in the last year. Gambling is also big business in the UK. A KPMG study found that the total amount wagered on all gambling in the UK in 1998 was over �42 billion, the gross gaming yield from this amount was �7.4 billion.

A study published in 2001 by the Office for National Statistics showed that non-retired single men spend on average �140 a year on gambling. This equates to 2.5% of all expenditure on travel and leisure. Men in this group spend more on gambling than they do on toiletries and beauty products (50% more).

Considering the rigorous testing that all toiletries and beauty products have to go through before they are allowed on the shelves, and the fact that men choose to spend more on gambling, their interests should be protected. With the very large sums of money involved it is necessary to ensure that the industry is regulated correctly and that punters are not put at a disadvantage. After all if there was no punter, then there would be no industry at all.

The current laws were first enacted over 30 years ago. No one could have anticipated the changes that would occur over the intervening years to alter the shape of gambling, not only in the UK, but across the world.

The advent of the internet has meant many changes to the way the gambling industry operates. The internet has provided increased competition and easier access to the market as the provider needs no physical presence to accept bets via the internet.

In the last five years or so the advent of the betting exchange has shaped the gambling industry. Betting exchanges would not be possible without the internet.

Many firms chose to set up or relocate their operations to offshore locations to take advantage of the tax benefits. They then offered punters in the UK tax free betting via their website. This prompted the Government to change the way in which bookmakers were taxed to tempt them back onshore.

Many operations that have had solely internet based betting facilities have found it hard to cope in this competitive environment and have subsequently folded, owing large sums of money to punters. These problems could be addressed through increased regulation of bookmakers.

Gambling has always been seen as a way to launder money, but it is perhaps not the most effective. "There are numerous methods of money laundering - the shrewdest criminals tend to use the banking system, and racing is regarded as being one of the least sophisticated systems."

In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, money laundering became a big issue because it was clear that the terrorists had been laundering money to finance their regimes. This has prompted the U.S. to try to outlaw online gambling as they see this as a way of money laundering.


The Current Legislative Position and The Gambling Review

(i) Overview of the Current Legislative Position and Introduction to the Gambling Review.

The current gambling legislation is contained in several different statutes. The most important ones being the Gaming Act 1845, the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 and the Gaming Act 1968. The Government felt that the law was in need of reform and had to be brought up to date.
In the words of Tessa Jowell the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture Media and Sport, "the modernisation of our gambling laws is long overdue." In 2000 the Government appointed Sir Alan Budd to conduct a review of the legislation on gambling in the UK. This was completed in 2001 and the Government produced their response in 2002.

The Gambling Review Body made 176 recommendations; some of the more significant and relevant ones will be looked at in this study.
The key objectives of gambling law and regulation, set out in the review body?s report and endorsed by the Government, are:

(a)Gambling should be crime free, honest and conducted in accordance with regulation
(b)Players should know what to expect and be confident that they will get it and not be exploited
(c)There should be adequate protection for children and vulnerable persons.

These key objectives will be kept in mind when looking at the proposals the Government has put forward and whilst looking at some areas where the Government may have overlooked them.

The main proposal is to streamline the legislation and consolidate it into a single Act of Parliament covering all categories of gambling activity, except the National Lottery Acts. The Government feels that the current statutes are a mess, "repeated piecemeal amendment of the law relating to gambling has been an unwelcome feature of the deregulation procedure."

The aim is to create a new, simple to understand statute that is up to date but which is also flexible to meet changes in the industry. The Gambling Commission will be set up to act as the statutory regulator and will be responsible for the licensing and regulating of all forms of Gambling from casinos, bookmakers and betting exchanges to all other forms of commercial gambling.

The Government feels that "in the interests of fairness and efficiency there is a need to bring all operators of commercial gambling within a single system of licensing and regulation" except spread betting. Spread betting is regulated by the Financial Services Authority, but this will be reviewed once the Gambling Commission has been established and begun its work. Spread betting will be looked at later when we discuss the control of clients assets held by bookmakers.

(ii) Gambling Debts to Become Legally Enforceable.

A key recommendation of the Governments report is to make all gambling debts legally enforceable. This move will change the position that has been in place for over 150 years, s.18 of the Gaming Act 1845 states "All contracts or agreements, whether by parole [verbal] or in writing, by way of gaming or wagering, shall be null and void; and no suit shall be brought or maintained in any court of law or equity for recovering any sum of money or valuable thing alleged to be won upon any wager"

The rationale for this rule is that the courts do not have time to lend themselves to trivial matters such as gambling disputes. "However laudable the sport may be, we have far more serious matters to attend to" was how LP Boyle put it in 1848.

The Government feels that the provision in the 1845 Act is open to abuse and exploitation. This is very true, as anyone in the business of accepting wagers from the public could refuse to settle bets that have been struck because the contracts are not legally enforceable.

This would obviously damage their reputation and no one would wager with them again, but it would leave many punters out of pocket. The new provision will work both ways, punters will be able to have recourse to the courts to obtain payment and gambling operators will be able to sue punters who owe money.

This provision really only favors the punter, as a bookmaker will very rarely allow you to bet on credit. Since the 1845 Act was brought into force bookmakers insisted on receiving cash in advance from punters and it will be very unlikely that they will put 150 years of good business practice out the window because of this new proposal.

In fact many bookmakers have opposed this change to the law. Channel 4 racing pundit John McCririck has expressed his support to the changes, "I've always believed that the betting industry should be subject to the same safeguards and responsibilities as other industries" he goes on to say that "It has always amazed me that the bookmaking industry has always opposed it."

The Internet is Posing Challenges for the Regulators

(iii) The Internet is Posing Challenges for the Regulators

With the advent of the internet some problems have arisen because the current law was not suited to deal with the way in which the internet works. "From a public policy perspective, the potential of the Internet to offer unregulated, unlicensed and low or no tax gambling has been causing concerns to many" for some time."

The position relating to bookmakers is relatively simple. Bookmakers have been able to accept telephone bets for many years, therefore bets via e-mail or a website would not be prevented.

It would be illegal for Casinos or other gaming operations to set up a website in the UK. This is because under s.9 of the Gaming Act 1968, gaming must take place on licensed or registered premises and under s.12(1)(a) "no person shall participate in the gaming if he is not present on the premises at the time when the gaming takes place there."

There is no legislation in the UK that makes it illegal or prevents residents of the UK from gambling on the internet from their own home. It is perfectly legal for a UK resident to gamble money on an online casino operating outside of the UK.

Many of the familiar high street names such as William Hill or Stanley?s have set up offshore websites offering gaming to the UK public. The Gaming Board feels that "such complexities and inconsistencies in legislation are unsatisfactory, raise difficulties for regulation and regulators and puzzle and perplex the licensed gambling industry."

The Gambling Review Body also came to this conclusion and the "Government supports" that the prohibition of online gambling by British customers would be an entirely unrealistic objective, even if it were thought to be desirable."

This situation of companies not being able to establish websites for gaming is very similar to when bookmakers at the end of the twentieth century moved their betting businesses to offshore locations. This allowed them to offer betting free of general betting duty (even the Government run Tote set up a base in Malta, allowing tax free bets).

At first the Government tried to put down the severity of the exodus but soon realised that they were losing a large chunk of revenue. In late 2001 the general betting duty, which imposed a tax on individual betting transactions, was abolished and a 15% tax on gross win profit was introduced.

This was exactly what the bookmakers had wanted and shows the bargaining strength that they had. Coming back onshore was what the bookmakers wanted as they were unable to advertise their offshore businesses in the UK and operating from these less regulated jurisdictions meant a loss of regulatory certainty that the UK can offer.

The Government doesn?t want to make the same mistake twice, and is keen to regulate and license online gaming rather than lose out on the revenue. "On past showing one can anticipate that the authorities here will prove themselves to be both sensible and pragmatic" the future for a successful and compliant British online gaming industry looks rosy indeed.

(iv) Gambling Kitemark to be Established

The Government proposes that all forms of online gambling should be permitted and regulated. During the Government?s consultation period, after the publication of its report, concerns were raised about the rapid proliferation of potentially under-regulated, non-UK gambling sites.

These concerns should be dealt with through proper regulation of the UK online betting industry; this will allow punters to bet with confidence on the internet.

The Governments plan is to establish a Gambling Commission kitemark which will be displayed on the operators website to ensure that punters know that the website is regulated and licensed by the Gambling Commission. They also plan to set up a portal on their website through which punters can have direct links to regulated sites.

(v) When will these Proposals be Implemented.

The Government plans to bring the new Gambling Bill before Parliament in the 2003-2004 session, but as with all new Bills there is strong competition for parliamentary time.

The full extent of the changes to the law may not be felt for another 2-3 years. Some of the lesser changes, such as the lifting of the restriction on alcohol on the gaming floor in casinos, will be implemented much sooner.

The Government should also encourage operators to anticipate the changes to the law so that the transition will be as smooth as possible. This should particularly be encouraged when dealing with the criminal element of gambling such as money laundering and insider trading.

Betting Exchanges: Person-to-Person Betting

(i) What Are Betting Exchanges?

Betting exchanges are a relatively new phenomenon in the betting industry and are becoming more and more popular as a betting medium. Betting exchanges have emerged from the ability of the internet to link people together from all areas of the world.
In a betting exchange there is no bookmaker, punters bet with each other - "person-to-person" - and the exchange acts as the middle man providing the medium for punters to trade with one another, taking a commission on the net winnings.

Punters have the option to "back" a certain event, as they would usually do with a bookmaker. They also have the option to "lay" an event, effectively becoming the bookmaker, by offering odds to someone else. "Laying" an outcome is effectively "backing" it not to win. Concerns have been raised that the ease of which these bets can be placed may encourage a criminal involvement.

There was very little mention of betting exchanges in the Governments report, A Safe Bet For Success, other than that the Gambling Commission will be responsible for licensing and regulating them. The lack of mention of betting exchanges in the report is probably due to the rapid increase in their popularity during the period that the report was being conducted and since it has been published.

When Betfair first came onto the scene in April 2001 about $1m of bets were being matched a week, today that figure is more like $50-$60 million. This is money that punters would usually be betting with traditional bookmakers on the internet so obviously concerns have been raised over the legality of the exchanges by the more established bookies.

Betfair's popularity can also be shown by the usage of their site. The Betfair website is the third most visited gambling website by UK internet users for the month ending March 2003. The two websites in front of Betfair are the Casino On Net and William Hill sites and the Ladbrokes site is down in sixth.

(ii) The Reasons for the Rapid Growth in Exchange Betting.

The main advantage of betting via an exchange is that the odds available are nearly always better than the traditional bookmakers are offering. Internet punters are at great advantage because they can see via comparison websites the odds for many sporting events compared against many competing bookmakers and the exchanges.

If you search for the best odds for a given event on these sites you will find that the price being offered on betting exchanges is the most competitive.

Generally bookmakers work to an overround of about 110%, a simple example is an event where there is a 50-50 chance of either result occurring such as the toss of a coin, there is an evens chance that it will be heads and an evens chance that it will be tails.

A bookmaker won?t offer you evens on the event, but instead he will offer odds of 5/6, meaning for every 6 you stake you will win 5. This is how the bookmaker makes his money.

On a betting exchange the odds on offer are very competitive, this is because there are no set profit margins as punters are betting with each other. Typically for any sporting event that attracts a lot of interest such as an English Premier League match or a horse race at Cheltenham the overround of the book on the exchange is generally no more than 101%.

It is no wonder that punters are using the exchanges more and more as an alternative to the traditional betting mediums.

Another attraction that the betting exchanges have over the traditional bookmakers is that punters can "lock in" profits on the exchange. For example if a punter backs an event early at odds of 10/1, but then nearer the start of the event the odds have shortened to 5/1, the punter can lay the bet at 5/1 guaranteeing a profit.

(iii) The Legality of Exchange Betting:

(a) The Bookmakers view.

There has been an ongoing debate between the major bookmakers and the betting exchanges over the legality of the exchanges. William Hill chief executive David Harding complained to the Department of Media, Culture and Sport in the summer of last year claiming that Betfair?s business was contrary to the provisions under the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963.
He claimed that punters were acting as unlicensed bookmakers because they were able to lay bets on the exchange. William Hill's executive chairman John Brown, who claims that the current state of legislation is "ridiculous", echoes his concerns.

Under s.2 of the 1963 Act "no person shall act as a bookmaker on his own account unless he is the holder of a permit authorising him so to act (in this Act referred to a "bookmakers permit") which is for the time being in force; and if any person acts as a bookmaker in contravention of this subsection he shall be guilty of an offence." It is clear that acting as a bookmaker without a permit is an offence, but what exactly does "acting as a bookmaker" mean?

Under s.55(1) of the 1963 Act a "bookmaker" means any person other than the Totalisor Board who ::
whether on his own account or as servant or agent to any other person, carries on, whether occasionally or regularly, the business of receiving or negotiating bets or conducting pool betting operations ::
or by way of business in any manner holds himself out, or permits himself to be held out, as a person who receives or negotiates bets or conducts such operations.

The rationale behind the argument that David Harding has put forward is that punters, by laying events (such as horse racing) on an exchange, are acting as illegal bookmakers i.e. without the required permit.

The exchanges are providing the medium for these bets to be placed and it is argued that they are aiding and abetting a criminal offence. William Hill are not the only people to put forward the case against betting exchanges, Rodney Brack the chief executive of the Levy Board also agrees.

?On the assumption that any person laying a bet requires a bookmakers permit, and all permit holders are liable to make a levy contribution, that would cover betting exchanges. If they don't obtain a bookmaker's permit, they must be betting illegally.?

It is possible for punters to "lay" an event without using an exchange. As we have said to "lay" an event is to back it "not to win". You can do this with an ordinary bookmaker. In an event where there are only two outcomes such as a tennis match, if you back player A to win you are effectively saying that player B will not win. There is nothing illegal about this.

The same is true in an event where there is more than one outcome such as a football match. If you think team A will not win, you can back team B and also back the draw, this is the same as "laying" team A on an exchange.

The Government rejected the complaint made by William Hill until the new Gambling Commission was in place and then the matter would be looked at again. The Government did not want to take the step of ensuring that all participants of betting exchanges should become licensed bookmakers.

The issue has not been tested in the courts so it is unclear as to what the outcome would be. John O?Reilly, the managing director of Ladbrokes is also unsure as to the legality of person-to-person betting but the problem for the traditional bookmakers will not go away ?even if it was ruled illegal, UK based exchanges would simply go offshore.? This is exactly what the major bookmakers have done in the past to avoid the wrath of the Government as we have seen above.

The Betting Exchanges view

(b) The Exchanges view.

The exchanges are keen to counter these arguments, put forward by the traditional betting industry. The founder of Betfair Andrew Black says, "the legislation is quite clear that it is not illegal for two people to bet with each other, and that's what is happening with us.
Customers are betting with us as the underwriter." He also says "centuries ago, betting started between individuals, and then needed market makers -bookmakers- when it got bigger. Now, in our sense, it has come full circle, though it's not going to appeal to everyone."

It obviously doesn't appeal to either William Hill as we have seen or to John Schreck, a consultant to the Hong Kong Jockey Club who has described exchanges as "faceless bootleggers raping the sport". There is confusion over the wording of the current legislation and as such the exchanges are currently operating in a "grey area".

The exchanges are operating by allowing punters to "lay" bets. The legislation requires that bookmakers "receive" the bets. This is where the problem lies, is "laying" a bet the same as "receiving" a bet? If not, users of betting exchanges cannot possibly be classed as acting as bookmakers.

Betting exchanges are acting as a middleman allowing punters to bet with one another. The legislation also states that bookmakers "negotiate" bets. There is no negotiation on an exchange as the bets are just matched against one another.

To be licensed as a bookmaker you have to satisfy the licensing authority that you are a "fit and proper person" to carry out the business of bookmaking. The bookmakers argue that punters on exchanges are not subject to the same tight regulations that they have to abide by when being granted with a permit.

John Brown says, "you have to pass a test of whether you are fit and proper. The police look into backgrounds, it keeps organised crime out, it keeps money laundering out". While there is no specific legislation relating to betting exchanges, Betfair and other exchanges have taken out bookmakers permits.

Andrew Black says Betfair have done this "because we want to show that we are doing things properly to build up customer confidence. We see ourselves as a fully paid up member of the industry." Betfair also don?t allow you to bet on credit, you have to have the funds in your account to cover any bets that are placed.

Edward Wray, chief executive of Betfair says "we don't let people bet on the system without having money in their account to cover the full liability of the bet." This ensures that all punters on the exchange will be paid, so there is no worry that winning punters will lose out. The only real concern, that users are not fit and proper persons, is the criminal element.

(v) Are Betting Exchanges Open to Abuse?

Jeremy Philips, director of security of the Jockey Club, says "any system offering profit simply from a horse getting beaten is vulnerable to exploitation and abuse." John Schreck has also said "there is something inherently wrong to back a favoured horse to lose."
It seems John Schreck has missed the point, as this is what every bookmaker does on a daily basis on hundreds of favoured horses. However, bookmakers are more visible unlike punters on the exchange. There is nothing stopping someone with specific knowledge of a horse?s performance, such as a jockey or a stable from laying bets on an exchange.

There are also concerns that jockeys may be tempted to "stop" a horse after laying it on the exchanges, this is a primary concern of the Jockey Club. Betfair has called for legislation to be implemented to outlaw jockeys and trainers from laying bets on the exchanges.

Chief executive of Betfair Edward Wray is keen to work with the Jockey Club and welcomes legislation, he feels it would "rubber-stamp" what they are currently doing. He quashes fears of the anonymity of the layers on the exchange, "the assertion that bets are totally anonymous is incorrect".

While the details are not made public to other users, every transaction on our site is logged and stored indefinitely. As a result, the movement of funds is easily traceable. Betfair director of communications Mark Davies claims that Betfair has a "better forensic trail than has ever existed in bookmaking [and] we actually support the integrity of horse racing in a way that previously has never been possible".

(vi) The Governments Stance.

Although punters who use exchanges are not licensed as bookmakers and have therefore not passed the "fit and proper" test, it is clear that because of the way that Betfair conducts its business punters are protected.

An unnamed Government source has told the Racing Post that the Governments objectives are to protect punters and keep criminals out. He says "in terms of guarantee of payment, it is hard to argue that punters are worse off with betting exchanges than with traditional bookmakers".

This is because Betfair ensures that the punters can meet their liabilities before betting. He goes on to say, "as far as combating criminality goes, exchanges offer better protection against money laundering than racecourse bookmakers or betting shops. There is no cash betting and a better audit trail".

The Government is aware that betting exchanges need to be regulated and licensed in some way, but they are unlikely to require every user to become a licensed bookmaker. They are likely, once the Gambling Commission is set up, to examine the systems they have in place to ensure the users are "fit and proper".

Regulation of Clients Assets Held On Deposit

(i) Casualties of the Dot Com Crash in The Gambling Sector

The internet is a highly competitive marketplace. This is true in all areas of e-commerce, not just the gambling sector. According to a study by www.sportsbusiness.com there are 1800 plus e-gambling operators worldwide.
In a competitive environment such as this, it will be difficult for firms to survive. In the last five years or so we have experienced a dot com boom across all areas of the internet. Many of these startups have fallen to the wayside after realising that the internet streets aren?t paved with gold; the gambling industry is no exception.

In recent years we have seen several internet bookmakers collapse leaving punters owed hundreds of thousands of pounds. In the summer of 2002 the bookmakers Netbetsports and Luvbet went bankrupt. These firms had a relatively high profile within the industry, Luvbet had been set up by Cork based bookie Gary O'Halloran and Netbetsports were sponsors of the Huntingdon Mascot Grand National.

Luvbet were one of the first bookies to realise that basing a website ?offshore? meant that they could offer tax free betting to clients in the UK and Ireland. Luvbet developed quite a pioneering profile, offering early prices on English and Irish horse racing and developed a strong loyal customer base.

They had 10,000 active accounts when they closed after three and a half years trading. Punters were owed "a substantial six figure sum." It is estimated that the amount owed to punters is significantly more than what was owed when Bowman Racing went bust in 1997.

Netbetsports also got off to a good start with the online punters. "Right from the outset the newcomer had the look of something faintly too good to be true. Daily offers of outstanding each way terms, eye catchingly high bet limits, and tax free betting when tax was still at nine per cent."

Netbetsports had 16,000 punters with web accounts and a further 1,300 registered with their telebetting service when they closed after only 23 months trading. From the liquidators report it is believed that punters are owed in the region of �100,000. One London punter was owed �45,000 winnings from the World Cup in 2002. It has also been suggested that the liabilities on Brazil winning the World Cup totaled �70,000.

The realisation of assets of netbetsports is expected to raise no more than �30,000, which is expected to settle accounts for the Crown. Paul Moorhouse, chief executive of netbetsports, had suggested in the year previous to his firms collapse that directors should be personally liable for customers? account funds (this statement was made in the wake of the Betachance collapse in early 2001 after only 7 months in business).

(ii) How are Assets Held on Deposit Looked After?

As mentioned earlier gambling contracts are unenforceable by virtue of the Gaming Act 1845. Bookmakers therefore have required punters to deposit funds with them before placing a bet. How does the bookmaker look after this money?

Currently there are no regulations in the UK that stipulate that bookmakers should keep client funds separate from the rest of the business. This is not the case if you are depositing money with a financial institution such as a bank or a spread betting firm. These firms are regulated by the Financial Services Authority, which ensures that your deposits are safe as the firms are subject to very strict financial controls.

When a client deposits funds with an internet bookmaker the money immediately becomes part of the firms working capital. This means that the bookmaker can use this money to pay for the every day running of the business. This is a dangerous situation for the bookmaker to be in.
On one hand he has access to vast cash reserves held on deposit to use for the business but on the other the money is not really his. Until the client has "lost" the money held on deposit by gambling it with the bookmaker the money should still belong to the client.

If the client wins with the bookmaker he may be put in a position where he is unable to honour the bet because the deposits have been used as working capital. The likeliness is that the bookmaker will be able to honour the bets struck but in the long run he is walking a tightrope as the funds can easily disappear if not managed correctly.

It is said that ?working capital planning is a key part of overall financial planning.? Clearly if client deposits can be treated as working capital it cannot be controlled effectively. Good financial planning on the part of the bookmaker should not take account of money that is held on deposit, but as the law stands the bookmaker is perfectly entitled to use funds in this way.

The money that you deposit with a bookmaker in reality becomes his; you may find that you have lost before you have even had a chance to place a bet.

(iii) Why Have Bookmakers Been Unable To Cope?

The incidents highlighted at the start of this chapter regarding Luvbet and Netbetsports were clearly caused by bad money management by the respective firms and a lack of separation of client?s deposits from the firm's accounts.

Michael Singer, former chairman of the now defunct National Association for the Protection of Punters (NAPP) explains how the internet firms operate. "What tends to happen is that all moneys go into the one account. This enables bookmakers to use deposit money to shore up the business if they find themselves in financial difficulties."

Looking again at the liquidator?s report of netbetsports it clearly states that customer funds were not held in individual accounts but were deposited in the company?s merchant and current accounts.

Netbetsports have cited betting exchanges as one of the reasons of their own demise. They feel exchanges have contributed to the downfall because of the increasing numbers of punters that are betting on the exchanges resulting in less money flowing through the books of the ordinary internet bookmakers.

This view is shared by Bruce Millington he says that "Betfair, whose spectacular and utterly deserved success is probably the chief contributor to the downfall of other online bookies." The rise of the exchanges is not the sole reason for the downfall of these internet bookies.

The fact that Netbetsports only had an online presence was a contributory factor. They were trying to take on already well established bookmaking operations without a secure financial footing of their own. When Betsmart closed their internet site, as it was unsuccessful, Chisholm Racing, who had set up the site, was able to honour all the bets that had been struck because they had an established business behind them.

(iv) Calls For New Legislation.

These recent incidents have led to calls for internet bookmakers to be subject to stricter controls on how they look after client?s deposits. Michael Singer has described the way that clients are being treated in the wake of these collapses as a "major scandal".

He feels that "when punters place a bet with an internet bookmaker their deposit money should be placed in a separate account and be ringfenced." In the wake of these collapses leading internet bookmakers Blue Square and Sportingbet (the world?s biggest online gaming organisation) have announced that they ringfence clients? deposits, winnings and unsettled bets.

Blue Square issued a statement shortly after the collapse of these bookmakers saying "it would like to make it clear that their 300,000 registered users have always enjoyed ringfenced accounts to the extent that clients deposits, winnings and unsettled bets are held in separate bank accounts" which are nominated as "Trust Bank Accounts."

There is no mention of forcing bookmakers to ringfence clients deposits in the Governments report A Safe Bet For Success. This could be due to the fact several of these collapses occurred during the reports research period, but there were several casualties before the research began.

It is not just the internet bookmakers who have had problems when it comes to paying money owed to punters. Bowman's, Front Line Racing, SP Racing and First-Past-The-Post-Betting, all land based bookmakers, collapsed at the end of the 1990's owing punters thousands of pounds.

These firms were in operation several years before the betting exchanges took off, so what excuses do they have? The answer to this question is unclear, but if their finances were more tightly regulated then punters would have had a greater chance of seeing their money again.

It is clear that it is time for the Government to do something about the problem of regulating clients assets held on deposit by bookmakers. Luvbet and Netbetsports are not the only dot com bookmakers that have gone bust, there have been several others, and there is no shortage of disgruntled punters who would welcome a change in the law.

Spread Betting

Spread Betting (a)The Law Regarding Spread Betting Firms

There are already strict financial controls placed on spread betting firms who are regulated by the FSA and they are also required to obtain a bookmakers permit to operate their business in the UK.
Spread betting currently differs from ordinary forms of betting, as gambling debts under this form of betting are legally enforceable. Under s.412 of Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA 2000) it states that "no contract to which this section applies is void or unenforceable because of the Gaming Act 1845" or any other provision which states that gambling contracts are not legally enforceable.

This provision was previously contained in s.63 of the Financial Services Act 1986 and was tested in the case of City Index v Leslie. In this case a betting debt was incurred by Leslie, as the result of bets placed on the movement of various Stock Exchanges.

He claimed that the debt was a wagering contract and therefore null and void by virtue of s.18 of the 1845 Act. It was held that the bets made by Leslie amounted to contracts for differences and were therefore recoverable by the spread betting firm. It is clear from this decision that all bets made with a spread betting firm will be legally enforceable.

When spread betting originated in the UK it was used as an alternative method of speculating on financial markets. It had advantages over other forms of financial investment as all winnings are free from UK taxes, including stamp duty and capital gains tax.

The spread betting firms soon moved into the realm of sports spread betting. Leggat L.J. in the City Index case has said that the regulation of spread betting has resulted in some transactions such as "betting on cricket scores becoming regulated which might better have remained void as wagering contracts" and suggests that the secretary of state should amend the legislation to "restrict the meaning of "contract for differences" ~ "so as to exclude betting on sporting activities".

These suggestions were never taken on board by the Secretary of State so that today you have a situation where if you place a bet on the outcome of a sporting event with an bookmaker your bet is not legally enforceable, but if you place the bet with a spread betting firm you have a legal remedy to recover any money won on that transaction.

Spread betting is a "regulated activity" by virtue of s.22 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and s.85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001.

The Regulated Activities Order lists all activities that are regulated by the FSA. Spread betting is regulated under contracts for differences, s.85(1)(b)(ii) of the R.A.O looks like this:

?Contracts for differences etc.
85. - (1) Subject to paragraph (2), rights under -
(b) any other contract the purpose or pretended purpose of which is to secure a profit or avoid a loss by reference to fluctuations in -
(ii) an index or other factor designated for that purpose in the contract.

There is no explicit mention of the words "spread betting" but it is clear that the result of a spread bet is determined by the "fluctuations in an index or other factor."

(b) The Benefits of Betting With a Spread Betting Firm.

There are several key advantages of spread betting because it is a regulated activity. Customers have access to the Financial Ombudsman Scheme if they have a complaint against the spread betting firm and they have access to The Financial Services Compensation Scheme should the firm go bust. Spread Betting Firms are also subject to the FSA's Client Asset Regime.

The Client Asset Regime is contained within s.139 of the FSMA 2000. It is designed to make a distinction between clients money and firms money, s.139(1)(a) states that the ?Rules relating to the handling of money held by an authorised person in specified circumstances ("clients money") may - (a) make provision which results in that clients" money being held on trust in accordance with the rules".
This provision creates a statutory trust in respect of client money. The firm never becomes the owner of the money, it holds it as trustee, and therefore it cannot be claimed by creditors in the event of the firm going into liquidation. Unless there is a case of fraud client money will be safe.

These provisions were highlighted in a letter to the Racing Post in the wake of the collapse of Netbetsports from Compton Hellyer. He reiterates, "spread betting firms have to maintain a capital balance similar to that of a bank, they also have to retain clients" funds as segregated balances.

Such deposits cannot be used for working capital purposes, or indeed at all by the business. Consequently, clients" deposited funds are sacrosanct". He also highlights that the operating costs of running a spread betting firm are higher than an ordinary bookmaker because of greater compliance costs, but the fact that the punter doesn't have to worry about how his deposits are being looked after is a price worth paying.

Paul Moorhouse's comments "that directors should be personally liable for customers" account funds are a good suggestion. If the Government were to seriously take this option on board, you would find that directors would start lobbying for the ringfencing of client's assets.

(vi) The Legal Position In Australia.

Australia is a federation, this means that there are both national laws and laws in each state and territory in Australia in relation to gambling regulation.

In 2001 the Interactive Gambling Act (!IG Act") was passed. This is a piece of federal legislation that sets out to prohibit the provision of internet gaming, such as casinos and other games, to ordinary Australians. It does not apply to ordinary sports betting, this is left for the State and Territory regulators.

In Australia internet bookmakers are required by law to keep clients assets separate from the rest of the business regardless of whether or not they engage in spread betting. Under the Australian Capital Territory Race and Sports Bookmaking Act 2001 subsection 23(1) (Rules for sports bookmaking) ("ACT Regulations") the rules relating to handling money held on behalf of a client are put forward clearly and simply:


?E Handling of money held on behalf of clients
1. Bank Account
1.1 Sportsbookmakers shall establish a segregated bank account specifically for the purpose of holding money on behalf of clients
1.1.1 All moneys provided by clients are to be maintained in the segregated client accounts
1.1.2 For the purposes of this section, a segregated account means an account, established for the purpose, that holds all client moneys.
1.1.3 Funds standing to the credit of the segregated bank accounts shall be treated in accordance with the provisions of the Trustee Act 1957.

These are the provisions that are in place in the Australian Capital Territory but similar provisions also exist in this regard in the other States and Territories. The rules are very similar to those that are in place in the UK with regards to spread betting.

Many of the Australian internet bookmakers, such as Canbet and Centrebet, are regarded as amongst the best operating online. This is because punters know that they are safe when dealing with Australian firms.

The UK Government has unveiled plans, detailed above, with the aim of making the UK an attractive place to establish a global gambling operation. If the Government is truly serious about these plans, then strict financial regulations must be put in place across the whole of the betting industry.

To some extent these goals have been achieved, in April 2003 the Australian bookmaker Canbet announced that it was moving part of its operation to the UK.

The main reasons Canbet has moved part of its operation to the UK is to take advantage of:
� the way bookmakers are taxed in the UK,
� better time zones to serve their North American customers,
� a good communications infrastructure and
� a better legislative environment.
They feel that the 15% gross profits tax will give them "a big opportunity to be part of the consolidation that is going to take place in the global betting market." They plan to still comply with the ACT regulations regarding client deposits etc. and with the UK betting legislation.

Money Laundering In The Gambling Industry

(i) What is Money Laundering?

Money laundering is the process by which funds obtained from illegal activities are made to appear to have come from a legitimate source. The "dirty" money is passed through various transactions and at the end the criminal, if he can prove it has come from a legitimate source, obtains "clean" money.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11th on the United States money laundering is an issue that has come to the fore once again. Gambling has always been seen as a medium through which money can be laundered and the US Government sees online gambling as an area where this problem will manifest itself. Money laundering in the gambling industry is a problem not just for the US Government but for regulators across the globe.

(ii) The US Position: Prohibition.

In a special briefing on Money Laundering and Online Payment Systems in November 2002 John G. Malcolm, (Deputy Assistant Attorney General Criminal Division, US Department of Justice) put forward the US position as regards online gambling. It was clear from his speech that the US does not look favourably on the online betting industry.
The position of the US was put in stark contrast to that of the UK,
?the United Kingdom has opted to regulate the online gaming industry. The United States has taken a different approach, opting instead to prohibit online gambling?.

In October 2002 the US House of Representatives passed legislation to prohibit US financial institutions from handling financial transactions in relation to online gambling. The Act, The Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act, follows on from a failed attempt by Congressman James Leach to include these provisions in the Anti Terrorism Bill.

The Bill never made it to the US Congress last year, but it is on the table once again for the coming year. The Bill will effectively ban internet gambling, as punters will be unable to fund their accounts by any bank instrument such as credit card, debit card or bank transfer.

James Leach has harsh words to say about online gambling, he feels it has no legitimate purpose and is a danger to society at large and he feels that his Act will help combat criminal activity through the internet.

(iii) Has the US Reacted too Quickly?

It seems that the US may have driven this legislation through in the wake of the September 11th attacks without thoroughly thinking them through. Some advocates of the Bill have claimed that online gambling operators are merely a vehicle for money laundering. But in fact a well regulated operation is probably more effective at combating money laundering than a land based operator.

In a well regulated internet casino or bookmaker a client will have to set up an account before being allowed to deposit. Obviously the operator cannot see with whom they are dealing with so it is necessary for the player to be identified.
Usually the player will have to forward copies of some form of photographic ID such as a passport or driver's license and a utility bill to confirm the address. This is a similar process that banks use when clients want to open a new account.

Online operators also have technology in place where they can tell the location of where the client is accessing the website from, any unusual patterns can be easily identified by the software. It can also be used to cross check the location of where the client claims to be based.

The online operator also makes it very difficult for someone else to gain access to a clients account or access the account details; this is done through sophisticated encryption software.

Compared to a land based Casino where it is not always necessary to set up a client account, internet operators seem to be well regulated. Even if someone was prepared to go through all of these identity checks in order to launder money via the internet, the operators have systems in place where unusual or suspicious betting patterns are recorded. Betting on the internet is not anonymous as it is on land, all transactions are logged on the website.

Another advantage that the internet operators have when combating money laundering is that they don?t deal in cash, money laundering is extremely difficult where cash is not an option. The use of credit cards provides a clear record of every transaction by the client on the internet. John Cargnello, Chief Executive Officer of Technical Systems Testing, feels that "it is quite apparent that the obstacles to laundering money in a properly regulated internet casino are enormous, if not insurmountable".

In an investigation by the Nevada Gaming Control Board published in April 2003 following a two month investigation into the Mirage casino owned by MGM Mirage. The investigation detailed 15,000 required reports went unfilled over an 18 month period.

The Chairman of the Control Board said in a press release that "as a result of our investigation it doesn?t appear that there was any money-laundering activities". This investigation highlights the fact that it is probably easier to launder money in a land based casino than on the internet.

(iv) Some Hope for the Future of Regulated Online Gambling in the US.

Not all members of the US Government are keen to outlaw online gambling; Representative John Conyers Jr. has introduced a Bill that calls for the introduction of a commission to examine the regulation of online gambling.

He has compared the Governments attempt to outlaw online gambling to the events of the 1920s when the Government introduced Prohibition to prevent people from drinking alcohol. He states his view very clearly "just as outlawing alcohol did not work in the 1920s, the current attempts to prohibit online gambling will not work, either".

The Leach Bill recommends that financial instruments such as credit cards should no longer be allowed to finance online betting accounts, this is a mistake because banks and credit card companies have strict financial controls and record keeping systems which is perfect to combat money laundering.

These kinds of regulations will force internet gambling underground and create an even larger criminal element in this area. John Conyers Jr. has also highlighted that a regulated online industry would provide an effective tax revenue for the US Government.

(v) Regulation of Online Gambling in the UK:
(a) The Current Position.In the UK the position regarding online gambling operators is split. Online casinos in the UK are currently illegal, but this will change with the new legislation. Strict anti-money laundering controls will be a feature of the legislation should the Government want to fulfill its goal of making the UK a leading gambling centre.

Bookmakers in general don't fall within the anti-money laundering controls outlined by the FSA. If reputable, they do however co-operate with various codes of conduct and report suspicious transactions to the National Criminal Intelligence Services (NCIS) Economic Crime Unit.

However in 2000 only 16 of the 18,408 reports of suspicious transactions reported were received from betting firms, and they stood accused of not doing enough to combat money laundering. Bookmakers were quick to counter this claim, Ladbrokes Sean Boyce stated that they "always notify the NCIS of anything that [they] think is untoward". In contrast the gaming industry, which covers casinos, were responsible for 300 of the reports to the NCIS.

It is clear that money laundering is a problem that affects the gambling industry. Under s.6.7 of A Safe Bet For Success it states that "measures will be put in place to prevent all forms of gambling from being used as a conduit for money laundering".

There are different ways in which this problem can be tackled as shown above, clearly regulation offers more benefits than prohibition. Adam Bates, Head of KPMG Forensic, has summed up the requirements needed of all involved in gambling industry, "what is needed to fight the global menace of money laundering is a joined up approach in which all investigating and intelligence agencies, regulators, industry bodies and businesses recognise their common interest in making sure that the UK?s high reputation as a financial and business centre remains".

It is clear that the current legislation relating to gambling is in need of an update to bring the law into line with the developments that have taken place. The old law is out of date and fails to take account of the realities of the industry.
The plan to make gambling debts legally enforceable, reversing 150 years of practice within the industry is a move which will inspire confidence in the users of the UK market.

The Government is keen to make the UK a global gambling centre and encourage large firms to locate their business here. The establishment of a kitemark by the Gambling Commission to differentiate regulated firms from unregulated will encourage firms to be subject to the regulations.

Firms displaying the kitemark will receive a greater level of public confidence than those that don?t subject themselves to the regulation.
In my view the establishment of the Gambling Commission by the Government means that the UK will be able to locate itself at the forefront of the worldwide gambling market and ensure that it is a jurisdiction that gambling operators will want to locate to.

Betting exchanges have revolutionised the online betting industry since their recent arrival on the scene. While it is clear that they have increased competition on the internet, they are still operating in a relatively grey area as regards the law. The users can act as bookmakers without the required permit.

This has caused the larger bookmakers to question the legality of the exchanges they argue that the users do not have to pass a "fit and proper" test before "laying" bets.

I would argue that the "fit and proper" test required of bookmakers under Sch.1 s.16(1)(a) of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 is negated by the measures that exchange sites such as Betfair have introduced.

Betfair doesn't allow you to make bets outwith the money you have on deposit, therefore you will always be in a position to settle your debts. Betfair also has a system in place whereby every transaction that goes through the website is logged and any signs of unusual betting patterns will be reported, this will therefore deter any criminal involvement on the exchanges.

It will still be necessary for the Government to introduce some form of legislation regarding betting exchanges, so that the law is clear for others who wish to set up an exchange.

Regulation of Clients Assets Held On Deposit

As we have seen the situation regarding the regulation of clients assets is badly in need of reform. There have been too many cases of ordinary punters being ripped off for this problem to be ignored any longer. With no effective regulations on how they should look after their clients assets bookmakers have been setting up business with no regard to the liabilities that they will encounter on a daily basis.

I feel that since spread betting has been regulated since the Finance Act 1986, that there is no good reason why ordinary bookmakers are treated differently. It was highlighted by Leggat L.J. in the City Index case that sporting activities were regulated by the FSA. The Government chose to do nothing about this and allowed the practice to continue.

Why should punters who bet on the outcome of a sporting event via an ordinary bookmaker be treated less favourably than a punter who bets with a spread betting firm? There is no good answer to this question and this is why the law needs to be reformed.

Australia boasts some of the most well respected online bookmakers who are forced to comply with regulations that segregate client funds from the rest of the business. This raises the question, "if they can do it, why can't we"? Again there is no good reason why we shouldn't force bookmakers in the UK to be subject to similar controls.

Several major bookmakers have realised the benefits that ringfencing client deposits can bring. Customer confidence in their firms will increase and they will also find themselves on a secure financial footing by running the firm in a more prudent manner.
It is no coincidence that the rise of firms such as Betfair, who publicly state on their website that client funds are segregated, have coincided with the fall of mismanaged bookmakers such as Netbetsports.

Money laundering is a very serious issue, especially when it is at the centre of a debate regarding the funding of international terrorism. It is unclear whether the banning of online gambling will solve this problem, the US clearly thinks that it will. The UK has taken an opposite view to the US on this issue.

Without being insensitive to the issues regarding international terrorism I feel that the US has taken the wrong action in trying to ban online gambling. Regulation not prohibition is the way forward. As the history books will tell you the US Government failed in their attempt in the 1920s to ban the consumption of alcohol, their actions just drove alcohol consumption underground and gave criminals a ready made market to exploit.

The same will happen if the US outlaws online gambling, the effect will be counter productive, creating a higher criminal element and lead to more problems.

The UK should introduce the Gambling Commission as soon as possible and take the lead in the regulation online gambling. Hopefully the US will have a change of heart and realise that they are not only missing out on a valuable revenue stream but they are ultimately fighting a losing battle.

New Challenge For Womens Poker ~ Sporting Life

The Sporting Life have reported on The Womens Poker Club and their upcoming WPC Vegas Showdown Poker Tournament For Women

What Did The Sporting Life Have To Say? ::

The growth rate of women entering poker has increased dramatically over the past year, due to the heightened interest in poker through television coverage, and the growth of tournament poker. The Womens Poker Club is pleased to announce its inaugural WPC Showdown Tournament to be held September 9 - 11 inclusive, at Binion?s Horseshoe in Las Vegas.

The Womens Poker Club was formed to encourage more women to enter the poker playing field by providing them with a friendly and less threatening environment to improve their skills. The club boasts over 700 members to date.

"Many men seem to feel that women are easy targets at the poker table, our WPC tournaments have proven tougher competition than most mixed events I have ever participated in. Women are outstanding contenders in this sport." Said Maryann Morrison ~ President of the Womens Poker Club

Royal Vegas Poker, the exclusive sponsor of this event, will be holding satellite and super satellite events where women will have a chance to win a free trip to the WPC Vegas Showdown. The online tournaments, available at RoyalVegasPoker.com are open to any and all female poker players.

"It will be an exhilarating three days, with optional poker classes and social events built into the tournament agenda. For some of the women, the WPC Vegas Showdown will be their first major brick and mortar tournament. The members know each other from playing online and sharing strategy in our forum. The WPC Vegas Showdown will give them a chance to meet and compete face to face. This is the next step in encouraging more women to be immersed in poker and leveling the playing field."

The main event will be held on Saturday, September 11th, a No Limit Texas Holdem Tournament with a buy-in of $100+$25. The prize pool is estimated at over $10,000. Two secondary tournaments will be run simultaneously on Friday, September 10th. A 7-card Stud Hi Limit and Omaha Hi Lo Pot Limit with a buy-in of $60+$15.

Cat Hulbert, a well-known poker player and womens poker instructor from California, will conduct optional poker classes before the main event. Her classes are limited to 9 players and are conducted in the poker room around the table, so participants can play as they learn to hone their skills.

Two guest hosts arranged by Royal Vegas Poker, will meet the participants at the event: Lou Krieger, author of Hold'em Excellence, and Poker for Dummies, and Barbara Enright, who has three WSOP gold bracelets to her credit, is a WPC member, and is the first woman poker player ever to make final table at the World Series of Poker main event. Adds Morrison ~ "This is an exciting and challenging time for women and poker."