Australian
Gambling News Round-Up, by Greg Tingle - 4th May 2011
G'day
gamblers, casino high rollers, billionaires, journalists...
one and all. Today we have a jam packed edition of
gambling news from down under, thanks to journalist,
media commentator and publisher, Greg Tingle. Greg
and his team at Media
Man and Casino
News Media have almost a decade of experience
in online b2b, including covering the gaming and igaming
sector. Today he offers up the Aussie gambling news
round-up. Lovers VS haters, political fun and games,
an Underbelly star arrested at Crown Casino on Logies
night, share prices and much more.. Media Man with
the news you need to know...
MP
Ley Calling For New Proposed Pokie Laws To Hit The
Scrap Heap...
Yep,
it won't stay out of the news. The Federal Member
for Farrer says proposed poker machine legislation
will be the death of small town clubs and pubs. The
government is under pressure to consider exemptions
for smaller clubs in the deal with Independent Andrew
Wilkie. Sussan Ley says some MP's are talking about
exemptions, in order to look after their own electorate,
when they should be looking at the nation as a whole.
"Clubs play a vital part in the fabric of small
communities and if we start trying to say there's
a threshold here and some clubs are exempt then it
just becomes very difficult, even large clubs, I mean
remember the larger the income that comes through
that club, the more that club gives back to its local
community." Ms Ley says the only solution is
to scrap the bill altogether, as exemptions would
see some clubs still miss out. She says the situation
is absolutely critical for smaller clubs in regional
areas. "Often it's the key focus of the town
where it is, there's no where else to go for a quiet
drink, for a cheap cup of coffee or a bingo night,
particularly for our older less mobile members of
the community. "Our clubs, no matter how big
or small they are really do have an important role
to play, and it's one that is under threat from this
proposal." The Lovers VS Haters war continues.
West
Sydney Clubs Told To Find New Ways To Raise Cash...
A
mob that monitors the impact of gambling says far
west clubs will need to find new ways to survive,
if poker machine revenue is limited. The Federal Member
for Farrer, Sussan Lee, says proposed poker machine
legislation will be the death of small, regional clubs
and should be scrapped. But the chairwoman of the
State Gambling Impact Society, Kate Roberts, says
clubs should not be relying so heavily on revenue
from the machines. "We need clubs to start diversifying.
"You will find that many of them have already
done that but some small clubs in the process of that
have had to amalgamate and perhaps streamline their
services and look at tailoring their services more
what they're communities need," she said. "81
per cent of the community is saying they want to have
a means to limit losses on poker machines." Ms
Roberts says gambling addiction is a big cost to the
community. "Eighty per cent of people who are
presenting to counselling services with problems are
there with poker machine addiction. "It is a
business model that is unsustainable and really this
is an opportunity to start looking at how can we start
diversify and how can we lessen that dependence and
more importantly lessen the cost of $4.7b that this
is costing our community."
Aussie
Pokies King Len Ainsworth Keeps Hitting Jackpots...
A
shareholder at yesterday's AGM was having a go at
Aristocrat's poor performance pointed out that the
new pokies being installed in his local are from Ainsworth's
new firm Ainsworth Game Technology, not Aristocrat.
The valid remark was taken on board by the Aristocrat
chairman, Ian Blackburne, who responded with "Aristocrat
was, quite frankly, uncompetitive", while insisting
things were improving under the man in town, Jamie
Odell. Ainsworth's contract before leaving Aristocrat
costs shareholders a big however. Mr A still receives
$100,000 a year "for the term of his natural
life" plus a car of his choice. "And yes,
he changes cars," Odell went on to say. Sshareholders
agreed to approve performance share rights yesterday
that could award him more than a million shares over
the next three years. The current share price is less
than 20% of its 2006 level, the dividend per share
has dived even more and earnings per share is almost
as bad, just to add salt into the wound. Mr A keeps
winning. Charlie Sheen would be proud.
Burwood
Casino Apprentice Charged After Picking Up $100 From
Floor...
A
casino worker apprentice was charged on the first
day of the month with stealing from Burswood Casino
after allegedly pocketing two $100 notes he found
on the floor will fight the charges. Adrian Lamonica-Miraglio
of Lockridge pleaded not guilty in the Perth Magistrates
Court to one count of stealing. It is alleged that
at 8.30pm on March 27 the 22-year-old refrigeration
mechanic was having drinks with friends at one of
the casino's bars when he noticed the cash and picked
it up and put it in his pocket. He claims he made
no attempt to spend the money and handed it over when
he was approached by casino security staff. Police
later arrived at the scene and charged him with stealing.
He has since been handed a life ban from Burswood
Casino. Mr Lamonica-Miraglio will stand trail in August.
Casino theft by employees is thought of a big no no
by Crown Limited king of the castle, James Packer.
Some speculation as to if it was a golden opportunity
to rid the casino of a worker that they may not have
wanted any longer, however that may be impossible
to prove.
Centrelink
High-Rollers Told To Pay Back Big Brother Millions...
The
Aussie Government has ordered customers nabbed losing
huge amounts of money gambling while on Centrelink
payments to pay back more than $9 million. Through
cross-referencing casino high-roller information with
Centrelink customers, the Government has found in
excess of 500 people who gambled thousands of dollars
while receiving benefits. Those caught have been ordered
to pay back more than $9 million to the Government.
Human Services Minister Tanya Plibersek says in many
cases people gave Centrelink false information about
their income or assets. "It's also the case that
some people may start out correctly in receipt of
benefits and then their circumstances change, they
return to work for example but they don't tell Centrelink
that their circumstances have changed," she said.
Plibersek advised some of the offenders were found
to be laundering money for criminals. "We don't
understand how someone who is on new start or a disability
support pension or an aged pension can afford to put
$200,000 or $300,000 through a casino," she said.
"It often means someone has undeclared income
or undeclared assets or they're engaged in a criminal
enterprise of money laundering." Numerous media
commentators agree - gambling and being a Centrebet
customer do not mix.
West
Australia To Get Strong Anti Smoking Laws; Burswood
Casino Will Be Effected...
WA
would get the strongest anti-smoking laws down under
under proposals which include a complete ban in outdoor
areas where people eat, watch sport or catch buses.
The bans are among 15 proposals contained in a Health
Department discussion paper being released today,
which includes removing a controversial exemption
that allows gamblers to smoke in Burswood Casino's
high-rollers room. One option is to ban smoking in
all outdoor eating areas, which would be an Australian
first. Another recommends a ban at all busy outdoors
areas, including concerts, public waiting areas such
as bus stops and venues popular with children. Another
proposes a 5m smoke-free buffer zone around entrances
to public buildings to stop smokers from congregating
outside. The department says the proposed changes
to the Tobacco Products Control Act will be open for
public comment for six weeks until June 10. Despite
rates of smoking in WA being among the lowest in the
country, it says tighter laws might be needed because
tobacco claims the lives of more than 1200 West Australians
a year and is one of the most preventable causes of
death. Australian Medical Association WA president
Dave Mountain said WA had a reputation as a world
leader in anti-smoking measures, reflected in its
low smoking rates. "We need to maintain a strong
legislative approach to stay ahead of the game and
we . . . need to phase out smoking altogether so it
becomes a relic of history," he said. "We
strongly support these proposals, including banning
smoking in Burswood's high-rollers room which exposes
staff to smoke just to attract dollars and pander
to the big end of town." Dr Mountain said he
supported wider bans outdoors because seeing other
people smoke gave a visual cue that it was still acceptable
to smoke around other people. Smokers, you have been
warned.
Retailer
Giant Woolworths Will Ramp Up Pokies Business...
Woolworths,
best known for their supermarkets rather than poker
machines, and sometimes called 'The Fast Cash People',
has not let the pending mandatory pre-commitment betting
scheme hinder its plans for expansion. It was announced
that Woolworths could strengthen its grip on the poker
machine industry if it goes ahead with talks for a
partnership with the states gambling king, Arthur
Laundy. Anti gambling advocated remain up in arms
about the Woollies involvement in gambling, but appear
powerful to stop the juggernaut.
Nevada
Bankruptcy Trustees Sue Australian Gaming Mob: Press
Release - 29th April 2011...
Trustees
of the bankrupt Sona group of gaming companies in
Las Vegas are suing Australian gaming company eBet
Ltd., claiming it failed to provide promised financing
and that eBet's CEO had a conflict of interest in
rejecting the financing. Sona Mobile Holdings Corp.
and subsidiaries Sona Innovations Inc. and Sona Mobile
Inc. filed for bankruptcy in March 2009. They're still
in Chapter 7 liquidation in U.S. Bankruptcy Court
for Nevada. In a 2008 filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, Sona Mobile Holdings said that
as of Sept. 30, 2008, it had assets of $2 million
against liabilities of $6.2 million and had accumulated
$26.4 million in losses since 2003 as it developed
software for gaming and mobile devices. This software
enabled gambling and transactions over wired, cellular
and Wi-Fi networks. Based in New York with operations
at times in Toronto; Boulder, Colo.; and Las Vegas,
the company developed the Sona Gaming System involving
casino games that were wired and wireless. The filing
said this offered "real-time, multiplayer games
that accommodate an unlimited number of players."
The system also provided "games on a play-for-free
or wagering basis" on cell phones or any carrier,
the filing said. The filing said the system also involved
horse and sports wagering applications for race and
sports books, as well as on-track and off-track wagering,
including live streaming video of horse races and
other sports events. One use of the system was for
patrons in a designated sports book area to make race
and sports wagers or play roulette, video poker, slots
and table games between races or at halftime, court
records say. Remote-betting systems developed in a
strategic alliance with Shuffle Master Inc. of Las
Vegas were called mCasino and mWager. The bankruptcy
court trustees of the three bankrupt Sona entities
filed an adversary complaint in U.S. Bankruptcy Court
in Las Vegas on April 15 in hopes of recovering funds
for the benefit of the bankruptcy estates and their
creditors. Besides eBet Ltd. of Macquarie Park, Australia,
the defendants are eBet Services Pty. Ltd. and eBet
CEO Anthony P. Toohey. The complaint says that in
August 2008, Sona Holdings entered into a licensing
and distribution agreement with eBet, that eBet agreed
to a "master services agreement" (MSA) with
Sona Holdings and eBet committed to pay a license
fee to Sona Holdings of $2.5 million. As part of this
deal, eBet Services Pty. would provide advisory services
and software development and maintenance services,
and Sona Holdings would pay for those services, the
complaint says. However, eBet agreed to reimburse
Sona Holdings for these costs through a chargeback
arrangement, the complaint says. The complaint says
that under the companies' arrangement, eBet was allowed
to designate the CEO of Sona Holdings and that after
Aug. 25, 2008, Toohey served as both CEO of Sona Holdings
and eBet Ltd. In February 2009, a Sona Holdings vice
president advised Toohey that unspecified amounts
were due from eBet to reimburse Sona Holdings for
certain costs, including costs for equipment leases
and costs for employees whom Sona had anticipated
would transition to the employment of eBet, the complaint
says. "Sona Holdings expected that eBet would
employ most of Sona's technical staff -- including
the Canadian technical developers, and thereby reduce
Sona's cash outlay obligations," the complaint
says. "eBet did not transition Sona employees
to eBet but instead agreed to compensate Sona for
its employee and personnel costs relating to software
development and software maintenance including the
costs to employ the Canadian technical developers."
"It was Toohey, as CEO and managing director
of eBet Ltd., who failed to authorize and direct eBet's
reimbursement of Sona's chargeback costs under the
MSA and failed to authorize reimbursement to Sona
for its employee costs resulting from eBet's refusal
to assume and transition Sona's technical employees,"
the complaint says. The complaint alleges breach of
contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith
and fair dealing and breach of fiduciary duty by Toohey
and seeks damages of at least $1.2 million -- not
counting unspecified punitive damages. "Toohey,
as president and CEO of Sona Holdings, owed a fiduciary
duty to Sona Holdings and its shareholders, including
a duty of impartiality," the complaint says.
"Toohey had a conflict of interest by simultaneously
serving as both president and CEO of Sona Holdings
and CEO and managing director of eBet Ltd. "Toohey
breached his duties to Sona when his decision that
eBet not pay Sona Holdings under the MSA benefited
eBet and harmed Sona," the complaint says. Toohey,
reached by e-mail, said he and eBet had no comment
on the complaint. It's unclear from the complaint
whether Sona could have survived, even if eBet had
continued to fund it, as Sona had warned investors
in 2008 it was reliant on continued investments to
survive. "Since its inception in November 2003,
the company has generated minimal revenue, has incurred
substantial losses and has not generated any positive
cash flow from operations. The company has relied
upon the sale of shares of equity securities and convertible
debt to fund its operations in addition to the recent
licensing agreement with eBet Ltd., which closed in
September 2008. These conditions raise substantial
doubt as to the company's ability to continue as a
going concern," Sona said in a September 2008
SEC filing. Sona Mobile Holdings lost $4.7 million
on revenue of $312,000 in the nine months ended Sept.
30, 2008, the filing said.
Bucky's
Casino Mile High PBR Aussie Connection...
The
Mile High PBR, which started yesterday with mutton
busting preliminaries and a mini-bull expo at Buffalo
Wild Wings in Prescott Valley at 6:30 p.m., will featured
45 of the top up-and-coming bull riders and lots of
high-scoring bulls. The mutton busting- and mini bull
finals will take place at Tim's Toyota Center on Saturday
starting at 6:30 p.m., with the main event to follow.
Mortensen also invited some the area's top Native
American bull riders to get in on the fun. "We've
got some of the best bull riders from the Turquoise
Circuit," he said. "We've got riders from
Tuba City, Kayenta, Round Rock, etc." If this
crop of bull riders hasn't shared any hair-raising
stories with Diefenbach, or the other members of the
Mile High PBR bullfighting crew to date, that may
change by the time Sunday morning rolls around. Diefenbach
was on the other side of the gate as a young man in
Australia, but made the switch to bullfighter when
the opportunity popped up. When asked about the first
time he faced off with a bull, he said uncertainty
as to what would happen once he found himself in the
path of an oncoming bull gave him pause. Yeah, he
was scared too. He's not scared, per se, of the bull
anymore. "I don't get scared. Bull riding and
casinos do mix - who would have thought.
Gambling
Stocks To Watch...
ALL
- ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LTD -
Gaming
machine supplier Aristocrat Leisure expects its full
year net profit in 2011 to be 10 to 20% than in 2010.
South Australian Charities To Do It Tougher; Crackdown
On Gambling Elements...
Minister
for Gambling Gail Gago said the Government could make
changes to the draft code. "The Office of the
Liquor and Gambling Commissioner is currently reviewing
the submissions received, taking into consideration
the concerns and suggestions raised," she said.
"The Commissioner will make recommendations to
me, including possible amendments to the draft code
of practice. "This is not about increasing unnecessary
red tape; it is about ensuring the integrity of charitable
donations and collections."
Underbelly:
AussieWood and Real Life Big Hits At TV Week Logies...
Life
appears to have imitated art at James Packer's Crown
Casino in the early hours of this morning when Underbelly
actor Dieter Brummer allegedly became involved in
an "incident" with up to five security guards.
Victorian police were called to the Crown Casino complex
and the 34-year-old bloke from North Bondi was charged
with intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing
injury, unlawful assault, behaving in a riotous manner
and being drunk in a public place. Yes, quite a list.
Crown spokesman Gary O'Neill told the Herald that
CCTV footage and a security report was being handed
over to police. O'Neill said he had seen the footage,
which he claimed indicated Crown's security guards
had "followed the appropriate procedures for
dealing with these situations". He politely declined
to comment any further, but shared "People see
these things differently, it is now up to the police
to do their work." Following the Logie awards,
Brummer was having a drink or five at the JJs Bar
inside the Crown Complex, which each year is the venue
for the Network Nine afterparty. Channel Nine is the
broadcast partner of the Logies. The Underbelly hit
show, which showcases the underworld down under in
Australia and has been watched by millions of Aussies,
has been one of the network's biggest hits and received
plenty of Logies this year. Brummer and other stars
of the show, including Firas Dirani were in a party
state of mind throughout the evening. Reports have
come to light that Brummer was asked to leave the
Nine party, although this has not been proven at the
time we go to press. Witnesses told the press they
saw Brummer being pinned to the carpet outside JJs
Bar and heard him screaming at the five guards to
"get off me". Some observers were also seen
filming the alleged incident on their mobile phone
cameras. The man was taken from Crown Casino at 2.25am
to nearby Prahran police station to be charged. He
will appear before Melbourne Magistrates Court on
August 29. Life can imitate art, for better of worse.
Underbelly's Firass Dirani Kicks Ass At Logies...
For
Underbelly: The Golden Miles leading man Firass
Dirani there was reasons for trifecta celebration
after snatching the Most Popular New Male Talent and
Graham Kennedy Award For Most Outstanding New Talent
Awards, as well as bringing in his 27th birthday,
which was on Friday. And in a most entertaining acceptance
speech thanked 'Teenage Dream' queen Katy Perry. Kings
Cross based set drama series Underbelly: The Golden
Mile was awarded the TV Week Silver Logie for Most
Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie.
The night's first winner Firass Dirani, who was voted
the most popular newcomer for his performance in Underbelly:
The Golden Mile, begged American pop chanteuse Katy
Perry to have his babies before thanking the shows
producers "for taking a chance and injecting
some flair and some of that caramel flavour into our
TV screens". Insiders say the "caramel flavour"
was a reference to the multi cultural thing, given
that Durani is not a Caucasian "white" Australian.
Tipsters are confident Underbelly will continue for
"one or two years more", with more gambling
themes to be incorporated into the smash hit franchise.
Readers,
if you have a bet, please bet with your head, not
over it, and have fun.
Punters,
er readers, stay glued for more "can't miss"
information on the Australian casino and gambling
scene.
News
Casino
News
Entertainment
News
|