US News -- On May 6 the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security will mark up and vote on HR 21, the Internet gambling bill put forth by Rep. James Leach, R-Iowa. The Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill on Tuesday, April 29. Leach's bill would restrict online gambling merchants from accepting payment from Americans if they try to use a bank instrument such as a credit card or wire transfer. On Tuesday the Subcommittee also heard testimony on HR 1233, which would create a commission to study the feasibility of legalizing online gambling. It was introduced by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.
Names and Faces -- Yesterday was the last day on the job for John Hensley, the chairman of the California Gambling Control Commission. Hensley resigned three months ago to spend more time with his family after reportedly not getting along with Indian gaming leaders. A replacement has not been named for Hensley's position, the Associated Press said. ... Pierre Bibeau will soon be appointed the leader of Loto-Quebec, Canadian newspapers reported today. The Quebec Liberal Party member will replace Gaetan Frigon, who resigned in February. Since then the position has been filled by Robert Crevier.
New Stuff -- Easybets.com and CasinoWebcam announced today the development of EasybetsCasino, which will allow players at home to participate in live games taking place at a land-based facility. Tim Lambe, the CEO of Easybets, said the service would give players an added level of excitement and fairness. "By partnering with CasinoWebcam to launch EasybetsCasino, we are now able to provide our players with the same standards of fairness and integrity associated with regulated, land-based gaming," he said.
Making Deals -- SureFire Commerce announced today that it's become a certified and registered independent sales organization for Visa U.S.A. and MasterCard International. The designation means that SureFire can handle transactions for merchants who have both land-based business and online business. "This is a major development and a valuable asset for our company," said Mitchell Garber, CEO. "The registration and certification process is a long and serious one, and we are now ready to begin a major offensive in the U.S. card acquiring market."