New Stuff -- AngelCiti Entertainment said today that to celebrate the successful launch of SharkCasino.com, it will make a donation to The Pelagic Shark Research Foundation, a non-profit group in Santa Cruz, Calif. Robert Szmigiel, the marketing manager for Shark Casino, said the shark-themed online gaming site will help out the charity in two ways: through banner ads that urge players to donate and by giving about ten percent of the casino's monthly profits to the foundation. In the second instance, AngelCiti's contribution would depend on the size of the video poker tournaments offered and could reach upwards of $10,000, Szmigiel said. He said he choose the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation because it is a small organization that does research for groups like National Geographic and the Discovery Channel. "They're not a large organization that does a lot of things -- they focus specifically on shark populations," he said. "The casino is Shark Casino, and that segues into this type of charity project." Szmigiel said everyone who enters a tournament on the Web site will get a t-shirt advertising the casino and the foundation. In addition, Shark Casino is giving the foundation a stock of the shirts to give to its members.
UK Bit -- The U.K. Minister of Sport, Richard Caborn, yesterday told the Tote that he supports its continued monopoly of pool betting on horseracing. He said that both he and Tessa Jowell, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, agree that the Tote should be given a time-limited exclusive license. Peter Jones, chairman of the Tote, said he was appreciative of Caborn's support, especially since the Office of Fair Trading has a negative opinion of the monopoly.
Legal Stuff -- The Copenhagen Post reported today that the Netherlands is beginning to clamp down on certain activities that could pose a money laundering risk, such as buying sizable amounts of foreign currency, casino gaming or sending money abroad. The newspaper states that tax officials are taking greater control over money exchange bureaus, estate agents and casinos.