11-Jun-09. EU calls on U.S. to drop gambling ban. Globe and Mail, B6.

This newsbrief reports that the European Union yesterday urged the United States to open talks on ending a ban on foreign online gambling companies, saying it breaks global trade rules. The European Commission said the U.S. ban shut out gambling sites such as Britain’s PartyGaming PLC and Sportingbet PLC from the United States’ lucrative $4-billion (U.S.) market, causing companies to lose revenue and stock market value.

13-Jul-07. British PM angers casino backers. Calgary Herald, E9.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has backed away from a proposal to develop a Las Vegas-style gambling centre near Manchester.  Plans for the construction of 16 smaller casinos will not be changed.

19-Jan-07. Neteller to close Internet gambling services in U.S. Globe and Mail, B8.

Britain’s Neteller PLC closed its U.S. Internet gambling services yesterday. Neteller said it will stop handling gambling transactions from U.S. customers because of restrictive legislation and uncertainties about regulations.

26-Dec-06. So you think you could run a pro team? Globe and Mail, B5.

Big Bucks Footy is an online fantasy soccer game that allows players to manage their teams to compete for real prize money. Tim Lloyd, vice-president of BigBucks Games Interactive Inc., which has developed the game, says that it does not involve gambling and is 100-per-cent skills-based. A test version of the game is scheduled to go live on January 2nd. An increasing number of similar online skill games are being developed where players compete for cash prizes but few are profitable.

28-Oct-06. Online gaming crackdown America’s new ‘Prohibition’. Calgary Herald, C8.

Britain’s culture secretary Tessa Jowell warned that the U.S. ban on Internet gambling would make unregulated offshore sites the modern equivalent of speakeasies that opened in 1920s America when alcohol was banned during Prohibition. Earlier this month U.S. Congress added a provision to an unrelated bill that would make it illegal for banks and credit-card companies to settle payments for online gambling sites. U.S. officials have declined to participate in an international summit on Internet gambling that is taking place next week in London. Legislators from 30 countries will discuss ways to regulate the industry, including the protection of minors and keeping the industry free of crime.

28-Oct-06. Britain to press nations to regulate Web gambling. Globe and Mail, B10.

This newsbrief reports that Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, South Africa and other nations will meet on October 31 in London to attempt to agree on a code of conduct for companies that offer gambling online. U.S. officials were invited to the meeting but declined to attend.

26-Jul-06. Bodog boss Ayre steers clear of U.S. Globe and Mail, B1.

Last week’s arrest of a British gaming executive in the United States has cast a pall over the online gambling sector, which is largely based in Britain. Internet gambling stock prices have been undercut and there are concerns that Internet sports betting and casino operations could be facing a serious crackdown. An international gambling conference hosted by Calvin Ayre’s Bodog Entertainment Group that was scheduled for Las Vegas was recently cancelled.