State Level -- Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson and the attorneys general of 48 other states have asked in a letter to Congress for federal help in fighting illegal Internet gambling. The letter points out how varied state gambling laws are. Edmondson said federal legislation clarifying Internet gambling could help consumers and law enforcement. "It's typically up to the Legislature in each state to determine what is and is not legal concerning gambling," Edmondson said. "But Internet gambling transcends state lines and should be addressed federally." The state attorney general that didn't sign the letter was George J. Chanos, attorney general of Nevada.
Welcome to RGA -- Online gaming software provider Playtech, which has recently acquired a Certificate of Prior Approval from Alderney, has been accepted as a member of the Remote Gambling Association (RGA). Membership requirements dictate that software providers must be licensed directly or supply their product to at least one operator licensed and operational in the European Economic Area (EEA), Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
A Little SportXction -- Interactive Systems Worldwide Inc., operator of the SportXction play-by-play wagering system, announced Wednesday the election of Vincent Caldwell to the Board of Directors as well as his appointment as a member of the company's Audit Committee. Caldwell has over 25 years experience in the gaming industries in the U.S., UK and Ireland, including both remote and land-based operations. He also served as Chairman of a U.K. Bookmakers Association from 1998 to 2003. ISWI also said it is progressing in the selection of another director and expects to make an announcement shortly…In other ISWI business, its patent infringement suit against Mikohn Gaming Corporation and STB Holdings is proceeding in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, rather than in the District of New Jersey where it was filed, because STB argued that it could not be sued in that state. All parties agreed that the case should proceed in Nevada, against both Progressive and STB.
3 Card Poker -- Skill games network GameAccount has officially launched a 3-Card Poker product in which players play directly against one another rather than against the House. Starting with an imaginary chip stack of $10,000, the objective is to build a larger chip stack than your opponent with the exact same sequence of cards dealt to both players and the automated, in-game dealer.
Czech Bets -- According to the Prague Post, Czechs may be able to place bets online for this year's World Cup in June. The Finance Ministry plans to set rules that would legalize Internet sports betting for the first time, and those rules "should be worked out by mid-2006 at the latest," according to a Finance Ministry spokesperson. However, these new regulations will still prohibit online casinos and could ban foreign online gaming companies from having Czech customers. Gambling industry officials say that the new regulations will block foreign companies from operating in the country, but the ministry has only said it will not make online casinos legal.