'Thor' And 'Amaterasu' Tapped For 'Marvel Vs. Capcom 3'?
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Capcom seems to have neglected to mention a couple of gods when it announced Doctor Doom, Super-Skrull, Trish from "Devil May Cry" and Chun-Li as fighters in "Marvel vs. Capcom 3" Tuesday. New purported shots from the game bearing the Marvel.com watermark do not currently appear on the site's "Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds" images page, but a message board poster claims to have acquired them via a leak.
Screenshots clearly showing Marvel's God of Thunder and Amaterasu, the Shinto sun goddess incarnation from Capcom's "Ōkami," did appear on a NeoGAF thread, and if they're fakes, they are darn good ones.
With Marvel's "Thor" movie and Capcom's "Ōkamiden" for the Nintendo DS both getting released in the coming year, it would actually be quite a shocker if neither of these characters appeared in "MvC3." Furthermore, Thor's hammer those Three Wolf God Sun shirts are already hanging around the San Diego Convention Center this week, so getting the news out now makes perfect sense.
Given Amaterasu's height (or lack thereof) it's going to be fun to see how the wolf shape fits in with the gameplay. I don't know if squat-kicks and leg sweeps are going to be necessary for getting a blow to connect, but surely a trailer will reveal all soon. (Credit: MTV)
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Monday, July 26, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Australian Casino, Gaming And Politics News, by Greg Tingle - 24th July 2010
Readers er punters, the Australian connection between casinos, gaming and politics had never been so hot. Aussie politicians and campaigners continue to battle for your mind (and vote), headlines and the whole box and dice. Media Man and Gambling911 deliver the uncensored news (full strength caffeine in Google speak) you need to know, not always what you want to hear. Here's your weekend fix my friends...
James Packer Family Spotted In Barcelona...
The Packer holiday continues with his luxury boat, the Arctic P, sighted this week off Barcelona, the biggest city on Europe's Mediterranean coastline. Spy's reckon the casino and lifestyle king and family, wife Erica, Indigo and Jackson, are voyaging east. Ah, Captain Cook would be proud, as is perhaps Packer dare devil, billionaire adventurer, Richard Branson, who is to embark on a kite surfing expedition soon. Packer plans to catch up with Tom Cruise from Top Gun and Mission: Impossible Fame. Rumours circulating Party may release more games featuring Cruise, and more on that in upcoming editions.
Australia MP Wants Political Betting Online Banned...
The "Jungle Girl" Julia Gillard VS Tony "The Bruiser" Abbott war must be heating up. Now some are calling for the banning of betting on Australian politics. Oh, our nicknames for Julia and Tony are done in a tongue and cheek and affectionate fashion, so no offence Julies and Anthony okies? We know your legal eagles an spinners read our column, as well they should! With Australia’s 2010 elections underway, federal MP Michael Johnson has called for a ban election betting. While Johnson is not opposed to casual betting between friends in the local pub, he feels betting on Australian elections should be outlawed. Johnson is calling for a change to be made to Australian gambling laws forbidding high street bookies and online sportsbooks from offering odds on national elections. "It's entirely inappropriate for Australians to bet on the result of an election," said Johnson. "Just like the next guy I enjoy betting on two flies (going) up a wall. I just think something like the result of an election, money shouldn't be put on it, given the seriousness of it. There's just something undignified about it. Betting and gambling is already a huge problem in our country." In addition to feeling that elections are too serious to be wagered on, it seems Johnson is also concerned with the possibility that heavy betting on state and national elections at online sportsbooks in Australia could affect the outcome of elections. "It might allow some political parties to engage in some sort of rorting," he thinks. Matie, ok, you got your worldwide headlines, thanks in part to Media Man and Gambling911, now get back to business son.
Australia's Air Supply Perform Their Hits The Orleans Hotel And Casino...
Australian music groups have been hitting American hotels and casinos of late. Air Supply follows in the footsteps of the the Australian Bee Gees who yesterday appeared at the Paragon Casino Resort, Marksville. The Aussie soft-rock group Air Supply quickly became a star of early ‘80s radio after their first smash hit, "Lost in Love." Performing together for more than 30 years, Air Supply returns to The Orleans Showroom for three shows Labor Day weekend, September 3, 4 and 5, each evening at 8 p.m. Englishman Graham Russell and Aussie Russell Hitchcock met in 1975 while performing in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Later that year, the duo formed Air Supply and released their first smash hit and self-titled debut album, reaching gold in Australia. After opening for Rod Stewart's tour in the United States in the late ‘70s, Air Supply had an international breakthrough and signed a distribution deal with Artista Records in 1980. Their album, Lost in Love, featured three U.S. top five singles, including the title track, which was the fastest-selling single in the world; "Every Woman in the World"; and "All Out of Love," which hit No. 11 in the United Kingdom's Top 40 charts. Throughout the next three years, Air Supply produced hit after hit, including "Just Another Woman," "The One That You Love," "Here I Am," "Sweet Dreams," "Even The Nights Are Better" and "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All," which reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts in 1983. Producing 30 albums and more than 15 hit singles, Air Supply has become a worldwide sensation, touring in Australia, Asia, India, the United States and the Caribbean. In 2008, as the only Australian band on the list, Air Supply was named No. 83 on Billboard's top 100 musical acts of all time. Showtime is 8 p.m folks. Tickets start from $29.95, plus extras. Visit the Orleans Casino website for more details.
NSW Opposition To Block Cartoon Gambling Legislation Re Randwick Et Al?...
The NSW Opposition has hit out on the Government's plan to fund a major upgrade to Sydney's Randwick racecourse with revenue from a computerised gambling game. The State Government says it will loan the racing industry $150 million for the Randwick upgrade, if the Australian Jockey Club and the Sydney Turf Club official merge. As part of the deal the racing industry will get dollars from an animated horseracing game called Trackside so it can repay the loan. That means the animated game will soon be in pubs, clubs and TABs. The changes require new legislation but the Government does not have a majority in the Upper House at this time. The Opposition's racing spokesman George Souris has concerns about the plan and says the Coalition could join forces with crossbench MPs to block it for good. "The Government is acting somewhat in a vacuum and almost dictatorially if it takes as assumed that the Opposition will support legislation which will be necessary. I think it sends a very poor message that the government now is addicted to gambling revenues. It now can't think of anything more innovative than to increase the level of gambling in our community so as to fund vital upgrades on racecourses." The Greens have pledged to vote against the changes. The NSW horse racing sector continues to bleed, hence is looking to adapt to the times, something Aussie media legend and horse racing expert Alan Jones said they needed to do. Jonesy and John Singo, might be time to hit the phones again and bring this politicians into line. Jones and Singo... mate I wish you guys were running the country. John, you said it right with out last PM... "couldn't or wouldn't sell him". Labor... you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. The AJC wants to drink but some polies don't want them to. Without water one can die... is that the goal? Time will tell.
Online Casino Wars...
The Aussie casino wars continues, both offline and online. This week Richard Branson's Virgin Casino released the War Of The Worlds slot game. This may be a counter measure, at least in part to PartyGaming's PartyCasino Palladium Slot, and Party's strong branded line up. Virgin are closing the gap on Party by all accounts, while Captain Cooks powered by Microgaming seriously needs some new branded slots if they are to compete on even ground. Aussie's and Kiwi's still can't play at Branson's Virgin, so thank god for Party and the captain, with the PKR 3D casino and poker room also in the mix for good measure.
Media Man commentary: "The Australian online casino wars have never been hotter. The political headlines in mainstream media are a strong indicator of this. Knockers reckon gaming is a training ground and "practice" for gambling machines. We can confirm first hand that the gaming (and igaming) sector is recession resistant (but not recession proof). One of the great aspects of gaming brands like PartyGaming and Virgin is that most games can be played for free or played for money. Responsible gaming websites also offer betting limits. Always remember to keep your gaming fun and don't let it become a problem. Gaming is not intended to take over your every day activities, be it Sex, Drugs and Rock N Roll... Mind, Body and Spirit, or other!"
Online Casino Wars: PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino VS Captain Cooks Casino...
PartyCasino remains the online casino of choice for Aussies. Their Palladium Slot, named after the Palladium Lounge has been a bit hit with VIP's and "whales". But PartyPoker isn't benefiting, falling in the PokerScout ratings. Richard Branson's Virgin Casino has just released an awesome online slot entitled 'Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of War Of The Worlds', based on the classic H.G. Wells 'War Of The Worlds'. PartyGaming is strong rumoured to be releasing a 'Rocky' and 'Pink Panther' slot game in less than 2 weeks! Meantime, Captain Cooks Casino in the way of Hollywood themes has Lara Croft Tomb Raider, but its been well over a year since they added Hollywood branded slots. Now Microgaming has done a deal with Branson's Virgin seeing Hitman, Tomb Raider and Thunderstruck no longer stand out slots for the Captain, but its good they have them for Australians and New Zealanders, as some had trouble signing up with Virgin (a sign of things to come with the Aussie internet filter perhaps?)
Crikey Media Founder Based In Victoria - Melbourne Plays Anti Pokie Card Running For Politics...
Publicity stunt by Mr Mayne or genuine concern? You be the judge, jury and executioner... so to speak... no malice intended Stevie my son. Guess I'm not just a TAFE student not worthy of your time anymore you arrogant "Sir"...Shareholder activist, serial pest of sorts, and former Liberal staffer Stephen Mayne is running for the Senate in Victoria as an anti-gambling candidate. He was an innovator in the Australian media and new media landscape, so give the devil his due but numerous Media Man sources say its an elaborate publicity stunt from Mr Crikey Mate, perhaps following in the footsteps of Media Man comedian friend and sometime associate, Austen Tayshus, now representing The Sex Party (or is it the Green or both)... in Manly... home turf to Tony "The Bruiser" Abbott. Tayshus has been seen wearing a Mankini ala Sasha Cohen (Borat, Ali G and Bruno).
More politics...
Media Man Politics
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/politics.html
Gambling911 Politics
http://www.gambling911.com/politics.html
Gambling911 Australian News
http://www.gambling911.com/regional-news/australia.html
Burswood Bouncers Casino Guards Dodge Assault...
Packer's Burswood Entertainment Complex over Perth way in WA is back in the news.
The daily double Burswood Bouncers aka Casino Security will not be formally charged even though a magistrate found they assaulted a punter who was attending a wedding no less. A police spokesman advised there was insufficient evidence to charge the bouncers, named as Uhmet "Guns" Gungor and Peter "Puncher" Ross, even though Magistrate Robert Lawrence encouraged coppers to investigate them when Gregory Haig was acquitted in November last year of assaulting punter Gungor. A Corruption and Crime Commission spokesman said there was no evidence the police decision not to pursue charges against the two men was unreasonable, improper, oppressive or unjust. As the late, great, Big Tim Bristow would say, "Be Told"! Haig, who was attending a wedding function, was apprehended by the two security officers on 23rd November 2008 after receptionist Casinda May Buckley-Stanton alerted security to a punter being abusive towards her. However, during the trial it emerged Ms Buckley-Stanton had advised police the verbally abusive man had sandy blond hair, when Mr Haig has dark brown hair. Sounds like the iconic Aussie flick 'Black & White', featuring a young Rupert Murdoch, now media 'king of the world'. Mr Ross, who Mr Haig claims pushed him from behind, refused to give police a statement or testify. According to the court transcripts, his reason for not doing so was that at the time he faced a charge of assault occasioning bodily harm. The investigating officer, Constable Alan Edward Ball, admitted under cross-examination that he had not viewed the security footage, of which there was 32 minutes missing by accident (or something). Insiders ask 'Does Underbelly stuff still exist in Perth?' Handing down his verdict, Mr Lawrence said "I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the incident occurred as described in detail by the accused." He went on about there had been no lawful justification for Mr Ross grabbing Mr Haig from behind and forcing him to the ground with the assistance of Mr Gungor. "They assaulted him unlawfully and then the two of them physically threw him to the ground outside the door," Mr Lawrence stated. "I would have thought that there should be further inquiries as to the conduct of those security officers." A Burswood spokeswoman said the matter had been investigated more than once and Burswood considered the matter closed. Got that everyone, Case Closed.
Victorians Spent $2.6bn On Pokies Last Financial Year...
Numbers released by the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation (VCGR) show gamblers put out the big bucks despite the pressures of rising interest rates and living expenses. But the VCGR said the spending was 4.1% less than the $2.7 billion spent in the previous financial year, and the biggest decline since 2002/03, when smoking bans began. It said spending per adult dropped by 5.8% to $611. The number of gambling venues and machines in the state fell to their lowest levels since the mid-1990s, it said. There are now 514 venues with 26,682 licensed poker machines in Victoria.
Aussie Tatts Hit On UK Pokies...
Tatts has become the latest Aussie firm to reveal it is suffering in Britain, finally conceding a huge write-down of its Talarius pokies. Tatts announced it was writing down the value of Talarius by $140 million to $180 million. It attributed the write-down to an emergency budget from the new government that will increase the rate of value added tax, which is expected to affect consumer spending. Talarius, which now runs 8000 machines in some 170 venues, has been disappointing the market and investors for too many years to list. Chief executive of Tatts, Dick McIlwain, was upbeat about the future of Talarius and revealed he had refused 3 private equity offers to buy it in the past six months. Tatts is spending £10 million ($17 million) restructuring the business and has closed 45 venues. Industy analysts advised the write-down was no surprise, given Talarius's piss poor performance.
Business Talk: Bring In Skills Or Pay To Piper...
Australia's economy will stagnate and inflation increase if the intake of skilled migrants is not kept at least as high as it is now, say many of Australia's most influential businessmen. But the business community is in furious agreement that Australia's infrastructure and training programs must be better planned to accommodate economic growth. One of the country's richest businessmen, Len Ainsworth, founder of pokies group Aristocrat Leisure, has warned that Australia needs to be careful to match population growth with infrastructure availability. Packer mate 'Twiggy' Forrest said "If you stop Australia growing then you stop the economy growing and you stop the aspirations of every single Australian growing. The Aristocrat pokie mob bottom line has been much better days, while Packer's Crown share rates continue to struggle, but are making a slow upward recovery.
Australian Share Price Wrap Up...
Crown Limited 8.000
Aristocrat 3.580
Tabcorp 6.720
Centrebet 1.390
Tatts Group Limited 2.380
Aussie Boxing Sports Scandal - Not Ready Or Fix?...
Footage posted on YouTube of an out-of-condition Briggs sparring is believed to have sparked the betting rush on Wednesday night's fight with Danny Green. The video of Briggs sparring middleweight Peter Mitrevski jnr, shows "The Hurricane" getting a bit of a hiding, with action at one minute and 14 seconds showing Briggs getting punched while his hands are by his side. Mitrevski jnr is going half-paced and finding holes in Briggs's defence.
"I got a million calls after that video went up," Hussein told the Fairfax Media."Jeff (Fenech) told me two weeks before the fight to pull him out. I spoke to Paul and he said there was no way he would pull out, he wanted to knock out Danny Green and he believed he could do it. Regardless of if I had pulled out of camp, he would have fought. He would have found another trainer. I wanted to be there for him as a mate. I wanted to make sure he was going to be OK in there. If he didn't go down to that shot, if he had taken a bigger punch, I would have thrown in the towel. I was there to protect a guy who was adamant he was going to fight." Briggs, who has separated from his partner and has two children, was so desperate for cash he had earlier approached Anthony Mundine but was told they would rather give him money if he needed it. Briggs stronly claims he did not throw the fight and was "not the man he once was". The Australian boxing community says it will take a long time, if not ever, to recover, with insiders saying it will help the UFC and MMA in general, at least in the short term, while make the boxing business even harder. A sad week for Austrailan boxing to say the least.
YouTube Secret Briggs Training Footage!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWd2OGS4Wmw
Briggs VS Green Press Conferce (Star City Casino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GDqwxOooH8&NR=1
Media Man Profiles
Boxing
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/boxing.html
Danny Green
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/green.html
90% Of Australian Web Snoop Document Censored To Stop 'Premature Unnecessary Debate'...
The federal government has censored approximately 90 per cent of a secret document outlining its controversial plans to snoop on Australians' web surfing, obtained under freedom of information (FoI) laws, out of fear the document could cause "premature unnecessary debate". The government has been consulting with the internet industry over the proposal, which would require ISPs to store certain internet activities of all Australians - regardless of whether they have been suspected of wrongdoing - for law-enforcement agencies to access. All parties to the consultations have been sworn to secrecy. *full report: The Sydney Morning Herald website
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/smh.html
Key Websites In The Aussie Casino War...
PartyCasino
Captain Cooks Casino
Virgin Casino
PKR
Media Man and Gambling911 have a casino reviews section, so check it out to find out more. Bet with your head, not over it, and have fun".
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What did you like or hate most about this editions news? Tell us in the forum. Aussie's, vote early and vote often... just kidding brothers and sisters. Know the odds, Keep it legal and have fun maties.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a bakers dozen of sectors they cover. They also offer political analysis and commentary
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited and Virgin and has conducted b2b with Crown Limited, PartyGaming, Virgin and others mentioned in this report
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James Packer Family Spotted In Barcelona...
The Packer holiday continues with his luxury boat, the Arctic P, sighted this week off Barcelona, the biggest city on Europe's Mediterranean coastline. Spy's reckon the casino and lifestyle king and family, wife Erica, Indigo and Jackson, are voyaging east. Ah, Captain Cook would be proud, as is perhaps Packer dare devil, billionaire adventurer, Richard Branson, who is to embark on a kite surfing expedition soon. Packer plans to catch up with Tom Cruise from Top Gun and Mission: Impossible Fame. Rumours circulating Party may release more games featuring Cruise, and more on that in upcoming editions.
Australia MP Wants Political Betting Online Banned...
The "Jungle Girl" Julia Gillard VS Tony "The Bruiser" Abbott war must be heating up. Now some are calling for the banning of betting on Australian politics. Oh, our nicknames for Julia and Tony are done in a tongue and cheek and affectionate fashion, so no offence Julies and Anthony okies? We know your legal eagles an spinners read our column, as well they should! With Australia’s 2010 elections underway, federal MP Michael Johnson has called for a ban election betting. While Johnson is not opposed to casual betting between friends in the local pub, he feels betting on Australian elections should be outlawed. Johnson is calling for a change to be made to Australian gambling laws forbidding high street bookies and online sportsbooks from offering odds on national elections. "It's entirely inappropriate for Australians to bet on the result of an election," said Johnson. "Just like the next guy I enjoy betting on two flies (going) up a wall. I just think something like the result of an election, money shouldn't be put on it, given the seriousness of it. There's just something undignified about it. Betting and gambling is already a huge problem in our country." In addition to feeling that elections are too serious to be wagered on, it seems Johnson is also concerned with the possibility that heavy betting on state and national elections at online sportsbooks in Australia could affect the outcome of elections. "It might allow some political parties to engage in some sort of rorting," he thinks. Matie, ok, you got your worldwide headlines, thanks in part to Media Man and Gambling911, now get back to business son.
Australia's Air Supply Perform Their Hits The Orleans Hotel And Casino...
Australian music groups have been hitting American hotels and casinos of late. Air Supply follows in the footsteps of the the Australian Bee Gees who yesterday appeared at the Paragon Casino Resort, Marksville. The Aussie soft-rock group Air Supply quickly became a star of early ‘80s radio after their first smash hit, "Lost in Love." Performing together for more than 30 years, Air Supply returns to The Orleans Showroom for three shows Labor Day weekend, September 3, 4 and 5, each evening at 8 p.m. Englishman Graham Russell and Aussie Russell Hitchcock met in 1975 while performing in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Later that year, the duo formed Air Supply and released their first smash hit and self-titled debut album, reaching gold in Australia. After opening for Rod Stewart's tour in the United States in the late ‘70s, Air Supply had an international breakthrough and signed a distribution deal with Artista Records in 1980. Their album, Lost in Love, featured three U.S. top five singles, including the title track, which was the fastest-selling single in the world; "Every Woman in the World"; and "All Out of Love," which hit No. 11 in the United Kingdom's Top 40 charts. Throughout the next three years, Air Supply produced hit after hit, including "Just Another Woman," "The One That You Love," "Here I Am," "Sweet Dreams," "Even The Nights Are Better" and "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All," which reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts in 1983. Producing 30 albums and more than 15 hit singles, Air Supply has become a worldwide sensation, touring in Australia, Asia, India, the United States and the Caribbean. In 2008, as the only Australian band on the list, Air Supply was named No. 83 on Billboard's top 100 musical acts of all time. Showtime is 8 p.m folks. Tickets start from $29.95, plus extras. Visit the Orleans Casino website for more details.
NSW Opposition To Block Cartoon Gambling Legislation Re Randwick Et Al?...
The NSW Opposition has hit out on the Government's plan to fund a major upgrade to Sydney's Randwick racecourse with revenue from a computerised gambling game. The State Government says it will loan the racing industry $150 million for the Randwick upgrade, if the Australian Jockey Club and the Sydney Turf Club official merge. As part of the deal the racing industry will get dollars from an animated horseracing game called Trackside so it can repay the loan. That means the animated game will soon be in pubs, clubs and TABs. The changes require new legislation but the Government does not have a majority in the Upper House at this time. The Opposition's racing spokesman George Souris has concerns about the plan and says the Coalition could join forces with crossbench MPs to block it for good. "The Government is acting somewhat in a vacuum and almost dictatorially if it takes as assumed that the Opposition will support legislation which will be necessary. I think it sends a very poor message that the government now is addicted to gambling revenues. It now can't think of anything more innovative than to increase the level of gambling in our community so as to fund vital upgrades on racecourses." The Greens have pledged to vote against the changes. The NSW horse racing sector continues to bleed, hence is looking to adapt to the times, something Aussie media legend and horse racing expert Alan Jones said they needed to do. Jonesy and John Singo, might be time to hit the phones again and bring this politicians into line. Jones and Singo... mate I wish you guys were running the country. John, you said it right with out last PM... "couldn't or wouldn't sell him". Labor... you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. The AJC wants to drink but some polies don't want them to. Without water one can die... is that the goal? Time will tell.
Online Casino Wars...
The Aussie casino wars continues, both offline and online. This week Richard Branson's Virgin Casino released the War Of The Worlds slot game. This may be a counter measure, at least in part to PartyGaming's PartyCasino Palladium Slot, and Party's strong branded line up. Virgin are closing the gap on Party by all accounts, while Captain Cooks powered by Microgaming seriously needs some new branded slots if they are to compete on even ground. Aussie's and Kiwi's still can't play at Branson's Virgin, so thank god for Party and the captain, with the PKR 3D casino and poker room also in the mix for good measure.
Media Man commentary: "The Australian online casino wars have never been hotter. The political headlines in mainstream media are a strong indicator of this. Knockers reckon gaming is a training ground and "practice" for gambling machines. We can confirm first hand that the gaming (and igaming) sector is recession resistant (but not recession proof). One of the great aspects of gaming brands like PartyGaming and Virgin is that most games can be played for free or played for money. Responsible gaming websites also offer betting limits. Always remember to keep your gaming fun and don't let it become a problem. Gaming is not intended to take over your every day activities, be it Sex, Drugs and Rock N Roll... Mind, Body and Spirit, or other!"
Online Casino Wars: PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino VS Captain Cooks Casino...
PartyCasino remains the online casino of choice for Aussies. Their Palladium Slot, named after the Palladium Lounge has been a bit hit with VIP's and "whales". But PartyPoker isn't benefiting, falling in the PokerScout ratings. Richard Branson's Virgin Casino has just released an awesome online slot entitled 'Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of War Of The Worlds', based on the classic H.G. Wells 'War Of The Worlds'. PartyGaming is strong rumoured to be releasing a 'Rocky' and 'Pink Panther' slot game in less than 2 weeks! Meantime, Captain Cooks Casino in the way of Hollywood themes has Lara Croft Tomb Raider, but its been well over a year since they added Hollywood branded slots. Now Microgaming has done a deal with Branson's Virgin seeing Hitman, Tomb Raider and Thunderstruck no longer stand out slots for the Captain, but its good they have them for Australians and New Zealanders, as some had trouble signing up with Virgin (a sign of things to come with the Aussie internet filter perhaps?)
Crikey Media Founder Based In Victoria - Melbourne Plays Anti Pokie Card Running For Politics...
Publicity stunt by Mr Mayne or genuine concern? You be the judge, jury and executioner... so to speak... no malice intended Stevie my son. Guess I'm not just a TAFE student not worthy of your time anymore you arrogant "Sir"...Shareholder activist, serial pest of sorts, and former Liberal staffer Stephen Mayne is running for the Senate in Victoria as an anti-gambling candidate. He was an innovator in the Australian media and new media landscape, so give the devil his due but numerous Media Man sources say its an elaborate publicity stunt from Mr Crikey Mate, perhaps following in the footsteps of Media Man comedian friend and sometime associate, Austen Tayshus, now representing The Sex Party (or is it the Green or both)... in Manly... home turf to Tony "The Bruiser" Abbott. Tayshus has been seen wearing a Mankini ala Sasha Cohen (Borat, Ali G and Bruno).
More politics...
Media Man Politics
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/politics.html
Gambling911 Politics
http://www.gambling911.com/politics.html
Gambling911 Australian News
http://www.gambling911.com/regional-news/australia.html
Burswood Bouncers Casino Guards Dodge Assault...
Packer's Burswood Entertainment Complex over Perth way in WA is back in the news.
The daily double Burswood Bouncers aka Casino Security will not be formally charged even though a magistrate found they assaulted a punter who was attending a wedding no less. A police spokesman advised there was insufficient evidence to charge the bouncers, named as Uhmet "Guns" Gungor and Peter "Puncher" Ross, even though Magistrate Robert Lawrence encouraged coppers to investigate them when Gregory Haig was acquitted in November last year of assaulting punter Gungor. A Corruption and Crime Commission spokesman said there was no evidence the police decision not to pursue charges against the two men was unreasonable, improper, oppressive or unjust. As the late, great, Big Tim Bristow would say, "Be Told"! Haig, who was attending a wedding function, was apprehended by the two security officers on 23rd November 2008 after receptionist Casinda May Buckley-Stanton alerted security to a punter being abusive towards her. However, during the trial it emerged Ms Buckley-Stanton had advised police the verbally abusive man had sandy blond hair, when Mr Haig has dark brown hair. Sounds like the iconic Aussie flick 'Black & White', featuring a young Rupert Murdoch, now media 'king of the world'. Mr Ross, who Mr Haig claims pushed him from behind, refused to give police a statement or testify. According to the court transcripts, his reason for not doing so was that at the time he faced a charge of assault occasioning bodily harm. The investigating officer, Constable Alan Edward Ball, admitted under cross-examination that he had not viewed the security footage, of which there was 32 minutes missing by accident (or something). Insiders ask 'Does Underbelly stuff still exist in Perth?' Handing down his verdict, Mr Lawrence said "I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the incident occurred as described in detail by the accused." He went on about there had been no lawful justification for Mr Ross grabbing Mr Haig from behind and forcing him to the ground with the assistance of Mr Gungor. "They assaulted him unlawfully and then the two of them physically threw him to the ground outside the door," Mr Lawrence stated. "I would have thought that there should be further inquiries as to the conduct of those security officers." A Burswood spokeswoman said the matter had been investigated more than once and Burswood considered the matter closed. Got that everyone, Case Closed.
Victorians Spent $2.6bn On Pokies Last Financial Year...
Numbers released by the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation (VCGR) show gamblers put out the big bucks despite the pressures of rising interest rates and living expenses. But the VCGR said the spending was 4.1% less than the $2.7 billion spent in the previous financial year, and the biggest decline since 2002/03, when smoking bans began. It said spending per adult dropped by 5.8% to $611. The number of gambling venues and machines in the state fell to their lowest levels since the mid-1990s, it said. There are now 514 venues with 26,682 licensed poker machines in Victoria.
Aussie Tatts Hit On UK Pokies...
Tatts has become the latest Aussie firm to reveal it is suffering in Britain, finally conceding a huge write-down of its Talarius pokies. Tatts announced it was writing down the value of Talarius by $140 million to $180 million. It attributed the write-down to an emergency budget from the new government that will increase the rate of value added tax, which is expected to affect consumer spending. Talarius, which now runs 8000 machines in some 170 venues, has been disappointing the market and investors for too many years to list. Chief executive of Tatts, Dick McIlwain, was upbeat about the future of Talarius and revealed he had refused 3 private equity offers to buy it in the past six months. Tatts is spending £10 million ($17 million) restructuring the business and has closed 45 venues. Industy analysts advised the write-down was no surprise, given Talarius's piss poor performance.
Business Talk: Bring In Skills Or Pay To Piper...
Australia's economy will stagnate and inflation increase if the intake of skilled migrants is not kept at least as high as it is now, say many of Australia's most influential businessmen. But the business community is in furious agreement that Australia's infrastructure and training programs must be better planned to accommodate economic growth. One of the country's richest businessmen, Len Ainsworth, founder of pokies group Aristocrat Leisure, has warned that Australia needs to be careful to match population growth with infrastructure availability. Packer mate 'Twiggy' Forrest said "If you stop Australia growing then you stop the economy growing and you stop the aspirations of every single Australian growing. The Aristocrat pokie mob bottom line has been much better days, while Packer's Crown share rates continue to struggle, but are making a slow upward recovery.
Australian Share Price Wrap Up...
Crown Limited 8.000
Aristocrat 3.580
Tabcorp 6.720
Centrebet 1.390
Tatts Group Limited 2.380
Aussie Boxing Sports Scandal - Not Ready Or Fix?...
Footage posted on YouTube of an out-of-condition Briggs sparring is believed to have sparked the betting rush on Wednesday night's fight with Danny Green. The video of Briggs sparring middleweight Peter Mitrevski jnr, shows "The Hurricane" getting a bit of a hiding, with action at one minute and 14 seconds showing Briggs getting punched while his hands are by his side. Mitrevski jnr is going half-paced and finding holes in Briggs's defence.
"I got a million calls after that video went up," Hussein told the Fairfax Media."Jeff (Fenech) told me two weeks before the fight to pull him out. I spoke to Paul and he said there was no way he would pull out, he wanted to knock out Danny Green and he believed he could do it. Regardless of if I had pulled out of camp, he would have fought. He would have found another trainer. I wanted to be there for him as a mate. I wanted to make sure he was going to be OK in there. If he didn't go down to that shot, if he had taken a bigger punch, I would have thrown in the towel. I was there to protect a guy who was adamant he was going to fight." Briggs, who has separated from his partner and has two children, was so desperate for cash he had earlier approached Anthony Mundine but was told they would rather give him money if he needed it. Briggs stronly claims he did not throw the fight and was "not the man he once was". The Australian boxing community says it will take a long time, if not ever, to recover, with insiders saying it will help the UFC and MMA in general, at least in the short term, while make the boxing business even harder. A sad week for Austrailan boxing to say the least.
YouTube Secret Briggs Training Footage!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWd2OGS4Wmw
Briggs VS Green Press Conferce (Star City Casino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GDqwxOooH8&NR=1
Media Man Profiles
Boxing
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/boxing.html
Danny Green
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/green.html
90% Of Australian Web Snoop Document Censored To Stop 'Premature Unnecessary Debate'...
The federal government has censored approximately 90 per cent of a secret document outlining its controversial plans to snoop on Australians' web surfing, obtained under freedom of information (FoI) laws, out of fear the document could cause "premature unnecessary debate". The government has been consulting with the internet industry over the proposal, which would require ISPs to store certain internet activities of all Australians - regardless of whether they have been suspected of wrongdoing - for law-enforcement agencies to access. All parties to the consultations have been sworn to secrecy. *full report: The Sydney Morning Herald website
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/smh.html
Key Websites In The Aussie Casino War...
PartyCasino
Captain Cooks Casino
Virgin Casino
PKR
Media Man and Gambling911 have a casino reviews section, so check it out to find out more. Bet with your head, not over it, and have fun".
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Australian Casinos
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Casino Reviews
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/casino_reviews.html
New Games
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/new_games.html
What did you like or hate most about this editions news? Tell us in the forum. Aussie's, vote early and vote often... just kidding brothers and sisters. Know the odds, Keep it legal and have fun maties.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a bakers dozen of sectors they cover. They also offer political analysis and commentary
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited and Virgin and has conducted b2b with Crown Limited, PartyGaming, Virgin and others mentioned in this report
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Monday, July 19, 2010
Super Heroes Casino - PartyCasino: The World's Leading Online Casino; A PartyGaming Company
PartyCasino: The World's Leading Online Casino
New Players get up to $500 sign up bonus at PartyCasino.com
PartyGaming also operates casinos, online poker rooms and bingo through various websites, including PartyCasino.com, PartyPoker.com, PartyBingo.com, WPTCasino.com and WPTPoker.com
PartyCasino is the Group’s most popular casino brand by far although other brands include CasinoKing and CasinoLasVegas.com The Group's casinos offer a huge variety of over 150 games including slots, blackjack, roulette, and video poker. As well as these traditional online casino games, the Group also offers virtual horse and virtual dog racing as well as multi-player blackjack.
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In 2007, the Group’s casino product was substantially improved through a series of software upgrades, the addition of a number of new slot machines and the integration of the acquisitions from EOL and IOG. Casino, which includes bingo games, is the Group’s second largest business segment and in 2007 it generated Continuing revenue of $146.7 million (2006: $51.0 million) and Continuing Clean EBITDA of $43.6 million (2006: $15.9 million).
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Saturday, July 10, 2010
Super Heroes Casino: PartyCasino News: Caribbean Cash Fever - Win a share of $100,000 and the holiday of a lifetime
Website
PartyCasino.com
Win a share of $100,000 and the holiday of a lifetime
Starts: 00:00 ET, 6th July
Ends: 23:59 ET, 18th July
We’re welcoming the summer with open arms this year by giving away a massive total of $100,000 across two leader boards.
That’s not all. We’ll also be running a prize draw to send one very lucky player to the beautiful island of St. Kitts to soak up some glorious Caribbean sun.
Fixing your name on one of our leader boards couldn’t be easier; simply collect as many points as you can from 6th to 18th July. Points can be collected on any of our slots and jackpot slots.
Our holiday prize draw is open to all of our players. All you have to do to be in with a chance of jet-setting to paradise is earn an entry ticket by collecting 100 points. You’ll get an entry for every 100 points you notch up, so keep earning those points: the more entries you have, the better your chance of winning the luxurious holiday will be!
Prize details
Two return flights from London to St. Kitts
Return airport transfers in St. Kitts
Seven nights at the Marriott Resort and The Royal Beach Casino for two people
Guided volcano crater tour for two with lunch and drinks
Natural pool jeep tour for two with snacks, drinks, and snorkel equipment
Dinner for two at the hotel’s La Cucina restaurant to the value of $150
Fujifilm Finepix waterproof digital camera with 2.7" LCD screen
$1,000 spending money
Insurance for two
Winner management
Let’s make this a summer to remember with Caribbean Cash Fever.
PartyGaming's principle brands include PartyPoker.com, PartyCasino.com and World Poker Tour
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PartyCasino.com
Win a share of $100,000 and the holiday of a lifetime
Starts: 00:00 ET, 6th July
Ends: 23:59 ET, 18th July
We’re welcoming the summer with open arms this year by giving away a massive total of $100,000 across two leader boards.
That’s not all. We’ll also be running a prize draw to send one very lucky player to the beautiful island of St. Kitts to soak up some glorious Caribbean sun.
Fixing your name on one of our leader boards couldn’t be easier; simply collect as many points as you can from 6th to 18th July. Points can be collected on any of our slots and jackpot slots.
Our holiday prize draw is open to all of our players. All you have to do to be in with a chance of jet-setting to paradise is earn an entry ticket by collecting 100 points. You’ll get an entry for every 100 points you notch up, so keep earning those points: the more entries you have, the better your chance of winning the luxurious holiday will be!
Prize details
Two return flights from London to St. Kitts
Return airport transfers in St. Kitts
Seven nights at the Marriott Resort and The Royal Beach Casino for two people
Guided volcano crater tour for two with lunch and drinks
Natural pool jeep tour for two with snacks, drinks, and snorkel equipment
Dinner for two at the hotel’s La Cucina restaurant to the value of $150
Fujifilm Finepix waterproof digital camera with 2.7" LCD screen
$1,000 spending money
Insurance for two
Winner management
Let’s make this a summer to remember with Caribbean Cash Fever.
PartyGaming's principle brands include PartyPoker.com, PartyCasino.com and World Poker Tour
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Monday, July 5, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Australian And New Zealand Casino News, by Greg Tingle - 4th July 2010
The Australian casino and gambling sector continues to make the news, some good, some bad. Not to be outdone, New Zealand, the Kiwi's south of Australia, also have some newsy happenings. Readers, gamblers and sports nuts, time to swing into the Asia Pacific region... Media Man and Gambling911 with your voyage of discovery...
Australia's Cairns In Northern Queensland To Become Aussie Las Vegas?...
Cairns would become Australia's equivalent to Las Vegas under a somewhat controversial scheme to transform it into the national centre for poker machines. Aussie Casino King, James Packer, his prize casino being in Melbourne, Australia, isn't speaking on the matter as yet. Packer also has his Burswood Entertainment Complex in Perth, Western Australia, so don't expect Packer to support the proposal. It's not a Crown Limited venture either, but maybe we would buy them out one day. The current proposal is to be heard within 24 hours in Brisbane, north of Sydney, and south of Cairns, at one of the tourism industry's key annual conventions, Tourism Futures, to be attended by international tourism heavyweights and politicians, including Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh. It is being championed - sphere headed by breakaway Liberal National Party MP Aidan McLindon, who has previously had campaigned against the spread of pokies. But Mr McLindon, who quit the party in May to form the Queensland Party, is now pushing for debate on a scheme that would create a Las Vegas style gambling strip in gorgeous Cairns by relocating poker machines from existing pubs and clubs across Queensland to a new "Aus Vegas" to be built in the region. Punters may recal Aus Vegas was an online casino name owned and operated by Lasseters, but they closed shop roughly 3 years ago, unable to compete with competitors which snatched online casino tuna, dolphins and whales. Aussie punters turned off Aus Vegas (online), finding the likes of PartyCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino and Virgin Casino.
The Beaudesert MP first tabled his vision for a Vegas-style pokies hub to reduce gambling in April last year in his virgin speech to State Parliament. It somewhat replicates the US model, where Nevada is the only state to have no significant restrictions against gaming machines. Under the "Aus Vegas" proposal, clubs would have to sell their poker machine licences back to the Government or relocate their pokies to Cairns and become "shareholders" in the new venture. The state's existing 4 major casinos would be exempt.
The plan would be supported by a shake-up of the current distribution of gambling funds collected by the State Government, with pokies revenue instead being poured into recreational sports through a scheme that would hand sports clubs a cash grant for each child they put on the sports field! (a suitable connection between pokies and kids). "The location is ideal given the Cairns region is suffering some of the highest unemployment levels and the tourism industry is plummeting," Mr McLindon said. "It already has the international airport there, which is under-utilised. Ideally, you want them (gaming machines) all in one place so people can go away, have a holiday, blow their money and come home." But welfare groups fear the plan could turn Cairns into another "Sin City", following Vegas, Sydney and Melbourne to a certain extent...making residents the sacrificial lambs of the nation's gambling problems.
Media Man Profiles
Northern Queensland
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/northern_queensland.html
Aus Vegas
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/ausvegas.html
Sky City New Zealand Crunch The Numbers...
The regulatory cloud which has overhung Australia's casino sector since late 2009 looks to have been removed by the government endorsing voluntary pre-commitment as the preferred way of targeting problem gambling, says Rob Bode at First NZ Capital. That's even though the more draconian recommendations seemed very unlikely with the more severe measures unlikely to pass a cost/benefit test, Bode says. "For Sky City Entertainment Group, not only does this remove risk of substantial erosion of gaming revenues for its Australian properties ... but it also avoids an unhelpful precedent being imported to New Zealand," he says. The Adelaide and Darwin casinos contribute about 30% of Sky's group earnings before interest and tax (EBIT). "Following the introduction of the Gambling Act 2003, New Zealand has been ahead of Australia in terms of introduction of harm minimisation measures and this has undoubtedly been a factor contributing to lacklustre performance of gaming machines over the past six years," Bode says. "If Australia had leapfrogged New Zealand in implementation of harm minimisation measures, it would have probably only been a matter of time before New Zealand followed suit." Bode says it looks like the Australian changes will be relatively drawn out and manageable for the industry.
Sky City Shares - 2nd July...
Casino operator Sky City closed up 1.8% at NZ$2.88. Macquarie earlier upgraded it to neutral from under perform following recent weakness in its share price and a benign government response to a Productivity Commission Report on Australian gambling industry.
New Zealand profile
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/new_zealand.html
Australian Politics - Kate Lundy VS Sen Stephen Conroy ("Censorship Minister")...
Julia Gillard's takeover of the Labor Party leadership has sparked calls for the communications portfolio to change hands also. Gillard became the country's first female Prime Minister after Kevin Rudd decided not to contest a leadership challenge. In her acceptance speech, Ms Gillard said she would make "consequential" changes to cabinet positions at "an appropriate time". However some bloggers and technology pundits have already decided on the two politicians they would like to see trade places. The minister they would like to see out is Stephen Conroy, currently in charge of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (BCDE), and the figurehead of the Government's controversial internet filtering policy. The favourite to replace him is Kate Lundy, a former shadow IT minister who has retained an interest in the area and the respect of industry figures. Technology wire service Delimiter speculated on whether Senator Lundy would replace Senator Conroy in a reshuffle, airing claims from critics of the current minister that Senator Lundy better understood the sector. Gizmodo Australia went one step further and launched a campaign titled "Kate Lundy For IT: The Change We Really Need" that was linked to by hundreds of users on Twitter. "If it's time for a change in Labor, there’s no better change than replacing Conroy with a forward thinking minister for BCDE like Senator Lundy," it said. Editor Nick Broughall said the campaign wasn't just a kneejerk reaction to the leadership change and had so far received encouraging support. "We're going to run with this until the new front bench has been named and we know whether or not the Government is going to change its approach to the BCDE portfolio, in particular its proposed internet filter," he told News Limited's news.com.au. Web filtering Much of the backlash against Senator Conroy is linked to the Government's controversial internet filtering plan. Under the scheme, internet providers like Telstra and Optus would be forced to block access to a secret list of banned webpages. One of the key differences between the two senators is the degree of their support for the plan. Senator Lundy has been one of the only Labor voices to publicly question the policy and earlier this month said she would propose an alternative to the Labor Caucus. "I am working to change the internet filtering policy to better achieve the policy goals of protecting children through empowering and educating parents," she wrote on her blog at the time. Senator Lundy's concerns lay with the mandatory nature of the filtering plan. She believes Australians should be given the option to choose whether their internet connections are censored. However Internet Industry Association chief executive Peter Coroneos said a change of minister wasn't necessary for the filtering plan to be dropped, if the Government chose to do so. "I wouldn't necessarily conclude from (Gillard's) comments that we're going to see a major rearrangement of the deckchairs," he told news.com.au. "To speculate on who will be the communications minister really is jumping ahead." Mr Coroneos said the association supported two of the Government's three main communications policies — the national broadband network (NBN) and its e-security agenda — but not its internet filtering plan. If the communications portfolio was up for grabs, Mr Coroneos said it would be a "difficult question to answer" which senator would suit it best. "Kate Lundy is someone we’ve worked with for a long time and we have a great deal of respect for both her commitment to our industry and also her understanding of the issues," he said. "But there's no doubting Stephen Conroy's commitment to the NBN either." Senator Lundy was one of the first Labor MPs to declare her support for Ms Gillard last night. Fittingly, she made the statement on Twitter. "I will be voting for Julia Gillard in the l'ship ballot. She will be an inspiring PM!," she wrote, from the @katelundy account. And speaking on ABC Radio this morning before the leadership decision was revealed, she seemed confident with what the outcome would be. When asked if Australia would have a new prime minister by lunch, Senator Lundy replied: "I believe so." She also took the opportunity to describe IT policy as one of "those areas I'm passionate about". Senator Lundy was Labor's shadow IT minister from 2001 until 2004 when the portfolio was handed to Senator Conroy under then opposition leader Mark Latham. Since that time Senator Lundy has maintained an active interest in communications and technology, speaking publicly about the NBN and initiatives such as Gov 2.0, and regularly updating her blog. Senator Conroy is also understood to have supported Ms Gillard, according to The Australian. His media advisor did not immediately return a request for comment about the reshuffle.
Aussie Pokie Palaces Use Games To Train Up Kids?...
Pokies venues across the state of Victoria are "grooming" kids to gamble by installing arcade games that mimic poker machines, electronic gaming experts and anti-gambling advocates tell anyone willing to listen. The so called "redemption games", many of which offer children prizes worth hundreds of dollars such as digital cameras or televisions, look similar to poker machines on the premises' adults-only gaming floors, usually located just a few steps away from the kids' areas. Last month Media Man and Gambling911 pointed out the interesting 'Insert Coin' feature on the Google Pac-Man game. Conditioning or not?
A gaming expert at Monash University, Charles Livingstone, says the arcade games served two purposes...to "indoctrinate kids to gambling, to make them think this is a normal part of life"; and to lure children, and with them their parents, into pokie venues. The good doctor said Australia had "one of the world's most liberal gambling regulatory regimes", which had led to more pubs and gaming venues offering children's activities. A state government spokeswoman said there was no "research or evidence linking children playing redemption games … with problem gambling in adulthood", but an Adelaide University study released last year contradicts that assertion! The study, involving more than 2500 teenagers, found that those who were already pathological gamblers were significantly more likely to have a history of playing video and arcade games. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon said state legislation was clearly failing children. "While mum and dad are playing pokies inside, the kids are getting trained up on redemption (arcade) games just a few metres away. The connection is insidious and it is totally cynical," he said. Senator Xenophon said games with gambling features that offered real prizes should be reclassified as gaming machines under the law and children should be banned from using them. If state governments were not willing to act, federal intervention was needed, he said. At the Westside Hotel in Melbourne's west, a group of children's games stands a few paces from the pokies floor. The prizes on offer are attractive...digital camera, 43-centimetre TV, iPod, Nintendo game console. "Win'n'Grin", one game greets us with. But not everyone is grinning.
The manual of one of Westside's games shows operators how to fix the number of games played before a prize is given. Anti-gambling campaigner Tim Costello told Fairfax Media he was "very worried about blurring the boundaries of children's play and what is a highly addictive adult entertainment". The Productivity Commission's report on gambling released late last month reaffirmed its view that "minors should not … be exposed to gambling areas within venues". In 2001, arcade games offering cash prizes were banned in Victoria. But games are allowed to dispense redeemable tickets or actual prizes. And while children are not allowed on a gaming floor, venues are allowed to provide children's games nearby. Redemption games - whose primary focus is about winning prizes...have been fixtures in games arcades for years, but the push to install them in pokie venues has accelerated recently. The owner of the largest distributor of coin-operated amusement equipment in Australia, Zak Athanasiadis of Zax Amusements, said dozens of gaming venues around Melbourne now had kids' arcade games. But he said he refused to stock games with prizes worth more than $15. "I don't think it's ethical to have machines where there is a chance people might need to put in $100 to get their prize," he said. "It's not good for the children, it's not good for the parents, it's not good for the venue." The owner of Legends pub in Epping, Bruce McPhee, said redemption games were becoming more popular as children looked for thrills they could not get at home. McPhee said kids could now play race-car games or hunting games in their lounge room or bedroom, but they could not win prizes from their game consoles (but don't tell Richard Branson's Virgin Gaming that, as they may want to argue the point). PokieAct.org founder Paul Bendat said all children's games should be banned from pokies venues. "I stand for children not being in pokies venues at all because gambling is an adult form of harmful entertainment," Mr Bendat advised. He highlighted the issue in a submission to the Productivity Commission, and has raised it with the state government. Bendat said "They've done absolutely - in Victoria - nothing. Zero." Government spokeswoman Rebecca Harrison said redemption games were not covered by the state's gaming regulator, the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation, as they "are not gaming machines because you can't place a bet on the outcome of the game". She said redemption games were "typically games of skill", while pokies were "games of chance". A spokesman for Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group, which owns Westside Hotel, David Curry, said he did not believe the games trained children to gamble and regulators had never raised any concerns about the venue's provision of children's activities. "We operate family venues with a variety of entertainment opportunities for children included within that" he advised.
UFC: Aussies Want Brock Lesnar To Win But Money Goes On Shane Carwin...
Australian UFC and sporting nuts love Lesnar, but the majority think Carwin will... er Win. MMA junkies down under predict Carwin by submission, knockout or stoppage in the 1st or 2nd round. Carwin's positive momentum along with his size and agility, along with not being dwarfed by monster Lesnar are key reasons for the 60% or so backing on Carwin.
Aussie Casino Shares...
Crown $7.730
Tabcorp $6.38
Centrbet $1.130
Tatts $2.230
Reef Casino Trust $1.900
Aristocrat Leisure Limited $3.610
Lasseters Corporation $0.010
SkyCity $2.88
Media Man Financial News profile
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/financial_news.html
Punters, as always, bet with your head, not over it, know the odds and have fun.
*The writer is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a bakers dozen of sectors they cover
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Australia's Cairns In Northern Queensland To Become Aussie Las Vegas?...
Cairns would become Australia's equivalent to Las Vegas under a somewhat controversial scheme to transform it into the national centre for poker machines. Aussie Casino King, James Packer, his prize casino being in Melbourne, Australia, isn't speaking on the matter as yet. Packer also has his Burswood Entertainment Complex in Perth, Western Australia, so don't expect Packer to support the proposal. It's not a Crown Limited venture either, but maybe we would buy them out one day. The current proposal is to be heard within 24 hours in Brisbane, north of Sydney, and south of Cairns, at one of the tourism industry's key annual conventions, Tourism Futures, to be attended by international tourism heavyweights and politicians, including Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh. It is being championed - sphere headed by breakaway Liberal National Party MP Aidan McLindon, who has previously had campaigned against the spread of pokies. But Mr McLindon, who quit the party in May to form the Queensland Party, is now pushing for debate on a scheme that would create a Las Vegas style gambling strip in gorgeous Cairns by relocating poker machines from existing pubs and clubs across Queensland to a new "Aus Vegas" to be built in the region. Punters may recal Aus Vegas was an online casino name owned and operated by Lasseters, but they closed shop roughly 3 years ago, unable to compete with competitors which snatched online casino tuna, dolphins and whales. Aussie punters turned off Aus Vegas (online), finding the likes of PartyCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino and Virgin Casino.
The Beaudesert MP first tabled his vision for a Vegas-style pokies hub to reduce gambling in April last year in his virgin speech to State Parliament. It somewhat replicates the US model, where Nevada is the only state to have no significant restrictions against gaming machines. Under the "Aus Vegas" proposal, clubs would have to sell their poker machine licences back to the Government or relocate their pokies to Cairns and become "shareholders" in the new venture. The state's existing 4 major casinos would be exempt.
The plan would be supported by a shake-up of the current distribution of gambling funds collected by the State Government, with pokies revenue instead being poured into recreational sports through a scheme that would hand sports clubs a cash grant for each child they put on the sports field! (a suitable connection between pokies and kids). "The location is ideal given the Cairns region is suffering some of the highest unemployment levels and the tourism industry is plummeting," Mr McLindon said. "It already has the international airport there, which is under-utilised. Ideally, you want them (gaming machines) all in one place so people can go away, have a holiday, blow their money and come home." But welfare groups fear the plan could turn Cairns into another "Sin City", following Vegas, Sydney and Melbourne to a certain extent...making residents the sacrificial lambs of the nation's gambling problems.
Media Man Profiles
Northern Queensland
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/northern_queensland.html
Aus Vegas
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/ausvegas.html
Sky City New Zealand Crunch The Numbers...
The regulatory cloud which has overhung Australia's casino sector since late 2009 looks to have been removed by the government endorsing voluntary pre-commitment as the preferred way of targeting problem gambling, says Rob Bode at First NZ Capital. That's even though the more draconian recommendations seemed very unlikely with the more severe measures unlikely to pass a cost/benefit test, Bode says. "For Sky City Entertainment Group, not only does this remove risk of substantial erosion of gaming revenues for its Australian properties ... but it also avoids an unhelpful precedent being imported to New Zealand," he says. The Adelaide and Darwin casinos contribute about 30% of Sky's group earnings before interest and tax (EBIT). "Following the introduction of the Gambling Act 2003, New Zealand has been ahead of Australia in terms of introduction of harm minimisation measures and this has undoubtedly been a factor contributing to lacklustre performance of gaming machines over the past six years," Bode says. "If Australia had leapfrogged New Zealand in implementation of harm minimisation measures, it would have probably only been a matter of time before New Zealand followed suit." Bode says it looks like the Australian changes will be relatively drawn out and manageable for the industry.
Sky City Shares - 2nd July...
Casino operator Sky City closed up 1.8% at NZ$2.88. Macquarie earlier upgraded it to neutral from under perform following recent weakness in its share price and a benign government response to a Productivity Commission Report on Australian gambling industry.
New Zealand profile
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/new_zealand.html
Australian Politics - Kate Lundy VS Sen Stephen Conroy ("Censorship Minister")...
Julia Gillard's takeover of the Labor Party leadership has sparked calls for the communications portfolio to change hands also. Gillard became the country's first female Prime Minister after Kevin Rudd decided not to contest a leadership challenge. In her acceptance speech, Ms Gillard said she would make "consequential" changes to cabinet positions at "an appropriate time". However some bloggers and technology pundits have already decided on the two politicians they would like to see trade places. The minister they would like to see out is Stephen Conroy, currently in charge of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (BCDE), and the figurehead of the Government's controversial internet filtering policy. The favourite to replace him is Kate Lundy, a former shadow IT minister who has retained an interest in the area and the respect of industry figures. Technology wire service Delimiter speculated on whether Senator Lundy would replace Senator Conroy in a reshuffle, airing claims from critics of the current minister that Senator Lundy better understood the sector. Gizmodo Australia went one step further and launched a campaign titled "Kate Lundy For IT: The Change We Really Need" that was linked to by hundreds of users on Twitter. "If it's time for a change in Labor, there’s no better change than replacing Conroy with a forward thinking minister for BCDE like Senator Lundy," it said. Editor Nick Broughall said the campaign wasn't just a kneejerk reaction to the leadership change and had so far received encouraging support. "We're going to run with this until the new front bench has been named and we know whether or not the Government is going to change its approach to the BCDE portfolio, in particular its proposed internet filter," he told News Limited's news.com.au. Web filtering Much of the backlash against Senator Conroy is linked to the Government's controversial internet filtering plan. Under the scheme, internet providers like Telstra and Optus would be forced to block access to a secret list of banned webpages. One of the key differences between the two senators is the degree of their support for the plan. Senator Lundy has been one of the only Labor voices to publicly question the policy and earlier this month said she would propose an alternative to the Labor Caucus. "I am working to change the internet filtering policy to better achieve the policy goals of protecting children through empowering and educating parents," she wrote on her blog at the time. Senator Lundy's concerns lay with the mandatory nature of the filtering plan. She believes Australians should be given the option to choose whether their internet connections are censored. However Internet Industry Association chief executive Peter Coroneos said a change of minister wasn't necessary for the filtering plan to be dropped, if the Government chose to do so. "I wouldn't necessarily conclude from (Gillard's) comments that we're going to see a major rearrangement of the deckchairs," he told news.com.au. "To speculate on who will be the communications minister really is jumping ahead." Mr Coroneos said the association supported two of the Government's three main communications policies — the national broadband network (NBN) and its e-security agenda — but not its internet filtering plan. If the communications portfolio was up for grabs, Mr Coroneos said it would be a "difficult question to answer" which senator would suit it best. "Kate Lundy is someone we’ve worked with for a long time and we have a great deal of respect for both her commitment to our industry and also her understanding of the issues," he said. "But there's no doubting Stephen Conroy's commitment to the NBN either." Senator Lundy was one of the first Labor MPs to declare her support for Ms Gillard last night. Fittingly, she made the statement on Twitter. "I will be voting for Julia Gillard in the l'ship ballot. She will be an inspiring PM!," she wrote, from the @katelundy account. And speaking on ABC Radio this morning before the leadership decision was revealed, she seemed confident with what the outcome would be. When asked if Australia would have a new prime minister by lunch, Senator Lundy replied: "I believe so." She also took the opportunity to describe IT policy as one of "those areas I'm passionate about". Senator Lundy was Labor's shadow IT minister from 2001 until 2004 when the portfolio was handed to Senator Conroy under then opposition leader Mark Latham. Since that time Senator Lundy has maintained an active interest in communications and technology, speaking publicly about the NBN and initiatives such as Gov 2.0, and regularly updating her blog. Senator Conroy is also understood to have supported Ms Gillard, according to The Australian. His media advisor did not immediately return a request for comment about the reshuffle.
Aussie Pokie Palaces Use Games To Train Up Kids?...
Pokies venues across the state of Victoria are "grooming" kids to gamble by installing arcade games that mimic poker machines, electronic gaming experts and anti-gambling advocates tell anyone willing to listen. The so called "redemption games", many of which offer children prizes worth hundreds of dollars such as digital cameras or televisions, look similar to poker machines on the premises' adults-only gaming floors, usually located just a few steps away from the kids' areas. Last month Media Man and Gambling911 pointed out the interesting 'Insert Coin' feature on the Google Pac-Man game. Conditioning or not?
A gaming expert at Monash University, Charles Livingstone, says the arcade games served two purposes...to "indoctrinate kids to gambling, to make them think this is a normal part of life"; and to lure children, and with them their parents, into pokie venues. The good doctor said Australia had "one of the world's most liberal gambling regulatory regimes", which had led to more pubs and gaming venues offering children's activities. A state government spokeswoman said there was no "research or evidence linking children playing redemption games … with problem gambling in adulthood", but an Adelaide University study released last year contradicts that assertion! The study, involving more than 2500 teenagers, found that those who were already pathological gamblers were significantly more likely to have a history of playing video and arcade games. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon said state legislation was clearly failing children. "While mum and dad are playing pokies inside, the kids are getting trained up on redemption (arcade) games just a few metres away. The connection is insidious and it is totally cynical," he said. Senator Xenophon said games with gambling features that offered real prizes should be reclassified as gaming machines under the law and children should be banned from using them. If state governments were not willing to act, federal intervention was needed, he said. At the Westside Hotel in Melbourne's west, a group of children's games stands a few paces from the pokies floor. The prizes on offer are attractive...digital camera, 43-centimetre TV, iPod, Nintendo game console. "Win'n'Grin", one game greets us with. But not everyone is grinning.
The manual of one of Westside's games shows operators how to fix the number of games played before a prize is given. Anti-gambling campaigner Tim Costello told Fairfax Media he was "very worried about blurring the boundaries of children's play and what is a highly addictive adult entertainment". The Productivity Commission's report on gambling released late last month reaffirmed its view that "minors should not … be exposed to gambling areas within venues". In 2001, arcade games offering cash prizes were banned in Victoria. But games are allowed to dispense redeemable tickets or actual prizes. And while children are not allowed on a gaming floor, venues are allowed to provide children's games nearby. Redemption games - whose primary focus is about winning prizes...have been fixtures in games arcades for years, but the push to install them in pokie venues has accelerated recently. The owner of the largest distributor of coin-operated amusement equipment in Australia, Zak Athanasiadis of Zax Amusements, said dozens of gaming venues around Melbourne now had kids' arcade games. But he said he refused to stock games with prizes worth more than $15. "I don't think it's ethical to have machines where there is a chance people might need to put in $100 to get their prize," he said. "It's not good for the children, it's not good for the parents, it's not good for the venue." The owner of Legends pub in Epping, Bruce McPhee, said redemption games were becoming more popular as children looked for thrills they could not get at home. McPhee said kids could now play race-car games or hunting games in their lounge room or bedroom, but they could not win prizes from their game consoles (but don't tell Richard Branson's Virgin Gaming that, as they may want to argue the point). PokieAct.org founder Paul Bendat said all children's games should be banned from pokies venues. "I stand for children not being in pokies venues at all because gambling is an adult form of harmful entertainment," Mr Bendat advised. He highlighted the issue in a submission to the Productivity Commission, and has raised it with the state government. Bendat said "They've done absolutely - in Victoria - nothing. Zero." Government spokeswoman Rebecca Harrison said redemption games were not covered by the state's gaming regulator, the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation, as they "are not gaming machines because you can't place a bet on the outcome of the game". She said redemption games were "typically games of skill", while pokies were "games of chance". A spokesman for Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group, which owns Westside Hotel, David Curry, said he did not believe the games trained children to gamble and regulators had never raised any concerns about the venue's provision of children's activities. "We operate family venues with a variety of entertainment opportunities for children included within that" he advised.
UFC: Aussies Want Brock Lesnar To Win But Money Goes On Shane Carwin...
Australian UFC and sporting nuts love Lesnar, but the majority think Carwin will... er Win. MMA junkies down under predict Carwin by submission, knockout or stoppage in the 1st or 2nd round. Carwin's positive momentum along with his size and agility, along with not being dwarfed by monster Lesnar are key reasons for the 60% or so backing on Carwin.
Aussie Casino Shares...
Crown $7.730
Tabcorp $6.38
Centrbet $1.130
Tatts $2.230
Reef Casino Trust $1.900
Aristocrat Leisure Limited $3.610
Lasseters Corporation $0.010
SkyCity $2.88
Media Man Financial News profile
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/financial_news.html
Punters, as always, bet with your head, not over it, know the odds and have fun.
*The writer is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a bakers dozen of sectors they cover
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Saturday, July 3, 2010
Virgin Casino Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award; Breaks PartyCasino Hold
Virgin Casino Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award (Finally), Breaks Party Hold...
The PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino online casino wars have been going on for a few years now, much of that time PartyCasino having a lock on the coverted Media Man award. In a shocker, Richard Branson's Virgin Casino toppled Party for June. The new games, excellent affiliate offerings, gameplay, global expansion, addition of the Virgin Gaming arm and outstanding customer experiences were key reasons for the win. PartyGaming's casino got 2nd place, and Captain Cooks Casino in 3rd (comon' Aussie's)! Virgin doesn't accept Aussie or American players, but is big in Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa and much of Europe. PartyGaming remains ultra popular in Australia and New Zealand. Read about the PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino war here...
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The PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino online casino wars have been going on for a few years now, much of that time PartyCasino having a lock on the coverted Media Man award. In a shocker, Richard Branson's Virgin Casino toppled Party for June. The new games, excellent affiliate offerings, gameplay, global expansion, addition of the Virgin Gaming arm and outstanding customer experiences were key reasons for the win. PartyGaming's casino got 2nd place, and Captain Cooks Casino in 3rd (comon' Aussie's)! Virgin doesn't accept Aussie or American players, but is big in Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa and much of Europe. PartyGaming remains ultra popular in Australia and New Zealand. Read about the PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino war here...
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/partycasino_vs.html
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Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tomb Raider and Thunderstruck online slot games arrive at Virgin Casino
Tomb Raider and Thunderstruck online slot games arrive at Virgin Casino
Play for free or play for money.
Tomb Raider is one of the most popular videogames and online slot games of all time. Join Lara Croft on an epic journey..
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
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VirginCasino.com
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Play for free or play for money.
Tomb Raider is one of the most popular videogames and online slot games of all time. Join Lara Croft on an epic journey..
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Website
VirginCasino.com
Profiles
Tomb Raider
Thunderstruck
Hitman
Microgaming
Virgin Microgaming
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Richard Branson
Angelina Jolie
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