When they got there however their joy was soon squelched. Lottery officials claimed that their winning ticket was a misprint and that they owed the couple nothing. "They told us, 'no, it's not a winner, so sorry.' And my husband said, 'what are you going to do about it?' And they said, 'nothing, there's nothing we're going to do about it,'" said Annemarie Curcio.

Last month, after years of marriage Annemarie’s husband Joe passed away. It is perhaps this tragedy that spurred Annemarie to begin a legal battle over the lost winnings. On Wednesday she filed a $500,000 lawsuit against the state claiming that among other things they were in a breach of contract.

The case is being handled by noted first amendment, internet and gambling attorney Lawrence Walters who has been featured on such programs as Nightline, the View, MTV News, The John Walsh Show, 48 hours, and Dr. Phil.

No date has been set for the initial hearing. 

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The domain name Slots.com has finally been taken off the auction block. Website owner, Christina Hall, had kept her expected price very secret but it appears that the final price rose far beyond industry expectations. Many estimated that the domain name could be worth upwards of $1 million but even industry experts were surprised when they learned that the name sold for a whopping $5.5 million making it one of the ten most expensive domain names ever sold.

The buyer has opted to remain unknown and his identity and the domain is privacy protected so there is no way of knowing who made the purchase. For the moment the registrar of the domain name will not display the owner’s name in a public space and we will have to wait and find out what they plan to do with the site.

More online gambling related domain names are up for auction later this month at the iGaming Super Show May 25^th-28^th and it’s likely that the sale of Slots.com will increase the asking price for many of the names on offer. The conference and exhibition will be held in Prague and registration for the event closes tomorrow so if you’re interested you will need to get in now before it’s too late.

Just a few of the domain names up for grabs include Poker.ca, BlackJackTable.com, PokerLessons.com, SevenCardPoker.com, BlackjackTournaments.com and InternetGames.net.

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Several of the speakers agree that the regulation of online gambling is imminent for North America as the government tries to find ways to fill the gaps in the tight budget. Many believe this effort will come from both a state and federal level.  Brick and mortar casinos also attended the Expo bringing to their attention the likely possibility of the two industries working together in harmony as the regulation begins a domino effect across the country.

CasinoCityTimes.com sent a team to compile a list of the best quotes from speakers during the event. Some are funny and some are of a more serious nature, but they are all important in some way. For the most part, the quotes give online gamblers hope for the future of online gaming and further indicate the industry will not simply stop come June 1. Players will still be able to enjoy the wonders of online gambling without a doubt.

Here is the list compiled by Casino City:

 10. "June 1st, 2010 is the Y2K of Internet gambling. And just like you were able to turn on your computer on January 1st, 2000, people will be able to gamble online on June 2, 2010."

- I. Nelson Rose, Distinguished Senior Professor, Whittier Law School, on the impending date that the regulations required by the UIGEA are to go into effect.

9. "June 1st is a date that is looming in everybody's mind with the final enforcement of the UIGEA. I actually think it may, finally, once and for all prove that it's an ineffective law. Congress created that law and now Congress has to do something to correct it."

– John Pappas, Executive Director, Poker Players Alliance

8. "I would prefer to see John Pappas doing a victory lap around Capitol Hill with a successful federal bill and a signed law. It's just that in the near term, the path of least resistance where we can focus our energies best and be perhaps more in tune with the existing brick and mortar industries is on a state-by-state basis."

– Joe Brennan, Chairman, iMEGA

7. "I don't think (regulating the online gambling industry) should be up to the federal government; I think the federal government could screw up anything. I think that the states should have the right to decide on their own… Intrastate is in my opinion the way to go."

– Frank Catania, President, Catania Consulting Group

6. "Let's face it. Do we really believe that absent a Senator Reid bill that anything will be passed by this Congress?"

– Joe Kelly, Professor of Business Law, State College at Buffalo

5. "The ban on Internet poker has been about as effective as the War on Drugs."

– Lloyd Levine, former Assembly Member, California State Legislature

4. "I've heard that we could make $4 billion (regulating and licensing Internet poker) in California. I've also heard that we may not make squat. What's the real number? Hell, I don't know. But there's a whole lot space between squat and $4 billion."

– Roderick Wright, California State Senator

3. "The Holy Grail in the U.S. is if you can establish a relationship between an offline offering and an online offering and you can pull it off — if you can pull those two things together — where you have a strong offline brand that people recognize and a strong online brand, that's definitely going to be big. Is that possible? Maybe yes, maybe no, but if you can achieve it, you're going to be the winner."

– Kevin Flood, CEO, Gameinlane.com

2. "This year, California is so desperate that it will do anything to raise money. On our ballot in November is legalizing marijuana, purely for tax reasons. And if you're going to legalize marijuana, (what's) Internet poker? Who cares about that?"

– I. Nelson Rose, Distinguished Senior Professor, Whittier Law School

"I think it's the snack food industry that's really pushing the marijuana legalization issue in California."

– John Pappas, Executive Director, Poker Players Alliance, joked in reply

1. "PokerStars, if nothing changes, will become the Google of poker in the United States, and it will be more and more difficult for land-based and other licensees across the country to get involved and get those customers back if we wait too long."

– Dann Grevlos, President, Nextenterprise

Club World Casino gladly accepts players from the United States. 

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If Governor Ted Strickland has his way the newly approved casinos in Ohio will be help foot the bill for college internships. In a recent conference call with reporters Strickland said that he is going to urge the passage of a bill that would allow for portion of the $200 million the state is expected to receive for casino licensing to be used to fund the Third Frontier internship program.

The Third Frontier internship program will be part of the Ohio’s Third Frontier program. This visionary initiative was created in 2002 within the Department of Development to firmly establish the state as an innovation leader and to accelerate the pace of commercialization in Ohio. It offers a wide range of programs from cluster development programs to entrepreneurial programs to research programs. It’s already received a bi-partisan commitment of $1.6 billion for operations over the next ten years but it’s looking to get approval for a $700 million bond renewal for funding for the Third Frontier internship program at the polls in May.

The hope is that the program will allow students to seek internship opportunities in private sector business throughout Ohio. It is be much more likely for individuals to remain in Ohio if they are already involved in Ohio’s economy upon graduation notes Strickland.

Third Frontier currently reimburses up to 50% of an intern’s wagers (but no more than $3,000 a year) while the remainder is covered by the company. Strickland is aiming to keep the ratio the same with the help of funds earned from the casinos.

If you would like to read more about the Third Frontier program you can do so at their official site located at http://thirdfrontier.com/

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Governor Charlie Crist has been working to broker the deal for more three years. It was first rejected by the Florida Supreme Court in 2007 and then again by the House Committee in August of 2009.

 The agreement is currently awaiting House, Senate and Tribal Council approval but if it should pass it is expected to provide a substantial boost to the Florida economy providing up to $705 million in expected revenue over the next year.

The Seminole’s attorney, Mr. Barry Richard, is optimistic the deal will go through but he isn’t ready to consider it finalized just yet since approval still needs to be made first. He does say that this is the closest they’ve ever come to making something final however.

Gov. Crist has said the deal will provide some much needed funds for things like education within the state and could have a lasting positive impact on Florida’s economy “this really bodes well for the future of Florida” Gov. Crist said. “The point is the children of Florida and education in our state. It will provide hundreds of millions of dollars for education.”

The deal would also benefit the Seminole Tribe who once approval has been reached will be able to legally offer table games in South Florida and slot machines outside the Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Although casino players will not notice a huge change since table games have been offered for several years now they will hopefully be able to turn those cards without fear that they are playing in a grey area of the law.

More details as they become available.

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Mike Tyson’s new reality show about pigeon racing has created some controversy. Animal rights group PETA set off an investigation into the boxer and his new show’s network, Animal Planet, by accusing the two of violating New York gambling laws related to animal racing.

According to reports the District Attorney in Brooklyn received a letter from the group claiming that the production of the show violates New York’s gambling laws because it profits off of animal racing. The District Attorney’s office is now said to be investigating those claims.

Animal planet insists that the claims are unfounded. There is no wagering involved in the show and therefore they find it hard to believe they could be in violation of gambling laws.

PETA on the other hand says that making any money off animal racing is illegal so the point is moot. Tyson would receive a salary for the show and as far as they are concerned that is enough to put the company in violation of the laws. We’ll just have to wait and see if the District Attorney’s office agrees with them or not.

Source: TMZ

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The online poker news source conducted a two part interview with Poker Players Alliance chairman and executive, John Pappas who shared his optimism regarding the possibility of the passing of the bill. He believes that the legislation could be moving to mark-up sometime before the spring which is quite soon.

The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act was introduced to Congress and filed with the House Financial Services Committee by Frank in May of 2009. A non-voting hearing was conducted in December of 2009 to discuss the bill in detail. Pappas believes that the next steps will most likely be a congressional mark-up. This is where the bill is read out loud to the members of congress and the Committee giving them the perfect opportunity to make known any concerns or questions pertaining to the bill.

Persons with inside knowledge about the bill’s progress are quite certain that the mark-up will come as early as this month of March if not some time in spring. The mark-up hearing is especially important because legislation from the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act is scheduled to become mandatory by the first of June 2010.

The Poker Players Alliance has been spreading awareness regarding these issues in recent months to hopefully bring recognition to online gambling legalization in the US. This is most likely in preparation for the imminent vote that will occur eventually when Congress feels the time is right.

To read the full interview with John Pappas click here.                                                  

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The European Union has made its stance on online casinos very clear in the past few years pushing their policies for a free trade approach to the industry. Many countries have not been particularly receptive to the idea of opening up the industry to foreign competitors though, especially considering that many made the push for a nationalized system in order to help fund government activities.

The new Internal Markets Commissioner for the EU, Michel Barnier, is now pushing hard to draft a positioning paper on online casino and gambling trade that would highlight the views that many member nations have that are divergent from European Union (EU) regulations and that would define the EU policy making it more difficult for nations not to adhere to the policy.

Countries like France, Germany, Finland, Spain and Greece have refused to conform to the EU regulations. France, Germany and Greece are said to provide local operators or state owned monopolies an advantage over private European providers of online gambling services for reasons that are perfectly obvious. In recent news Finland gave RAY and Veikkaus Oy exclusive permission to offer online gambling to their citizens starting in March of this year under an exclusive licensing regime. As for Spain they caused something of a stir over taxing of winnings. Players are given substantial tax breaks on their winnings if the providers of the gambling services are Spanish and are charged in full for winnings from foreign establishments. 

Michel Barnier is definitely in for something of a challenge if he wants to get every member of the EU to conform to EU policies but many argue that it is a step in the right direction. Unlike the U.S., Europe has always been less strict on gambling regulations and is more open to using it as a means of public fund raising. While the EU works to open up the industry to everyone, things are becoming more and more locked off for those in the “the land of the free” who find it increasingly difficult to make transactions with online providers even in states who approve of the practice.

Barnier hopes to be able to get approval for his new position by the College of Commissioners and get to work on the policies as soon as fall of this year.

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Shaquille O’Neal recently admitted to losing around $200,000 to rap star and songwriter Jermaine Dupri in a recent All-Star Weekend video. Already the video has stirred up some controversy across the net. Hollywood gossip blogger Perez Hilton talked down to the legendary basketball player shortly after the release of the footage saying, “Must be nice, blowing that kind of money and not having to think twice about it, especially when there are no charities or causes in the world you can donate it to.”

In truth Shaq didn’t seem particularly concerned with the sum of money involved in the gambling between him and Dupri. He actually seemed to be spurred on by the loss looking forward to a rematch.

He can be seen in the video here telling the camera, "This man liked to gamble with me, he hit me for about $200,000, but I'm ready now. In the Jaguar, Ferrari, switching four lanes, top down screaming out money ain't a thing. I'm ready now. He got me for about $200,000 back in the day, but I'm ready now."

Whether the exact amount he spends on gambling matters or not is up to his fans to decide but considering that the player makes a reported $21 million a year from his NBA salary alone it is reasonable to think that it may seem like small potatoes to the big star. In any case we expect to be hearing a lot more about this video comment.

NBA stars have showed enthusiasm for gambling in the past. Other famous gambling fans include Antoine Walker, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley.

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