US Tidbit -- The Nevada Senate Finance Committee on Monday considered a bill that would set aside $250,000 for treatment programs for problem gamers who commit nonviolent crimes. Under the bill, SB42, such criminals would receive treatment for their gambling addiction instead of jail time. The Associated Press reported yesterday that Nevada does not currently devote any state money to fund such programs.
News from Asia -- The South China Morning Post reported today that the mobile gaming industry, which includes for-fun games, could be heading for trouble. The newspaper quotes Sheree Tsao, the managing director of InterServ International, as saying that while mobile gaming has many users in Taiwan and China, the companies that provide the services aren't making much profit. "The combined vendor investment is larger than the total market size, with 60 percent to 70 percent of vendors losing money," she said.