Tidbits from North America -- If you're one of those who believe the growing support for Rep. James Leach's, R-Iowa, Internet gambling funding bill means fellow Rep. Robert Goodlatte, R-Virg., won't be heard from again, think again. Congress Daily reported today that Goodlatte, who first proposed his I-gaming prohibition in 1996, plans to reintroduce his bill this session. Goodlatte wants to amend the Interstate Wire Act to reverse a recent ruling in the U.S. District Court's Fifth District. In that decision, a judge upheld an earlier ruling stating that Internet casinos are not in violation of the Wire Act, which addresses sports wagering via telecommunication devises. ... The Atlantic Lottery Corporation has proposed to the four provinces of Atlantic Canada a plan to regulate Internet casinos. The impetus of the plan is to keep proceeds from I-gaming in the Atlantic Provinces rather than watch them go elsewhere. IGN will report further on this development next week.
Tidbit from the UK --
The U.K. racing scene is getting more interesting by the minute. On Thursday, the Racing Channel announced plans to terminate its broadcasting by the end of the month. Coverage on British racing ends today. The Racing Post reported that the decision came shortly after the Racing Channel failed to reach an agreement for continued coverage of racing in Ireland. A company official said the move won't affect their broadcasting rights revenues for 10 of England's 59 participating race courses. The attheraces consortium, comprised of Arena Leisure, Channel 4 and BSkyB, owns the rights for the other 49 tracks. attheraces also covets the rights to cover races in Ireland.
Tidbit from Down Under --The Age reported that Tabcorp Holdings of Victoria has made a AU$5 billion bid to merge with Jupiters, effectively giving Tabcorp control of Queensland's casino industry. The merged company would control four major Australian casinos. Jupiters currently owns three casino/hotels as well as online sports betting group Centrebet. Last month Jupiters discussed a $1.7 billion merger with UNiTAB of Queensland. The group will continue to explore that deal until the end of January.
What If... -- The Sims are getting into the casino business. Electronic Arts' Maxis Studio, creator of the hugely popular "Sims" life simulation computer games, has indicated that developers are working on a new game option that would enable Sim characters (controlled by human players) to both operate casinos and gamble at them. A monthly subscription to play the online, interactive version of the game costs $9.99. So, there's a mechanism for moving funds and a mechanism for enabling players to partake in casino games. Imagine the possibilities...