Conyers Fan Club -- Peak Entertainment NV of Curacao is applauding Rep. John Conyers' introduction of a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would create a commission to study the regulation of online gambling. "We welcome any initiative that helps streamline the morass of contradictory U.S. laws and helps put its citizens in step with the rest of the world," said Shelley Noon, the company's customer relations and VIP manager. Conyers, a Democrat from Michigan, proposed the bill in November.
Bit from the UK -- Camelot, which operates the United Kingdom's National Lottery, is reportedly close to launching a handful of online games. One of the games, Holiday Bonanza, is to launch next month. The trade magazine Marketing is reporting that two other games, Flirtathon and Predict-a-Ball, are to follow.
What Others are Saying -- "There are both practical and principled reasons to view any sort of ban with skepticism. For one thing, an outright prohibition on Internet gaming would not end the practice of electronic wagers, any more than states that have outlawed sports betting have stamped out football pools. Gambling is a consensual activity, and keeping the online version illegal has merely driven it underground, where con artists can flourish alongside legitimate operators." - Editorial published Dec. 4, 2002 in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Not Over Yet -- Thoroughbred racing's Pick 6 betting scandal has spawned a class-action lawsuit. Pasadena, Ca. law firm Lisoni & Lisoni is suing Scientific Games Corp. on behalf of bettor James E. ("Jimmy the Hat") Allard for what it alleges is a years-long pattern of defective software and poor supervision that resulted in bettors being deprived of millions of dollars in thoroughbred racing prizes. The lawsuit, filed in the Los Angeles branch of California Supreme Court, seeks compensatory, actual and punitive damages and legal costs. Joseph L. Lisoni, one of the lawyers in the case, said the goal of the suit is to protect the rights of the $2 bettor. "This was arguably the largest wagering fraud in North American thoroughbred racing history and is a 'black eye' on the sport of horse racing," Lisoni said. "In order to preserve the integrity of the sport and avoid having bettors defrauded in the future, we have to hold those who erred accountable and then focus on instituting changes that will protect the betting public in the future." Allard, however, is hardly a $2 bettor. According to a press release from the Lisoni firm, he is "reputed to be one of the nation's three most successful and renowned Pick 6 players."
Congrats -- Global Gaming Business magazine is gearing up for its "25 Gaming People to Watch" package, which will be included in the Jan. 1 edition of the magazine. According to a press release, the list includes Edmund Ho, the chief executive of Macau; Jim McAlpine, president of Magna Entertainment; James Packer, executive chairman of Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd. ; and Meg Tiveus, managing director of Svenska Spel.
Names and Faces - The American Gaming Association announced today that its board of directors elected Phil Satre, the chairman and CEO of Harrah's Entertainment Inc., as its chairman. Satre replaces Chuck Mathewson, chairman of IGT, who is the only other person to have held the office.