U.S. Updates -- The U.S. Senate Wednesday passed a pared-down version of a lobbying reform bill with a 90-8 vote. Senator John Kyl had announced his intention to attach an Internet gambling prohibition amendment to the bill, but the Senate chose to prohibit non-germane amendments… The House Judiciary Committee's Crime Subcommittee will hold hearings April 5 at 2 pm on Rep. Bob Goodlatte's bill, H.R. 4777 (Internet Gambling Prohibition Act). Goodlatte is expected to appear as a witness, as is a representative from the Department of Justice, a professor from the University of Illinois and a representative from the Independent Community Bankers' Association, an organization which is thought to oppose the bill.
To the Rescue -- Online betting exchange Betfair Monday proposed the possibility of entering into a partnership to keep the Tote within racing in the wake of the European Commission's ruling that selling the Tote to a private racing trust would be an abuse of state aid. The decision means that the racing industry would have to pay the full market price for the Tote, an estimated £500 million, rather than about £200 million proposed by the Labour party. Betfair Communications Director Mark Davies said the company has been in talks about helping the racing industry buy the Tote.
Bet at 16 -- British online betting company ThePool.com had a risqué advertising campaign targeting 16-year-olds pulled by the Advertising Standards Authority, and the company wants more information. The ads, appearing in UK free newspaper Metro, featured a scantily clad young-looking girl with the tagline "Why wait til 18? Bet at 16." A spokeswoman for ThePool.com said that the company was surprised by the ASA decision as it had already amended planned ads to remove explicit references to the fact 16-year-olds can legally take part in pool betting. "In relation to the wider proposed ban we have sought clarification from the ASA about exactly what its concerns are," she said. "But we have not yet received a response and remain concerned that bans have been enforced without right of reply."
Pathology? -- A researcher from the University of Missouri-Columbia has discovered that pathological gambling may not be the chronic condition it is made out to be. Dr. Wendy Slutske says she has found that compulsive gambling is often short-lived and affected individuals can recover without treatment. "People used to think the same thing about alcohol," Slutske said. "But now I think that we are starting to have a more nuanced picture of what compulsive gambling is--for some people it is something chronic and recurrent, for others it tends to remit with time." Slutske's study is published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Speed and Rewards -- Internet gaming software developer CryptoLogic Inc. has unveiled enhanced poker tournament software released through its wholly-owned subsidiary, WagerLogic Limited. New features include high-speed Thunder Tournaments and an enhanced Super-Satellite Tournament Structure. "Players are demanding speed, the thrill of 'land-based' tournaments and rewards for their loyalty," said Lewis Rose, CryptoLogic's president and CEO. "CryptoLogic listened and delivered."