From Washington to Douglas -- U.S. Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., said on Wednesday that he plans to visit the Isle of Man to learn more about how the self-governing island and I-gaming jurisdiction regulates Internet gambling, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. However, the report said, he would wait until the Senate decides whether to act on an Internet gambling ban passed by the House last month by a vote of 317-93. The Senate commenced its month-long summer recess today, and the bill has yet to receive attention. Porter introduced a bill in May calling for an 18-month study of Internet gambling by a federal commission. The taxpayer-funded trip would include other members of Congress, Porter said.
Korea's Cafes -- Opening an Internet cafe in South Korea will soon require registration, following a government decision to tighten control over gambling services, according to the Korea Times. Cafe operators will be obligated to remove betting programs from their computers, according to the new regulations, jointly drafted by the government and the governing Uri Party. Businesses that do not comply face closure and other punitive measures. The Uri Party plans to revise relevant laws during the regular session of the National Assembly, which begins in September.
Poker Beat -- The Virgin Group's gaming division, Virgin Games, is launching a promotional partnership with the company's posh airline, Virgin Atlantic, on all flights to Las Vegas to coincide with the 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP). All passengers on Virgin Atlantic flights to Las Vegas from London's Gatwick airport during the WSOP are eligible to receive an exclusive Las Vegas survival guide, which includes goodies needed to survive in "Sin City" during the event, including poker tips, hand rankings and a detailed map of Las Vegas' finest casinos as well as Virgin Poker merchandise. Virgin Poker air-sick bags donning the slogan "We don't want you to chuck in your hands" will also be on board the flights. . . . 3D poker startup PKR.com, which has been in beta testing in recent months, is reportedly set to launch next week. The site is said to be ready to go live with an initial European-focused launch campaign.
Live Red Felt -- RedFelt Software Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of online casino software and games portal provider CYOP Systems International Inc., announced Thursday that its online gaming destinations, redfelt.com and redfeltcasino.com, are now open for cash play. Games include blackjack, American roulette, video poker, classic slots, craps and 35 other offerings. The software is offered in a no-download Flash version, enabling customers to play within 60 seconds after entering the site. RedFelt is marketed in English, but the company plans to release versions in Japanese, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Italian, Korean, Russian, traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese.
Stock Watch -- I-gaming stocks in London for the most part continued an upward trend today. Neteller showed the biggest improvement, gaining 72.50p to close at 442.50. Other hopefuls were Sportingbet, which added 28.75p, closing at 281.75; 888 closed at 162.75, up 20.25p; Ladbrokes put on 6p to, ending the day at 388.50 and William Hill closed at 595, up 6p as well. FTSE 100-listed Party Gaming, after suffering a few days on the down side, is showing signs of improvement. It gained 10p, closing at 120, while the FTSE 100 closed up 51 points at 5,889.4.