The world last week was a place of excitement and disaster so lets look back at some of the big stories that hit the headlines

Quatar was cleared of allegations of wrong doing surrounding their being awarded the 2022 World Cup by FIFA the body that oversees international soccer. Despite a huge number of allegations the report supposedly gave the rich nation in which it’s actually too hot to feasibly play football a clean bill of health although the report itself is not to be published in full and has already been criticized by one of the authors for being misrepresented. UEFA are already threatening to quit FIFA over the scandal.And a scandal is perhaps what the Rosetta project could become as the 1.4 billion Euro adventure into the depths of space managed to get 300 million miles from Earth, catch up with a speeding comet and then crash into it, bounce a few times and dive into one of the few places its solar panels couldn’t recharge its batteries. Still hailed as a huge success by the scientific community it remains to be seen just how much real information will be gleaned from the results.

Of course real information is hard to come by these days and Vladimir Putin seemed a tad disingenuous when he cited a long journey home and a need for sleep as being the reasons behind his leaving the G20 Summit in Australia quite as early as he did. Of course many observers would point to the fact just about every other leader had lambasted him for his attitude and behavior over Ukraine, and that Russia was rapidly becoming isolated on the world stage.

In sports a very disappointed Roger Federer was forced to pull out of the ATP World Tour final versus long term rival Novak Djokovic due to a back injury. Apologizing in person at the O2 Arena in London he said sorry for not being match fit in what was a massive PR disaster for the ATP, and an unfortunately tainted default win for Djokovic who admitted this wasn’t the way he wanted to win the trophy. Will Federer recover his fitness or have we seen the last of the six time ATP champion? Find out on our daily news pages but in the meantime lets have a look back at our headlines from last week.

1. One company’s trash is another company’s treasure. With Echo Group hunting VIP gamblers, the Townsville casino was becoming too insignificant in the whole picture, so the company sold it for $70 million to someone willing to fix it up and revive it.

2. After remote gambling operators have taken a major financial blow because of the new license fees and taxes imposed in the UK, the Maltese Government is offering to help heal their bleeding wounds.

3. A trained chef and poker player, Martin Jacobson has surely figured out the secret recipe for success, because he just won $10 million and his very first gold bracelet at the World Series of Poker.

4. It took a long time, but Atlantic City is finally waking up and smelling the coffee. Losing five casinos and leaving thousands of workers unemployed has finally hurt enough to convince officials that it’s time for a change.

5. One of the largest Asian gambling groups, Genting, is resilient to the general decline on the gambling market.

6. The state of Illinois allowed video gaming machines in bars and restaurants and so far the experience has been positive.

7. New information has been made available in connection to Paul Phua illegal betting ring, which might lead to case dismissal.

Meanwhile Boko Haran we accused of being behind the suicide bombing that struck a Nigerian school assembly killing 46 and injuring 79 students, an event that made a mockery of government claims to have signed a ceasefire with the Islamic terrorist group, and elsewhere the Dutch have discovered a new outbreak of an even more contagious, and thus dangerous, strain of bird flu that can be transmitted to humans. Will we all end up tarred and feathered? You’ll have to keep up to date with our daily news pages to find out.

The world last week was a place of excitement and disaster so lets look back at some of the big stories that hit the headlines

Quatar was cleared of allegations of wrong doing surrounding their being awarded the 2022 World Cup by FIFA the body that oversees international soccer. Despite a huge number of allegations the report supposedly gave the rich nation in which it’s actually too hot to feasibly play football a clean bill of health although the report itself is not to be published in full and has already been criticized by one of the authors for being misrepresented. UEFA are already threatening to quit FIFA over the scandal.And a scandal is perhaps what the Rosetta project could become as the 1.4 billion Euro adventure into the depths of space managed to get 300 million miles from Earth, catch up with a speeding comet and then crash into it, bounce a few times and dive into one of the few places its solar panels couldn’t recharge its batteries. Still hailed as a huge success by the scientific community it remains to be seen just how much real information will be gleaned from the results.

Of course real information is hard to come by these days and Vladimir Putin seemed a tad disingenuous when he cited a long journey home and a need for sleep as being the reasons behind his leaving the G20 Summit in Australia quite as early as he did. Of course many observers would point to the fact just about every other leader had lambasted him for his attitude and behavior over Ukraine, and that Russia was rapidly becoming isolated on the world stage.

In sports a very disappointed Roger Federer was forced to pull out of the ATP World Tour final versus long term rival Novak Djokovic due to a back injury. Apologizing in person at the O2 Arena in London he said sorry for not being match fit in what was a massive PR disaster for the ATP, and an unfortunately tainted default win for Djokovic who admitted this wasn’t the way he wanted to win the trophy. Will Federer recover his fitness or have we seen the last of the six time ATP champion? Find out on our daily news pages but in the meantime lets have a look back at our headlines from last week.

1. One company’s trash is another company’s treasure. With Echo Group hunting VIP gamblers, the Townsville casino was becoming too insignificant in the whole picture, so the company sold it for $70 million to someone willing to fix it up and revive it.

2. After remote gambling operators have taken a major financial blow because of the new license fees and taxes imposed in the UK, the Maltese Government is offering to help heal their bleeding wounds.

3. A trained chef and poker player, Martin Jacobson has surely figured out the secret recipe for success, because he just won $10 million and his very first gold bracelet at the World Series of Poker.

4. It took a long time, but Atlantic City is finally waking up and smelling the coffee. Losing five casinos and leaving thousands of workers unemployed has finally hurt enough to convince officials that it’s time for a change.

5. One of the largest Asian gambling groups, Genting, is resilient to the general decline on the gambling market.

6. The state of Illinois allowed video gaming machines in bars and restaurants and so far the experience has been positive.

7. New information has been made available in connection to Paul Phua illegal betting ring, which might lead to case dismissal.

Meanwhile Boko Haran we accused of being behind the suicide bombing that struck a Nigerian school assembly killing 46 and injuring 79 students, an event that made a mockery of government claims to have signed a ceasefire with the Islamic terrorist group, and elsewhere the Dutch have discovered a new outbreak of an even more contagious, and thus dangerous, strain of bird flu that can be transmitted to humans. Will we all end up tarred and feathered? You’ll have to keep up to date with our daily news pages to find out.

As a result of the economic downturn that the United States recently went through, many of the nation’s states have considered what was not a high-priority issue before the crisis; the liberalization of gambling laws. Illinois seems to be next state that’s waking up to the bountiful benefits of the industry.

Daily Herald: Lawmakers, chamber receptive to slots at track

Arlington Heights trustees aren’t interested in a video casino even though some suburban lawmakers think video gambling at the local horse track is worth pursuing.

When she heard about a possible deal that would put video slot and poker machines at Arlington Park and other tracks, state Rep. Suzie Bassi said she supported the idea because the slots would be put in areas already under the microscope of gambling regulators.

Under the measure, local governments hosting the machines would get a 5% cut of the slot profits. However, local governments wouldn’t get a say in whether they want the machines at all, a main point of contention for some trustee’s.

Under the proposal, Arlington Park and other tracks in Cook County would get as many as 1,200 video gambling positions. Downstate tracks would get up to 900. The new video casinos would have to be based within 300 yards of the track.

The proposal would help support financing for the state’s massive $31 billion construction project. The massive public works program was supposed to be financed partially through video gambling, but that funding source has started to buckle as local governments refused to allow the controversial gambling machines in their taverns.

Fox News: Video Poker May Be On Way to Horse Tracks

State lawmakers in Chicago are apparently negotiating a proposal that would permit the introduction of video slots and poker machines to horse tracks across Illinois, including Arlington Park.

It’s been reported that the state would regulate how profits and taxes made through the machines would be distributed. One proposal would require race tracks to pay up to $25,000 per machine.

The Communities that would end up with the machines would get 5% of the tax revenue from the machines. Taxes on that revenue would go toward helping pay for construction projects around the state.

ABC News: Gambling machines may be allowed at Ill. horse tracks

An apparent deal being pondered by Illinois state legislators would put hundreds of video slot and poker machines at Arlington Park among other horse tracks located within the state.

Taxes from the games would go toward construction spending. Lawmakers have allegedly agreed on a proposal, after weeks of discussions behind the scenes.

Proponents say the move would give the tracks and local governments a financial boost. Arlington Park and other Cook County tracks would get up to 1,200 gambling positions. Downstate tracks would get up to 900.

These new video casinos would have to be within 300 yards of the track.

As a result of the economic downturn that the United States recently went through, many of the nation’s states have considered what was not a high-priority issue before the crisis; the liberalization of gambling laws. Illinois seems to be next state that’s waking up to the bountiful benefits of the industry.

Daily Herald: Lawmakers, chamber receptive to slots at track

Arlington Heights trustees aren’t interested in a video casino even though some suburban lawmakers think video gambling at the local horse track is worth pursuing.

When she heard about a possible deal that would put video slot and poker machines at Arlington Park and other tracks, state Rep. Suzie Bassi said she supported the idea because the slots would be put in areas already under the microscope of gambling regulators.

Under the measure, local governments hosting the machines would get a 5% cut of the slot profits. However, local governments wouldn’t get a say in whether they want the machines at all, a main point of contention for some trustee’s.

Under the proposal, Arlington Park and other tracks in Cook County would get as many as 1,200 video gambling positions. Downstate tracks would get up to 900. The new video casinos would have to be based within 300 yards of the track.

The proposal would help support financing for the state’s massive $31 billion construction project. The massive public works program was supposed to be financed partially through video gambling, but that funding source has started to buckle as local governments refused to allow the controversial gambling machines in their taverns.

Fox News: Video Poker May Be On Way to Horse Tracks

State lawmakers in Chicago are apparently negotiating a proposal that would permit the introduction of video slots and poker machines to horse tracks across Illinois, including Arlington Park.

It’s been reported that the state would regulate how profits and taxes made through the machines would be distributed. One proposal would require race tracks to pay up to $25,000 per machine.

The Communities that would end up with the machines would get 5% of the tax revenue from the machines. Taxes on that revenue would go toward helping pay for construction projects around the state.

ABC News: Gambling machines may be allowed at Ill. horse tracks

An apparent deal being pondered by Illinois state legislators would put hundreds of video slot and poker machines at Arlington Park among other horse tracks located within the state.

Taxes from the games would go toward construction spending. Lawmakers have allegedly agreed on a proposal, after weeks of discussions behind the scenes.

Proponents say the move would give the tracks and local governments a financial boost. Arlington Park and other Cook County tracks would get up to 1,200 gambling positions. Downstate tracks would get up to 900.

These new video casinos would have to be within 300 yards of the track.