27th
June Canberra Source: Yahoo
UK/Reuters/Newsbytes
The
Australian Federal Government continues to get tough on Internet gaming.
It is proposing legislation that will come in to force later this year
that will fine companies up to A$1.1 million per day to force them to comply
with the 12 month moratorium. The six states and two territories are thought
to have issued at least 22 licenses.
There are also more interesting stats from a Newsbytes article on the same
subject. "The Internet has the power to put a Poker machine in every living
room"
Australian
Government Seeks To Ban Net Gambling
27th
June Asia Source:
Yahoo UK Sport
As
the European Football Championships reach the semi finals stage, police
in Asia are targeting illegal bookmaking on the tournament. Hong Kong police
have arrested 15 people after raids on 20 locations. This follows on from
a Thai police operation that netted 192 arrests. A spokesman for the British
bookmaker Ladbrokes offshore betting division in Gibraltar recently said
that the average bet from their Asian customers was $10,000.
Betting
Clampdown
26th
June Australia Source:
Dow Jones
Dow
Jones newswires has a detailed interview with the Tabcorp
Holdings chief executive Ross Wilson. Tabcorp owns the Star
City Casino in Sydney and profits are assumed to be coming in at A$160
for the financial year. Tabcorp bought Star City for A$1.7 billion in October
1999. Some of the future plans include a A$20 million facelift as well
as swopping IGT slots for Aristocrat models.
Tabcorp:Comfortable
With Mkt Estimates Of A$160M FY Pft
24th
June Australia Source: SMH
The
moratorium on Internet casino licenses in Australia continues to fill many
column inches. The Sydney Morning Herald has an article where several of
the online companies complain that the ban is leading gamblers to go to
unregulated sites. Not all of the Australian States though are in favour
of the ban. Tasmania rushed through six licenses before the April 19th
decision and has four more lined up.
Anti gambling voices concerned at the 200,000 problem gamblers in the country
point the finger squarely at Pokies as the greatest wreckers of households
and families.
Space
your bets
NZ
Government Announces Review Of Gambling, Gaming Sector
22nd
June Toms River, NJ Source:
Press release
Gaming
Laboratories Australia operated under license from Gaming
Laboratories International has received accreditation from the Victorian
Casino and Gaming Authority.
The company
now has the go ahead to commence testing services for regulatory authorities
and private companies. GLI now employs around 120 worldwide and completes
in the region of 30,000 certifications of gaming devices anually.
Gaming
Laboratories Australia Receives Accreditation From Victorian Casino And
Gaming Authority
Gaming
Laboratories Australia Getting Ready To Attend AGE 2000
21st
June Norfolk Island Source:
SMH
The
tiny Australian Norfolk island (1400 km east of the Queensland coast) has
issued an Internet gaming license to UBet.com a subsidiary of California
video slot manufacturer Silicon Gaming. The decision has aroused
anger with the Australian Federal government that presently has a moratorium
on new licenses being granted.
In the SMH
article the Norfolk Islands gaming minister believes that at just 4% tax
the casino could generate A$100 to A$150 million a year. But adds that
even if only A$100,000 is generated annually (a more likely sum) - the
money will still come in useful.
Norfolk
mutiny: net bets on way
16th
June
Australia Source:
Sydney Morning Herald
Mr
Carr, in this game you can't bet each way
8th
June New Zealand Source:
Dow Jones
Sky
City Ltd of New Zealand has announced that it will appeal the decision
by a High Court Judge that has stopped building work on the companies new
casino development in Hamilton. The Judge ruled that the decision to grant
the license was flawed because one of the Casino Control Authorities members
was apparently biased toward the development.
NZ$
Sky City Hopes For Aug. Crt Ruling On Appeal For Casino
5th
June Sydney Source:
Dow Jones/Stockhouse Australia
Australian
online casino operator GOCORP listed on the ASX on monday and the price
nose-dived. The original float was for 40 million shares at A$0.50 - 16.7%
of the total. At the close of trading the shares ended at A$0.23 on volume
of 5 million. The company was quick to point out that its Queensland based
online casino AusVegas.com.au
will be unaffected by the Australian governments present moratorium on
Internet gaming licenses.
GOCORP
price at Stockhouse.com.au
Gocorp
Lists On Australian Exchange At 23.2c-Shr
GOCORP
float sinks
31st
May Sydney Source:
Reuters/Asia Pulse
The
talks between Britain's Gaming
Internet Plc and Consolidated Gaming of Australia have apparently ended
according to a Reuters article. Reasons stated are the changing regulatory
attitude in Australia towards online gaming following the imposing of a
year long moratorium on the issue of further licenses.
Potential online operators who were issued licenses by Tasmania at the
eleventh hour before the start of the moratorium include ecorp Ltd a subsidiary
of Kerry Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd.
Cons
Gaming says Gaming Internet pulls bid
UK
Company Calls Off Takeover of Australia's Consolidated Gaming
25th
May New Zealand Source:
Dow Jones
New
Zealand casino operator Sky
City Ltd have been told by a High Court Judge that the construction
underway on the Hamilton casino must stop. Opponents of the premises had
sought a court ruling after the Casino Control Authority had granted the
license in December of 1999.
To be named the Riverside Casino the project was expected to create 350
jobs and have 350,000 visitors in its first year. Sky City who have just
bought the Adelaide casino, also has a second property under construction
in Queenstown on the South Island due to open later this year.
NZ
Sky City Yet To Respond On Court Ruling Against Casino
Sky City has been approved by the South Australia Gaming Supervisory Authority
for the purchase of the Adelaide casino. 26th May Dow Jones.
NZ
Sky City: Australian Approval For Adelaide Casino Buy.
25th
May Malaysia Source:
Dow Jones
Malaysian
casino operator Genting Bhd. owners of Genting
Highlands casino have announced profits of Ringgit 138 million ($36
million) for the first quarter of 2000 on turnover of Ringgit 710 million.
The company also has property and plantation interests and it is the first
time profit figures have been released under new Malaysian regulations.
Malaysia's
Genting 1Q Net MYR138.0M
Resorts World a subsidiary of Genting announced on the 22nd that it will
be taking a position in Star Cruises, new owners of Norwegian Cruise Lines
with a $480 million cash subscription.
Resorts
World proposes US$480m cash subscription
22nd
May Sydney Source:
Dow Jones
Star
City Casino owners Tabcorp Holdings Ltd. have announced that subsidiary
Tabcorp Online Pty. Ltd has been granted a license to operate an online
casino by the Tasmanian Government. The news comes less than a week after
the Australian Federal Government announced that they would be enforcing
a moratorium on further licenses being issued by Australian State Governments.
Australia's
Tabcorp Gets Online Tasmania Gaming License
Australia
Pushes Ahead With Online Gambling Ban
Leading
up to the moratorium decision Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory
have issued a total of 7 licenses to online operators.
Online
gambling against the odds
Yahoo
Aus/NZ Full Coverage- Gambling Issues/Moratorium
19th
May Canberra Source:
ABC
The
Australian Federal Government is imposing a moratorium on the issue of
further Internet gaming licenses. The ban will come into effect today
and all the states barring Western Australia and New South Wales have agreed
to abide by the decision. The move comes after Australian Capital Territory
has recently issued two licences at a cost of A$200,000 to Canberra based
ACTTAB and Tattersalls bookmakers.
Govt
imposes moratorium on Internet gambling
17th
May Queensland Source:
Dow Jones
Casinos
Austria International
is set to have a new chief executive from 1st June. Frank McFadden will
step into the position, previously he was chief executive of the Reef Hotel
& Casino in Cairns. The company presently has some 57 landbased casinos
with 17 cruiseship concessions and is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.
The company also manages the Oasis Casino in Lebanon that since opening
in September 1998 with 35 tables has grown to over 100.
Australia
Business Briefs: New Casinos Austria Intl CEO
CAI
quote from Yahoo Finance Australia
16th
May Melbourne Source:
Dow Jones/Yahoo Asia
The
double whammy of shaky tech stocks and the uncertain regulatory future
of Internet gaming is giving Australian companies that are planning an
IPO much to think about. The Lasseters issue has been trimmed back in recent
days to an offer price of A$0.75. Access Gaming Systems IPO is presently
on hold. My Casino stock after being well received in mid April has since
lost around 50% of its value.
Over the last year the change of tack on gambling issues in Australia has
been pronounced with the Government now pondering a moratorium on further
Internet gaming licenses.
Asian
IPO Focus: Australian Online Casinos Do It Tough
15th
May Australia Source:
Asia Pulse/Yahoo Aus/NZ
Jupiters
casino on Australia's Gold Coast has announced that the budget for the
upgrade to the property has been trimmed to A$84 million from around A$150
million. The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre that will be built
next to the casino is a co-operation between Jupiters and the Queensland
State Government. The Government is chipping in the A$118 million required
and Jupiters is supplying land in exchange for the management contract.
Australia's
Jupiters Cuts Expenditure on Casino
13th
May Hong Kong Source:
SCMP/Yahoo Asia
News
that Stanley Ho will be involved with DrHo.com
an online gaming website presently under development has created quite
a stir in Asian circles. The South China Morning Post carried vivid descriptions
of the site and its James Bond like styling.
The original press release for the venture has also come under scrutiny
because of the fact that promoting any other form of gambling in Hong Kong
other than horse racing and lottery is illegal. The Canadian developers,
in Los Angeles to officially launch the site were adamant that it would
not be promoted in the province.
Punters
lured by tycoon, pirate and double-Ho-7
Online
casino 'will not target SAR gamblers'
12th
May Sydney Source:
Yahoo/Dow Jones
The
launch of digital television in Australia on January 1st 2001 will give
Australian's more opportunities to gamble. This is the belief of the Australian
Institute for Gambling Research executive director Jan McMillen.
With the Sydney Olympics approaching if gambling were included as an event
Aussies would surely make it onto the podium. They lost a whopping A$12.43
billion in the year ended last June according to statistics from the Tasmanian
Gaming Commission.
Australian
Betting To Rise With Digital TV -Research Exec
12th
May Hong Kong Source:
Yahoo Asia/AFP
Dr
Stanley Ho looks set to start taking bets in cyberspace to compliment his
gaming monopoly on the island of Macau. DrHo.com
is being developed by Canadian company Eyeball.com
and will feature a range of casino games with a combination of live and
animated action. The news release from STDM (Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes
de Macau) to the South China Morning Post detailed that the site will be
previewed this weekend at the Electronic Entertainment Exposition in Los
Angeles.
Dr.
Stanley Ho to Roll Out Gaming Site
Macau
casino tycoon Stanley Ho to launch Internet gambling site
8th
May Sydney Source:
SMH
The
Sydney Morning Herald reported on the 3rd May that Australian State Government
Premier Mr Carr believes that NSW gaming laws should be applied to the
entire nation. NSW is the only state government to support a moratorium
on Internet gambling. Other issues that could be potentially brought into
harmony would be controls on deceptive advertising, police exclusion orders
and research into problem gambling.
Carr
seeks national legislation on gaming
5th
May Sydney Source:
Yahoo Asia
The
NSW
Department of Racing and Gambling has released turnover details on
an unamed group of 10 Asian gamblers who played at the Sydney Harbour Casino
during 1996. The group bet a combined total of A$386 million during the
period.
HK
resident tops list of high rollers
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