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Welcome to Bet Sages Gambling News Section, featuring the latest breaking
gambling industry news courtesy of InfoPowa News. This is your one stop source for
all and any of the latest developments concerning leisure based wagering
activities on the internet.
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| 06 AUGUST 2006 : HEADLINES |
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Carruthers and BetonSports representatives absent
The court hearings scheduled for Monday this week turned out to be something of an anti-climax: Dismissed BetonSports CEO David Carruthers did not [initially] make an appearance; neither did any BetonSports representative; the judge set a hearing date of August 21 but warned that there may be a postponement and in a seperate hearing extended the restraint of trading order on BetonSports for the second time in as many weeks.
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BetonSports ex-CEO pleads not guilty to all charges
The AP reportage out of St Louis was a little confusing at first on Monday this week. The initial report was that dismissed BetonSports CEO David Carruthers had not been arraigned with 7 others due to travel delays, but then later reports said that he had, in fact arrived in St. Louis, had been arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
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No show in St. Louis and arguments over service of papers
The St. Louis Post-Despatch reports that BetOnSports will ignore a federal criminal prosecution and civil case aimed at shutting its billion-dollar U.S. operation, according to a federal prosecutor in a court statement on Monday.
BetOnSports lawyers failed to show up Monday morning for arraignment of the company on criminal charges that include mail fraud, wire fraud and racketeering.
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US Attorney says offshore betting "could" be used to fund terrorist attacks
US Attorney for Missouri Catherine Hanaway is becoming an increasingly well known name as the BetonSports crisis rumbles on, and this week the UK newspaper The Guardian fleshed out this colourful personality with an interesting biographical piece written by its reporter in St. Louis.
Hanaway appears to not be aware of the FATF adherence on money laundering and transfer controls widely used in the industry, or independent studies that have given the industry a clean transaction record, for she claims rather dramatically that offshore betting could be used to fund terrorist attacks on America if allowed to continue unchecked.
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World's largest business federation protests on burden that banning places on banks
Last week it was the Independent Community Bankers of America complaining about being over-burdened by the Goodlatte Bill's proposals to ban online gambling and disrupt US financial flows to the industry; this week the call was taken up by another major business confederation in the States.
Dow Jones news reports from Washington that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants the Senate to amend the controversial Internet gambling legislation, saying it would impose a 'substantial regulatory burden' on financial institutions.
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Predicament of jailed ex-BetonSports exec is on the Web
A website dedicated to publicising the predicament David Carruthers finds himself in, and the circumstances of the case against BetonSports has made an appearance on the Internet.
FreeDavidCarruthers.com, features a large photograph of Carruthers in better times atop a London building and opinions for and against his situation.
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BetonSports case puts the spotlight on the long arm of US law
Reuters reports that recent events such as the extradition of UK bankers wanted in connection with the Enron case in the USA, and the BetonSports failure to appear at a criminal hearing in St Louis this week have resulted in an upsurge of interest in extradition insurance.
The news agency says that the issues have graphically illustrated to British businessmen how long the arm of U.S. law can reach and prompted firms to rethink the cover they buy to protect their managers against lawsuits, known as directors and officers (D&O) insurance.
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Bankers again stress that anti-online gambling moves will over-burden their operations
News agencies in the USA report that the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) has again called on Congress to re-examine provisions in the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act (H.R. 4411) recently passed by the House of Representatives that require banks and other financial institutions to assist in halting the flow of gambling deposits to online gambling venues.
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Federal authorities arrest online gambling site associates.
In another US federal investigation this week federal officials from the IRS and the US Attorney's office detained eight individuals on allegations of conducting an illegal gambling business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250 000 fine, and conspiracy to launder money, which carries a maximum 20-year sentence and a $500 000 fine.
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200 new jobs for Dublin
The confusing legal climate, and the uncertain future for online gambling companies in the United States are cited as the main reasons for a US company moving its corporate head office to Ireland this week.
Tiltware LLC, the software company behind Full Tilt Poker, has announced that it is moving to Dublin, Ireland, creating up to 200 new jobs in the Emerald Isle.
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Pokershare certainly worked this publicity exercise well
Over the past month, starting with a viral rumour mill campaign, and graduating to editorial publicity the PokerShare marketing folks have skilfully heightened the profile of their company through Mikey the Poker Playing Chimp. This innovative scheme presented a poker playing chimpanzee called Mikey as a World Series of Poker contestant with a buildup on his training and abilities.
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More overwhelming support for online gambling to be regulated
CNBC conducted a poll last week that reinforces the overwhelming support among American gamblers for regulated, rather than prohibited online gambling . Various recent polls, notably the Wall Street Journal vote earlier this year, have hinted to legislators in the USA that Americans have little if any appetite for prohibition.
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Safe Deposits Sports was a close neighbour, says Brit newspaper
The Times Online published some interesting historical links this week, alleging that the embattled betting group BetonSports once shared the same address, technical support and solicitor as a company linked to New Yorks notorious Bonanno crime family.
The company, Safe Deposit Sports (SDS), was part of an illegal gambling ring that netted millions for the Bonannos, one of New Yorks five Mafia families, according to US prosecutors. SDS shared an address, technical support and a solicitor based in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, with the British firm.
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We evicted SDS, says spokeswomen
Reports in the UK press over the weekend linking BetonSports to a New York organised crime family were addressed this week by a spokeswoman for the company.
The spokeswoman confirmed that the company had shared its Costa Rica office with Safe Deposit Sports (SDS) until Spring last year when the allegations of a mob link surfaced.
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Losing this bet involved a few costume changes!
When Joe Sebok lost a bet to his friend and fellow poker pro Gavin Smith he had to arrange several unusual costume changes for his appearances in the four opening days of Main Event matches at the World Series of Poker this week.
Four opening days were needed just to get through the record 8 725 entrants for this year's final event in a competitive process called "The Meat Grinder" aimed at reducing this vast field to a final table of 9, all of whom will emerge from the tournament with at least a million dollars.
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Pricing concerns in a turbulent market blamed
The Financial Times reports that Continent 8 Technologies has pulled its planned flotation in London due to market turbulence and concerns that at this time the offer would not achieve its price targets.
According to the newspaper the company, which works with Mohawk Internet Technologies in the Quebec Province of Canada to provide internet infrastructure to online gaming sites, is postponing its IPO. The Mohawks own 40 percent of the company.
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Sisters....
The highly regarded 32Red plc online gambling group out of Gibraltar has launched its latest offering, a slick new Microgaming-powered online casino branded Dash Casino.com.
With a simple but elegant and easy to use layout, fully contactable Support that operates 24/7 and the new QuickCash simplified bonusing system the new operation is already displaying the expertise of the Ed Ware management team, which incidentally is fully identified on the site with individual biographies.
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e-Cash processor halts operations on August 18
If you have funds tied up in On Demand Funds, an online e-cash processor, contact the company now. This week ODF was giving players the following bad news:
"OnDemandFunds would like to take this opportunity to thank you for using us as your deposit option. However, we are writing to notify you that we will cease operation on August 18, 2006.
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15 minute delay as players heed "all change" call
The start of the eagerly anticipated main event at the World Series of Poker in Vegas was briefly delayed last Friday when officials from the tournament directorate enforced a ban on players wearing .com sponsored advertising on caps and shirts.
The $10 000 buy-in No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em event that will pay the winner a $10 million or more top prize has attracted thousands of entrants, some of whom have qualified online at Internet poker sites offering WSOP final seats as prizes.
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8 000 or more entrants and a possibly $12 million winner's cheque make this the big one in world poker
The $10 000 buy-in No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em main event in this year's 37th World Series of Poker started Friday afternoon in Vegas at the Amazon Convention Center at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino with a giant prize pool reported to be in excess of $72 million.
Up to 8 000 entrants - a new record - have either ponied up the $10 000 entry fee or are being sponsored by numerous online poker companies that have been running satellite tournaments over the past few months with WSOP seats as prizes. In the cavernous convention centre hall hundreds of tables have been set up to accommodate the thousands of players, every one of them hoping to win the massive $10 to $12 million main prize, or at least finish "in the money".
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Harrah's releases final head count for Main Event field...and the champ will pocket around $11.5 million!
Total entries for the Main Event in this year's World Series of Poker Championships (see previous InfoPowa reports) currently ongoing in Last Vegas have not only broke all records, but have exceeded the expectations of the organisers. That's official. The final numbers on the total field and first place cash prize for the 2006 World Series of Poker were announced this week.
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World Series of Poker Main Event prize figures make mouth-watering reading
Final figures on the prize pool for the WSOP Main Event have now been officially released and showcase rewards that break all previous records for this global poker championship.
This year's winner will take home $12 million - a huge increase over last year's $7.5 million paycheck given to winner Joe Hachem. But the winner is not the only one to reap tournament riches; each of the top 12 finishers will receive at least a million dollars and the last surviving 873 players in the Main Event will be "in the money", with the 873rd finisher receiving $14 597 return on his or her "buy-in" fee of S10 000.
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After Thursday's rest, the action starts again today (Friday)
"The Meat Grinder" main event of the World Series of Poker has now eliminated all but 1 139 of the starting field of 8 773 players, 270 of them women, and after Thursday's rest day break the action starts again at noon Vegas time Friday.
For the first time since the beginning of the main event, the players will be playing under one roof, battling to reach a final table scheduled for Thursday, August 10th.
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The400Group online casinos offering latest game
Canadian and Curacao gambling software developer Rival Gaming has released a new addition to its gambling suite - Reel Crime 2: Art Heist. Part of a family of online games that add an interactive dimension to classic online slots, Art Heist is a multi-line, multi-reeled slot game that takes players into the comic universe of a pair of bumbling art thieves.
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Horse racing website fast out of the gate for skill games
UK skill gaming provider and network GameAccount has scored with another important account, signing up At The Races.com, one of the UKs leading horse racing and betting websites, to supply the latest skill gaming to its growing community of users.
The horse racing site will now roll out over 14 classic multiplayer games and tournaments, enabling player access to the poker style GameAccount network of non-download games. These include popular skill-based games such as Tournament Blackjack, Three Card Poker and other popular card variants alongside real-time multiplayer Gin Rummy, Backgammon and 8-Ball Pool. Players will have access to sophisticated tournament and instant-win jackpot formats offering rolling prize pools totalling more than GBP 250 000.
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Ongame the software and network of choice for online casino operator
Money Casino in association with PokerEon.com has launched a new poker room and joined the Ongame Network, one of the leading internet poker networks with approximately 8.6 million registered players, guaranteeing non-stop tournament and ring game action and maintaining the highest standards of security, reliability, and technical excellence.
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Turnkey solution from 3G-Scene for a famous poker brand
World Poker Tour Enterprises, Inc., has licensed its brand to London-based mobile gambling service provider 3G-Scene Limited for a joint mobile gaming offering.
3G-Scene will provide WPTE with a turnkey solution, including product design, management and sales, for WPTE's mobile gambling offerings globally in countries where such gaming is permitted.
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Austrian provider signs up new partners
Greentube AG, an Austrian-based provider of multiplayer skill games, has completed the integration of important new customers, including sports betting companies Interwetten AG, Admiral Sportwetten AG, and broadcasting channel Pro7 Schweiz.
Greentube will provide background technology for the skill gaming portals, using its cash skill gaming model which according to Greentube CEO, Eberhard Drrschmid, will enhance market status for its new partners.
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Famous men's magazine brand signs up for online poker action
Playboy Enterprises Inc. will use poker software from CryptoLogic Inc. to run its Internet poker website, the companies announced this week.
The move builds on a relationship between the two companies that began in May with the announcement (see previous InfoPowa report) that CryptoLogic would launch a Playboy-branded Internet casino, providing electronic cash management, marketing support and customer support.
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Hollywood Poker official suffered heart attack
Hollywood Poker.com was in shock this week following the sudden death from a heart attack of Michael Woods, the brother of actor James Woods who helped manage the online poker site.
The 49 year old died Wednesday after going to the local hospital complaining that he was not feeling well and had a sore throat. He died within an hour of arriving. Michael was reportedly in good health and had just returned to Rhode Island from a road trip to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker with his brother.
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Player-oriented new features added to Poker Nexus games
Chartwell Technology, the Canadian gambling software developer and turnkey provider has released a new version of its multiplayer poker product.
Chartwells version 2.1 on the PokerNexus site, includes new features such as "favourites" areas for players, colour coded player plaques, and a mini-view, allowing visitors to see as many as four tables at any one time.
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Major Scandinavian betting group to move over all online poker operations
The major online Scandinavian betting group Unibet is planning to leave the B2B - 24Hr poker network and move completely to the Microgaming Poker Network by September 2006, a company spokesman revealed this week.
Since the acquisition of French-language MrBookmaker in August 2005, Unibet had been running two poker platforms, B2B and Microgaming. The move to one common technology provider will take effect from September this year.
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Moneymaker partnership will sharpen poker skills
Here's a chance for aspirant poker champs to sharpen their skills. World class poker tuition by some of poker's top players is the main attraction at the Playboy Poker Camp, which was launched this week by Playboy Enterprises, Inc.in partnership with Moneymaker Gaming.
WSOP Champion Layne Flack and Jim "Krazy Kanuck" Worth are among the instructors, and activities at the camp will include nightly poker tournaments with prizes of more than $100 000 and related events with Playboy Playmates, culminating in a lavish party at the legendary Playboy Mansion.
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Promotional site for online poker company gets into all-action sports
Smart marketers associate the product with glamorous high profile sports favoured by their target audience, and this week the US promotional vehicle for Party Poker, the Party Poker.net initiative, was right up there with the best of them.
The company is making non-industry headlines with its involvement in five thrilling "PartyPoker.net Big ThrowDown qualifying rounds featuring snowboard, skateboard, wakeboard, FMX and BMX stars, competing in a Texas Hold em poker tournament at the Bank of the West Beach Games in Huntington Beach.
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Skybet and Sky Vegas turn in good performance for BSkyB
BSkyBs interactive betting division Skybet has seen a strong rise in revenues on the back of growth in sports betting and its Sky Vegas product, according to the latest results released by the company.
The companys betting operation saw revenue for the year to the end of June rise 16 percent to GBP 37 million on gross revenues of GBP 341 million.
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No fall-off in business attributable to BetonSports affair, says chief exec
World Gaming's release of its six monthly results this week showed that the online gambling provider remains on an upward path in terms of revenues and new clients.
Releasing the financials, CEO Daniel Moran said that despite the involvement in US sportsbetting by its licensees the London based company had not seen any evidence of a fall-off in business in the wake of the BetonSports indictments.
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Leading brokers confident in long term for online gambling stocks
The BetonSports happenings in the USA may have increased volatility in online gambling stocks and shares in the UK, but the long term future of the business is still widely regarded as positive....and smart investors are buying in whilst stocks are still low.
British business publications reported towards the end of last week that earlier reports of disinvestment by major funds like Fidelity were both premature and inaccurate. Fidelity International is a major investor in UK-listed Internet gambling stocks, and although the US division no longer has any holdings in the sector, this did not apply to Fidelity in the UK, where it holds substantial interests, particularly in leading companies like Sportingbet and PartyGaming.
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Themed slots and great card games in latest releases
This month's new game releases from the Trident Group are now available at King Neptune's Casino (www.kingneptunescasino.com) and Trident Lounge Casino (www.tridentloungecasino.com) says company spokesman Scott Gaines, promising action aplenty and something for all gaming tastes.
"Players looking for the ultimate experience in online blackjack gaming will find it in the recently released BLACKJACK GOLD series," he says.
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New Zealand owned online casino promises more action and entertainment
Christchurch Casinos owned and Playtech powered FastWin Casino is adding three new ways for players to widen their game choice with the launch of Lotto Madness, Ugga Bugga and 50 line Jacks or Better.
Lotto Madness is a 5 reel - 20 line video slot game with a exciting twist. "Players will enjoy the bonus round where they can win multipliers, free spins and cash prizes, but what really makes Lotto Madness stand out is the progressive side bet they can make" comments James Ball from FastWin Casino. He continues; "The mini 'game within a game' is called Dollar Ball. The player gets to choose 5 numbers between 1 and 49, random numbers are then called in sync with the Lotto Madness slots reels and the more matches the player gets the higher their prize, with 5 matches winning the progressive JP. This is on top of any winnings they can get from the Lotto Madness slots game."
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Betfair educates the gamblers
Online betting exchange and poker group Betfair has launched a player-educational facility free of charge branded The Complete Betfair Trading Course - A free course in Power Trading.
The course takes players step by step from the very beginning of actually opening an account on Betfair, moving on to explain the dos and donts of betting in a professional and precise manner. The main part of the course deals with backing, laying and selection systems and this is backed up by giving the gambler knowledge in just how to stake money properly.
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i-Gaming's profile heightened at premier international casino exhibition
Clarion ATE, the organisers of the annual International Casino Exhibition in London have further increased the interactive gaming expos profile as an event in its own right. The exhibition now has its own dedicated website (www.icei-exhibition.com) and online registration facility live from mid September representing an evolution from the initial dual marketing strategy under the wing of bricks and mortar gaming sister show, ICE.
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Fast and furious seven-a-side rugger will kick off at Twickenham on August 12
Premier Rugby and Middlesex County Rugby Football Union confirmed this week that online betting company Coral.co.uk is the latest major UK company to be associated with England's seven-a-side rugby event which takes place at Twickenham near London on the Saturday 12th August.
All twelve Guinness Premiership clubs will compete for the trophy in a new format created for the tournament this year.
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Online casino games developer has big plans
For the second time in the past three months Mentor Gaming has released new games, this week announcing the availability of 54 online slot games at licensee sites. The new online slot machines from Mentor Gaming will feature 3 and 5 reels with full screen option and advanced 3D technology.
"There is a growing market for online slot machines and we have put a lot of effort into creating the best online slots on the Internet" claims Alon Peled, Mentor Gaming CEO.
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Internet companies are investing huge sums in addressing the Asian market...but the land casinos have a booming market in the United States.
Associated Press carried a fascinating article on the strength of the US Asian domestic market for gambling at land casinos.
Every day, Foxwoods and nearby rival Mohegan Sun combine to send more than 100 buses to predominantly Asian neighborhoods in Boston and New York, the piece reports. The number of buses doubles on Chinese New Year, and on Thanksgiving and Christmas, which many Asians don't celebrate.
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Yikes! "Live-over-the-Internet" gambling gets down to the bare essentials
We're not sure what "live-over-the-internet" patent holder Mel Molnick will make of the latest angle on live gambling - an outfit called Grand Nevada.com has launched an Internet casino product where the action includes nude or scantily clad croupiers!
Using what it calls "Live Nude Casino Technology" the operation has free and educational game play as well as the real money tables, where it claims: "Customers can now play online casino games, with real live nude dealers, and win real money!"
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Internet cafes the main target
The Korea Times reports this week that opening an Internet cafe will soon require registration following a government decision to tighten control over gambling services.
Currently no licensing or registration is required to open an Internet cafe, better known domestically as a PC Bang.
Cafe operators will be obliged to delete betting programs from their computers, according to the new regulations, jointly drafted by the government and the governing Uri Party. Businesses that do not comply face closure and other punitive measures by the authorities.
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US WTO representative between a rock and a hard place if decision goes Antigua's way
The Washington Post reports that the US Administration can thank ex-sportsbook operator Jay Cohen for its embarrassing World Trade Organisation troubles with the tiny Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda.
In an article entitled "Against All Odds" the newspaper says that U.S. prosecutors put Cohen behind bars in 2002 for running an Internet gambling site in the Caribbean country of Antigua and Barbuda. Not long before the prison gates clanged shut, he had learned that the federal crackdown on online betting might violate global trade rules.
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New brain research identifies the "gambling" impulses
A California Institute of Technology research team headed by Steve Quartz claims to have identified the subcortical activity in the brain that distinguishes the gambling activity.
The team says that from gamblers playing blackjack to investors picking stocks, humans make a wide range of decisions that require gauging risk versus reward, but previous studies carried out in the laboratory have not been able to work out how the very basic information-processing "subcortical" regions of the brain function in processing this imperative.
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More detail on US legal emergency briefing
The emergency briefing being organised by the World Online Gambling Law Report in the wake of the BetonSports issue is shaping up for 4 August with an impressive speaker's list.
Among the legal luminaries who will analyse and discuss the DoJ moves and the consequences for the industry are Pat O'Brien, partner at Greenberg Traurig, Tom Durkin, partner at Mayer Brown Rowe Maw, Hillary Stewart-Jones, partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, David Collins, partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, Mark Spragg, partner at Jeffrey Green Russell, Linda Shorey, partner at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham.
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| PREVIOUS NEWS ARTICLES... |
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| 17th June 2006
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| 24th June 2006
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| 1st July 2006
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| 11th July 2006
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| 23rd July 2006
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| 27th July 2006
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