A Tidbit from Down Under -- It's just about time for Internet gambling to once again take its place as a hot topic of discussion among Australia's federal policymakers. The federal government this year is expected to review the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001, a bill prohibiting online casinos from offering their services to Australian citizens. The review will be carried out by the Department for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, which will be seeking submissions from industry and community groups in the near future. Australia' casinos are expected to lobby for the removal of the ban.
New Stuff -- Access Gaming Systems today announced the debut of Internet-based "Cote & Match" football betting in France. The fixed-odds draw game enables players to bet on the results of upcoming football matches by marking the win, loss or draw fields alongside each fixture. The game complements 12 instant lotto games already running on the French platform, which is operated by La Francaise des Jeux, the French National Lottery. . . . Magna Entertainment Corp. last week announced plans to launch a 24-hour cable channel offering horse racing coverage. The channel, HorseRacing TV, began broadcasting in July to paying subscribers on the Racetrack Television Network, but has not been available via cable. It will broadcast racing from 70 U.S. and Canadian tracks. . . . GoldenPalace.com announced today that it has commenced accepting the euro as a currency option in addition to the U.S. dollar. The company hopes the new feature will boost its European player base. "There is enormous potential for us in Europe, and now we can truly cater to the European market,” GP President and CEO Richard Rowe explained. "Golden Palace has always been at the forefront of the casino industry, and this is just another example of our continued dedication to our customers." Rowe also said players can "expect to see more big things from GoldenPalace.com in 2003."
A Tidbit from the Far East -- One of Malaysia's leaders is urging the country's government to amend state laws to cover illegal activity at cyber cafes, the country's Daily Express reports. Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail said there's a need for "a comprehensive state law which covers all aspects of operating cyber cafes in order to curb criminal activities in such establishments." Ismail said he'd heard complaints from several parents about kids spending their pocket money on Internet games, including gambling-related games.
Super Bits -- Bookmakers worldwide have to be thrilled at the prospect of a competitive Super Bowl, especially after last year's game, which was expected to be a blowout. Intertops.com got the ball rolling this week by putting odds on the favorite to win the Super Bowl MVP award. The favorite coming out of the gate is Oakland Raiders QB Rich Gannon at 9/4. Meanwhile, the New York Post reports that BetWWTS.com of Antigua has expanded its Super Bowl betting menu beyond the activities on the field. The online sports book is offering an over/under bet for the percentage of U.S. homes that will tune in to this year's championship game. The magic number has been set at 41.5 percent. Last year's game drew a 40.4.
Jeeves -- Ask Jeeves, the popular search engine, recently released its list of top 25 searches for 2002, and "free online games" came in fourth. The top search term was "song lyrics," followed by "dictionary" and "halloween costumes."