UK Gambling Board -- England's Department of Culture, Media and Sport has appointed four new members to the Gaming Board. Gambling Minister Lord McIntosh has selected Gilian Milburn, Eve Salomon, Bill Knight, and Ben Gunn to serve four-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2004. The new members will guide the Gaming Board through its transformation into the Gambling Commission, as laid out in the United Kingdom's draft Gambling Bill. Also on Jan. 1, current board member Marie Stevens will step down from her office.
Bingo Upgrade -- Bingo portal site Bingo.com on Dec. 1 upgraded all 21 of its games with new custom graphics and control, improved layout and unique game features. Bingo.com says the redesign should maximize player enjoyment, brand strength and advertising revenue.
New Rules for Greek Cyber Cafes -- ekathimerini.com reports that the Greek Finance Ministry has issued new rules for Internet cafes and stated that a violation of any of the rules will result in a cafe's losing its license either permanently or for 10 to 60 days. The Greek licenses are issued depending upon the number of operating computers, so if a cafe were to obtain three more computers, then a new license must be issued. All Internet cafes must be located on the ground floor of a building, must have no secluded areas, must have only door for entrance and exit and must display at least two signs that clearly state that "Any gaming and any kind of betting is prohibited."
ICANN -- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a U.S. group that authorizes the Internet's domain names and addresses, has approved six "At-Large" community groups to participate in the Internet governing process and to help promote better understanding. Four of the approved groups are in Europe, one is in the Asian Pacific and Australian region, and the other is in the Latin America and Caribbean Island region.