White List -- Direct marketers are finding that about 25 percent of their legitimate bulk e-mails are treated as spam and blocked by ISPs. Newmediazero reports that the Direct Marketing Association's E-mail Marketing Council is working on a solution it calls a "white list." Regulated by ISPs or a government agency, the white list would be a compilation of legitimate marketers who are permitted to send e-mail. ISPs can then be sure not to block messages from companies on the white list.
AU Minister to Retire -- Sen. Richard Alston, Australia's Minister of Communications, Internet Technology and the Arts, today surprisingly announced his retirement. By the Constitution, the Victorian party must nominate a replacement for Alston on the Senate, but they have said they will not begin the selection process until Alston clarifies his departure date. Alston has not indicated when he wished to vacate the Senate and has said only that he will consider his future around Christmas. During his term as minister, Alston wanted to make forwarding e-mail illegal and introduced a bill that sought to make online betting companies illegal. He has been a leading advocate for restricting online gambling services.
For Charity -- The Guardian reports that recently launched Casinoforcharities.com, which claims to be "the U.K.'s first gaming for charity Web site," donates less than one-third of a penny in every £1 stake. Although the site pledges 10 percent of its gross profits to charities, it pays out 97 percent of player stakes as winnings. Realistically only about 0.3 percent of a wager goes toward charity. . . . Statistics from The Guardian show that charity organizations in the United Kingdom are receiving 20 percent less money from the National Lottery as they did last year and 40 percent less than they received in 2000. In the late '90s, lottery players in England spent about £100 million a week, but now spend only about £85 million a week. Sales of non-Lotto games are up 21 percent from last year, however, and for the first time in five years, overall sales steadied last quarter. A spokeswoman for the lottery said sales should be back in growth by 2004-2005.