Living Conditions

In many of the countries where there are large greyhound race tracks with gambling, the dogs live in kennels at or near the track or by their trainers.

In the United States, the kennels are indoor crates stacked two levels high, with the females usually kept on the upper level, and males on the lower level. While the space allocated to each dog varies between locations, typical crate size is 3-1/2 feet wide by 4 feet deep by 3 feet high. While living on the track these dogs will spend most of their time in these kennels.

In several European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland) greyhound racing is carried out by the owners of the dogs without financial interest. This amateur form of the sport is also found in some countries, such as the United States, where professional racing exists. In these countries the dogs often live as pets.

In Australia

In Australia greyhounds live in kennels at night that meet guidelines set by The Greyhound Racing Authorities in Australia, and by day many greyhounds are put into running yards or day yards to keep them entertained and exercised. This is aimed to keep greyhounds as fit, happy, and healthy as possible.

Greyhounds are checked for parasites, mulnurishment, or any other medical conditions by an on-course vet before being able to compete.

The Greyhound Racing Authorities in Australia regulates greyhound welfare and living conditions and all racing authorities in Australia finance Greyhound Adoption Groups, which house dozens of greyhounds a month.

Medical Care

In places that allow gambling on Greyhound racing the owners often treat the dogs as short-term investments. This often means that the care they receive is intended only to help them perform on the track, not for their long-term health. Greyhound adoption groups frequently report that the dogs from the tracks have tooth problems the cause of which is debated although it is likely related to either a low-quality raw meat diet or damage to the gums from chewing on metal cage bars. The groups often also find that the dogs carry tick-borne diseases and parasites due to the lack of proper preventative treatments. Due to the dense living conditions in the kennels, the dogs require regular vaccination to minimize outbreaks of diseases like kennel cough.

After the dogs are no longer able to race (generally, a greyhound’s career will end by the age of three or four), owners either keep the dog for breeding or dispose of the dog. They will sometimes kill the ex-racing greyhounds if they do not want to go through the expense of finding the dogs homes. The ratio of dogs killed to those adopted is greatly debated. There is much debate between the racing industry and anti-racing activists about the quality of the dog’s care making the exact details hard to determine.

Recently, doping has also emerged as a problem in Greyhound racing. The racing industry is actively working to prevent the spread of this practice; attempts are made to recover urine samples from all greyhounds in a race, not just the winners. Greyhounds from which samples can not be obtained for a certain number of consecutive races are subject to being ruled off the track. Violators are subject to criminal penalties and loss of their racing licenses by state gaming commissions and a permanent ban from the National Greyhound Association. The trainer of the greyhound is at all times the “absolute insurer” of the condition of the animal. The trainer is responsible for any positive test regardless of how the banned substance has entered the greyhound’s system.

Several organizations, such as British Greyhounds Retired Database, Adopt-a-Greyhound and National Greyhound Adoption Program, try to ensure that as many of the dogs as possible are adopted. Some of these groups also advocate better treatment of the dogs while at the track and/or the end of racing for profit. In recent years the racing industry has made significant progress in establishing programs for the adoption of retired racers. In addition to actively cooperating with private adoption groups throughout the country, many race tracks have established their own adoption programs at various tracks.

In recent years, several state governments in the United States have passed legislation to improve the treatment of racing dogs in their juristiction.

In venues where greyhound racing does not involve gambling, the dogs are almost invariably pets and are, therefore, generally well treated.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Here is a list of potential restrictions and regulations on private ownership of slot machines in the United States on a state by state basis. Note that these regulations are subject to change without notice and are not fully guaranteed to be completely accurate.

References

• Gambling Law US
• BMI Gaming Slot Machine FAQ: State Ownership Regulations

Links

• Is Owning a Slot Machine Legal?

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Video: How to Win Playing Slot Machines

Lottery jackpot records are a matter of some interest to both participants and observers of this form of gambling.It is often said that the annual Christmas lottery in Spain, dubbed El Gordo (The Fat One), is the largest in the world. In 2003 its prize fund reached (converting euros to approximate dollars) $2,200,000,000 with a first prize of $470,000,000 and second prize of $235,000,000. However, every number entered in this lottery is on 170 tickets which are often sold in fractions (usually tenths). Thus, the El Gordo prize is usually split, and is not comparable to the winner-take-all style drawings popular elsewhere.

U.S.A. lotteries

The largest draw prize in a lottery was US $365 million Powerball on February 18, 2006 won by a group of eight meat processing workers in Nebraska. The 2nd largest draw prize in a lottery was the US $363 million Big Game jackpot of May 9, 2000, split between two winners. This game was relaunched as Mega Millions, with odds lengthened to 135 million to one, in May 2002, and the odds further lengthened to 175 million to one in June 2005, but the jackpot record has not been broken. The largest single Big Game or Mega Millions winner has been Geraldine Williams of Lowell, Massachusetts, USA, with the $294 million annuity-value jackpot of the July 2, 2004 drawing. The Mega Millions jackpot of November 15, 2005, divided by seven employees of a medical center who shared one winning ticket, had an annuity value of $315 million, but the lump sum value was a record $187.1 million.

The largest single winner of any lottery prize was Andrew J. Whittaker Jr. of West Virginia, who won $314.9 million in the Powerball drawing of December 25, 2002. Opting as most large prize winners in the U.S. do for the lump sum, his after-tax prize has been variously reported as $111,681,349 and $113,386,407.77. Because of different tax rates, the $168 million lump sum opted for by Mega Millions winner Geraldine Williams (see previous paragraph) was reported as $117.6 million after taxes. Harold and Helen Lerner of New Jersey also claimed a higher after-tax lump sum than Whittaker in the Mega Millions of September 16, 2005 as New Jersey has no state tax on lottery prizes. The October 19, 2005 Powerball drawing won by nine members of the West and Chaney families of Medford, Oregon was for a larger annuity ($340 million) but a smaller lump sum than Whittaker’s.

State lotteries in the United States

The record annuity-value prizes in the largest state lottery games in the United States have been:

California: $193 million to three tickets February 16, 2002; to single winner, $141 million to Alcario Castellano on June 23, 2001
New York: $130 million in special Millennium Millions game November 4, 2000, shared by two winners; to single winner, $100 million to Johnnie Ely in Millennium Millions of December 31st 1999; in regular New York Lotto, $72 million to four tickets May 31, 1997; single-ticket record for New York Lotto is $58 million
Pennsylvania: $115.6 million shared among fourteen winning tickets in April 1989, in Super 7 game later discontinued after a scandal; in subsequent Super 6 game $86,192,222.20 in December 1999, claimed by Shemonski family in March 2000
Florida: $106.5 million to six tickets in September 1990
Texas: estimated $145 million June 19, 2004
Ohio: $75 million April 13, 2002.

The ratio between lump sum and annuity value varies over time with interest rates and possible alterations in the length of the period for which payments are made.

European lotteries

Unlike in the United States, where lottery wins are taxed, and the full winnings are paid by an annuity over a period of many years or a reduced lump-sum amount is offered, European lotteries are generally tax-free and the winning jackpot is paid out immediately in one lump sum.

EuroMillions is a pan-European lottery, with odds of 1 in 76,275,360. In July 2005, Irish woman, Dolores McNamara won a tax-free €115,436,126 ($139m) jackpot. On February 3, 2006, EuroMillions had a prize of €183 million ($219m), which was shared between three winning tickets, two in France and one in Portugal, each winning €61,191,026.

The largest win on the British National Lottery, established in 1994, is currently £22,590,829 (US$40 million) won on 10 June 1995 by Paul Maddison and Mark Gardiner. The oldest person made a sterling millionaire by the lottery was Gracie Vera Coulson, who was 87 when she won £1,090,387 in December 1999. Two 16 year olds and two 17 year olds have also won between £1 and £2 million.

The Irish National Lottery, established in 1987 and replacing the Irish Sweepstakes which had run since 1930, has a guaranteed jackpot of €1,500,000 for each of its twice-weekly draws. The largest ever win was €7,892,753 won in May 1997 by an anonymous winner from Cork.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Origins of baseball

The distinct evolution of baseball from among the various bat-and-ball games is difficult to pin down. However, it is mainly agreed that modern baseball is an American development from earlier British games, such as rounders, with possible influences from cricket.

The earliest known mention of the sport is in a 1744 British publication, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book by John Newbery. It contains a wood-cut illustration of boys playing “base-ball” (showing a similar set-up to the modern game, yet significantly different) and a rhymed description of the sport.

Alexander Cartwright had a hand in compiling and publishing an early list of rules in 1845 (the so-called Knickerbocker Rules) to meet the demands of the already popular sport, and today’s rules of baseball have evolved from them.

History of baseball in the United States

As far back as the 1870s, American newspapers were referring to baseball as “The National Pastime” or “The National Game.” An award-winning account of the origins of the game is David Block’s Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search for the Roots of the Game (University of Nebraska Press, 2005). The publisher’s description of the book notes that “David Block looks into the early history of the game and of the 150-year-old debate about its beginnings. He tackles one stubborn misconception after another, debunking the enduring belief that baseball descended from the English game of rounders and revealing a surprising new explanation for the most notorious myth of all—the Abner Doubleday–Cooperstown story.” In short, the debate on the game’s origins may never be settled to everyone’s satisfaction.

Another early mention of the game can be found in an 1886 edition of Sporting Life magazine, in a letter from Dr. Matthew Harris of Boston, Massachusetts, formerly of St. Marys, Ontario, who details a base ball game played in Beachville, Ontario, on June 4, 1838 — Militia Muster Day.

Professional baseball began in the United States around 1865, and the National League was founded in 1876 as the first true major league, quickly producing famous players such as Cap Anson. Several other major leagues formed and failed, but the American League, established in 1901 as a major league and originating from the minor Western League (1893), did succeed. While the two leagues were rivals who actively fought for the best players, often disregarding one another’s contracts and engaging in bitter legal disputes, a modicum of peace was established in 1903, and they began playing a World Series that year. The next year however, John McGraw, manager of the National League Champion New York Giants refused to participate in the World Series against the American League champion Boston Pilgrims, as McGraw refused to recognize the American League. The following year, McGraw relented and the Giants played the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series.

Compared to modern times, games in the early part of the 20th century were lower scoring and pitchers were more successful. The “inside game”, whose nature was to “scratch for runs”, was played rather more violently and aggressively than it is today. Ty Cobb said of his era especially, “Baseball is something like a war!” This period, which has since become known as the “dead-ball era”, ended in the 1920s with several rule changes that gave advantages to hitters and the rise of the legendary baseball player Babe Ruth, who showed the world what power hitting could produce and thus changed the nature of the game.

During the first half of the 20th century, a “gentlemen’s agreement” in the form of the baseball color line effectively barred African-American players from the major leagues (though not Native Americans, oddly enough), resulting in the formation of several Negro Leagues. Finally in 1947, Major League Baseball’s color barrier was broken when Jackie Robinson was signed by the National League’s Brooklyn Dodgers. Although it was not instantaneous, baseball has since become fully integrated.

The middle of the century led major league baseball to the West of the United States and also became a time when pitchers dominated. Scoring became so low in the American League, due to pitching dominance, that the designated hitter was introduced; this rule now constitutes the primary difference between the two leagues.

Despite the popularity of baseball, and the attendant high salaries relative to those of average Americans, the players have become unsatisfied from time to time, as they believed the owners had too much control. Various job actions have occurred throughout the game’s history. Players on specific teams occasionally attempted strikes, but usually came back when their jobs were sufficiently threatened. The throwing of the 1919 World Series, the “Black Sox scandal”, was in some sense a “strike” or at least a rebellion by the ballplayers against a perceived stingy owner. But the strict rules of baseball contracts tended to keep the players “in line” in general.

This began to change in the 1960s when former United Steelworkers president Marvin Miller became the Baseball Players Union president. The union became much stronger than it had been previously, especially when the reserve clause was effectively nullified in the mid-1970s. A series of strikes and lockouts began in baseball, affecting portions of the 1972 and 1981 seasons and culminating in the infamous 1994 baseball strike that led to the cancellation of the World Series and carried over into 1995 before it was finally settled.

The players typically got what they demanded, but the popularity of baseball diminished greatly as a result of the players’ actions, and fans were slow to return. Cal Ripken’s record-breaking 2131st consecutive game in 1995 was a feel-good moment that helped boost interest in the sport. The great home run race of 1998 between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa really turned things around, captivating fans all summer. As with other times when adversity threatened the game, positive on-field events triggered a renewed surge in baseball’s popularity in America.

Professional baseball leagues began to form in countries outside of America in the 1920s and 1930s, including the Netherlands (formed in 1922), Japan (1936), and Australia (1934). Today, Venezuela (1945), the whole of Europe (1953), Italy (1948), Korea (1982), Taiwan (1990), and mainland China (2003) all have professional leagues as well (however, the leagues in Australia], Italy and the United Kingdom have generally had a niche appeal compared to the leagues in Asia and Venezuela and only now is the sport beginning to broaden in scope in those nations, most notably in Australia, who won a surprise silver medal in the 2004 Olympic Games). Israel is trying to form a professional baseball league with the help of American emigres. Canada has a franchise in Major League Baseball as well. Competition between national teams, such as in the World Cup of Baseball and the Olympic baseball tournament, has been administered by the International Baseball Federation since its formation in 1938. As of 2004, this organization has 112 member countries. The new World Baseball Classic, first held in March 2006, seems likely to have a much higher profile than previous tournaments, owing to the participation for the first time of a significant number of players from the United States Major Leagues.

The 117th meeting of the International Olympic Committee, held in Singapore in July 2005, voted not to hold baseball and softball tournaments at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, but they will remain Olympic sports during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and will be put to vote again for each succeeding Summer Olympics. The elimination of baseball and softball from the 2012 Olympic program enabled the IOC to consider adding two other sports to the program instead, but no other sport received a majority of votes favoring its inclusion. While baseball’s lack of major appeal in a significant portion of the world was a factor, a more important factor was the unwillingness of Major League Baseball to have a break during the Games so that its players could participate, something that the National Hockey League now does during the Winter Olympic Games. Because of the seasonal nature of baseball and the high priority baseball fans place on the integrity of major-league statistics from one season to the next, however, it would be more difficult to accommodate such a break in MLB.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

United States

In the United States, the public and private availability of slot machines is highly regulated by state governments. Many states have established gaming control boards to regulate the possession and use of slot machines. Nevada is the only state that has no significant restrictions against slot machines both for public and private use. In New Jersey, slot machines are only allowed in hotel-casinos operated in Atlantic City. Several states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri) allow slot machines (as well as any casino-style gambling) only on licensed riverboats or permanently anchored barges. For a list of state by state regulations on private slot machine ownership, see U.S. state slot machine ownership regulations.

Native American casinos

Native American casinos located in reservations are not permitted to have slot machines unless the tribe first reaches a pact with the state in which it is located (per Indian Gaming Regulatory Act). Typically, a pact entitles the state to receive a percentage of the gross revenue from slot machines.

Slot machine classes

Some states have restrictions on the type (called “class”) of slot machines that can be used in a casino or other gaming area. “Class III” (or “traditional”) slot machines operate independently from a centralized computer system and a player’s chance of winning any payout is the same with every play. Class III slots are most often seen in Nevada or Atlantic City and are sometimes referred to as “Vegas-style slots”.

“Class II” slot machines (also known as “Video Lottery Terminals” or “VLTs”) are connected to a centralized computer system that determines the outcome of each wager. In this way, Class II slot machines mimic scratch-off lottery tickets in that each machine has an equal chance of winning a series of limited prizes. Either class of slot machines may or may not have a player skill element.

Some Class II game characteristics 1) The player is playing against other players and competing for a common prize. 2) There is certain to be a winner in each game. The game continues until there is a winner. 3) In a given set there are a certain number of wins and loses. Once a certain combination has happened it cannot happen again until a new batch is initiated. This is most obvious in scratch card games that come in a pack. Once a card has been pulled those winning combinations cannot occur again until a new pack of cards is installed. One game is dependent on previous games. 4) The player must be an active participant. They must recognize events as they occur and must recognize when they have won and announce their winning. Bingo is an excellent example here. 5) All players play from the same set of numbers as they are announced.

Some Class III game characteristics 1) The player is playing against the house. 2) There is a very real possibility that the player may lose the game. 3) Each game is independent of previous games. Any possible outcome can occur in any game. 4) Wins are announced automatically.

In general a game must have all characteristics of a Class II game to be a Class II game. Any characteristic of a Class III game makes it a Class III game. The casino pays a fee to the state for each Class III game and can only purchase so many Class III licenses. There is no such restriction for Class II games. Class II games are not so nearly regulated by the state.

Slot clubs

Many American casinos offer free memberships in “slot clubs”, which return a small percentage of the amount of money that is bet in the form of “comps” (complimentary food, drinks, hotel rooms, or merchandise), or sometimes as cash back (sometimes with a restriction that the cash be redeemed at a later date). These clubs require that players use a card that is inserted into the slot machine, to allow the casino to track the player’s “action” (how much the player bets and for how long), which is often used to establish a level of play that may make a player eligible for additional comps. Comps or cash back from these clubs can make a significant difference in the maximum theoretical return when playing slot machines over a long period of time.

Row of slot machines inside Las Vegas airport.

Australia

Generally referred to as poker machines or pokies, but officially known as ‘Gaming Machines’, Australia has one of the highest concentration of poker machines per head of population in the world, with changes in regulations leading to a profusion of poker machine venues across the country. Various objectors, including many branches of the clergy and also charities for the poor, have criticized the spread of the machines, as they claim that it has led to a huge rise in the levels of “problem gambling” – gambling to a level that causes financial and social stress to the gambler and their families, as well as the general levels of gambling.

Australian-style poker machines use video displays to simulate (usually) five physical reels. These machines also have additional bonusing and second-screen features such as free games and bonus levels. They also allow for multiple lines (up to 50) or multiple ways (up to 243 ways) to be played. This higher level of complexity has meant that greater revenues can be obtained by operators, but also that the potential for problem gambling to develop is increased.

Poker machines are found in casinos (approximately one in each major city) as well as pubs and clubs (usually sports, social, or RSL clubs). This greater accessibility is also seen as a potential contributor to problem gambling.

The first Australian state to legalize this style of gambling was New South Wales in 1956 when they were made legal in all registered clubs in the state.

Laws governing gambling in Australia are controlled at the state level and as such, they vary from state to state. In the state of Queensland gaming machines in pubs and clubs must provide a return rate of 60% while machines located in casinos must provide a return rate of 90%.

Queen of the Nile (manufactured by Aristocrat), one of the most popular Australian poker machine games, also very popular in some American casinos

United Kingdom

Slot machines are usually known as fruit machines and AWP (Amusement with Prizes) in Britain. Fruit machines are commonly found in pubs, clubs, arcades, and some take-away food shops. These machines commonly have 3 or 6 reels with around 16 or 24 fruit symbols printed around them. These reels are spun, and if certain combinations of fruit appear, winnings are paid from the machine, or subgames are played. These are very similar to slot machines seen in casinos and elsewhere around the world, but the term “fruit machine” is usually applied to a type of machine more commonly found in pubs and arcades. These games have lots of extra features, trails and subgames with opportunities to win money, usually more than can be won from just the reels. However, the jackpots from these fruit machines are strictly limited.

Currently in the UK, the cost of an individual game may not exceed 50p. The maximum payout for a individual game depends on the type and the location of the machine, but is typically £25 in pubs where people under the age of 18 are not allowed entry. It is known for machines to payout multiple jackpots, one after the other (this is known as a streak) but each jackpot requires a new game to be played so as not to circumvent the maximum payout. The minimum payout percentage is 70% in Britain, with pubs often setting the payout at around 78%. Private members clubs are allowed “club machines”, which have higher jackpots and are allowed to charge more per game.

These machines also operate in a different fashion to American slot machines; whereas slots are programmed to pay a percentage over the long-run, there is no reason why a jackpot cannot be paid straight after one has already been won – this is because over the long-run the percentage payout will be the same. However, in the UK, a fruit machine takes on an amount above its payout percentage before winning, so if a payout is 95%, a machine will make the player lose £10 before paying out £9.50. As such, it is sensible to watch for people playing these machines but not winning as the likelihood of a win increases. This, however, is called Sharking.

This type of fruit machine is popular across Europe (in the countries where they are legal), and very popular in countries such as the Czech Republic, Russia, and Ukraine.

It has been alleged by the Fairplay campaign that UK fruit machines employ fraudulent techniques in which gambles and chances which appear to be random are in fact pre-determined and cannot be affected by player choices. 1

…at this point, you’ll have gambled the win up to £25. However, the machine doesn’t want you to gamble any further. If from the 5 you select “High”, the machine will spin in a 3 and you’ll lose. If, on the other hand, you select “Low”, the machine will spin in a 9 and you’ll lose…

The claims centre around the emulation of fruit machine hardware on computers, which allow for the machines RAM state to be saved at a particular point and replayed making a different choice. The fruit machine industry has hit back at the allegations. Currently the issue has supposedly been considered by the UK Gaming Board (now the Gambling Commission) and warning notices and possibly modifications are to be put in place, though it is unclear as to whether this has happened. This is infact the law now in the UK and all machines carry a warning notice informing the user that the machine may at times offer the player a choice in which they have no possible chance to win.

Japan

Japan has a relatively new involvement in slot machines, roughly since after the American occupation during the World War II era. Most machines can be found in Pachinko parlors and the adult sections of amusement arcades, known as game centers.

The machines are regulated with IC chips, and has six different levels changing the odds of a “777″. The levels provide a rough outcome of between 90% to an astonishing 160% (200% if using skills). Indeed, the Japanese slot machines are “beatable”.

Despite the many varieties of the machines, there are certain rules and regulations put forward by a commission. For example, there must be three reels. Also, all reels must be accompanied by buttons which stop these reels, etc.

Common misunderstandings

“Hot” and “Cold” machines

Standard slot machines do not get “hot” or “cold”. The odds of hitting a winning combination are determined by a random number generator contained in the machine’s software and is exactly the same with every spin. Such slot machines are never “due to be hit” if they haven’t paid out a jackpot in a while. (Exception: UK-style AWP machines are progressive which means chances of winning will increase over time if the machine has not paid any wins out. Many also “force” wins on players in order to meet the payout percentage).

Placement

There is a science to the placement of slot machines on the gaming floor, but the highest paying machines are not necessarily placed in high-traffic areas. Typically, machines of similar payback percentages are grouped together, with 1% or less difference from machine to machine in the group.

Payout changes

• In most jurisdictions, casinos cannot alter the machine’s payout percentage by time of day, day of week, or remotely via a computer.
• Using a slot club card does not affect the machine’s payout percentage. The card just allows the casino to keep track of the amount wagered by a player and issue complimentaries accordingly.

Missed opportunities

• You leave a machine. Another player comes up and immediately hits a jackpot. You think, “If I had played just one more time, I would have won that jackpot.”
• A machine returns a higher jackpot for playing more coins. You play fewer coins, and a winning combination appears. You think, “If I had played more coins, I would have won more money.”

In both cases, you did not “miss” an opportunity to win. The results of modern slot machines depend on exactly when you play them. It is very unlikely in either case that you would have received the same result if you had played just one more time or just one more coin.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

A lottery is a popular form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize. Some governments forbid it, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments.

The first signs of a lottery trace back to Asia, where ancient Keno slips were discovered. First played in China, the lottery has helped finance major governmental projects like the Great Wall of China.

Lotteries come in many formats. The prize can be fixed cash or goods. In this format there is risk to the organizer if insufficient tickets are sold. The prize can be a fixed percentage of the receipts. A popular form of this is the “50-50″ draw where the organizers promise that the prize will be 50% of the revenue. The prize may be guaranteed to be unique where each ticket sold has a unique number. Many recent lotteries allow purchasers to select the numbers on the lottery ticket resulting in the possibility of multiple winners.

Lotteries are most often run by governments or local states and are sometimes described as a regressive tax, since those most likely to buy tickets will typically be the less affluent members of a society. The astronomically high odds against winning have also led to the epithets of a “tax on stupidity” or “math tax.” The phrase is largely rhetorical (playing the lottery is voluntary; taxes are not), but it is intended to suggest that lotteries are governmental revenue-raising mechanisms that will attract only those consumers who fail to see that the game is a very bad deal. Indeed, the desire of lottery operators to guarantee themselves a profit requires that a lottery ticket be worth substantially less than what it costs to buy. After taking into account the present value of the lottery prize as a single lump sum cash payment, the impact of any taxes that might apply, and the likelihood of having to share the prize with other winners, it is not uncommon to find that a ticket for a typical major lottery is worth less than one third of its purchase price.

The fact that lotteries are commonly played leads to some contradictions against standard models economic rationality. However, the goal of some players may not be to win the game, but merely to have a thrill and indulge in a fantasy of possibly becoming wealthy. This is particularly popular among those who believe their chances of becoming rich are already zero, so even if the lottery’s odds are awful, they are better than zero.

Countries with a national lottery

This maneki neko beckons customers to purchase takarakuji tickets in Tokyo, Japan.

Americas

• Argentina: Quiniela, Loto and various others.
• Brazil: Mega-Sena and various others
• Canada: Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Super 7
• Dominican Republic: leidas,s.a.
• Mexico: Lotería Nacional para la Asistencia Pública
• Puerto Rico: Lotería Tradicional and Lotería Electrónica

Europe

• Austria: Lotto 6 aus 45 and Zahlenlotto
• Belgium: Loterie Nationale or Nationale Loterij
• Bulgaria: TOTO 2 6/49
• Croatia: Hrvatska lutrija
• Denmark: Lotto
• Finland: Lotto
• France: La Française des Jeux
• Germany: Lotto 6 aus 49 and Spiel 77 and Super 6
• Greece: Lotto 6/49 , Joker 5/45 + 1/20 and various others
• Hungary: Lottó
• Iceland: Lottó
• Ireland: The National Lottery, An Chrannchur Náisiúnta
• Italy: Lotto, Superenalotto
• Netherlands: Staatsloterij
• Norway: Lotto
• Poland: http://www.lotto.pl (This site cannot be a link because the Wikimedia software declares it a spam site and will not allow the page to save if it is a link.)
• Portugal: Lotaria Clássica and Lotaria Popular
• Romania: Loteria Romana – 6/49, 5/40, Pronosport
• Serbia: Narodna Lutrija
• Slovenia: Loterija Slovenije
• Spain: Loterías y Apuestas del Estado
• Switzerland: Swiss Lotto
• Turkey: Various games by Milli Piyango İdaresi (National Lottery Administration) including Loto 6/49 and jackpots
• United Kingdom: formerly The National Lottery, now Lotto. Also Monday – The Charities Lottery, launched on May 8, 2006.[1]

Asia

• Hong Kong: Mark Six
• Israel: “Lotto”
• Japan: Takarakuji
• Philippines: Lotto 6/42, Mega Lotto 6/45, Super Lotto 6/49, 6 Digits Luzon, 4 Digits, Suertres Lotto, EZ2 Lotto
• Russia: Sportloto
• Singapore: TOTO
• South Korea: Lotto
• Taiwan: Lottery

Africa

• South Africa: South African National Lottery

Australia

• Australia: Australian Lottery Games, Powerball
• New Zealand: Lotto

Country Lottery details

Lottery in the United States

In the United States, the existence of lotteries is subject to the laws of each state; there is no national lottery. Before the advent of state-sponsored lotteries, many illegal lotteries thrived; for example, see Numbers game and Peter H. Matthews. The first modern state lottery in the U.S. was established in the state of New Hampshire in 1964; today, lotteries are established in forty-one states and the District of Columbia. On October 8, 1970, New York held the first million dollar lottery drawing.

The first modern interstate lottery in the U.S. was Tri-State Lotto. Tri-State Lotto was formed in 1985 and linked the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. In 1988, the Multi-State Lottery Association was formed with Oregon, Iowa, Kansas, Rhode Island, West Virginia and the District of Columbia as its charter members; it is best known for its “Powerball” drawing, which is designed to build up very large jackpots. Another interstate lottery, The Big Game (now called Mega Millions), was formed in 1996 by the states of Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan and Virginia as its charter members.

Instant tickets, also known as scratch cards, were first introduced in the 1970s and have since become a major source of state lottery revenue. Some states have introduced keno and video lottery terminals (slot machines in all but name).

Other interstate lotteries include: Hot Lotto, Lotto South, and Wild Card 2.

With the advent of the Internet it became possible for people to play lottery-style games on-line, many times for free (the cost of the ticket being supplemented by merely seeing, say, a pop-up ad). Some of the many websites which offer free games (after registration) include www.iwinweekly.com and the larger iwon.com, which is backed by the CBS broadcasting corporation. GTech Corporation, in the United States, administrates 70% of the worldwide online and instant lottery business, according to its website.

Lottery in Canada

The first lottery in Canada was Quebec’s Inter-Loto in 1970. Other provinces and regions introduced their own lotteries through the 1970s, and the federal government ran Loto Canada (originally the Olympic Lottery) for several years starting in the late 1970s to help recoup the expenses of the 1976 Summer Olympics. Lottery wins are generally not subject to Canadian tax, but may be taxable in other jurisdictions, depending on the residency of the winner.[2]

Today, Canada has two nation-wide lotteries: Lotto 6/49 (which started in 1982), and Lotto Super 7 (which started in 1994). These games are administered by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, which is a consortium of the five regional lottery commissions, all of which are owned by their respective provincial and territorial governments:

Atlantic Lottery Corporation (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador)
Loto-Québec (Quebec)
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (Ontario)
Western Canada Lottery Corporation (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, Nunavut)
British Columbia Lottery Corporation (British Columbia)

Lottery in France

The first known lottery in France was created by King Francis I in or around 1505. After that first attempt, lotteries were forbidden for two centuries.

They reappeared at the end of 17th century, as a “public lottery” for the Paris municipality (called Loterie de L’Hotel de Ville) and as “private” ones for religious orders (mostly for nuns in convents).

Lotteries became quickly one of the most important resources for religious congregations in the 18th century.

Lotteries helped to build or rebuild many churches (about 15 including the biggest ones) in Paris during the 18th century, including St Sulpice and Le Panthéon.

At the beginning of the century, the King avoided having to fund religious orders by giving them the right to run lotteries, but the amounts generated became so large that the second part of the century turned into a struggle between the monarchy and the Church for control of the lotteries. In 1774, the Loterie de L’École Militaire was founded by the monarchy (by Mme de Pompadour to be precise, to buy what is called today the Champ de Mars in Paris, and build a Military Academy that Napoleon Bonaparte would later attend) and all other lotteries, with 3 or 4 minor exceptions, were forbidden.

This lottery became known a few years later as the Loterie Royale de France. Just before the French Revolution in 1789 the revenues from La Lotterie Royale de France were equivalent to between 5 and 7% of total French revenues.

Throughout the 18th century, philosophers like Voltaire as well as some bishops complained that lotteries exploit the poor. This subject has generated much oral and written debate over the morality of the lottery.

All lotteries (including state lotteries) were frowned upon by idealists of the French Revolution, who viewed them as a method used by the rich for cheating the poor out of their wages.

The Lottery reappeared in France in 1936, called loto, when socialists needed to increase state revenue. Since that time, La Française des Jeux (government owned) has had a monopoly on most of the games in France, including the lotteries.

Probability of winning

The chances of winning a lottery jackpot are principally determined by several factors: the count of possible numbers, the count of winning numbers drawn, whether or not order is significant and whether drawn numbers are returned for the possibility of further drawing.

In a typical 6 from 49 lotto, 6 numbers are drawn from 49 and if the 6 numbers on a ticket match the numbers drawn, the ticket holder is a jackpot winner – this is true regardless of the order in which the numbers are drawn. The odds of being a jackpot winner are approximately 1 in 14 million (13,983,816 to be exact). The derivation of this result (and other winning scores) is shown in the Lottery Mathematics article.

To put these odds in context, suppose one buys one lottery ticket per week. 13,983,816 weeks is roughly 269,000 years; In the quarter-million years of play, one would only expect to win the jackpot once.

The odds of winning any actual lottery can vary widely depending on lottery design. “Powerball” is a very popular multistate lottery in the United States which is known for jackpots that grow very large from time to time. This attractive feature is made possible simply by designing the game to be extremely difficult to win: 1 chance in 146,107,962. That’s over ten times smaller than the example above. Powerball players also pick six numbers, but two different “bags” are used. The first five numbers come from one bag that contains numbers from 1 to 55. The sixth number — the “Powerball number” — comes from the second bag, which contains numbers from 1 to 42. To win a powerball jackpot, a player’s five regular numbers must match the five regular numbers drawn and the Powerball number must match the Powerball number drawn. In other words, it is not good enough to pick 10, 18, 25, 33, 42 / 7 when the drawing is 7, 10, 25, 33, 42 / 18. Even though the player picked all the right numbers, the Powerball number at the end of the ticket doesn’t match the one drawn, so the ticket would be credited with matching only four numbers (10, 25, 33, 42).

Most lotteries give lesser prizes for matching just some of the winning numbers. The Powerball game described above is an extreme case, giving a very small payout (US$3) even if a player matches only the Powerball number at the end of your ticket. Matching more numbers, the payout goes up. Although none of these additional prizes affect the chances of winning the jackpot, they do improve the odds of winning something and therefore add a little to the value of the ticket.

The expected value of lottery bets is often notably bad. In the United States, an expected value of -50% is not atypical. This has led some people to deride lotteries as “the math tax” or a “tax on stupidity.”

Notable prizes

Sources: http://www.usamega.com/archive-052000.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4746057.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4676172.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4740982.stm

On 20 September 2005 a primary school boy in Italy won £27.6 million in the national lottery. Although children are not allowed to gamble under Italian law, children are allowed to play the lottery. [3]

Payment of prizes

Winnings are not necessarily paid out in a lump sum, contrary to the expectation of many lottery participants. In certain countries, such as the USA, the winner gets to choose between an annuity payment and a one-time payment. The one-time payment is much smaller, indeed often only half, of the advertised lottery jackpot, even before applying any withholding tax to which the prize may be subject. The annuity option provides regular payments over a period that may range from 10 to 40 years.

In some online lotteries, the annual payments can be as little as $25,000 over 40 years, with a balloon payment in the final year. This type of installment payment is often made through investment in government-backed securities. Online lotteries pay the winners through their insurance backup. However, many winners choose to take the lump-sum payment, since they believe they can get a better rate of return on their investment elsewhere.

In some countries, lottery winnings are not subject to personal income tax, so there are no tax consequences to consider in choosing a payment option. In Canada and Australia, all prizes are immediately paid out as one lump sum, tax-free to the winner.

Scams and Frauds

Lottery like any mechanism is susceptible to fraud despite the high degree to scrutiny offered by the organisers. One method involved is to tamper the machine used for the number selection. By rigging a machine it is theoretically easy to win a lottery. This act is often done in connivance with an employee of the lottery firm. Methods used vary; loaded balls where select balls are made to popup making it either lighter or heavier than the rest. Many other ingenious methods too have been employed.

Some scams on the internet too are based on lotteries. The modus operandi of this fraud is the trickster sends spam to all email users in their database congratulating them on their recent lottery win. Then they proceed to announce that in order to release funds they must part with a certain amount (as tax/fees) as per the rules or risk forfeiture. Some unsuspecting users might fall prey to this scandal and part with their money falling into their trap, where they continue to pay as they are misled by the scamsters who dupe their clients into believing that they are always one step closer to the money. The swindlers also might use telephone or printed letters to approach victims to execute their plan more professionally.

Another form of lottery scam involves the selling of “systems” which purport to improve a player’s chances of selecting the winning numbers in a Lotto game. These scams are generally based on the buyer’s (and perhaps the seller’s) misunderstanding of probability and random numbers.

Links

• anti lottery course Professor dashes dreams with anti lottery course
• Rotten Library Article on Lottery Winners
• Lotteries are another state tax – but with better marketing One of a few Tax Foundation articles concerning the truth about lotteries
• Lotto Scams: Crooked game and useless systems
• National Lotteries Review

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

During July 29-30, 2008, will take place the conference Next Generation in Gambling (NGG) (Exploring multi-channel delivery of games to customers while complying with federal and state laws in Canada, United States and Latin America).

The event will target the casino, racing, and lottery companies working in North American jurisdictions, focusing to expand delivery channels while staying in compliance with the law, developing multi-channel strategies to bring gaming products directly to consumers is a logical next step.

The topics will cover technological information via the dedicated technology track, marketing tips, thought-provoking keynotes, and panel discussions from professional speakers like Hon. Alfonse D’Amato (Chairman and Chief Executive, Poker Players Alliance), Chris Collins (Linden Lab), Shawn Kreloff (CEO, Sona Mobile).

Source: Clarion Gaming – The Next Generation in Gambling

It seems that it is very hard to make predictions on gambling, this year even more difficult than the other years, and online gambling much more difficult than the classical gambling.

008 will be a very good year for the land casinos. Las Vegas has some big problems that will allow to other entertainment centers to compete successfully with the Sin City.

After several years of standby, Atlantic City will know in 2008 a new development period by building new casinos and improving the old ones.

But Macau will be the star of this year, with the most new projects for casinos, hotels and entertainment resorts. Cotai Strip will be the new center of the gambling world.

The Europeans will have their own Las Vegas too, soon. Gran Scala in Spain is a very ambitious project. This year we will see if it is a certitude for the next years, or just a chimera.

And, to not forget Russia! Russia made no major step till now, but it is very close to invest a lot of money. And, what about the Arabian gambling? Do you bet on the development of a very powerful casino entertainment center in Dubai? The partnership with MGM Mirage is just the beginning. I know about the Islamic rules, but I bet on it.

For me, a big surprise for this year is Harrah’s Entertainment. No big new projects and, at the end of the last year, the bomb (in fact, expected since a year ago): new owners for the casino and hotel resort chain of the world’s largest provider of branded casino entertainment. The surprise is even bigger taking into consideration the successful act of online gambling ban (see UIGEA). So, my prediction is that MGM Mirage will become soon #1 in the casino entertainment industry.

As for online gambling, very bad news, unfortunately. After UIGEA in US, Canada intends to ban the online gambling too, Germany already announced the interdiction for online gambling as well as for advertising the web/based gambling. There are signs that Italy will be soon with Germany on the same part of the barricade and, from the East European countries, Romania has a draft law to ban online gambling and any other related activity since two years ago, so it is possible to discuss it very soon. In this situation, and after the agreement with US, the European Commission it is possible to change its rules about online gambling even this year. I see UK the only country of the European Union that will allow the online gambling in the near future.

It is very interesting how United States, after deciding to ban the online gambling, and by means of the media, it is very close to change the mentality and principles of the whole world about online gambling. Most of the people considered online gambling a way of entertainment as any other, two years ago. Now, the same people are very convicted that they always was against online gambling and online casinos.

A special situation for online poker. If the online poker associations from US will earn the battle to allow this game on Internet (and it is a very powerful lobby for this), all the other countries, including Germany and Canada, will say that they never banned the online poker and will make an exception from the rules. But this will not happen, anyway, this year.

But we will see a spectacular increase of the skill games.

In fact, in the United States the future of the online gambling will be decided during and after the elections stated for this year, 2008. So, when you will vote, take into consideration your own option for online gambling, too.

(These predictions are based on my own experience, do not include any other considerations, I do not claim to be in accordance with the future events, I am not implied in the gambling industry except as a publisher, and I do not advice you to use it)

The World Trade Organization, on 21 December 2007, issued the arbitration report regarding Antigua and Barbuda’s complaint against “United States — Measures affecting the cross-border supply of gambling and betting services” (DS285), especially UIGEA, awarded Antigua and Barbuda an annual $21 million compensation claim against the US and also approved of Antigua’s right to suspend its recognition of US copyright and trademark laws to an amount that does not exceed the value of its claim. Neither country can appeal today’s decision.

On 24 May 2006 started its complaint against US for online gambling. China, the European Union and Japan reserved their third party rights.

On 21 June 2007, Antigua and Barbuda requested authorization to suspend the application to the United States of concessions and related obligatins of Antigua and Barbuda under the GATS and the TRIPS Agreement.

The Arbitrator determines that the annual level of nullification or impairment of benefits accuing to Antigua in this case is US$21 million and that Antigua has followed the principles and procedures of Article 22.3 of the DSU in determining that it is not practicable or effective to suspend concessions or other obligations under the GATS and that the circumstances were serious enough. Accordingly, the Arbitrator determines that Antigua may request authorization from the DSB, to suspend the obligations under the TRIPS Agreement mentioned in paragraph 5.6 above, at a level not exceeding US$21 million annually.

Antigua and Barbuda’s request was for $3.4 billion annually.

A statement from the Office of the US Trade Representative said, “Antigua’s claim was patently excessive. The United States is pleased that the figure arrived at by the arbitrator is over 100 times lower than Antigua’s claim. Because the United States is already taking steps to bring itself into compliance by clarifying its WTO commitments with respect to Internet gambling, the Arbitrator’s award issued today is not paramount.”

Antigua ‘s lawyer Mark Mendel said that “$21 million a year in intellectual property rights suspension going forward indefinitely is not such a bad asset to have”.

Earlier this week, the US settled related claims with the European Union, Canada, and Japan. The US is still in talks with Macau, Costa Rica, and India.

Antigua’s revenue loss, adjustment for competition

GBGC

Revenue loss

Contrib. A&B to 001 share Revenue loss adjusted (million dollars) (per cent) (million dollars) 002 -50 4 -48 00356 5 32 00488 4 11 00594 2 04 006 35 1 2104 Average   64     Revenues per employee Revenue loss Contrib. A&B to 001 share Revenue loss adjusted (million dollars) (per cent) (million dollars) 002 45 4 31 003 08 5 35 004 86 4 01 0051 38 2 006 04 1 03 Average 96   28 Source: GBGC, October 2007 and Antigua response to question 21 by the Arbitrator, pages 18-19 and Exhibit AB-17. Published under Legislation, Online Gambling, UIGEA, United States | send this post December 22nd, 2007 Tags: Antigua and Barbuda, Legislation, Online Gambling, UIGEA, United States, World Trade Organization, WTO EU online gambling companies against US no comment Posted by Nicolae The European Union, Japan, and Canada have reached a settlement with the U.S. regarding its protectionist online gambling policy through UIGEA, although US tolerates some forms of online gambling, such as state lotteries and horse racing. Remote Gambling Association made today a complaint under the EU Trade Barriers Regulation seeks to stop discriminatory practices against European operators. The complaint says is against the United States (US) for discrimination based on violations of World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. “We have been left with no choice but to pursue all legal avenues available to challenge the US Department of Justice for its discriminatory enforcement activities against European online gaming operators,” said Clive Hawkswood, the Chief Executive of the Remote Gambling Association. The DOJ has repeatedly stated that all forms of online gambling are illegal, yet it continues to enforce this view only in connection with non-US businesses. In October 2006, the US enacted a new law (the “Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act”, or UIGEA) which effectively criminalised online gaming provided by foreign operators while providing exemptions for protected domestic suppliers. “How would US investors and businessmen feel if they invested in a business in the United Kingdom based on international law commitments, and then suddenly the U.K. not only passed new laws forcing them to shut down their business, but then tried to throw them in jail for past activities while still allowing their domestic competitors to continue on doing the same thing?” Hawkswood asked.“That’s what is happening to our industry in the US,” he added. Through the members of RGA there are 888, Bet 365, Skybet, Betfair, Sportingbet, Microgaming, Totesport, CryptoLogic, PartyGaming, Eurogaming, Playtech, and many other very known companies. The fight for online gaming industry just started. Do you bet on US, or the EU companies? Published under European Union, Legislation, Online Gambling, UIGEA, United States | send this post December 21st, 2007 Tags: Companies, EU, European Union, Online Gambling, Remote Gambling Association, United States, US Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) 1 comment Posted by Nicolae The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (Pub.L. 100-497, 5 U.S.C. § 2701 et seq.) is a 1988 United States federal law which establishes the jurisdictional framework that presently governs Indian gaming. The Act establishes three classes of games with a different regulatory scheme for each: Class I: traditional Indian gaming and social gaming for minimal prizes. Regulatory authority over class I gaming is vested exclusively in tribal governments. Class II: the game of chance commonly known as bingo, and non-banked card games (played exclusively against other players rather than against the house or a player acting as a bank). The Act specifically excludes slot machines or electronic facsimiles of any game of chance from the definition of class II games. Tribes retain their authority to conduct, license, and regulate class II gaming so long as the state in which the Tribe is located permits such gaming for any purpose and the Tribal government adopts a gaming ordinance approved by the Commission, Tribal governments are responsible for regulating class II gaming with Commission oversight. Class III: all forms of gaming that are neither class I nor II (casino-style gaming). The Act restricts Tribal authority to conduct class III gaming. In order for a Tribe to conduct class III gaming, the following conditions must be met: The respective game must be permitted in the state in which the tribe is located; The Tribe and the state must have negotiated a compact that has been approved by the Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary must have approved regulatory procedures; The Tribe must have adopted a Tribal gaming ordinance that has been approved by the Chairman of the Commission. FBI has federal criminal jurisdiction over acts directly related to Indian gaming establishments. IGRA establishes an independent federal regulatory authority for gaming on Indian lands, Federal standards for gaming on Indian lands, and the creation of the National Indian Gaming Commission. As an independent federal regulatory agency of the United States, the National Indian Gaming Commission (Commission) was established pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (Act). The Commission comprises a Chairman and two Commissioners, each of whom serves on a full-time basis for a three-year term. The Chairman is appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate. The Secretary of the Interior appoints the other two Commissioners. Under the Act, at least two of the three Commissioners must be enrolled members of a federally recognized Indian tribe, and no more than two members may be of the same political party. The Commission maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C., with five Regional Offices, located in Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, California; Phoenix, Arizona; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. In February 2003, FBI and NIGC created the Indian Gaming Working Group (IGWG). The IGWG’s purpose is to identify resources to address the most pressing criminal violations in the area of Indian gaming. IGWG responsibilities: To contact the Indian Country Special Jurisdiction Unit, if suspected criminal activities in the Indian gaming industry and IGWG has not enough resources To determine if the alleged criminal violation is a matter of “national importance” To make a case presentation. Following a full review, the IGWG will assist the requesting office/agency to identify and obtain resources to assist in the investigation. To assist by providing “experts” in the investigation, allocating special funding, conducting liaison with other federal agencies, facilitating the establishment of Indian gaming task forces, and/or providing consultation. IGWG should to: Identify the Indian gaming establishments in their territory. Establish appropriate liaison with Tribal Gaming Commission (TGC) members, State Gaming Commission Representatives, State Gaming Regulatory Agency Representatives, and Casino Security Personnel. Establish liaison with representatives from the NIGC and regional Indian gaming intelligence committees. Make proactive attempts during crime surveys to identify criminal activity in Indian gaming establishments. Send investigators and financial analysts to training which provides them with the knowledge and skills they need to effectively investigate criminal activity in Indian gaming establishments. Published under Legislation | send this post December 18th, 2007 Tags: IGRA, IGWG, Indian gambling, Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, Indian Gaming Working Group, law, Legislation, National Indian Gaming Commission, NIGC, United States, US US and EU agreement on online gambling, possible Canada and Japan 2 comments Posted by Nicolae Unfortunately for the online casinos and poker rooms, the agreement (signed in Geneva) is not to change UIGEA, but to compensate EU for this ban. United States will compensate European Union especially in the domain of the trade, and mail services. In accordance with Business Week, “This compensation cannot be quantified up to the euro,” the EU mission to the WTO said in an e-mailed statement. “Nonetheless, it is clear that new trade opportunities are created for EU service suppliers in important sectors in the U.S.” US will also provide access to research and development in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and will help the European companies offering technical testing and analysis services. “We are pleased to confirm that the United States has reached agreement … with Canada, the EU and Japan” Gretchen Hamel, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said in a statement. “The agreement involves commitments to maintain our liberalized markets for warehousing services, technical testing services, research and development services and postal services relating to outbound international letters”.  (Reuters) EU officials declared that EU will continue to believe that it is better to regulate than to prohibit online gambling. “While the US is free to decide how to best respond to legitimate public policy concerns relating to internet gambling, discrimination against EU or other foreign companies should be avoided,” said Peter Power, EU trade spokesman. Peter Mandelson, EU trade commissioner, said last month that he would be pressing for “substantial” compensation. European gaming companies have claimed losses of an estimated $4bn a year from the US move. Clive Hawkswood, of the Remote Gambling Association, said he was “disappointed but not surprised” at the EU settlement. The sector’s best hope was for the EU to take its claim against the US to arbitration, given the number of European-based online gambling companies affected by the US clampdown. (Financial Times) US is still in discussions for compensation with India, Antigua and Barbuda ($3.4bn in trade sanctions against the US), Macau and Costa Rica. Published under Legislation, Online Gambling, UIGEA | send this post December 17th, 2007 Tags: Antigua and Barbuda, Canada, Costa Rica, EU, European Union, Geneva, India, Japan, Legislation, Macau, Online Gambling, UIGEA, United States, US Pages About Contact For Sale Gambling review Links Online gambling sites Privacy Submit link Terms Tags basketball bet bets betting Bingo Blackjack card game cards Casino Casinos Craps dealer Events football gamblers gambling game games gaming hands History hotels Las Vegas Las Vegas Strip links Nevada odds Online Gambling online poker play players Poker poker jargon references Rules slot machines strategy texas hold 'em Tournaments UIGEA United States US variations Video wagers Recent Comments Victoria Young on Gamblers Anonymous Taking Business Elsewhere on DLR Group acquires KKE Architects Jacob Patel on Oicho-Kabu Zoe Murphy on Gamblers Anonymous Casinos on Caribbean Stud Poker in the United Kingdom Categories Advertising Asia Atlantic City Bingo Blackjack Blogs Bonuses Business Casinos Celebrities Companies Craps Dubai European Union Events Football (Soccer) Gambling addiction Gambling Guide Bingo Guide Bingo card Housie Blackjack Guide Card counting Casino Guide Online casino guide Dice games Guide Backgammon Guide Button Men Craps guide Fixed-odds gambling Guide Baseball Guide Basketball Guide Biathlon Boxing Guide Confidence trick Cricket Cross-country skiing Darts Football American football Soccer Golf Greyhound racing Ice hockey Motor sports Rugby Snooker Tennis Guide Gamblers Gambling terminology Gambling variants Baccarat Guide Pai Gow Gaming Guide "Beatable" casino games Guide Non-casino gambling games Card games Bridge Cribbage Playing cards Mahjong Lottery Guide Lottery card games Faro Poker Guide Poker terminology Guide Poker betting Poker hands Guide Poker jargon Poker tournaments Guide Poker variants Guide Community card poker Draw poker Badugi Stud poker Caribbean stud poker Texas hold 'em Texas hold 'em probability Roulette and wheel games Guide Russian roulette Sheepshead Slot machine Guide Society Video poker Guide Wagering guide Betting exchange Guide Sports betting guide Gambling industry Gambling Media games Gran Scala History Investments Jokes Justice Las Vegas Las Vegas Guide Casinos Guide Las Vegas Nevada Guide Las Vegas Sports Las Vegas Strip Summerlin Legislation Macau News Online Gambling online poker Poker Politics Predictions Press Release Projects Quotes Research Romania Rules Russia Search Engines Slots Software Sport Sports Betting strategies Studies, Reports & Survey Top Gambling News Tournaments UIGEA Uncategorized United States Archives August 2010 (83) July 2010 (59) June 2010 (56) May 2010 (57) April 2010 (92) March 2010 (69) February 2010 (50) January 2010 (61) December 2009 (25) November 2009 (25) October 2009 (39) September 2009 (31) August 2009 (34) July 2009 (25) June 2009 (34) May 2009 (17) April 2009 (47) March 2009 (57) February 2009 (42) January 2009 (52) December 2008 (48) November 2008 (67) October 2008 (76) September 2008 (49) August 2008 (26) July 2008 (59) June 2008 (97) May 2008 (15) February 2008 (9) January 2008 (19) December 2007 (24) Titan Poker An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later. Meta Register Log in Entries RSS Comments RSS WordPress.org Translator Blogroll Bet on the Champions League - Find detailed, continually updated information on the Champions League, together with a history of the event and options for online betting at bet123.net. Other major sporting and betting events are also covered. gambling – Google News - Google News Industry: Gaming - Latest news releases for Industry: Gaming from PRWeb online casino games - at the new Silver Oak Casino? With $750 in Welcome Bonuses, Second Chance Free Chips and great new monthly offers Silver Oak is the place to be! poker site - More Fantastic Online Poker Signup Bonuses Yahoo! News Review Web Design & Development Internet Marketing & Advertising English-Romanian Translation Nicolae Sfetcu E-mail, Tel.: 0745-526896 Follow me on Twitter & Facebook Casino-Online.com (Gambling portal) © 2010 Gambling Blog. All Rights Reserved. | Theme Provided by Best Wordpress Themes | Web Hosting