Austrian legislation establishes a State monopoly over games of chance, with the effect that the right to organise and operate games of chance is, in principle, reserved to the State. The federal law in force is intended, in particular, to regulate games of chance with a view to their supervision and to enable the State to derive the maximum amount of revenue from them. The Federal Minister for Finance is permitted to grant a total of 12 concessions entitling their holders to organise and operate gaming establishments.
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News from 09.09.2010
In Germany, jurisdiction over gambling is divided between the federal State and the Länder. In most of the Länder, there is a regional monopoly for the organisation of sporting bets and lotteries, while the organisation of bets on horse racing and the operation of gaming machines and casinos are entrusted to duly-authorised private operators.
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News from 08.09.2010
Olympia, Washingtom - All bets are off at Betcha, a Seattle-based online bookmaker that couldn't skirt the state's gambling laws by making it optional for losing bettors to pay off wagers. In a unanimous ruling Thursday, the Washington state Supreme Court said Betcha.com qualified as an illegal bookie because it arranged bets and took a percentage of the action as a fee.
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News from 06.09.2010
After debating for two hours, the House of Representatives passed late yesterday afternoon a contentious bill legalizing casino operation on Saipan, just two years after voters rejected a similar initiative. Speaker Froilan C. Tenorio's House Bill 17-55, House Substitute 1 passed on a 10-6 vote with three abstentions. His substitute bill increases the share of casino gaming revenue for Rota and Tinian, from only 2.5 % each to 25 % each. Saipan will get 50 %.
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News from 26.08.2010
The Spanish Official State Gazette (BOE) has published the Betting and Gaming Act of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, which estates a new regulatory framework for Internet gambling and casino. The new law was passed unanimously by the Parliament of the Canary Islands on 7 July. This rule repeals the 1999 Act. The new law provides that the opening of bingo in the Canary Islands is obliged to be subject to a public tender as well as casinos, horse tracks, dog tracks and pelota courts.
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News from 23.08.2010
Following the conviction of an illegal supplier of gaming machines, the Gambling Commission has warned that it will prosecute those who persist in supplying gaming machines illegally. The warning follows the successful prosecution under section 242(1) of the Gambling Act 2005, at Bootle Magistrates' Court last week. The court found Peter Croome guilty of 24 counts of making gaming machines available for use without an operating licence.
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News from 16.08.2010
In a move that could reignite Bay State hopes for casinos and slots, House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo indicated yesterday he's mulling calling back lawmakers to Beacon Hill to approve a USD 655 million federal aid package. State legislators had included the federal cash in the budget, but Gov. Deval Patrick vetoed it - setting the stage for lawmakers to return and possibly take another crack at expanding gambling in Massachusetts.
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News from 11.08.2010
On August 4th, several changes were made to Canadian gambling laws that allow for greater punishment of offenders. The list of "serious offences” in the country's Criminal Code has been amended, with a total of 11 additions being made. Many of these additions are gambling related. The following gambling related actions are now considered "serious offences” in Canada:
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News from 10.08.2010
Washington (Dow Jones) - A House panel voted on Wednesday to approve a measure that would seek to regulate many forms of online gambling, in an effort to overturn an existing law that bans the increasingly popular Internet-based gambling. Lawmakers on the House Financial Services Committee voted 41-22 to approve the legislation, meaning it could be brought to the floor by House Democratic leadership.
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News from 29.07.2010
The Irish government's plan to draft new gaming legislation has been put back to later in the year. The industry currently operates by making use of a loophole in the current legislation, the 1956 Gaming and Lotteries Act, allowing members' clubs to operate certain casino games. While a number of casinos are currently operating in Ireland as private members' clubs, those looking to jump into the business in a big way are still waiting for the government to show its hand over legislation on the market.
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News from 27.07.2010
(Reuters) - EU countries can ban online gambling if their aim is to combat fraud, Europe's highest court said on Thursday, dealing a blow to the multi-billion euro online betting industry seeking to break domestic monopolies. The European Union Court of Justice (ECJ) issued rulings on two separate challenges involving online gambling in the Netherlands. De Lotto, a Dutch non-profit-making foundation which offers games of chance, had asked a Dutch court to stop residents from using British bookmaker Ladbrokes' online gambling operation as it was not licensed in the Netherlands.
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News from 04.06.2010
California has introduced its long-awaited bill authorising the creation of an intrastate online poker system. Senator Rod Wright, leader of the Senate Committee with oversight for gambling, introduced the amended version of SB 1485 late on Friday. The bill proposes the state's Department of Justice award up to three five-year contracts to California-based operators to run online poker websites for state residents.
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News from 02.06.2010
Texas has become the latest state to float the idea of legalizing casinos and using the tax revenues to close what potentially could be an USD 18 billion budget hole. Texas House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts, a Republican, said Tuesday that legalized casinos in the Lone Star State could bring in USD 1 billion in the next two-year budget period and USD 4 billion annually in the future. "I'm going to look at every revenue enhancer that we can get," Pitts told Texas media outlets covering legislative meetings in Austin...
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News from 19.05.2010
Puerto Rican Chamber passed last week a measure that approves the opening of casinos in Puerto Rico, according to the minority of the political party Partido Popular Democrático (PPD). Project 2250 creates the Law for the Tourism Promotion for the Local Economic Development, which aims to boost tourism in the island. Its authors are Carlos "Johnny” Méndez and president of the chamber, Jenniffer González.
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News from 19.05.2010
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means is to meet today to hear testimony on tax proposals related to legalized internet gambling, as the enforcement deadline for UIGEA regulations looms. Ways and Means Chairman Sander M. Levin said on Wednesday that the full Committee will meet next week to discuss the current tax laws and reporting requirements applicable to betting in the United States...
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News from 14.05.2010
KIngston, Jamaica - Jamaica has legalized casinos after a nearly yearlong debate that drew fierce opposition from religious groups. Information Minister Daryl Vaz says the legislation allows the government to create the Casino Gaming Commission to grant licenses. He said Saturday that the island's deputy governor-general signed the bill this week because Gov. General Sir Patrick Allen was on vacation.
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News from 10.05.2010
Friday, 10. September
Judgments of the Court of Justice in Case C-64/08 - Criminal proceedings against Ernst Engelmann
No more bets: WA court says online bookie illegal
Saipan casino bill passes House of Representatives
Approved New Gaming Regulation in the Canaries
Canadian gambling laws become stricter
Irish gaming legislation change on hold
New law would allow more casinos in Puerto Rico
Jamaica legalizes casinos to revive economy
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