Issue N47, 2008
November 19, 2008
More Support for Gambling Industry in Kentucky Domain Case
There was good news for the online casino industry this week with the news that the Kentucky Appeals Court had granted a stay on a lower court’s ruling that the State Governor, Steve Beshear, could seize the domain names of 141 online gambling sites. The stay came after briefs were filed by a number of gambling groups who expressed their horror that such a move could take place. The case will now be heard in an Appeals Courtroom next month.
The gambling industry received support from several non-gambling entities this week, including the powerful American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Other groups that joined this protest were the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), all of who filed an amicus brief with the Kentucky Appeals Court to support petition writs that had been submitted by the Interactive Gaming Council.
“The court's theory - that a state court can order the seizure of internet domain names regardless of where the site was registered - is not only wrong but dangerous,” said the Senior Staff Attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Matt Zimmerman. “If the mere ability to access a website gives every court on the planet the authority to seize a domain name if a site's content is somehow inconsistent with local law, the laws of the world's most repressive regimes will effectively control cyberspace.”
New Jadestone Games Product Due to be Released
One of the most exciting new games products in a long time is set to be released before the end of this year, according to its developers. Jadestone software creators announced that the much-awaited DiceArena would debut at several online companies, including the Finnish monopoly gambling company, PAF.
DiceArena has been created as an exciting package of multi player skilled games for players at all levels. While the games are an important feature of this new product, Jadestone has also concentrated on developing strong community features as well.
“PAF has been an important partner for Jadestone since we got started in this business,” said the Chief Executive Officer of Jadestone, Robert Henrysson. “We're very happy to see them as one of the first out of the gate with DiceArena and extremely pleased with the strong marketing muscle they bring to the launch.”
“We've enjoyed working with many Jadestone products over the years but DiceArena is the most exciting concept we've seen yet,” said Tomas Nilssen, the Business Manager for Poker, Games and Dice for PAF. “We believe that our customers will respond very well to the inviting design and the immediate appeal of the games. This is like poker for the rest of us, with a smile. The design matches our target groups and aligns very well with our brand.”
Betfair Races into Australian Market
Following the relaxation of advertising laws in Australia pertaining to the horseracing industry, the gambling company, Betfair has signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with the Melbourne Racing Club. Under the conditions of the new contract, the racing club’s Sandown Racecourse will be renamed Betfair Park, while the gambling company will also be allowed to sponsor races at another track owned by the racing club, Caulifield.
“The partnership will complement our existing sponsorship relationships and we are delighted that Betfair's first major foray into Victorian racing has seen the company opt to make such a substantial investment in our club's racing centers,” said the Chief Executive Officer of the Melbourne Racing Club, Warren Brown. “We believe the company's involvement in both our racecourses will prove to be an extremely positive, exciting and successful development for our club.”
Growing Pressure Against UIGEA Implementation
As the Republicans prepare to leave the White House and hand over the keys to the new President Barack Obama, they are desperately trying to leave as much of a mark as possible on the current political landscape. As such, the online gambling industry was horrified to learn that plans are underway to finalize the implementation on the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act on the very eve of President Obama’s inauguration. This move was made despite pressure from a number of top financial sectors, who warned the Treasury that the UIGEA was still considered ambiguous and could not be properly implemented by banks – despite a list of instructions already issued to them.
The powerful Poker Players Alliance also slammed this move and issued a statement saying: “Notwithstanding the skepticism about the efficacy of UIGEA and the burden it would place on our already strapped financial sector, the Administration, the Treasury and the Reserve Bank dedicated time and resources to get the rules finalized as the first of many Bush administration 'midnight regulations.”
The statement also took on an optimistic note, however. “The PPA remains optimistic that the new administration and the new Congress will recognize the failures of UIGEA and will act swiftly in the New Year to overturn this flawed policy,” it read.