Barnaby Jack has a special power – he can walk up to an ATM and trick the machine into thinking it is a casino jackpot slot game. Once Barnaby has performed his magic, the ATM will start spitting out money onto the ground faster than most people can enter their PIN code.

Barnaby is no magician. He is actually a security researcher, and he recently demonstrated his unique hacking skills at the Black Hack Security Conference in Las Vegas. His session, titled “Jackpotting Automated Teller Machines Redux”, was put together to bring attention to issues of digital security in today’s world of computers.

During the Black Hat conference, Barnaby hacked two different brands of ATM machines. He bought the machines online, and spent years going over the program code that powers them, looking for weaknesses. These are not the only ATMs he has hacked; in fact, Barnaby says he has yet to find an ATM that he couldn’t exploit to get free cash.

The issue of digital security in the online gambling world has been in the news recently, after Canada’s BC Lottery Commission launched the country’s first-ever fully licensed internet gambling website. Unfortunately, the site contained a massive security glitch, and within hours it had to be shut down. It seems that player accounts were crossing over, and certain casino users were able to gamble with other players’ money. Some 200 accounts were compromised before the site was taken offline.

Fortunately, these sorts of problems with online gambling sites are rare. The software that powers online casinos is rigorously tested prior to release, and new games undergo testing by third-party companies to make sure they are random and fair. Just as most people have no idea how to hack an ATM, most online casino users can gamble for years and years without ever running into problems.

The British Columbia Lottery Commission (BCLC) has been in the news a lot recently after a technical error with their new online gambling site left the accounts of 200 players compromised. The site is still down, and the Commission has been left struggling to get back to its feet.

Meanwhile in the offline world, casino-goer Adrian MacNair is launching a lawsuit against the BCLC after they refused to pay him a $40,000 jackpot he won at one of their casinos.

The problem is that three years ago, MacNair voluntarily listed himself as a “problem gambler” and enrolled in the BCLC’s self-excluding program. Under the program, casino security was supposed to ask him to leave once his ID was matched to a list of participants, but the casinos took no action, so MacNair continued to play.

It was only when he hit a $40,000 jackpot on a slot machine at Cowichan casino back in January that the BCLC finally stepped into action – by refusing to pay him the winnings.

MacNair is now suing the casino. He feels that if the casino let him play and lose money, they should also let him play and win money. This will be the second such lawsuit against the BCLC in recent months – earlier this year a woman sued the Commission after losing several hundred thousand dollars because the casinos failed to stop her from gambling after she enrolled in the self-exclusion program.

A member of Sun Vegas Casino known only as DM hit his third progressive jackpot yesterday, bringing his total progressive winnings up to an amazing $157,200.

DM’s first big win came two and a half months ago, when he hit the Lotsa Loot progressive jackpot and won $58,222. Last month he got lucky again, grabbing a $30,347 progressive prize on Jackpot Deuces, a single-hand video poker game. DM’s most recent win came from another progressive jackpot slot called Fruit Fiesta, and totals $68,631.

“Well done DM!” says Austin Green, manager of Sun Vegas Casino. “Three big wins in as many months is an outstanding achievement.”

Sun Vegas Casino, member of the Vegas Partner Lounge, is powered by Microgaming software and provides its members with more than 450 different online casino games, including more than a dozen progressive jackpot titles. At the time of writing this, more than $5 million in progressive jackpot prizes are available across these games at Sun Vegas Casino, just waiting for a lucky player like DM to scoop them up.

Dave from Lancashire has always been fond of online gambling sites in the UK, but this week his love grew even stronger. Dave just won a £121,691 progressive jackpot prize, and he couldn’t be happier. He was playing on a slot called Pharaoh’s Treasure, an ancient Egyptian themed game that is proving very popular among players.

Pharaoh’s Treasure is anything but cursed. In fact, this progressive jackpot slot has already been won twice this year, each time dishing out more than £100,000 to the lucky winner.

“I was in shock when I won,” said Dave, “it didn’t really sink in for a while. It was an absolutely great feeling.”

“I feel great about the win, you read about big wins but never believe it will happen to you!”

Dave plans to use a big chunk of the jackpot money to pay off his mortgage and clear a few other debts he has, and then wants to go on a nice holiday. With the summer weather heating up, Dave won at just the right time of the year.

Pharaoh’s Treasure is just one of dozens of progressive jackpot slots available online. While these £100,000+ payouts are impressive, they pale in comparison to some of the larger progressive jackpots. For example, a Microgaming jackpot game called Mega Moolah is now sitting at £3.5 million, and could be won by anyone at any time! These games tend to cost more to play than regular internet slots, but the payoff potential is so huge that it’s usually worth it.

Linda W., a Bodog Casino player from the US state of Indiana, won a massive progressive jackpot prize this week while enjoying her favorite online slot game. Linda, 61, runs a landscaping business with her husband; the two often turn to Bodog Casino to wind down and relax after a long day’s work.

The huge prize was on a progressive slot called Jackpot Piñatas. After playing for a while and not doing so well, the couple’s account was down to just $39. Suddenly, Jackpot Piñatas’ bonus round launched, immediately triggering ten free spins. On the second free spin, the reels hit first one, then two, then a full row of Bull symbols, signaling that the pair had just won the game’s progressive jackpot prize.

The payout? An impressive $470,850! The couple has decided to use the money to help balance their books, and will then pour whatever remains into their landscaping business. Linda also hopes to use some of the winnings to help out some of her friends, including a grandchild who she says could use some help covering the costs of college.

Jackpot Piñatas is a Mexican fiesta is a 20-line RealTime Gaming software progressive jackpot slot with a spicy Mexican fiesta theme. Linda prefers this slot over the many other progressive jackpot games at Bodog Casino. “It’s my favorite game due to its brightness and amusement,” she says. It has also brought her the most luck – she has won smaller prizes of a couple of thousand dollars in the past.

Linda’s other favorite games at Bodog Casino include Triple 7 Inferno, Bank On It!, Paradise Dreams, Rain Dance, Fruit Frenzy and Honey to the Bee. Bodog is one of the most popular online casinos accepting US players. It offers more than 100 games for members to explore, including more than a dozen progressive jackpot slots that can pay out just as much as Jackpot Piñatas did! Join Bodog Casino now and claim a 10% welcome bonus up to $100 – maybe you will become the next big Bodog winner.

An interesting study printed in 2009 and recently put online at the Journal of Consumer Research website is a report entitled “Blackjack in the Kitchen: Understanding Online versus Casino Gambling.” Written by June Cotte and Kathryn A. Latour of the University of Western Ontario, the findings are the results of a psychological study of 30 gamblers.

Two major points are made in the study: Firstly, like most academics studying the subject ultimately conclude, Internet gambling should be regulated, but the second point was far more interesting and unexpected. Cotte and Latour immediately noted the dramatic diametrical opposition of standard casino and online casino players: Rarely did one type or the other cross over into the other gaming experience.

Both land-based and online casino visitors noted the social element of their preference, namely that visiting a real-life casino is a highly social experience and that Internet gambling is a solitary activity – and both groups cited this difference as the no. 1 reason for their choice.

“Casino gamblers perceive online gambling as bereft of social connections, which was pivotal to the enjoyment of gambling for them,” reads the study in part. “The online gamblers also perceive this lack of social connectedness in virtual gambling. But for them, this aspect is positive; it is one crucial reason the online gamblers gave for their choice to stay home and gamble. Many online gamblers chose the online environment because of the perception of the lack of social connections.”

The study also notes an interesting justification for those of modest budgets to enjoy playing in online gambling sites: “The perceived anonymity of the online environment equalizes gamblers, so that low rollers and high rollers are treated equally. In contrast, in a casino more experienced gamblers who bet larger amounts are treated specially, and some gamblers go to the casino seeking such ego gratification.”

“Blackjack in the Kitchen” is available by subscription only from Chicago Journals.

There are hundreds of casinos scattered all across the internet, and it would take even the most dedicated player months to try them all out in a quest to find the top online blackjack games. Fortunately, this is not necessary, because there is an easier way to find out which casinos offer the best games – the key is to look at the software.

Each online casino runs on specific gaming software, and since there are just a handful of different casino software providers out there, looking at the software a site operates on can give players a good idea about what games that casino will offer. Of course, there is still the problem of deciding what games are the best, because every player will have a different opinion! To solve this, here are a few different ways of looking at things.

Biggest variety
Players who live for variety should look at Microgaming casino games to satisfy their online blackjack cravings. Microgaming offers more games than any other casino software (over 450 at the last count), and included in this massive game selection is a tremendous selection of more than 40 different styles of blackjack! Microgaming casinos are sure to keep blackjack fans busy for a long, long time.

Most realistic games
This is a tie between two different casino softwares: Cryptologic and and WagerWorks. Both of these software producers focus on realism, with lifelike tables, natural looking cards and chips, and visual embellishments like brass card shoes and polished wood table rims. These games also incorporate animations and sound effects to add to the realism.

Most unique games
The blackjack titles offered by RealTime Gaming casinos are very special. They don’t aim for realism, but instead they try to look smooth and classy. A cool blue and black color scheme sets the stage, while bold cards and chips make the games easy to follow. The games are fast-paced and intense, making for exciting online gameplay.

Biggest jackpots
Most casino software companies offer at a progressive blackjack game. These games usually require a special side bet to enable the progressive payout, so they’re more expensive to play, but the jackpots can grow to enormous sizes, making them worth going for. The biggest progressive blackjack jackpots tend to come from the games offered by Playtech and Vegas Technology.

By now, it should be clear that choosing the best online blackjack games is not an easy task. It really depends on what features a player values in a game, whether it’s variety, realism, novelty, or big payouts. The best way to make a final decision is to just try one or two casinos from each software provider – only then can a player truly know which internet blackjack games they like best.

More than one Internet gambler has succumbed a little bit to World Cup Fever, with the big tournament now being watched all over the world – and promoted all over Internet casinos. Everyone has football-themed games, and the following are just a sample of some of the best online casino games for World Cup time.

In old-fashioned pub slots, Rival has the brand new Global Cup Soccer. It’s a one payline, three reel game with all the symbols of football present. Top payout on this game is 2,500 coins. Global Cup Soccer may be found at any Rival Gaming-powered online casino.

Microgaming-powered casinos have installed an online video slot in time for the big tournament as well: Soccer Safari blends cartoon animals with World Cup action and to further appeal to a wide audience has a big 60,000 coin jackpot.

Best of the lot in video slots has got to be Playtech’s Top Trumps World Football Stars and Top Trumps World Football Legends. In Football Stars, choose the teams you want to face off and players from those teams become high-paying symbols on the reels – the most popular choices are reportedly England and Brazil. World Football Legends is also a five reel 15 payline slot game in the football theme, but with set images on the reels of Zidane, Carlos and Jairzinho.

There are some specialty video games for the World Cup out there, too. The Casino Rewards group of Microgaming casinos has installed its World Cup Koala Game along with an exclusive promotion. Players use the koala bear goalkeeper to stop as many penalty shots as possible for Australia while thrilling to the roar of the crowd. The player with the most saves at the end of June 30 will win the top prize of $500.

Finally, Virgin Casino offers an interesting instant win scratch card game entitled Goal! Three2Win. Simply choose from the covered spaces until you match three of a kind. In standard play receive between 1 and 50 coins with a winning combination, but in the random “Mystery Round,” win up to an amazing 500,000 coins.

No matter how you feel about the World Cup, any of these games make for a fun online casino experience. Enjoy them while they last, because the World Cup will be over before you know it – for another four years.

Two things seem certain and universal about Internet gambling: One, if people want to gamble online, they will in spite of vague threats from law enforcement; and two, somebody somewhere is making a lot of tax-free money.

Many European nations are currently modernizing their national laws to account for the rise in Internet gambling in the past 10 years. In countries such as France and Italy, a combination of pressure from the European Commission on fair competition laws plus the realization by state-run gaming monopolies that benefit would come from regulation and taxation will soon result in more freedom and safer gaming for those countries’ consumers.

Though the amount of online gambling being done is impossible to know, virtually every country without regulation in place has commissioned a study on how much money their government could stand to earn in revenue should online slots (estimated to represent 85-90% of all gambling monies collected) and reputable online casinos offering them be legalized.

While advisory firm KPMG has forecasted that the global online betting market will reach $32 billion by 2012, some specific representative numbers from around the world include the following.

• U.S. congressman Barney Frank, the chief advocate of creating regulatory law for online casinos in America, claims that online slots alone could generate $41.3 billion in tax revenue over the next 10 years. Taxing all gambling would make $62.7 billion for the government.

• Officials estimated that Thai citizens will spend $1 billion on World Cup gambling alone.

• Upon announcing that Greece could have online gambling made fully legal by 2011, state monopoly OPAP stated that the country’s market could be worth about €5 billion ($6.13 billion) in taxable revenue.

• An estimate from Denmark shows that citizens there spend €8.3 million per year at online casinos.

• Australia’s Productivity Commission estimated that nearly 750,000 Australians would *lose* $1 billion on unregulated online casinos in 2010.

The point: By allowing online casinos to go unregulated, the world’s governments are losing money hand over fist daily. One would think that in this global economy, such an opportunity would not be wasted. In the case of online casino slots, all that glitters could be gold – if only the politicians let it.

Gaming group 888 has had a difficult 2010 and it seems things are only going to get worse. After releasing a profit warning showing that poker turnover had decreased by 18% between January and May, 888 now anticipates losing even more business during the 2010 World Cup this summer. While 888 blames an industry-wide decline, currency fluctuation and even illegal casino operators for their woes, some financial experts wonder if 888 is ripe for a takeover.

The Guardian: Gaming group 888 could attract predators after profit warning

After a gloomy warning from 888 spokespeople regarding revenue between January and May, the company has left itself vulnerable to takeover. Following up on a similar negative forecast released in April, 888 showed that the number of players at its poker website dropped by about 18% in the first five months of 2010.

Though 888 believes the downward trend to be industry-wide and that its own program of cost-cutting must be adhered to, spokesmen maintained that 888 would continue its strategy of acquisition – a plan 888 seems to be incapable of at present.

Rumors that bigger companies Party Gaming and/or Ladbrokes might make a bid at a takeover of 888 emerged while 888 stocks lost 21% of value on the day of the announcement to finish trading at 53.25p. Greg Johnson of investment banking services provider Shore Capital stated that Ladbrokes “needs greater scale in its online operation, in our view,” making 888 operation a perfect match.

This is London: 888 will spend World Cup behind the sofa as it predicts strain on profits

Internet casino 888 warned that the upcoming World Cup would actually be bad for its business, as its staple poker players are expected to be spending less time and money at the online poker tables and instead devote more energy to football. “Online gaming trading during the period of the World Cup will be difficult,” said 888 CEO Gigi Levy as he announced the profit warning.

Levy also stated that profits for 888 in year 2010 would be “significantly lower than previous market expectations” of $45.5 million.

As for the current drop in poker business at 888, illegal online operators in America were blamed for eating into profits, though the numbers show that high-rollers visit the site less frequently than ever. Levy also blamed currency fluctuation for its financial woes, stating that $5 million in revenue had been lost in 2010 so far because of exchange rates: Though 888 does most business in euros and pounds sterling, revenue is reported in terms of U.S. dollars.

The (London) Express: 888’s World Cup Fears

Online gaming company 888 Holdings issued a warning on profits yesterday in anticipation of casino gamers deserting the site to turn attention to the 2010 World Cup tournament: “Instead of staying in and using 888,” said one 888 spokesman, “people are more likely to go down the pub and watch the football.”

A pair of financial analysts offered harsh assessments of 888’s current financial state. One unnamed analyst stated that “The potential for 888 to be acquired has diminished,” while James Hollins of corporate advisory firm Daniel Stewart & Co. said that “888’s weak poker offering and lack of significant sports offering has worked against it.”

The state lottery groups of several Canadian provinces are joining forces to build what will eventually be a nation-wide mobile gambling platform offering casino-style games as well as internet poker. The system will use geo-location technology to make sure players are within the proper jurisdiction before they will be allowed to play.

Winnipeg Free Press: Provinces get in the game

Canadians spend an estimated $1 billion a year gambling on the internet and most of this money goes to offshore gambling sites. Recently, the provinces have been moving in to grab their share of this money.

Later this year, six Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Quebec and the four Atlantic provinces) intend to share a common online gambling platform that will offer online poker and internet casino games.

The Atlantic Lottery Corp. and the British Columbia Lottery Corp. have both been offering online gambling for several years, but so far, their internet gambling offerings only make up about 1% of their revenues. They expect this number to climb once they begin to offer the types of online casino games that players can currently only access through offshore gambling sites.

“We estimate that by the end of 2012/13, e-gaming revenue will be about 3.5 per cent of BCLC’s overall revenue,” a corporation spokeswoman said.

The Montreal Gazette: Gambling on the go

Loto-Québec, B.C. Lottery Corp. and Atlantic Lottery Corp. have announced a plan to launch a common online gambling platform this fall.

Bob Rybak, a consultant working with Atlantic Lottery, says the system will likely expand through the rest of Canada 18 months, as Western Lottery Corp. and Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. join in.

Canadian gamblers spent around $800 million gambling online in 2009, and according to Rybak,”the vast majority of that money going offshore.”

Provinces want to funnel some of that money back into Canada, so lottery corporations have figured out a way to provide “a legal and credible” option to Canadian gamblers. The new platform will include casino-style gambling as well as an online poker network.

Rybak envisions players using mobile phones, laptops and lottery kiosk terminals to plug into a library of online casino games. It is a vision of “gambling-on-the-go”. Wireless devices like the Apple iPad will even be added to the mix, says Rybak.

The system will use geo-location technology to make sure that only within approved jurisdictions can access the site. Other software will help determine the gambler’s identity for age verification purposes.

Times Colonist: Nationwide platform to link gamblers on the go

B.C. Lottery Corp. is working to build a nationwide Canadian internet gambling platform that will give players access to online casino games and poker games through mobile devices such as cellphones and netbooks.

The platform will go live this fall, and will be launched in cooperation with Loto-Québec and Atlantic Lottery. Bob Rybak, a gambling consultant with Atlantic Lottery, expects the rest of Canada’s provinces to join eventually.

Rybak stresses that public acceptance of a nationwide online gambling system will depend on the system’s ability to ensure underage players cannot access the games.

Like their offshore competitors, Canada’s online gambling groups will use geo-location software to make sure gamblers are within the proper jurisdictions before they will be allowed to sign up and play.

In April, after a Florida man collected over $130K in winnings from his bookie, the bookie called Officer Villar, and arranged for the gambler to be pulled over. Villar, along with his cousin who was with him impersonating a cop, took the money from the man calling it “evidence” and fled the scene. Now, a month later, the three have been arrested for armed robbery.

The Miami Herald: Officer charged in $131K gambling rip-off

When Miami police officer John Francisco Villar Jr. pulled over a man on the Palmetto Expressway last month, he confiscated a bag filled with $131,000 in cash. The bag wasn’t evidence – Fillar was stealing it.

Villar was arrested on Tuesday. He, his cousin, and a third man who runs an online gambling site are being accused of orchestrating the robbery.

The story is as follows: Marvin Duarte was out collecting his winnings from his bookie, Leonardo Lastre. As Duarte was driving home, Officer John Villar pulled his unmarked Ford Taurus (license plate covered) behind Duarte’s car with his police lights flashing. Villar had plain clothes on, with his badge hanging around his neck. Also with him was his cousin, wearing a bullet proof vest with the word “police” across the chest. Villar inspected Duarte’s car, found the money, took it as “evidence”, and fled.

It was later discovered through phone records that Officer Villar was in touch with bookie Leonardo Lastre, with Villar basically acting as a hired thug who was sent out to retrieve the money.

“It’s sad that an officer would use his authority in order to commit such unlawful acts,” said Detective Bobby Williams.

The charges against Villar include felony armed robbery with a firearm, armed burglary and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

NBC Miami: Crooked Cop Helped Bookie Rob Gambler: Report

A Miami cop was busted this week after police found out he worked with a local bookie to steal thousands of dollars from a gambler.

Officer John Villar, 28, was arrested after he and his cousin Fausto Villar (who is not a cop) pulled over the gambler in April using Villar’s unmarked police car. The gambler, Victor Duarte, was returning from a visit to his bookie, Leonardo Lastre, who had paid him $131,000 cash in winnings.

After Duarte left with his money, Lastre called Officer Villar with details about Duarte’s car and where he was headed. Villar pulled Duarte over and took the money, saying it was “evidence”. Duarte started to shout for help, but the men fled the scene.

Villar and his cousin, along with the bookie Lastre, have all been arrested. They face charges of armed robbery, armed burglary and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Fausto Villar also faces charges of impersonating a police officer.

CBS 4 South Florida News: Miami-Dade Cop, Cousin Accused Of Robbing Gambler

A Miami-Dade police officer has been charged with using his gun and badge to steal $131 thousand in cash from sports gambler Victor Duarte. Duarte placed several bets with bookie Leonardo Lastre who operates an illegal gambling operation. After Lastre paid the man his winnings, he phoned Officer Villar, who then pulled over the gambler and stole the money back with the help of his cousin, who was impersonating a police officer.

According to an internal investigation by Miami-Dade police, Bookie Lastre and Officer Villar had been in contact several times before the robbery, planning the operation. It event turned out that some of the money in the bag that Villar stole was his own, and that he had placed it there while vising Laste the day of the robbery.

After the robbery, Duarte gave chase, but Villar got away. Soon Duarte saw a Florida State Trooper, and told him what happened. When the Trooper Matthew Mihm pulled Villar over a few minutes later, he noticed the license plate on his car had been covered. Villar’s cousin ran off on foot with the money, without Mihm noticing.

Eventually, officials learned the truth, and got a search warrant for Villar’s vehicle, where they found evidence of the crime. Villar, his cousin, and Lastre the bookie now face charges of armed robbery.

The gambling industry is one that continues to blossom exponentially. Originally, Las Vegas was considered to be the gambling capital of the world. Macau passed it in popularity after just a few short years and Japan is starting to look like a promising venture for some of the world’s larger gambling operations.

The Street: Las Vegas Sands Bets on Japan

Las Vegas Sands plans on expanding its Macau-based Sands China into Japan, which it predicts could become Asia’s largest gaming market. Sands has already been approach by local gaming firms in Japan.

Gaming is still week in the U.S. and Macau has been the focus of casino operators. In the first quarter Sands Macau, which has three casinos in the Chinese gambling enclave, saw its profit quadruple to $110.5 million from $26.7 million just one year ago.

Revenue at Sands China shot up 24% to $944 million from $761.7 million in the year-ago period. Overall, Macau posted a record 70% surge in gaming revenue in April to $1.76 billion. And it appears the gambling hub could be on track for another record month.

Casino operators aren’t just limiting their Asian expansion to Macau. Last month, Sands opened the first part of its $5.5 billion hotel-casino in Singapore. The company expects the Singapore casino could earn $1 billion annually. MGM has also said that it is looking into other gaming markets, including Vietnam.

Reuters: Sands China bets on Japan; sees strong Q2

Macau-based Sands China, the world’s second-most valuable casino operator, has its sights on expanding into Japan, which it predicts could become Asia’s largest gambling market.

Expanding in Asia beyond Macau has become important for casino operators such as Sands and Wynn Resorts, which worry about Beijing’s erratic travel restrictions on mainland Chinese visiting Macau, the only place in the country where casino gambling is legal.

Japan has long debated legalizing casino gambling and could make a decision soon as it looks to the example of Singapore, which recently opened two major casino resorts. Sands China’s parent Las Vegas Sands opened its $5.5 billion Singapore casino resort, the world’ second-most expensive, late last month.

Japan has made slow progress on allowing casinos, partly due to fears they could trigger social problems.

If Japan moves to legalise casino gambling, the first casino could open by around 2014-15, said Jacobs, who was chief executive of an international management services firm before he joined Las Vegas Sands in March last year.

Channel News Asia: Marina Bay Sands targeting Southeast Asian market

The $5.5 billion Marina Bay Sands integrated resort is betting its chips on the Southeast Asian market. The region is expected to account for over a third of its business in Singapore, according to Sheldon Adelson, the
chairman of its parent company Las Vegas Sands.

He said the company is also considering building integrated resorts in Europe and Japan.
The Marina Bay Sands resort, which was partially opened on Tuesday, April 27, is expected to break even in just 5 years.

Marina Bay Sands will be targeting primary markets like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. Combined, these countries will make up some 40 per cent of Marina Bay Sands’ business (10 per cent each from Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand; and 8 per cent from Vietnam). China will account for about 6 per cent of its business.

Adelson added: “Asia could use 5 or 10 Las Vegases fully built out with 140,000 rooms each. That would give you from 700,000 to 1.4 million rooms for destination resorts for people all over Asia to go to. And in my opinion, you will never saturate the market.

Just when we thought it was safe to get back in the water, research shows that the dreaded recession is still pressing down on Americans. Overall, national revenue through gambling dropped over 5%, but progress in some states even during the recession gives a nation hope.

USA Today: Casino gamblers tightened purse strings in recession

Americans have been rolling the dice less as the economy soured. According to the American Gaming Association, revenue from casino gambling fell 5.5% overall last year, with the take falling $1.8 billion from the $32.5 billion of revenue in 2008. Revenue fell in 8 of the 12 states that have casino gambling.

Interestingly, consumers spent more last year gambling at casinos than they did on candy or movie tickets. Spending on lotto tickets hasn’t dropped much. According to La Fleur’s 2010 World Lottery Almanac, states had lottery revenues of $53.1 billion in fiscal year 2009, compared with $53.4 billion in fiscal year 2008.

Six of 12 states with racetrack casinos reported revenue increases, and six reported decreases. Maine had the largest increase, 17.2%, and Iowa took the biggest hit, a 6.7% decline.

Colorado, Indiana, Missouri and Pennsylvania were the only states that posted an increase in casino gambling revenue, according to the association. Pennsylvania saw revenue rise because two casinos opened last year. Kansas, brought in nearly $2 million after its first casino opened

New gaming laws increased some revenue. Colorado relaxed bet limits and increased hours and types of games. Missouri removed loss limits. Casinos in 13 states employed about 328,000 workers last year, compared with about 357,000 in 2008. Casinos contributed $5.6 billion in tax revenue to state and local governments last year, a 1.6% drop from 2008.

Stateline: Gambling slowdown reduces states’ take

The economic slowdown that’s battered the bottom line of states has also reduced their take of gambling taxes, according to a report released Thursday. The American Gaming Association said gaming revenues dropped 5.5 percent across the country last year. State revenues from taxes on gaming dropped 1.6 percent.

New Jersey took the biggest hit, as gaming tax revenues dropped 18.6% between 2008 and 2009. Nevada and Mississippi were also hard-hit, losing 10.4% and 9.4%, respectively.

Four of the 13 states that allow commercial casinos actually did better last year than in the previous year. The report credits voter initiatives in 2008 that legalized more gambling for boosting revenues in both Colorado and Missouri.

Colorado raised its bet limit from $5 to $100; and state gaming taxes increased by 2.6%. Missouri did away with a rule that limited gamblers’ losses to $500 in a two-hour period; its taxes went up 5.9 percent. By far the biggest revenue winner, though, was Pennsylvania, which opened two new casinos in 2009. Its gaming revenues jumped by 21.6%.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: State’s casino numbers buck national trend

Pennsylvania, where new casinos are still opening and legalized slot play is still a novelty, added more than 3,200 gambling-related jobs and yielded big revenue increases in 2009, a year in which casino revenues declined nationally by more than 5%.

Statistics were presented in the American Gaming Association’s annual industry report, which was released Thursday. Pennsylvania’s revenues increased by almost 22%, aided by the 2009 opening of Rivers Casino on the North Shore and the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem.

Nationally, casinos took in $30.74 billion in 2009, down nearly $1.8 billion from 2008. It’s the 2nd year of declining casino revenues nationally, and as a result, the number of people employed in the industry dropped by almost 30,000, or 8.1%.

Nevada’s casinos saw 2009 revenues decline by 10.4% from 2008 numbers, while Pennsylvania’s neighbors in Atlantic City, N.J., performed even worse, with a 13.3% decline. Western Pennsylvania is still in the running for 2 more casinos – one, a proposed racetrack casino in Lawrence County; the other, a smaller “resort” casino at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Fayette County.

Senator Nick Xenophon was recently alerted to the existence of free iPhone casino games that let people enjoy simulated poker and slots on their mobiles. He believes the games are vulnerable to abuse by children, and wants the federal government to launch an inquiry. The games, he says, should be illegal for children to play.

International Business Times: Parliament junks iPhone gambling applications

Australian senator Nick Xenophon does not want “for fun” gambling applications to become readily available for download on the iPhone. The lawmaker said Australians are already overexposed to gambling.

According to Xenophon, free poker applications available on the iPhone allow, even children, to play for fake money. These games, he says, should not be allowed by the Australian government because they can expose children to gambling at an early age.

“We already have a big enough gambling problem in this country and there’s no doubt this will fuel gambling addiction. Kids can become poker machine experts years before they are legally allowed to set eyes on a real machine.”

“The use of money, albeit fantasy, drills home a false impression that poker machines can be a source of money or income,” said Xenophon. “….This is a training application for kids to lose real money when they turn eighteen.”

Xenophon understands that it would be impossible to ban these applications in Australia, but he still hopes to introduce measures that would make it illegal for Apple to provide free iPhone casino games to children.

Herald Sun: iPhone pokie apps targeted at children, says Senator Nick Xenophon

Free iPhone casino games that allow children to play poker are irresponsible and should be banned, says Senator Nick Xenophon.

Numerous iPhone applications can be downloaded for free, and are identical to machines in found in clubs, pubs and casinos, except they don’t pay real money.

Senator Xenophon said he wasn’t aware that the games existed until he was recently alerted to their availability.

“It’s irresponsible to allow these applications in the hands of children,” Senator Xenophon said. “We already have a big . . . gambling problem in this country and there is no doubt this will fuel gambling addiction.

“Kids can become poker machines experts years before they are legally allowed to set eyes on a real machine.”

“The use of money, albeit fantasy, drills home a false impression that poker machines can be a source of money or income,” Senator Xenophon said.

The Sydney Morning Herald: Ban iPhone gambling apps: Xenophon

Numerous free casino games, some promoted by gaming companies like Harrah’s, can be downloaded and played on the iPhone for free. The games are similar to real money machines found across Australia.

Senator Xenophon says the games are irresponsible, and could too easily fall into the hands of children.

“We already have a big enough gambling problem in this country and there is no doubt this will fuel gambling addiction.

Some of the applications specifically state that they are for 12-year-olds and upwards, but others have no minimum age suggestions.

“Having a recommended age description of 12 is totally inadequate. This is a training application for kids to lose real money when they turn 18,” says Xenophon.

The senator hopes to alert the federal government, and to start an inquiry into the games, outlawing them for children.

“There needs to be a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling laws because otherwise we will see a new wave of problem gamblers as soon as these kids turn 18,” Xenophon said.

“It’s not only promoting poker machines its conditioning people to use them.

The former president of one of the world’s most successful gambling operators MGM Mirage Global, Lloyd Nathan, has been asked to run a new Vegas style casino resort which will operate 130 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Bloomberg Business Week: MGM’s Nathan to Run First ‘Vegas Style’ Viet Casino

Asian Coast Development Ltd. hired Lloyd Nathan, the former president of MGM Mirage Global Gaming Development, to run the first Vegas-style casino in Vietnam. Asian Coast has a 50-year license to build a $4.2 billion casino and resort 130 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam will be compete with neighboring resorts Macau, the world’s biggest gaming hub.

In an e-mail Nathan said, “The 16 countries in close proximity to Vietnam comprise almost 2/3 of the world’s population, but only 5% of the world’s licensed gaming establishments.”

The casino will be off-limits to the nation’s 86 million people. Singapore’s first casino opened on February 14 at the Resorts World Sentosa project. The government charges locals a $72 admission fee.

The new beachside Vietnamese resort will include 550 rooms, 90 gaming tables and 500 slot machines initially. The development is licensed for up to 180 tables and 1000 slot machines, he said.

The Associated Press: Development firm hires MGM Mirage’s Nathan as CEO

Officials say an MGM Mirage executive has left the casino company to lead a Canadian firm working on a $4.2 billion casino development in Vietnam.

Vancouver, British Columbia-based Asian Coast Development Ltd. named Lloyd Nathan its chief executive and appointed him to its board.

Nathan was previously president of MGM Mirage Global Gaming Development and had been involved in the Ho Tram Strip project for the Las Vegas-based company.

Officials say the Ho Tram Strip is being developed on 420 acres along more than 1 mile of beachfront land on the South China Sea.

Reuters: UPDATE 1-MGM-branded casino planned for Vietnam resort area

Asian Coast Development Ltd says that it has named Lloyd Nathan, former president of MGM Mirage’s global gaming development, chief executive officer of the new project in Vietnam. The Vancouver-based investment group has hired Las Vegas-based MGM Mirage to operate the $400 million, 1,100-room resort, which will be called the MGM Grand Ho Tram.

Asian Coast, which holds a 50-year investment license from the Vietnamese government, said overall plans call for a $4.2 billion project that will encompass five resorts, two of which will include gambling. The license allows 180 table games and 2,000 electronic games (such as slot machines), split between the two casino properties.

China’s Macau, the only place in the area where gambling is legal, surpassed Las Vegas several years ago to become the world’s largest source of gambling revenue. MGM has a joint-venture project in Macau, and rival Wynn Resorts this week opened its second casino-resort in the Chinese enclave.

Joeseph Baer, 39, was arrested on Tuesday while playing blackjack at a casino in Atlantic City. Baer was suspected of robbing three banks in Philadelpha during the past week. He has been convicted of robbing banks before, and has a history of gambling. Police suspected he might show up at casinos in the area to gamble away the money he robbed.

ABC News Philadelphia: Serial bank robbery suspect in custody

Joseph Baer, a 39 year old man wanted for robbing three banks in the US state of Pennsylvania last week, is now in police custody. He was spotted around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning at the blackjack tables in the Trump Plaza Casino, where he was apprehended.

Baer is an avid gambler, and police suspected that they would find him in one of the local casinos.

Baer is being charged with robbing approximately $1,000 from the PNC Bank in Philadelphia on April 13th. He is also a suspect in two other bank robberies: one at the Citizens Bank and one at the TruMark Financial Credit Union last Friday.

The FBI says that Baer was also wanted for escaping from a halfway house the day of the PNC Bank robbery.

Philly.com: Bank robbery suspect nabbed at casino

For Joseph Baer, a recent trip to gamble in Atlantic City turned out to be a losing bet.

Baer, who was wanted in connection with three bank robberies that happened last week, was spotted playing blackjack at the Trump Plaza Casino by New Jersey state troopers. The officers took the suspect into custody without incident.

On Monday, Baer was caught on camera robbing a Citizen’s Bank branch in Northeast Philadelphia. Last week, he allegedly robbed a different bank in the city’s Mayfair section, where he was also caught on security cameras.

Baer was also wanted for escaping from a federal halfway house on the day of the first robbery. He recently served six-year sentence for robbing two banks in 2004, and had been living at the Luzerne Community Corrections Center in North Philadelphia. His caseworker told authorities that he signed out on April 12 to go to work at a McDonalds.

CBS News Philadelphia: Serial Bank Bandit Found In A.C. Casino

A suspected serial bank robber is in custody after police spotted him playing blackjack a casino in Atlantic City on Tuesday morning.

New Jersey State Police detectives detained 39-year-old Joseph Baer on the floor of the Trump Plaza Casino without incident at around 10 a.m.

Baer was wanted for robbing a PNC Bank in Philadelphia on April 13. Security images showed Baer wearing a Donovan McNabb Eagles jersey when he robbed the bank of $1,000 – the images earned him the nickname “McNabb Bandit”. Baer’s identity came to light with a member of the public recognized him from the photos.

Baer is also suspected of being involved in the robbery of two other area banks that were committed last week.

FBI officials say Baer was convicted of two different bank robberies back in March 2004.

Four different casinos were raided on Monday by undercover police officers and their finding was a bit surprising. The disguised internet cafes offered casino-style games and failed to mention the undercover officers could use the internet. Over $22,000 in cash was seized as well as over 120 computers.

The Roanoke Times: Internet cafe raids netted computers, cash

Investigators raided 4 Roanoke County Internet cafes which allegedly harbored illegal gambling. Cash and computers were hauled away along with a pot of winnings from undercover gaming that officers used to build their case.

Some variation of gambling was going on at each of the 4 so called “internet cafes” and officers took a total of $22,580 in cash and 126 computers among other things.

At Bennett’s Internet, customers paid $6 per hour of online access, and got a card that enabled them to play 18 casino-style games until the points on the card ran out, or until the customer bought more Internet time and got more points. Players could win up to $3,000 but winners and losers were predetermined based on the card they bought.

Virginia’s General Assembly’s upcoming veto session may see the approval of legislation that will clarify the application of current anti-gambling statutes.

WDBJ 7: What police seized in “internet cafe” raids

Roanoke County police have cashed in their chips on last week’s gaming parlor raids. Search warrant returns indicate that police seized more than 100 computers from the four “Internet cafes” that were raided on Thursday.

Documents filed Monday indicate the undercover investigation began at Bennett’s Internet on September 3 of last year. The store’s owner claims that he was only selling internet time, at $6 and hour, and a chance to win sweepstakes. County detectives say there was no mention of the internet when they went in, undercover, only casino slots and card games.

The combined take from the four locations adds up to more than $22,000 in cash plus a total of 122 computers.

NBC News: Roanoke Co. Police detail reasons why they raided four Internet cafes

Four internet cafes in Roanoke County are at the center of a big investigation involving illegal gambling and money laundering. Search warrants were granted and an undercover operation was executed on Monday.

At the first business, a detective started with $20, played casino-style games and eventually won $82. At another business, an attendant made the detective sign a document explaining he was purchasing internet time and would be given free entries into a sweepstakes. The detective starting playing with $100 and left with only $13.

After a year-long investigation, police finally went in last week. This time they weren’t undercover. Over 120-computers, well over $22,000 and game cards were seized in the raid.

None of the business owners have been charged, but I spoke with two of them who maintain they were running a legitimate business and plan to fight the case.

Police are sifting through all the items taken from the internet cafes.

They say the investigation could take up to several weeks.

Gambling revenue in the great gambling state of Nevada has been all over the place over the last couple of months, but most notably in the gutter relative to the past. I bit of hope has once again been pumped into the system in that February gambling resulted in revenue gains being in the double digits.

The Associated Press: Nevada casino winnings jump 14 percent in February

According to casino regulators, special events in February attracted gamblers to the Las Vegas Strip and helped push statewide gambling winnings up almost 14%. The Gaming Control Board said casinos’ winnings went up to $946.6 million, compared with last year’s $831 million.

The increase was driven by the Strip, where casinos won around $568 million. It’s the largest increase in casino wins on the Strip since November 1999. February’s statewide posting is the largest monthly casino win increase since December 2006 and the first double-digit increase since July 2007. Las Vegas Strip casinos account for roughly 50 percent of statewide gambling revenues.

Casinos in northern Nevada’s Washoe County reported winning $60.9 million, up 2.7 percent for the first monthly increase in 32 months, Streshley said. In Reno, the $43.9 million was an increase of 4 percent.

Reuters: Casino shares up as Nevada gaming revenues rise

MGM Mirage and other casino operators’ shares shot above their year highs on Thursday after Nevada posted a double-digit percentage increase in gaming revenues for February.

On Thursday, The Nevada Gaming Control Board announced that total gaming revenues were up to $946.6 million in February, up 13.9% from the same month a year ago. Gaming revenues on the Las Vegas Strip came to nearly $568 million for the month, up 32.9% from the year earlier.

In a note to clients J.P. Morgan analyst, Joseph Greff, said:”We think results were helped by the timing of Chinese New Year,” which was celebrated in February this year as opposed to January for last year.

MGM Mirage shares were up 8.8 percent to $14.53, above their previous 52-week high of $14.25. Rival Las Vegas Sands gained 5.9 percent to $24.29 and Wynn Resorts shares were up 5.4 percent to $86.04.

Bloomberg Business Week: Las Vegas Strip Casino Revenue Soared 33% in February

Las Vegas Strip gambling revenue jumped 33% in February as baccarat play by Chinese New Year’s revelers boosted winnings. Strip revenue hit $568 million from $427.4 million in 2009 according to Nevada’s Gaming Control Board.

All Nevada’s casino revenue climbed 14% to $946.6 million. Monthly proceeds for Clark County, which includes downtown Las Vegas as well as the Strip, grew 16% to $827.8 million. The Chinese New Year is an important event in Las Vegas because visitors stay longer and spend more than average.

MGM Mirage jumped $1.38, or 10%, to $14.73 at 4:15 p.m. in the New York Stock Exchange composite trading, the biggest advance since September. Las Vegas Sands gained $1.30, or 5.7%, to $24.23. Wynn Resorts Ltd. added $4.57, or 5.6%, to $86.23 on the Nasdaq.

There have been a startling number of casino burglaries within the last month. The latest of the robberies took place early Sunday morning at Le Pharaon, a French high-brow casino located in Lyon.

United Press International: French Casino Robbed by Gunmen

According to police, a pack of masked robbers exploded into a crowded French casino, fired their rifles into the ceiling and made off with almost $39,000 on Sunday. Radio France Internationale reported that the grab and go at Le Pharaon Casino in Lyon took a total of just 3 minutes. Interpol’s international police agency headquarters are just down the street.

This has been the third high-profile casino robbery in Europe recently. The other two were executed in
Switzerland and Germany. At the Lyon gambling venue, 4 men used an angle grinder to gain access to the cashiers’ area, while an accomplice waited outside. They all fled in a black BMW. Two security guards received minor injuries.

Expatica.com: Masked gunmen hold up French casino

Police have announced that 5 armed and masked thieves held up a casino in the French city of Lyon early on Easter Sunday and made off with tens of thousands of Euros. The men allegedly walked into “Le Pharaon” casino around 3 am, fired a shot in the air and went on to empty the casino’s cash registers.

According to an investigator, “There were five of them, dressed in white overalls and wearing ski masks. They worked very quickly. They stayed for about two minutes.”

A security guard who attempted to intervene and stop the robbery was the only one injured throughout the duration of the incident. The men were in possession of machine guns, according to police, and fled in a BMW.

The Associated Press: Armed assailants rob French casino, get $38,000

Masked men brandishing assault rifles rushed into a crowded French casino early Sunday, fired shots into the ceiling and made off with roughly EUR 28,000 ($37,800) according to the casino and police.

Police said it took the thieves only 3 minutes to carry out their operation at “Le Pharaon” casino in the central city of Lyon. The casino is just down the street from the headquarters of Interpol, the international police agency.

The masked men allegedly wore white and carried AK-47 rifles. An angle grinder was used to break into the cashiers’ area. One man waited outside in a getaway BMW. Two security guards sustained injuries but none of the clients were hurt.