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Welcome to Bet Sage's
Online 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
all aspects of the
Online Gambling
Industry.
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| 26 APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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The Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act proposed is a little different to a repeal of the UIGEA
The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Congressman Barney Franks has launched his much anticipated proposal to amend the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act....and it's not the repeal most industry people were expecting.
The bill does not challenge the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2007 directly. Instead it seeks to establish a regulatory and enforcement framework for licensed gambling operators to accept bets and wagers from individuals in the US.
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Representing over 400 000 poker players, this is a voice with influence
The 400 000 member Poker Players' Alliance was first out of the gate with support for the new online gambling proposals titled Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act launched today (Thursday) by Congressman Barney Frank.
In a press release, the PPA said it supports House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank's introduction of sensible Internet gambling legislation.
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Three games released
The continuation of the popular Power Poker series and two new themed video slots are the latest game offerings from the Microgaming studios.
In the most recent iteration of the Power Poker series, a new 10 hand DOUBLE DOUBLE BONUS 10 PLAY POWER POKER is launched. This exciting new game offers double the money and twice the fun, offering players an extra five �4 of a Kind� win combinations on the generous pay-table in a fast-moving game that provides an authentic, high actionb video poker experience.
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UltimateBet launches Roshambo in latest online poker software release
The popular, and US-friendly online poker site UltimateBet has announced the release of a new software update that features a host of new games, significant enhancements and additional innovative features. Chief among them is Roshambo - a head-to-head game commonly referred to as Rock, Paper, Scissors.
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Lee is the man to watch
With 27 survivors remaining from the original starting field of 639, Day 4 of the World Poker Tour championship showcased tough, no-quarter poker with players all well within the money bubble, and that $4 million winner's prize so close it could be almost tasted.
The tension in the Fontana Room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas was at times almost tangible, and it was Paul Lee who finally ended up as the day's top dog with a chip stack of $3 600 000 - well ahead of the previous leader Phil Hellmuth who had dropped to 18th position with a stack of $738 000 by the time play ended.
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Swedish provider has been chosen by Global Player Casino
Global Player Casino online gamblers received news of a major software change this week when the online casino emailed an announcement that it was switching to the Boss Media software platform.
The switch, which is planned for May 22 has apparently been made to cater for player demands for a more diverse choice of games and gambling activities.
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Congressman Frank plans to launch his proposal to repeal the UIGEA Thursday
Both international wire services and mainstream media are currently reporting widely on the first serious challenge to the U.S. Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act - a repeal attempt that the Democrat chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Congressman Barney Frank will soon launch.
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But US players will be excluded, thanks to the UIGEA
Top online gambling software developer and turnkey provider CryptoLogic Inc., and WPT Enterprises Inc. (WPTE), a leader in poker entertainment, announced today (Wednesday) a three-year contract that will move the World Poker Tour's (WPT) gaming site for the international market to the world's largest non-US shared gaming network.
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$20 billion over 5 years is one estimate
Taxation is likely to be the sweetener to get US fellow politicians to support Congressman Barney Frank's attempted repeal of the controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act this week, according to political observers in the respected Washington publication The Hill.
Congressman Frank is set to give more detail on his repeal proposals at a press conference Thursday, having already said that it is likely to be a difficult task.
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Unconfirmed reports suggest that non-US card users now have a problem
Neteller card users could be in for a tough time if an email received around the world and ostensibly emanating from the Isle of Man-based e-wallet is genuine and correct.
The email, addressed to "Dear NETeller Merchant" advises merchants that Neteller's third-party provider for the Neteller Card has recently advised that under the rules relating to the Cirrus/Maestro Network, it can no longer support the cards.
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Online-casinos.com has developed an original audio visual tutorial for the most popular online gambling games
Watching a craps dealer verbally teaching newbie players the game whilst on a trip to Las Vegas inspired an online gambling webmaster to develop an innovative series of online player training audio visuals now offered free on the Online-Casinos.com (www.online-casinos.com) website.
Webmaster Jan Balslev says that the encounter gave him the idea, which he brought to reality on his return home.
Not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, he parodies the famous city's slogan.
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| 25 APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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And Hellmuth is strong among the leaders
Days 2 and 3 of the World Poker Tour championship at the Bellagio in Las Vegas have continued to entertain spectators with great poker and the antics of many of the top stars in the game.
479 players took their seats for the five blind levels of Day 2, this from an original starting field that numbered 639 hopefuls. By the end of Day 2 there would only be 218 players left in the competition, for which players have anted up a $25 000 buy-in for a crack at the almost $4 million main prize.
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Search warrants and arrests in Senator Kyl's home state as Costa Rican online betting site agents are prosecuted
Reports coming in from Phoenix, Arizona indicate that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office served 44 search warrants on Tuesday in the culmination of a two-year-long undercover operation targeting an international gambling ring based in Phoenix but using Internet betting sites.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio told KPHO that "Operation High Stakes," had involved undercover deputies who successfully penetrated four separate but loosely connected groups working out of various homes and businesses in the Valley that used unidentified Internet-based betting sites to take illegal gambling bets online or via toll free telephone numbers.
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A key element in Congressman Frank's plan to repeal the UIGEA is public support
When he announced his plan to propose the repeal of the Unlawful Internet Gambing Enforcement Act recently, Congressman Barney Frank said that a significant public outcry against the Act, which disrupts the ability of American online gamblers to make financial transactions in their legal pastime of choice, would be a critical element.
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Country and Western star endorses new site
Some months ago InfoPowa carried news of a new online poker site branded The Gambler Poker Club.com forming from a base in Los Angeles and endorsed by country and western signing star Kenny Rogers (who at one time owned his own poker site now closed.)
This week the company has issued a press release quoting the line "know when to hold 'em" from Rogers's iconic song about gambling, and announcing that free online poker is available at the club, with prizes to be won.
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Starting April 29, network is offering a Guaranteed $100 000 tournament
The Dobrosoft powered and Canadian owned Digital Gaming Network (DGN) is entering the highly competitive big money poker tournament sector this week with a $100 000 Guaranteed tournament starting April 29.
The buy-in to the final event is $60, and there are satellite contests now running 24 hours a day leading directly to this event with buy-ins as low as 65 cents. Digital Gaming Network is also running two freerolls each day where the top 3 players will win seats to the April 29th final.
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Director general tells Caribbean leaders that US will eventually implement WTO rulings on online gambling
The Antigua Sun reports that a top official in the World Trade Organisation, Director General Pascal Lamy is confident that the United States will eventually comply with the WTO's ruling on its online gambling discriminatory practices.
The newspaper reports that Lamy was speaking to a closed session of a meeting with CARICOM Ministers of Trade, and that he observed that the preservation of the rules-based multilateral trading system on which the WTO is based ensures that, over time, the US will move to implement the rulings and recommendations of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body.
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| 24 APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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With little fanfare, Washington legislators have given online gamblers an "affirmative defence"
Online gambling industry observers were surprised, but still welcomed a move by Washington State legislators last week to introduce some sense into the state's draconian anti-online gambling laws, which made online gambling a felony with the sort of punitive measures normally reserved for serious crimes.
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Not only is the Unlawful Internet Gambling enforcement Act the "stupidest" law passed by Congress...it's also one of the worst!
Congressmen Barney Frank is not alone in his contempt for the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which he recently dubbed as the "stupidest law passed by Congress" in his announcement that he will attempt to have it repealed soon. This week he was joined by an influential media watchdog in condemning the UIGEA as a bad law.
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Major gambling information portals and operators are urging the player community to voice their disapproval
Following discussions at political and ownership levels, many online gambling operators and information portal owners are collaborating in trying to mobilise a major wave of player support for the efforts of Congressman Barney Frank to repeal the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
The Act was passed in questionable circumstances late last year and seeks to prevent or disrupt financial transactions with online gambling sites, effectively preventing players from enjoying their pastime of choice without actually making it a crime.
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Palace group mobile gambling subsidiary Zero36 expands
Zero36, the Palace online gambling group subsidiary powered by Microgaming and involved in the mobile gambling sector has announced the launch of its Spanish mobile casino service.
Zero36 Spanish Casino Games are now available for direct download either through the Spanish Zero36 website or through Zero36's Spanish WAP site when using any mobile Internet browser.
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The field thins out....
The World Poker Tour Championship at the Bellagio in Las Vegas continued to provide great competitive poker action right up to the close of Day 1B which saw the field further thinned down from a start of 333 entries, slightly more than Day1A which boasted 306 players.
The record total of 639 players prepared to pay the $25 000 entry to go after the almost $4 million winner's prize confounded pessimists who predicted that the epic poker event would not attract as many numbers this year due to US legislative developments, and after four consecutive years of impressive growth, the field this year generated a prize-pool of $15 495 750. This means that the top 100 players will finish in the money, earning at least $46 410, and the top three will become instant millionaires.
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| 23 APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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Amicable agreement to abandon "discussions"
The widespread speculation that Ladbrokes and 888.com were making merger talk can now cease following an announcement from both companies that their discussions regarding " a business transaction" have been abandoned by mutual and amicable agreement.
Most of the UK business media reported that betting group Ladbrokes and online gaming firm 888 were no longer in talks regarding a possible deal.
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18th annual Bingo cruise and world championship will sail the Caribbean seas
Bingo Entertainment N.V. has signed up as Platinum Sponsor of the 19th Annual World Championship Bingo Tournament and Gaming Cruise which is to take place from November 10th - November 18th 2007.
This year's cruise will be sailing to the Eastern Caribbean with stops at San Juan in Puerto Rico, St Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Isles, Antigua, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and finally Nassau, the lively hub of The Bahamas.
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Swedish online poker provider has been quietly building a significant presence.
The announcement this week that the new online poker site World 3d Poker.com is to sponsor a hospitality event at the Amsterdam affiliate conference next month has put the spotlight back on the Swedish software supplier Designed Quality Entertainment (DQE) and its growing online poker operation The 3d Network.
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But details are sketchy on this Panama City based venture
The integrity and financial probity of Internet third party e-cash processors is a matter of concern for everyone involved in the industry in these tricky times, as US legislation forces established companies out of the US online gambling market, leaving the field open to less proven entities.
That being the case, one would have thought that the disclosure of full background detail on backers, financial strength and regulatory registration details and requirements would be critical for any newcomer.
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Two time WSOP winner involved in training company
For experience and talent in the game of poker, a pro player like Johnny Chan is pretty hard to beat, and the cool-as-ice veteran, who has two World Series of Poker main event champion bracelets in his trophy cabinet will soon be using cyberspace to pass on his knowledge to would be dealers.
The Buffalo News reported this week that the Chinese-born, Las Vegas-bred Chan is teaming up with a casino school in Buffalo to make a score in the global casino business, assuming they can get the idea past state regulators.
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Hypocrisy of UIGEA attacked on Nashville blog
The eclectic and informative Internet blog "Tennessee Talk.com" featured a pithy and accurate summary of the hypocrisy of US political moves against online gambling in the USA this week, helping to improve and shape public perceptions of the troublesome Act.
The direct and uncomplicated style of the poster is captured here in a direct quote hat will resonate with many in the online gambling community:
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Aussie pro takes New Zealand Poker Championship title and $100 000
Christchurch Casino in New Zealand was the setting this week for the final table in the New Zealand Poker Championship, which turned out to be a hard-fought contest with some fine poker skills on display.
An Australian and a New Zealander confronted each other in the final heads up when Kiwi househusband Richard Grace and his Australian opponent poker pro Eric Assadourian finished off the game.
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Over $5 million in overlays paid out so far in $100 000 a day tournament schedule
The UK online gambling group Mansion is putting big money down in its online poker investment in daily $100 000 guaranteed tournaments, according to a company spokesman this week. Thus far, the firm had paid $5 206 470 in total on overlays since January 3 when the series was introduced...and it still has a way to go.
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Treasury and AG's office have to come up with banking regulations soon
Card Player magazine issued a timely reminder this week that the regulations backing the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act fall due in two month's time.
The UIGEA was rammed through Congress in the last quarter of 2006 in some late night pre-recess manouevring which saw Senator Bill Frist attach the Bill to a must-pass Safe Ports Act. President Bush subsequently signed the Bill into law, precipitating large scale international disruption and corporate losses.
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304 players in $25 000 buy-in Bellagio poker epic
The Bellagio in Las Vegas was in the poker spotlight over the weekend as 304 players gathered for the World Poker Tour championship main event, which attracted poker stars from all over the world despite a hefty buy-in of $25 000. The resultant prize-pool will be the highest yet in WPT history, with the winner alone taking home over $4 million.
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| 21 APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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Hungary's state gambling company to expand online
The Hungarian state gaming company Szerencsejk may not like foreign competition via the Internet, but it has no problem expanding it's own operations into the online milieu, it appears.
CEO Gbor Szkely has announced a public tender for the purchase of information technology equipment to facilitate the expansion of his company's online gambling services. The introduction of some of the games will take 18 months, due to long legal procedures, he noted.
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10000 votes recorded for High Roller Awards
Intercasino.com is the top choice for the 10 000 Gambling.com members who voted in the online gambling magazine and search engine's High Roller's Awards initiative recently. The poll was held to mark the first anniversary of the company's magazine.
Members of the site's Platinum Section were eligible to vote in the poll, and the majority felt that Intercasino
best met the classification Favourite Casino due to its superior range of games and top notch customer service. Surprisingly, Goldenpalace.com and 888.com were voted runners-up.
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"Insufficient funds" is a highly unlikely reason for rubber checks
The most popular - and populous - online poker room around, Poker Stars.com has been the subject of worried forum postings following a series of bounced checks to players, and this week the issue was addressed by the online poker information portal Poker-King.com.
In a report that does not clarify whether the players concerned are US resident or otherwise, but are assumed to be the former the site published the results of its investigation thus:
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Fast growth of portal owners' integrity and professionalism initiative
The Gambling Portal Webmasters Association (GPWA), a body that campaigns for responsible gaming, and supports relationships between affiliate programme managers and portal webmasters, has announced that it has reached a landmark with the issuing of its 200th 'Approved Portal Seal' award to one of its member sites.
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Keep the lottery monopoly, but liberalise sports betting the new approach?
The Gaming Intelligence Group reports positive political developments regarding restrictions on sports gambling in Germany could be emanating from a meeting in Stuttgart last week between budget and financial speakers of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union. Apparently an agreement was forged to propose abolishing the state monopoly on sports betting, but to allow the lottery market to continue unchanged under the terms of the 2004 State Treaty.
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With Barney Frank's UIGEA repeal initiative gaining ground, online gambling's would-be nemesis steps forward again
Online gambling's arch-enemy, Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl used a Senate Judiciary Committee enquiry to again push his anti-online gambling agenda last week.
The Senator was part of an enquiry into the dismissal for inappropriate conduct of 8 US Attorneys recently. In the hot seat was US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and Kyl used the opportunity to put the spotlight back on the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which he helped draft and ram through a late night session of Congress attached to the Safe Ports Bill last year.
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| 20 APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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Congressman hopes enough politicians will reconsider their 2006 vote to throw the UIGEA out
Congressman Barney Frank and his proposal to challenge the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act continued to make the headlines this week, primarily through an interview he gave to the respected Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The Congressman said that resistance is growing against the ban on financial transactions with online gambling sites that was enacted last year after being attached to the unrelated Safe Ports Act.
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Cruising the Caribbean and playing poker on a laptop make a strange fit
In their quest for unique and eye-catching online poker tournaments, organisers have arranged some of the richest and most entertaining events around, featuring poker aces who are themselves major attractions. This week a truly unusual competition was announced that will see man pitted against AI machine in a Caribbean cruise setting.
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Season 6 to be held in Barcelona this October
International poker players will be gathering in the vibrant Spanish coastal city of Barcelona this October following an announcement by the World Poker Tour that its Season 6 itinerary is to include Spain.
Scheduled for the Casino Barcelona owned by Grup Peralada in the city, this fourteenth WPT tournament will be filmed
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Embryo UK e-wallet delays launch
The UK parent company of new e-wallet option YouTeller has postponed its imminent launch, apparently as a consequence of trademark litigation by Isle of Man based NETeller plc.
London based Seed Capital Ltd. announced that it had decided to delay the launch to avoid confusion with its considerable larger and more established rival NETeller.
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For the second consecutive year poker pro is victorious in Five Star World Poker Classic
With an extra $500 000 and change in his bank account this week, poker pro Adeeb Harb is celebrating his second consecutive victory in this year's No-Limit Hold'em event at the Five Star World Poker Classic at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
With a field of 294 players entering the $ 5 000 buy-in event, it was a tough competition with many highly experienced and talented players like David "Devilfish" Ulliot and Chris Birchby, both of whom made the final table.
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Torrid week for poker entrepreneurs using online and traditional games to make money
News reports suggest that the heat may be on in the Lone Star State, with reports of three seperate raids on poker organisers this week.
In the first report, from KXAN News in Austin Texas, Travis County deputies raided an Internet cafe in Pflugerville yesterday (Thursday) confiscating a number of computers, detaining operator Zorica Vilotic, and taking the names of players on the premises.
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'Virtual cops' to weed out Internet gambling, porn
The Chinese government will soon assign "virtual cops" to monitor and wipe out pornography, gambling and other *illicit* activities on the Internet, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said this week.
By the end of June, the virtual patrols will monitor all major portals and online forums across China, the ministry said.
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New partnership aims to make lottery tickets available online
New Wave Media Inc., WagerPhone Inc. and Impact Mobile signed an agreement this week that calls for the companies to partner up in order to offer a variety of mobile gambling services and solutions across North and South America.
WagerPhone is focused on providing National and State Lotteries with a number of quick and convenient methods to purchase lottery tickets and scratch cards via channels such as SMS, J2ME, Brew, WAP, Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR), and Online technologies.
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Important dates
GIGSE 2007 - Global Interactive Gaming Summit & Expo
June 5-7, 2007
Montreal, Canada
www.gigse.com
In its ninth year, GIGSE is the longest-running international event on the calendar. This year's event will feature I. Nelson Rose, noted international gambling attorney, who will be sharing his perspectives on the challenges and opportunities which the industry faces around the world. Over 40 companies are already scheduled to exhibit new services on the show floor and the networking opportunities abound.
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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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| 6th August 2006
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| 12th August 2006
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| 18th August 2006
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| 25th August 2006
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| 1st September 2006
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| 8th September 2006
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| 2nd October 2006
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| 24th November 2006
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| 1st December 2006
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| 8th December 2006
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| 22nd December 2006
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