Bit from Asia -- Government agencies will now monitor text SMS games in the Philippines to make sure the games don't involve gambling. BusinessWorld is reporting that a memorandum of agreement on the subject is expected to be signed by the Department of Industry and Trade, the National Telecommunications Commission, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board. The agreement details the relationships among agencies as they regulate the games played via SMS technology.
Names and Faces -- The National Center for Responsible Gaming elected Dennis E. Eckart to replace Paul A. Harvey as its chairman. Eckart, who has served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, is now the president and chief executive of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. ... Wynn Resorts Ltd. has appointed Alvin V. Shoemaker to its board of directors. Shoemaker is the former chairman of the board of First Boston Inc. and First Boston Corp. He joins Stephen A. Wynn, Kazuo Okada, Ronald J. Kramer, Robert J. Miller, John A. Moran, Stanley R. Zax, Elaine P. Wynn and Allan Zeman on the Wynn Resorts board.