The “Fillies & Lilies Party,” one of Kentucky Derby week’s new social happenings, has named the Permanently Disabled Jockeys’ Fund as the event’s charity beneficiary for 2015.
Monthly Archives: March 2015
Austria to geo-block international sites as EU seeks to reduce digital barriers
Austria has decided to implement IP-blocking of online gambling sites not holding an Austrian license.
At present, only the partially state-owned Casinos Austria is officially licensed to conduct online gambling within Austria via its Win2Day site. Austria’s Council of Ministers has now ordered internet service providers to block internationally licensed online gambling sites from crossing Austria’s digital borders.
Casinos Austria’s online monopoly hasn’t stopped the Austrian government from taxing online gambling revenue derived from Austrian punters at a rate of 40%, regardless of where a site is licensed. The European Commission (EC) has challenged the legality of Austria’s gambling regime but the state has insisted the Pfleger ruling applied purely to land-based gaming.
Geo-blocking is increasingly finding disfavor with the EC, which is trying to reduce trade barriers between member states, not reinforce them. On Wednesday, the EC agreed to proceed with its European Digital Single Market (EDSM) plan, with specific priorities to be unveiled on May 6.
Video games cultural centre to open
Culture minister Ed Vaizey said the National Videogame Arcade celebrates video games as an important part of our everyday cultural lives Digital icons such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Donkey Kong are not celebrated in museums, but that is about to change, as the first cultural centre for video games is about to open in Nottingham. The National Videogame Arcade , which opens for the first time on Saturday, is the result of a A 2.5 million project, and will celebrate the UK’s heritage in games development, with exhibitions ranging from vintage arcade machines to experimental new projects.
A camera, tablet and a trip to Thailand… the wish list of A 1.5m lottery jackpot winner
Keen photographer Clive Osborne now plans to buy a new camera, a tablet computer, and treat his family to his new found wealth A carer whose ambition is to see more of the world is looking forward to fulfilling his dream – after scooping a life-changing A 1.5m on the lottery. But in Saturday’s main draw his numbers finally came up and he became an instant millionaire with a win of A 1,564,628.
$40 million winning Powerball ticket sold in Teaneck
The owner of a Teaneck convenience store that sold the winning ticket of a $40 million Powerball jackpot hopes one customer’s good luck will spread to others. “People will be more optimistic and feel more lucky and buy the tickets here,” Rocklins Stationers owner Kariyath Basheer said in a telephone interview.
RAWA Subcommittee Hearing Full of Dire Warnings of Evils of Online Gambling
The Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA) received its first true hearing in Congress on Wednesday, as the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations listened to testimony from five witnesses with some rather different opinions on what should be done about online gambling in the United States. In the original witness […]
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Riposte Primed For Big Effort in Orchid
Juddmonte Farms’ multiple stakes winner faces eight opponents in 1 1/2-mile turf test, her second start back off a long layoff.
War Correspondent, Lochte Head Appleton
Well-bred War Correspondent, who seems to be on the upswing for trainer Christophe Clement, will join grade I winner Lochte in the $150,000 Appleton Stakes (gr. IIIT) March 28 at Gulfstream Park.
Dutch court lets Unibet off the hook for gambler’s €178k losses
A Netherlands court has ruled that online gambling operators have no responsibility to refund a gambler’s losses, even if the operator lacks a Dutch license.
Last week, the Amsterdam District Court rejected an attempt by a Dutch gambler to recover over €178k he’d lost gambling online with Malta-licensed Unibet between June 2010 and January 2012. The gambler had argued that since online gambling has yet to be legalized by the Dutch government, his wagers were illegal and thus should be returned to him post-haste.
The Court recognized that while Unibet lacked a Dutch online license, it had utilized Dutch language promotions, offered customer service in Dutch, operated a .nl website that redirected to Unibet.com and used Dutch banks to process payments.
Unibet countered that the Netherlands had never allowed international operators to apply for online gambling licenses. Further, Unibet had received an official communication from the Kansspelautoriteit (Dutch Gaming Authority) saying Unibet.com had met the criteria by which the regulator decides not to take enforcement action against online operators.
Shared Belief Traveling East for CT Classic
Shared Belief will make his first start outside of California in the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic (gr. II) April 18, co-owner Jim Rome said March 25.
Casino, horse-racing bill introduced
The state’s take from the proceeds would shore up the HOPE Scholarship and Pre-K program with an estimated $250 million yearly from six “destination casinos.” The bill would allow the overseers of the Georgia Lottery to approve construction of up to six casinos around the state.
WITCH DALI LOOKING FOR THE SWEEP
When the $54,000 Petticoat Final race gets under way Monday night at Yonkers Raceway, one mare will be looking to sweep the series.
Witch Dali, the four-year-old mare who took her third victory in a row this past Monday night, has her eyes set on the sweep at the Petticoat Pacing Series.
.“She’s just a big, strong (mare) who carries her speed a long way and hums around Yonkers with no problem,” said driver Tim Tetrick this past Monday night after Witch Dali ($2.10) took a third consecutive victory.
Leaving from post position No. 3 in the first of two $12,500 events for 3- and 4-year-old lasses, the 1-20 favorite never had an anxious moment (:28.2, :58.2, 1:26.1; 1:54.1). The final margin was wrapped-up six lengths over Always Sunday (Jason Bartlett), with Cheyenne Robin (George Brennan) third, according to reports.
For Witch Dali, a 4-year-old daughter of Dali co-owned (as Alagna Racing) by (trainer) Tony Alagna and Brad Grant, it was her fifth win in nine seasonal starts. The exacta paid $11.80, with the triple returning $39.20.
It was Witch Dali’s second consecutive six-length romp in the preps, firmly stamping her as the lass to beat in next Monday’s finale.
Lottery scholarship faces uncertainty after lawmakers don't act
The New Mexico Legislature’s failure to bolster the state’s Legislative Lottery Scholarship program’s financial underpinnings has students and higher education institutions bracing for cutbacks. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the lack of action during the legislative session that ended Saturday spells trouble for the in-state tuition assistance for university and college students.
Patient recovering from surgery hits A 4.7m lottery jackpot with…
Joseph Amorese, 46, said: “I was pretty shocked to say the least. I had surgery so I didn’t jump up and down, but in my mind I was jumping up and down.”
National Gallery revamp receives A 5m boost from Heritage Lottery Fund
The revamp of the National Gallery, on the Mound in Edinburgh, and its Scottish collections, has been given approval by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The 15.3 m renovation, given the title of Celebrating Scotland’s Art: The Scottish National Gallery Project will triple the Gallery’s exhibition space and improve access to its collection of Scottish art.
Streaking Phaeton Heads Gulfstream Oaks
Ekati’s Phaeton, a surprise winner of the one-mile Davona Dale Stakes (gr. II), attempts to stretch out an additional sixteenth of a mile March 28 in the $250,000 Gulfstream Oaks (gr. II).
Hillary Clinton favorite to win 2016 presidential race; Betfair launches election app
Paddy Power has taken over 5,000 individual bets on the 2016 U.S. presidential race and Hillary Clinton is the overwhelming favorite.
Despite the delay of Clinton’s planned presidential announcement due to some apparent cronyism scandal involving her brother Anthony Rodham and two of her political confidants, Paddy spokesman Rory Scott said that as of Sunday evening, Clinton had received about 33% of the individual bets made on the race.
Paddy’s odds have Clinton in the lead to win the US Presidential election at 6/5 followed by several Republicans such as former Florida Gov. Jed Bush at 4/1, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Florida Gov. Scott Walker at 10/1 and sports betting and online gambling supporter New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 12/1.
The bookmaker also takes bets for the winning party led by the Democrats at 4/6, Republicans at 6/5 and Independent at 50/1. The expected gender of the 2016 president has Male at 8/13 and Female at 6/5.
$7 million Lottery Prize a Good “Get Well” Ticket
A former New York State resident who received a get-well card from his father while recovering from surgery found the perfect remedy, according to a report from LoHud.com.
A scratch-off lottery ticket worth $7 million.
Joseph Amorese, who used to live in the Lower Hudson Valley in New York, now resides in Pennsylvania.
State lotteries head to Washington to enforce states' rights on gambling
State Lottery officials from across the United States held meetings with members of Congress today in Washington, D.C., to add their voices to those of state lawmakers advocating for the federal government to continue to support states’ authority to establish their own gambling policies. Insider Buzz, Legislation, Online Gambling, Technology, Online Ticket Sales, Government, NASPL
Virginia Beach man wins $1 million lottery prize
Virginia Beach electrician Richard M. Hawkes won a $1 million prize through the state lottery’s Casino Cash game. A Virginia Beach electrician told state lottery officials that he was “shocked” when he learned he’d won a $1 million cash prize.