Parents who subscribe to the new 3G wireless internet service offered by Tibboh will have fine-tuned control over what sites their children can access. The ISP has rated billions of websites using the same system that the British Board of Film Classification uses to rate films. Parents can create custom logins for each child, and restrict their net access to age-appropriate sites, keeping them away from adult-oriented websites like online gambling and porn.

Telegraph: New ISP with age ratings for websites launched

Tibboh, a new Internet Service Provider in the UK, consulted the British Board of Film Classification for help in categorizing three billion websites with a new rating system.

Each category of site is assigned its own rating. Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have been rated 12, while online gambling websites and illegal downloading sites are rated 18.

Each internet user has a unique login, and since their age is on file in the system, the internet becomes age-restricted. For example, 12-year-olds will be stopped from accessing websites that are rated 15.

The new system shares a commonality between movie and video game classifications that are standard across the UK.

The system was suggested in a government-commissioned report published in 2008 by Professor Tanya Bryon.

BBC News: Film classification takes to the web

A UK internet service provider will soon offer a web filtering service that uses the same classification system that the film and video game industries provide.

The British Board of Film Classification has teamed up with ISP to create the system. Parents will be able select the level of filtering they require to protect their children, choosing from U, PG, 12, 15 or 18. This will help parents to block sites related to pornography, gambling, and other adult themes.

The ISP, Tibboh, is currently only offering the filter through their 3G mobile internet service. Users who want to implement the filter will need a special dongle, and will be able to register individual profiles for different family members.

There will be a monthly charge of £19.99 for the service, which has a 15 gigabyte data limit.

Thinq.co.uk: Kids’ ISP launches with UK censor backing

A mobile internet service provider with a built-in content filtering system has just launched, giving UK parents a way to restrict their kids’ internet access to age-appropriate sites.

The £19.99/month service from Tibboh (which is Hobbit spelled backwards) classifies websites using the same system that the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) uses to rate films – U, PG, 12, 15 and 18.

The system will give parents fine-tuned filtering options than previous blanket filters that block too much.

The BBFC officially supports the project, after Tibboh became the first ISP to use its online membership guidelines.

The filtering system is tamper resistant, and will prevent net-savvy children from changing their profile settings and gaining access to sites their parents wish to block.

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.

Australian internet entrepreneur Daniel Tzvetkoff was arrested in Las Vegas on Friday, and is being held on charges of money laundering and gambling conspiracy. Tzvetkoff founded an online payment processing company called Intabill a few years ago, but prosecutors allege that he used shell companies to cover up the source of more than $500 million in online gambling funds. Tzvetkoff faces 75 years in prison if convicted.

News.com.au: Fallen online tycoon Daniel Tzvetkoff faces 75 years jail

Internet entrepreneur Daniel Tzvetkoff is facing 75 years in a US prison after being charged with laundering $584 million. The 27-year-old was placed under arrest in Las Vegas on Friday and has been detained facing a bail hearing.

Ipswich-born Tzvetkoff made a mark for himself in 2008 when he founded the online payment processor Intabill, which helped US gamblers fund their online accounts. Because of his involvement with the company, Tzvetkoff faces charges of money laundering, gambling conspiracy and bank fraud conspiracy.

The US Attorney’s Office alleges that Tzvetkoff helped illegal internet gambling companies to launder about $540 million into offshore accounts. Tzvetkoff’s company duped US banks (which have bans on internet credit card gambling) into believing the gambling transactions were just ordinary transactions.

According to the indictment, Tzvetkoff even created dummy companies British Virgin Islands, complete with fake websites and random names, which were used to hide the source of funds he was processing.

ABC News: Businessmen charged over illegal online gambling transactions

United States authorities are charging former Queensland businessman Daniel Tzvetkoff with four offences relating to illegal online gambling money transactions. The 27-year-old entrepreneur was arrested in Las Vegas on Friday.

An indictment has already been presented to the Federal court in Manhattan, which is charging Tzvetkoff money laundering offences.

The US Justice Department alleges Tzvetkoff processed around $500 million in online transactions between US gamblers and internet gaming websites. The company disguised the financial data so the transactions appeared to be unrelated to gambling.

Tzvetkoff’s Las Vegas-based lawyer Mace Yampolsky says he appeared in court on Friday already, and that this initial apperance will continue on Wednesday.

“Obviously, right now, he’s pleading not guilty. He’s innocent until proven guilty,” Tzvetkoff’s laywer saidsaid.

“At this time, I have not seen any of the government’s proof.”

Reuters: U.S. charges Australian with laundering $500 mln

United States prosecutors arrested an Australian man in Las Vegas on Friday, and are holding him on charges of money laundering, alleging that he helped move funds between gamblers and illegal online gambling websites.

Daniel Tzvetkoff, 27, is being accused in a New York court of processing gambling proceeds and covering up their source, making them appear legal to banks. The operation has been running since early 2008.

Tzvetkoff created dozens of shell companies for use in his scheme, whcih he once wrote was “perfect,” prosecutors say.

Tzvetkoff is being charged on four counts, including bank fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to operate and finance an illegal gambling business. If convicted on all accounts, he faces up to 75 years in prison.

After trying to ban the online gambling industry from Australian’s, the government realized that it had made a mistake being that an estimated $790 million went out their window to offshore casinos. Knowing that’s there’s a high demand for the industry, the government is liable to break down restrictions and embrace it.

The Wall Street Journal: Analyst predicts online casino boom as governments seek taxes

The global financial crisis seems to be on its way out and could spark rapid growth in online gambling as governments remove bans and tax casinos. A report from KMPG predicts the global online betting market will grow by 42% to $32 billion by 2012.

The recent Productivity Commission draft report into online gaming urges deregulation of the industry, and repealing of restrictions on online betting as well as the removal of the ban on Australian companies operating cyber casinos.

Analysts guess that the long-term trend will be towards deregulation as prohibition clearly isn’t working. Australians have spent $790 million on offshore cyber casinos. The return of revenue to Australia and the potential for establishing an Australian-branded online casino would be a substantial boost for local players.

The Sydney Morning Herald: Online bets on track for legalisation

According to accounting firm KPMG, new laws allowing gaming companies to offer online gambling in Australia are ”inevitable,” as the federal government stands to benefit from the tax revenue of a rapidly growing industry.

According to the Productivity Commission, Australians spent $790 million on online gambling through overseas sites in 2008. The commission’s recent draft report on gambling concluded that, ”While illegal and invisible in official records, online gaming appears to have grown very rapidly, and could amount to 4 per cent of gambling expenditure.”

The commission recommended the government liberalize online gaming, allowing Australian companies to provide internet poker and casino games to local customers. Online wagering and sports betting is already permitted.

Many inside the Australian industry believe it is unlikely the government will move to liberalize online gambling during an election year. However, the idea does have the support of some anti-gambling figures who say legalizing the service would enable authorities to better control it and protect problem gamblers, who are already gambling online through overseas sites.

Australian Associated Press: Online gambling ‘to double by 2012′

A new report suggests that Australia stands to rake in the dollars if it relaxes online gambling restrictions. Australians are estimated to spend around $790 million playing poker and other casino games through offshore websites in 2008. Predictions indicate that the industry will double in size by 2012.

The estimate gives weight to calls for Australia to rethink its prohibition of online gambling, due to the fact that it’s obviously not effective. A wealth of revenue is there to be made if Australia can shape and expand the market, which is set to explode given technological advances in mobile phones and other devices.

Australia could harness the revenue spent at offshore sites by relaxed restrictions, a practice that other governments, including the United States, have been working towards. A federal Productivity Commission draft report has recommended the government consider regulated access to local gaming sites, rather than all-out prohibition.

In South Korea, playing video games professionally is equivalent to playing physical sports at a pro level in other parts of the world. And like the pro sports world, this e-sports world is not immune to scandal. Recent accusations of match fixing and illegal betting involving players, coaches, and organizers have the country’s computer gaming world in an uproar.

GamePron: StarCraft cheating scandal rocks Korea

The largest scandal in online computer gaming history is now unfolding in South Korea, with information surfacing that a several pro gamers are involved in match fixing and illegal gambling.

It seems that certain professional gamers are being accused intentionally losing matches, and of leaking their team’s replay files to various underground gambling organizations.

The teams involved punishing any members involved in the scandal, even going so far as asking serious cheaters to retire from the game.

Korean sources say the problems began as early as 2006 when betting began contacting certain players, asking them to rig games. It appears that several people with past ties to professional gaming offered their contact lists to the gamblers.

It has further been alleged that certain game organizers knew about the situation, but their attempts to control it only pushed the illegal businesses going further underground. Organizers even considered co-conspiring with the illegal betting sites.

It’s only a matter of time before some pro gamers will find themselves without a job.

NeoSeeker: Huge match-fixing scandal rocks world of South Korean StarCraft

A huge scandal seems to have hit the world of e-sports South Korea. PC gaming, especially on an old strategy game called StarCraft, is huge business in South Korea, where PC gaming is one of the dominant format of entertainment in the internet-loving country.

The recent scandal involves match-fixing in the world of professional StarCraft player. Games have allegedly been rigged for money. This is practice is not uncommon in the world of regular sports, but this is the first report of this sort of thing hitting professional gaming world.

It’s not just players who were involved, apparently. Fingers are also being pointed at journalists, match organizers and coaches.

A list of player suspected of being involved has leaked to the internet, and it includes one of the most well-known players in the StarCraft world: Ja Mae Yoon, who goes by the name sAvior.

IncGamers: E-Sport History’s Biggest Scandal

Not everyone can relate to the idea of a scandal revolving around computer games, but electronic gaming general – and StarCraft in particular – is the South Korean equivalent of the physical sports culture in the West. And much like pro spots in Europe and America, illegal betting and accusations of teams throwing games is tearing at the fabric of the Korean e-gaming community.

During the past week, widespread and systematic betting scandal has been uncovered. Several famous pro-gamers and coaches seem to be involved. Some game organizers are being accused of knowing about the problem, and they have apparently tried to fix things by trying to co-existing with the illegal betting operation.

Koreans gaming forums all across the internet have exploded with talk about the situation. Details are still being revealed, but hopefully the situation will resolve itself in a mature fashion rather than ending up as a physical confrontation in the real world.

A massive online sports betting operation operating illegally out of New York, with ties as far afield as Costa Rica, has been taken down. A two-year investigation culminated last week in 38 arrests cross the US. Those involved are ring charged with money laundering, promoting gambling and conspiracy.

Fox News: Dozens Arrested in Sweep of Alleged $178M Online Gambling Ring

Bookmakers running a pair of online sportsbooks in the US accepted nearly $178 million in bets during the past three years said prosecutors on Wednesday after arresting 38 on corruption charges.

Those arrested are suspected money collectors, agents and bookies from Nevada, Louisiana, Florida, New York and Arizona. The arrests were the culmination of a three-year investigation led by the organized crime division of the New York Police Department.

Among those arrested are three New York City employees: a firefighter, a sanitation worker and a highway repairman. Charges include money laundering, promoting gambling and conspiracy.

The suspects operated two nationwide gambling rings that utilized sports betting websites filtered through Costa Rica. Millions of dollars in cash and property were seized after more than a dozen search warrants were executed five US states. All suspects are currently awaiting arraignment.

United Press International: NYC fireman nabbed in $178M gambling ring

A New York City firefighter is among three city workers being charged with operating an illegal sports-betting ring that made $178 million in three years.

Firefighter Matthew Fopeano and highway repairman Michael Labetti allegedly paid out winnings, collected gambling losses, and solicited new customers. Robert Ackrish, a NYC sanitation worker, allegedly ran a separate sports betting operation that handled $24 million in wagers.

These men are among 38 people being charged with operating two “highly sophisticated illegal sports gambling enterprises” in New York City, Nevada and Costa Rica. The rings took nearly $178 million in wagers over 32 months basketball, football, baseball and hockey events, the district attorney said.

A spokesman for the New York Fire Department says that Fopeano, an 8-year veteran who allegedly made used a marked fire department vehicle for collecting sportsbook monies, was suspended without pay and faces termination.

Boston Herald: 38 indicted in NYC in sports gambling rings

New York prosecutors have indicted 38 people in connection with two illegal sports betting rings that allegedly spanned from Arizona to New York and Costa Rica and made $178 million.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said that the bookies used websites to collect wagers on professional and college events including basketball, football, baseball and hockey.

Lead by the New York Police Department’s organized crime division, investigators arrested the accused on charges enterprise corruption. Three of the men arrested are New York City employees: a sanitation worker, a firefighter, and a highway repairman.

New legislation is being passed through the British parlament at record speed, among them a bill that has the power to bring much of the internet down to its knees within the United Kingdom. Whether or not the bill will affect the online gambling industry is unknown, but nevertheless, a possibility.

Cnet UK: Digital Economy Bill: Nine things you can’t do any more

The Digital Economy Bill has clauses that could lead to some pretty horrible outcomes. The bill sprinted from Commons to Lords almost without a pause for breath before getting the nod from Her Maj. Until Ofcom hammers out the details outlined in the bill, it’s impossible to say how we’ll be affected. Possibilities:

Watch copyrighted content
The bill aims to make it more difficult to access copyrighted content by blocking Web sites built around sharing such material. Sanctions can be applied to users if they use them.

Download from us
The bill states that download websites can be blocked if they providing copyright infringing tools.

Use WikiLeaks
According to the bill, the government can block sites deemed ‘likely to’ infringe copyright. How ‘likely to’ will be defined will determined which sites can be blocked.

Use free open Wi-Fi
Locations that provide Wi-Fi may think twice about doing so as they will be held accountable for internet traffic from their servers.

Watch YouTube
YouTube may come under fire as copyrighted material can be found on the site.

Google stuff
As Google is often used to find downloads, it too may be threatened.

The New York Times: U.K. Approves Crackdown on Internet Pirates

The British Parliament has approved plans to crack down on digital media piracy by authorizing the suspension of repeat offenders’ Internet connections.

Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords approved the bill after heavy lobbying from the music and movie industries. The anti-piracy plan is part of a broader bill aimed at stimulating the digital economy in Britain.

The government’s anti-piracy plans were modified in the final rounds of negotiations over the bill. Under previous proposals, the content industries could have gone to court to seek injunctions requiring Internet service providers to block access to Web sites that foster piracy. Similar clauses were included elsewhere in the bill.

The Guardian: Digital economy bill rushed through wash-up in late night session

The UK government forced the Digital Economy Bill through parliament with the aid of the Conservative party, attaining a crucial third reading – which means it will get royal assent and become law – after just 2 hours of debate in the Commons.

Despite opposition from the Liberal Democrats and a group of Labour MPs who spoke against measures contained in the bill, the government easily won 2 votes to determine the content of the bill and its passage through the committee stage. The vote was in the government’s favour, which it won by 189 votes to 47.

Earlier the government removed its proposed clause 18, which could have given it sweeping powers to block sites, but replaced it with an amendment to clause 8 of the bill.

Liberal Democrat MP, John Hemming, protested that this could mean the blocking of whistleblower sites. Stephen Timms for the government said that it would not want to see the clause used to restrict freedom of speech.

Faced with a growing budget deficit and rising unemployment rates, the great state of New Hampshire has joined the other states on the long list of those considering online gambling as a promising answer to financial problems.

Nashua Telegraph: Gambling would bring much needed jobs

There’s been a lot of focus on the review of SB489, a bill to expand gambling in addition to adding slot machines and a resort casino in New Hampshire. Many New Hampshire workers are looking for the opportunity to show support for the bill, tell their stories and share the many positive outcomes that would result from this legislation being passed.

The construction industry is in shambles with an unemployment rate of 30%. Projects like those proposed in the bill would provide work for many throughout the state. A lot has been said about the social costs that the bill could create within our state and how it could impact lives. Missing from the debate are the social costs of prolonged unemployment.

This is why we must act now to support and implement expanded gambling. Passage would mean construction work unseen since the building of Seabrook Station, when over 70% of the industry had health and retirement benefits.

Thousands of construction workers could piece their lives back together, not with handouts from the state but with a good quality job. Workers look to their state elected leaders to support this extremely vital, job-creation bill.

The Boston Globe: NH gov considers legalizing online gambling

Though he opposes slot machines and casino-style gambling, Gov. John Lynch of New Hampshire may support legalization on internet gambling in order to close a growing budget deficit. The governor will unveil his plan for the state next week, and legalizing online gaming is among the ideas he’s considering.

The House is debating a Senate-passed bill that allows up to 17,000 slots and casino-style games at six locations throughout the state. Lynch opposes the bill because he said it fails to prevent the proliferation of gambling.

Arguments against the new bill claim that it would proliferate gambling and wouldn’t create jobs. A lawyer for the Hudson project, however, estimates it would create 3,800 jobs, including trick-down positions at restaurants and other businesses.

Bloomberg Business Week: NH legislators propose changes to gambling bill

New Hampshire legislators in the House are supporting a gambling bill which would cut the number of slots from the proposed 17,000 to 9,750 and offer them at five places instead of six. The House is considering a Senate-passed bill to expand gambling.

Under the proposed House changes, competing proposals for casinos would vie before a three-person tribunal to secure one site each in central and northern New Hampshire. The change is seen as a response to the owners of the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, who said they were left out of the original bill. Another proposed change would repeal the state’s new 10 percent tax on gambling winnings.

Trevor Zinck, the Nova Scotia legislature, allegedly used the credit card of a 40 year old man with cerebral palsy to play poker online, racking up a bill of almost $10,000. Scott Marshall had once given Zinck his card to loan him $100 back when Zinck was acting as Marshall’s caregiver. It seems Zinck wrote down the card number to use later.

CBC News Canada: ‘Be a man’ on gambling debt, MLA urged

The mother of a Canadian disabled man is angry and frustrated that Independent MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) Trevor Zinck has not yet responded to recent allegation that he used her son’s credit card to gamble online, still owing him $7,600.

“Own up to it and be a man,” Helena MacLeod said towards Zinck.

“It seems like he has disappeared and that’s it. We kind of thought that he would come across and say that he was going to pay Scott’s credit card, but we haven’t heard a word.”

Scott Marshall, 40, has cerebral palsy. He has known Zinck for 20 years. Zinck acted as Marshall’s caregiver prior to 2006, when he was leected an MLA for Dartmouth North.

Marshall says that in June 2007, he noticed $10,000 in charges on his credit card. Zinck had used the card to play online poker, without Marshall’s permission.

Zinck has paid some of the money back, but MacLeod said the bill is still$7,600, and Marshall cannot afford to pay it.

“He gets in a very, very big panic to think that his credit is going to be down the tubes,” MacLeod said.

Zinck was ousted from the New Democratic Party caucus in March because of problems with his constituency expenses. He also admitted to having problems with drinking and gambling.

The Chronicle Herald: Zinck accused of fraud

A man from Halifax, Canada, is accusing Dartmouth North MLA Trevor Zinck of fraudulently charging $9,000 on his credit card to play online poker.

Scott Marshall says his former caregiver and friend of 20 years hasn’t paid much of it back.

“He said that he’d never leave me hanging . . . but I’ve had to hound him,” Marshall said in a telephone interview.

Marshall suffers from cerebral palsy, and is confined to a wheelchair.

In the spring of 2007, Marshall let Zinck use his credit card when he asked to borrow $100. But when Marshall got his bill, Zinck had charged thousands of dollars to it.

Zinck promised to get a loan to pay his debit to Marshall, but later said that the bank denied his application.

The NDP removed Zinck from his caucus seat last week, citing irregularities with his handling of office expenses.

Toronto Sun: Man: N.S. politician used his credit card to gamble

A disabled man has accused a member of the Nova Scotia legislature of using his credit card to gamble online – without his permission.

Scott Marshall, who is wheelchair-bound because of cerebral palsy, says Trevor Zinck admitted to charging $10,000 from his credit card when Marshall’s caregiver.

Zinck apologized and agreed to pay him back, but the payments stopped after Zinck was no longer his caregiver. The credit card bill stands at $7,600.

According to Helena MacLeod, Marshall’s mother, Zinck always had an excuse not to pay.

When asked if Zinck admitted to online gambling, Marshall said, “Oh yea.”

Zinck was recently suspended from the NDP caucus last week. He had been late in paying constituency office bills for electricity, telephone and internet.

The US Defense Department has officially allowed the use of social networking sites by military personnel on government computers. The computers cannot, however, be used to access prohibited content, including pornography and internet gambling websites. The announcement was made on Friday via Twitter and Facebook.

CNN: U.S. military OKs use of online social media

U.S. military personnel are finally allowed to tweet, but online blackjack is still off-limits.

The Pentagon’s new policy on military personnel using online social media was finally unveiled Friday. The new rules remove blocks on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube from all nonclassified government computers. These and other social networking sites can now be used as long as long as activity does not compromise national security.

The Pentagon announced the new policy via Facebook and Twitter.

The new policy also denies military personnel access to all websites promoting gambling, pornography or hate crimes. These cannot be accessed on nonclassified government computers for any reason.

According to David M. Wennergren, deputy assistant secretary of defense for information management and technology, the new policy “not only promotes information sharing across organizational boundaries and with mission partners, but also enables deployed troops to maintain contact with their loved ones at home.”

BBC News: Twitter and Facebook access for US troops

US troops are now allowed to use social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter following a statement by the Department of Defense. The benefits of using social media, they say, now outweigh the security risks involved.

Now several sites previously blocked by the Pentagon – including YouTube – will be unblocked. Operators reserve the right to re-institute the blocks temporarily if the need arises to safeguard missions or save bandwidth.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates says social networking can help the Pentagon interact with US military employees.

“We need to take advantage of these capabilities that are out there – this Web 2.0 phenomena,” said David Wennergren, deputy assistant secretary of defence for information technology.

“There are two imperatives. One is the ability to share information. The other is about security – we need to be good at both,” he said.

US Department of Defense: DOD Releases Policy for Responsible and Effective Use of Internet-Based Capabilities

On Friday, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) released a statement outlining the “safe and effective use” of the internet by military personnel using official equipment. The statement covers the use of social networking services and other interactive internet applications.

Use of social networking sites has become an important tool for communicating across the DoD and with the general public. Establishing a DoD-wide policy will allow for full integration of these tools and capabilities.

According to the memorandum, only the DoD non-classified network will be effected. Commanders will continue to defend against malicious activity and must deny access to prohibited content (includeing gambling and pornography), and must take immediate to safeguard missions.

“This directive recognizes the importance of balancing appropriate security measures while maximizing the capabilities afforded by 21st Century Internet tools,” said Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III.

Loto-Québec recently announced plans to move their operations online, and hopes to have an internet gambling website up and running by the end of the year. Public health officials are up in arms about the idea, insisting that online gambling presents a significant health risk to Canadians. A coalition of anti-gambling doctors have called for a one-year moratorium on the internet gambling plans while they talk about the potential health risks it produces.

Montreal Gazette: Let’s pass on online gambling, MDs say

Backed by the Canadian government, Loto-Québec announced Feb. 3 that it will launch an internet gambling website by the end of the year. Their intention of is to compete with the thousands of foreign-based internet gambling sites that already target Canadian players. The company hopes to divert $50 million a year in gambling revenues into back into the country.

Public health directors are against the plan, along with the country’s association of addiction rehabilitation centers who called the plan a recipe for disaster.

Richard Lessard, director of Montreal’s public health department, asks: “Should we really be accelerating the development of online gambling or slowing it down?” Lessard called for a one-year moratorium on the launch of this and all similar gambling sites.

“There are not just economic benefits to be had, but negative impacts that have not been properly accounted for. We are convinced that by creating a legal secure site, we will create new players. You don’t have to be a marketing expert to see that.”

The doctors who are speaking out against online gambling in Canada want the government to set up a committee of experts, which they say should include people from the ministries of justice and public safety, to explore the implications of online gambling and figure out how to deal with its negative impacts.

According to the Institute national de santé publique, almost five per cent of the Canadian population is classified as a “problem gambler”.

CBC News: Loto-Québec online site a health risk

Public health officials across the Canadian province of Quebec asked lawmakers on Thursday to reconsider their plan to introduce online gambling.

Loto-Québec is expected to launch its online gambling site in September. The lottery corporation has estimated that the venture will bring in more than $50 million in revenue by 2013.

The corporation also hopes that the new gambling site would work to subdue the 2,000 gambling sites already online, many of which operate illegally and are unregulated by the province.

Health officials, however, are concerned that online gambling presents a severe health risk. Dr. Richard Lessard, Montreal’s public health director, believes it is much easier for a person to become addicted to gambling if they play on the internet.

“It’s too soon to go online,” Lessard said. “We think there should be a moratorium on the implementation of online gambling, and during that one year or more period, we think there should be an expert committee to analyze the impact on health in particular.”

The financial benefits of online gambling are overshadowed by the negative impact that gambling has on health, he said.

CJAD Radio Canada: Minister says public health officials are wrong

Minister Raymond Bachand is not out to fight the Quebec’s public health officials, but he certainly disagrees with them.

“We respect their opinion,” he insists, but he does not agree with public health director’s request to put Loto-Quebec’s upcoming internet gambling project on hold while a committee studies its effects on society.

Quebec’s public health directors say that some dissenters might be underestimating the social impact that online gambling has.

Minister Raymond Bachand admits that some Canadians suffer from gambling addictions, but insists that it’s less than one percent. Instead, Bachand focuses on the amount of gambling that’s already online. “There’s a world-wide phenomenon,” he says, “but it’s not by putting our heads in the sand and allowing only illegal sites to operate in which anybody can go and play that we’re going to solve the problem.”

The province stands to earn $50 million through online gambling over the next three years.

The online gaming software giant Playtech has purchased the internet bingo company Virtue Fusion in a deal worth up to £36 million. Virtue Fusion currently supplies more than 20 groups with online bingo services. The deal is expected to push Playtech to the forefront of the international online bingo industry.

Reuters UK: Playtech buys online bingo firm Virtue Fashion

The internet gambling software giant Playtech just acquired the online bingo company Virtue Fashion in a deal worth up to £36 million. Playtech aims strengthen its presence in the international bingo market.

Playtech will make an initial payment of £29 million pounds in cash, with an additional performance-based payment of up to £7 million in early 2011.

The company says that bingo is one of the fastest growing facets of the online gambling world, and that the the deal will provide them with cross-selling opportunities.

Virtue Fashion currently has more than 20 licensees, including well known brands like as William Hill, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power. They saw a turnover of £12.3 million in 2009.

Playtech’s shares have lifted 21% in the last three months. Shares were up 2.1% to 477 pence after the merger was announced, valuing the company at about £1.15 billion.

London Evening Standard: Bingo king Al Haig sells Virtue to Playtech for £29m

Land-based bingo halls in the UK might be struggling, but millions of pounds are pouring through online versions of the game, where bingo is one of the online gaming industry’s fastest growing markets.

Internet bingo entrepreneur Al Haig recently became £25 million richer after selling his Virtue Fusion bingo business to Playtech for an upfront cost of £29 million, with more cash to follow if the business does well.

Virtue Fusion creates online bingo platforms for household names such as Ladbrokes and Sky. Playtech also works in the online gaming business, putting together software for internet casinos, mobile phones and TVs. Virtue Fusion had turnover of £12 million and saw a profit of £3.8 million last year.

Bob McCulloch, Virtual Fusion’s chief executive, is also expecting a pay-out from the deal, and intends to stay with the business for at least two years.

Playtech’s chief executive, Mor Weizer, said the acquisition will make his company a leading player in the international bingo market.

Proactive Investors UK: Playtech snaps up online bingo developer Virtue Fusion for £29 million

Online gaming software company Playtech is acquiring Virtue Fusion, a developer and licensor of internet bingo products, for an initial price of £29 million in cash, up to a potential £36 million depending on the performance of Virtue Fusion in 2010.

Playtech said the acquisition will transform it into a global leader in online bingo market, complementing its current position in the internet poker and casino industries. The deal is also expected to be earnings accretive in 2010, and will generate “additional cross-selling opportunities”.

In 2009, Virtue Fusion generated £12.3 million in revenues and adjusted EBITDA of £3.8 million, marking a significant increase compared to 2008 revenues of £8.1 million and adjusted EBITDA of £2.3 million in 2008. Playtech is paying a premium price to gain a firm position in the bingo sector, which according to the company is one of the fastest growing online gaming segments.

Virtue Fusion typically sees more than 6,000 concurrent players on their platform. They licence their online bingo products to more than 20 groups, including Paddy Power, Vigrin and William Hill.

“For Playtech, the acquisition significantly enhances its own bingo offering, brings new licensees and enhances its relationships with a number of existing licensees. It also positions Playtech as the leading supplier in all of the key product segments in the online gaming industry, with very substantial liquidity in each of its player networks,” Playtech stated this morning.

“As with poker, network player liquidity is an important element for bingo operators. By linking the operator’s bingo rooms across the network, Virtue Fusion can facilitate more frequent games being offered and higher prize values and jackpots for the same individual stake. Both Playtech and Virtue Fusion’s existing licensees will therefore enjoy the benefits of increased liquidity when their networks are combined.”

Canadian gambling law continues to liberalize and as a result, online gambling will be made legal and offered most recently in the Province of Quebec. The lotto and internet poker rooms are the first to be offered. Loto-Quebec will team up with other companies to cover a larger part of Canada.

The Montreal Gazette: Loto-Québec goes online

Loto-Québec will offer Quebecers online poker and sports betting at a site that should be live this year in order control a new, beneficial stream of revenue. Plans received the blessing of the Quebec cabinet, which intends to “cannibalize illegal gambling sites” and see a common electronic platform created for Loto-Québec, B.C. Lottery Corp. and Atlantic Lottery Corp., which covers Canada’s 4 Atlantic Provinces.

A memorandum of understanding was signed by the 3 corporations providing rules governing the new games. Quebec and its partners will need high betting limits to compete with existing online operations. Even with high limits, it’s not sure that the new sites will succeed in luring players from older sites. The number of viable players is a big concern at the moment.

At a media conference in Montreal, the main focus was on legitimacy, regulation and protection that provincially run online gambling would offer consumers. Online games could generate as much as $50 million in new revenue for Quebec in 2012.

CBC News: Loto-Québec to offer online gambling

Quebec’s lottery corporation will launch its first online gambling service this September. Loto-Québec hopes it will add millions of dollars to its coffers by 2013. Allowing Loto-Québec to join the lucrative online market could earn the province $50 million over 3 years, according to Finance Minister Raymond Bachand.

Social costs regarding young adults are particularly grim, suggested Danielle Doyer, the Parti Québécois ’s social services critic. She accused the Liberal government of ignoring the costs in favor of financial gain. Loto-Québec, however, argues that Quebeckers already have access to more than 2,000 online gambling sites that are “illegal and unregulated.”

The site will require players to verify their age, limit their weekly account replenishments and allow players to “self-exclude at all times.”

He also cited a public health study that showed no increase in problematic gamblers in Quebec between 1996 and 2002, suggesting the proportion of the population addicted to gambling always remains the same, regardless of the number of gambling outlets.

The Canadian Press: Quebec loto commission to join B.C. and Atlantic Canada online gambling venture

Quebec’s lottery commission plans to offer online gambling by this fall. On Wednesday, the Quebec government announced that it is allowing Loto-Quebec to set up poker and sports betting sites online. Loto-Quebec will join lottery commissions from British Columbia and Atlantic Canada to provide a common platform for online gamblers.

According to Quebec Finance Minister Raymond Bachand, online gambling is already widespread and government coffers could benefit greatly from the continuously growing market. He says he expects the government to receive around $50 million in dividends from Loto-Quebec’s online venture after just three years.

The lottery commission promised to take steps to limit underage players from taking part.

A group of cyber hackers calling themselves simply Anonymous launched a massive denial-of-service attack on two major Australian government websites yesterday. The attacks were in response to an announcement from December in which the government revealed plans to filter the internet, blocking sites related to pornography, online gambling, and other “unwanted” content.

PC World: Australian Parliament Web Site Attacked

The website of the Australian Parliament site was struck with a denial-of-service attack on Wednesday, two days after a hacking group called Anonymous threatened attacks in response to the government’s plan to filter the internet.

During yesterday’s attack, the Web site was hit by 7.5 million requests per second. By noon, the Parliament’s Web site was down.

The hacking group Anonymous put out a press release on Monday, complaining about plans announced back in December by Australian Telecommunications Minister Stephen Conroy which would reqire ISPs to block illegal and “unwanted” content, including online gambling and pornography.

“The Australian Government will learn that one does not mess with our porn,” Anonymous said in its press release. “No one messes with our access to perfectly legal (or illegal) content for any reason.”

“No government should have the right to refuse its citizens access to information solely because they perceive it to be ‘unwanted,’” the group continued. “Indeed, the only possible interpretation of ‘unwanted content’ is content that the government itself does not want to be seen.”

BBC News: Australia websites hacked in porn filter protest

A group of computer hackers attacked official websites in Australia yesterday in a protest against the government’s proposed internet filter targeting pornography and online gambling sites.

The Australian parliament’s website was down for almost an hour after being disrupted a group calling itself Anonymous. The hackers did not infiltrate government security, but instead swamped government computer servers.

A statement attributed to the group said they believe that the Australian government should not be allowed to control what its citizens view on the internet.

The government intends to introduce the mandatory internet filter system by early 2011. The filter block a list of banned websites, including those containing child abuse material.

Alastair MacGibbon, formerly of the government’s High-Tech Crime Centre, said that internet hackers like these are difficult to combat, but he said that compared to most Western nations, Australia was “well prepared” for the attack.

International Business Times: Anonymous group protests against Australian Government filter

In response the Australian Government’s proposed internet filtering project, a group under the name Anonymous attacked two major government websites yesterday.

Both the Australian Parliament House website and Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy website were hit by the attacks. The websites became sluggish and stopped responding under the pressure.

According to the Attorney-General’s office, Anonymous used a distributed denial-of-service attack. The Australian Parliament House website was down for about 50 minutes. It is now fixed but is still acting sluggish.

The Department of Defence Cyber Security Operations Centre continues to monitor the situation closely.

China is planning a major crack-down on all the most relevant online gambling sites that are used by the nation’s nationals. This hunt will not involve just the online casinos and other gambling facilities, but the banks and websites that support the industry as well.

Reuters: China Plans Online Gambling Crackdown

According to a post on the Ministry of Public Security’s website, China plans to crack down on the online gambling industry and the banks and websites supporting it. The hunt will “concentrate on covering major cases of online gambling, and knock out domestic and foreign groups that organize online gambling, and severely punish the criminal elements.”

The crackdown will be carried out between February and August by 8 government bodies including the Supreme Court, Propaganda bureau, the Central Bank and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Underground banks, third-party payment platforms, and website operators will be severely punished.

China banned YouTube in March 2009, when a Tibetan exile film documenting the injuries and death of a Tibetan protester was published. The government blocked Twitter, Flickr and Facebook last summer.

Global Times: Net gambling crackdown a boost for lotteries

A major crackdown on online gambling is being planned by China’s Ministry of Public Security. The 8-governmental department joint campaign will run from February to August and “focus on major and severe online gambling cases and severely punish the criminals.”

Online gambling is a crime thriving through internet development. It’s caused huge sums of money to flow from China, disturbing the nation’s social and economic order. Gambling is forbidden on the mainland and those charged with gambling crimes face up to three-years in jail, according to the criminal law.

Some people believe the crackdown will help boost the welfare lottery and sports lottery, run by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the General Administration of Sport respectively.

APF: China to crackdown on online gambling

China will launch a 6-month crackdown on online gambling, saying the country loses copious amounts of cash through the growing industry. Gambling has been outlawed in China since 1949, but that hasn’t stopped a thriving underground industry.

Authorities will clamp down on banks and third-party payment platforms which provide cash transfer services for gambling sites, as well as Internet operators that provide web access services. China has the world’s largest online population with at least 384 million users, according to official figures.

According to official figures, 5,394 people were arrested under a nationwide Internet porn crackdown last year, and 9,000 illegal porn-related sites were shut down.

Loto-Québec, a state company that holds a monopoly over all legal gambling in the Canadian province, just got approval from the cabinet to offer online poker and sports betting services starting this fall. Local players already gamble online at foreign-based websites, and Loto-Québec hopes their new services will funnel some of the money spent back into the community.

The Montreal Gazette: Loto-Québec goes online

Loto-Québec is stepping into the lucrative industry of internet gambling with a plan to provide online poker and sports betting Quebecers at a new site that should go live before the end of the year.

The plan was just approved by Quebec cabinet, which sees this as a tool by which they can “cannibalize illegal gambling” sites in Canada. A new electronic platform will be created for Loto-Québec, B.C. Lottery Corp. and Atlantic Lottery Corp., which covers the four Atlantic Provinces.

Betting limits will be emplaced, especially in the poker part of the site. These limits will have to be high, however, if Quebec and its new poker partners hope to compete with existing online poker operations. But even with high limits, the new partnership is not guaranteed to lure players away from existing foreign-hosted sites

“I question whether there will be sufficient liquidity (number of players) to make the site popular and therefore profitable,” says Michael Lipton, a Toronto lawyer specializing in gaming law.

“The operators out there are miles ahead of these new entrants in terms of the number of games they offer and the liquidity. Some sites may have 20 or 30 million players … and poker games going on 24 hours a day,” he said.

The new site will only be accessible to Quebec residents who are physically within the province. Age verification will be carried out by a third party, using a complex process that could take days to complete. In extreme cases, the player may be required to show up in person.

CBC News: Loto-Québec to offer online gambling

Quebec’s state lottery corporation will launch its first online gambling site in September. It is a move that Loto-Québec hopes will millions of dollars to its annual revenue by 2013.

After Loto-Québec joins the online gambling world with poker and sports betting offerings, they stand to earn $50 million for the province over the next three years.

Critics are of course concerned about the idea of offering online gambling because of the effect it might have on gambling addicts.

“By increasing the offer, we increase the number of players,” said Dr. Richard Lessard, the director of Montreal Public Health. “And as we increase the number of players, the number of players with gambling problems will increase as well.”

Loto-Québec argues that nothing will change, since Quebeckers already have access to more than 2,000 online gambling sites that are “illegal, unregulated and often of doubtful integrity.”

Loto-Québec president and CEO Alain Cousineau says,”This is a way for us to channel the gaming offering in a controlled circuit and environment whose integrity will be beyond reproach,” Cousineau said.

The new gambling site will require players to verify their age, limit their weekly deposits, and allow players to “self-exclude at all times,” Cousineau added.

Loto-Québec is already working with its counterparts in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada to develop the site. The three entities hope to share a common gaming platform that will allow players to enjoy online poker across provincial borders.

CTV News Montreal: Loto-Quebec to get into online gambling business

Loto-Quebec just received approval from the Province’s government to offer online gambling services.

The provincial gambling monopoly will work together with the British Columbia and Atlantic Lottery Corporations to set up an online gambling site this fall.

Online gambling across Canada currently generates more than $600 million every year, but most of this money is fed to foreign-based gambling companies.

It is estimated that Quebecers currently have access to more than 2,000 unregulated online gaming sites, including many that are hosted from the Kahnawake Mohawk reserve.

Loto-Quebec president and CEO Alain Cousineau says his agency has been trying for years to fight foreign online gambling sites, but has instead decided to compete with them.

The Loto-Quebec site will be based on the Swedish national lottery model. “In the first four hours when the Swedish poker got online, they got 20 per cent of the market,” said Cousineau.