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Macau has become a gambling Mecca in the world today. Though it’s a small island whose main industry is gambling, other chief economic activities are export-geared textiles and garment manufacturing, banking and other financial services. Much of the industry is based on the Chinese mainland for sustenance. Chinese President Hu Jintao send a message to Macau over the weekend that he wants gambling reform, and diversity. Jintao is afraid that too much of the peninsula’s economy is based on gambling and it could pose problems for the area in the future. He is citing Las Vegas and its decline due to reliance on gambling as its main industry as a detrimental move. The President would like to see other areas of focus come into the area and fund major portions of the government – not just gambling.

Using Las Vegas as a case study, Jintao is noting how Macau is quickly becoming reliant on the casino gambling industry to sustain itself. He noted how the economic meltdown crippled the industry of Las Vegas, and in turn, has put Nevada in a serious hole when it comes to their budget. Although signs are pointing to the Macau gambling industry not complying with Jintao’s ideas, he could hamper future gambling. Residents of mainland China need visas to visit Macau. So far in past years China has had the authority to place restrictions on the visas handed out to citizens and was able to limit the number of times residents visited the peninsula of Macau. Revenue dropped notably when the Chinese government decided to limit visa travel.

Fortunately the Chinese government eased their restrictions that brought Macau’s revenues down and they moved upward again. If Macau, however does not make the necessary changes, the government may make moves to impose the strict visa laws again. Among the issues that Jintao wants addressed is higher living standards and an improved education system. Jintao wants to ensure that the children of Macau do not grow up knowing only the gambling industry. Part of his focus is to bring about a well-rounded community of residents who are fully aware of all that the small island has to offer and not just gambling.

`Secondhand smoke has produced many arguments over the years. Some believe that it is an important factor contributing to cancer and other smoke-related illnesses. They believe that secondhand smoke may be more detrimental than smoking due to the lack of a filter.  A lot of people have deemed the notion illogical and opposing sides keep on facing off against each other for reasonable compromises. The realty is that it’s a deep-seeded debate and it will take time to get through and find a solution. 

The latest take on the issue has come from the state of Michigan. Michigan lawmakers are stating that according to a new compromised law, that secondhand smoke is dangerous in all places in Michigan except for on Detroit casino floors. The compromise that was reached this week by lawmakers and it is expected to be signed by Governor Jennifer Granholm. 

The new ban is applicable to public places and has one exception—Detroit-area casinos. Smoking will not be allowed at casino bars or restaurants but lobbyists are strong enough to keep the smoking legal on gaming floors. Although Republicans did not agree with the exception, the ban was found to exclude gaming floors. Republicans are trying to support their stance that if smoking is illegal, it should be illegal in all areas of public attendance—and that includes casino floors. This new smoking ban makes Michigan the 38^th state to try to ban smoking. The state has become more and more aware of sensitivities to smoking and secondhand smoke. Employees are a focus of the concerns legislators have, citing that they are expected to be around smoke all day long during their shifts. Casinos have lobbied hard to be exempt from smoking bans. They know that smoking is one of the draws of casinos—they are one of the few places where smokers can still be free to light up. They want the draw and to be a haven for smokers. 
Some areas like Las Vegas and Atlantic City are blaming smoking bans for a decline in revenues. They are stating that due to the changes in legislation, smokers are opting out of gambling. It was their one safe “haven” where they could smoke and now that legislators are taking it away from them, they are choosing not to patronize casinos.

Kane County is the latest Illinois jurisdiction to weigh in on the question of video gambling. The pastime is seeing a lot of controversy lately as counties and states work their way through the legal aspect of gaming. Gambling is a number one priority in the world today. It means millions of dollars to the jurisdiction that is debating and can provide a lot of budget funding for legislators. With millions of dollars at stake, it is no wonder that many counties and states are fighting vehemently over the question of whether or not to allow it and how it should be managed. 

Kane County is another jurisdiction to voice its concerns over the issue. Board members are looking into the future of video gambling within the area. The board wants another vote on the issue once they are able to sit down with state lawmakers and discuss the problems. Kane County is one of many areas in Illinois that has banned the video gambling machines. Upon further investigation, however, the Board now believes their stance on the issue may hurt them when they try to obtain funds from the state.

“It puts our legislators at a disadvantage as they advocate for us,” said board member Bill Hyatt, “We’re going to pound our fist on the table and say we want more money coming back to the county. Well, we just passed a vote that said we’re not going to participate in funding for the capital bill we pushed for.” Now that Kane County has seen the power of gambling and seen the error of their moves, other jurisdictions may soon follow suit. State lawmakers are passing on the video gambling laws to help counties and town make it through the difficult post-recessionary times. Gaming Analyst Steve Schwartz said, “It is kind of like when a child does not like the dinner that their parents made, so they tell their parents they are not hungry. Then, ten minutes later that same child wants dessert. Well the parent is going to say ‘No.’”  His point was that Illinois lawmakers will be watching closely the jurisdictions that denied their help for increasing revenue. When those areas come back looking for funding, lawmakers most likely will deny them.

Gambling is a popular pastime among people from every country. Millions of online and land-based players enjoy the fun gambling brings. Slots are hugely popular games in the market. They provide more than 50% of most casinos’ revenue-generating games and have proven their popularity over the years. The slot machine has been around since the 1800s and quickly gained a following. Pubs and bars across the country were clamoring for the game as they saw how popular it was among patrons. It has been credited with bringing gambling to the mainstream over the past decade. Technology is keeping slots gaming popular and relevant in the market.

Despite its virtues, gambling does have a power among people– and sometimes that power is to separate. For example, recently two friends have been in the mixup of a bitter battle regarding winnings from a payout they got in March of this year. Marie-Helene Jarguel put money into a slot machine and her friend Frances Sune pulled the lever. It was an innocuous game that was meant to be played for fun, and not competition. Both friends decided to split the money prior to winning and never though that a payout would separate them.

Back in March the ladies won a casino jackpot. Together they played the machine and together they agreed on sharing the payout if any. It was a friendly game of slots shared by two friends. Then an unfortunate thing happened—they won. Suddenly both parties changed their tunes and a battle ensued. Jarguel felt that since she was the one who paid for the opportunity to win, the entire jackpot winnings should be hers. Sune felt that it was her lucky pull that led to the winnings, so he should be entitled to some of the money.

On Tuesday, a court in Montpellier, France, ruled in favor of both sides. Jarquel will get to keep eighty percent of the $2.91 million that was won. The other twenty percent will go to Sune. The case set the precedent regarding defining the official “winner” of a slots game. The judge acknowledged that both players had a hand in the win and both deserved to share in the spoils of the payout.

Massachusetts has had quite a year regarding gambling. The state is like all other US states in that it is experiencing a huge deficit due to the recession. It is having problems balancing the budget, making ends meet and finding a workable fiscal plan. The state had a large deficit way back in 2006, but the recession made it even worse. Throughout the past twelve months many states have found themselves in financial peril. Massachusetts is no different. The state is seeing how difficult the market is and trying hard to keep up and change things by using gambling as a revenue-generating activity.

Part of the problem is that lottery numbers are down drastically. Governor Duval Patrick is attempting to defend himself against former Democratic ally Timothy Cahill. Cahill left the Democratic party to run against Patrick for governor, and he has asserted that the governor does not properly handle state finances. His primary platform is to bash Patrick’s money-handling skill, or lack thereof. One of his main focuses however is the reality– a proven $8 million reduction in the amount of money that is spent on advertising for the state lottery. Cahill believes the reduction could be the reason for a projected $222 million in revenue losses. He is stating that Patrick is mismanaging the lottery by not focusing on building excitement about it as aggressively as the state once was.

Patrick, however refuses to acknowledge that the reduction in advertising dollars is the cause for the lottery’s decline in popularity. He believes it is just the latest excuse for poor financial performance by the state and has stated that Cahill is looking for a scapegoat to make him look like a better candidate. He is following by demanding a full accounting review by the Lottery board.

Patrick, on the other hand released a statement saying, “The legislative leaderships are losing our patience with the excuses with the Lottery performance. Just give us a realistic estimate so we can build that into the budget, and not have to do patches and plugs to cope.”  During the arguments, Massachusetts is still trying to build up its casino gambling industry within the state. Patrick has supported new plans to expand gambling and has run his campaign largely by focusing on the issue.

One of the problems with allowing gambling laws to be set by individual countries is their one-sided take. Many countries these days are trying to use gambling to their biggest advantage. For example, in Europe there are no universal laws yet that dictate how gambling will be implemented. Many countries have been left to their own devices in terms of writing laws and tax code that benefits them. It’s a lot like the US in that individual states are coming up with their own governing laws to deal with gambling.

The problem with non-uniformity in gambling law is that some countries and states are looking to create monopolies in their jurisdiction. They aren’t opening the doors for other countries to cross-promote or advertise for their citizens.  The European Commission has noted this problem and tried to make it clear that online monopolies will not be tolerated by European Union member countries. Though the EU has expressed its concerns and banned monopolies from being formed, it does not mean that countries are still not trying to keep their power in place.

Earlier this month both Ladbrokes and Betfair were discouraged late this past week after their efforts to break one of the gambling monopolies in Europe fell apart. A senior legal advisor at the European Court of Justice explained again that EU member states have the right to choose a single provider. De Lotto is one Dutch monopoly that is refusing to comply with rulings. The company has been in a long-standing legal battler with Betfair and Ladbrokes over territory.

This has been the case with De Lotto, a Dutch state monopoly. Betfair and Ladbrokes had been battling to move into De Lotto’s territory, but again they were turned away. The gaming companies believed that the De Lotto monopoly went against the spirit of the EU agreements on the issue. Throughout this past year Italy, France and Spain have all made adjustments to their gaming laws to comply with the EU dictates. The EU is hoping that all states make similar moves, but some are holding to the millions of dollars gambling is bringing them by holding tight to their monopolies. The EU has yet to decide what repercussions countries will be under if they refuse to amend their rules and open the doors to fair competition.

The world of slot machines has grown immensely over the years. Slots began as a simple mechanical game but technology has pushed the game to the limits of endless possibilities. The newest wave in the world of gambling is playing mobile slots. These games are just like the games you play online or at a land-based casino, but they can be placed on the iPhone, mobile phone or any Smart Phone.  They are great games for those who travel a lot and need something to do. If you take an hour-long train ride to and from work, these can be great games to pass the time. Although some people believe that the platform limits the payout that is proving not to be the case.

Take Karin D, for example. Karin D was playing at AllSlots.com mobile casino and hit the jackpot of $10,225.  To top it all off, Karin D just joined the online casino and was enjoying a game via her Nokia cell phone.  In an interview with the casino, she shared her joy and thanked the casino for giving her a great game, but also making it possible for her to win big.  She just joined AllSlots.com about a month ago and already is singing its praises.

David Brickma, VP for Jackpot Factory, said in a joint statement with All Slots Mobile Casino, “It’s always exciting to see our players hit it big on the mobile casino. With a wide range of compatibility with mobile phones, and an excellent variety of vibrant games, anyone can be a winner. Karin D. got lucky in only her second month at the casino— that’s sensational!”

AllSlots.com casino is a great place to play. If you are looking for a new casino online, check this one out. There are a wide variety of games to enjoy—whether you like simple 3-reel games to more complex tournament play, you will find it here.  AllSlots.com is one of the best slots-based casinos on the internet today and gets its games from MicroGaming. Of course, MicroGaming is an outstanding software developer in the industry and you should be highly satisfied with any one of their slots games. Check out AllSlots.com. Not only is there a huge array of games to pick from, but the casino also works hard to bring you specials, tournaments and VIP bonuses.

The House and Senate in Pennsylvania are still weighing in their differences on the topic of slot machine laws. The slot machine industry in the state is at a standstill regarding growth. There have been no legitimate changes in the past two years. The reason is that each body has a very different idea of what slots should be and neither one will give in. Legislation differences are causing the bodies to argue back and forth. In fact, the House of Representatives sent back one of the slot machine bills to the Senate just last week with changes it sees fit to make.

Recent history has proven that the bill most likely will move back and forth for some time to come. The House and the Senate are busy criticizing the other side’s positions. Generally, proponents see this bill as a way to strengthen regulations and enforcements within the slot machine and gaming industry. They believe that this bill on slot machines is exactly what the nation needs. In particular now, when the question of gambling is so relevant to legislators. The two parties, however, are making it difficult to come to any conclusive decisions because of a heel-stomping, drag-out vie for control of the legislation. The many delays are pushing the issue further and further into the background and makes the industry wonder if the bill will be the attention it needs before sessions end.

Already legislators know that the bill has been sent back and forth between the two parties an unreasonable amount of time.  Republican House Majority Leader Sam Smith said, “There’s a limit to how many times we can bounce this ball back and forth across this building. If we amend this bill, this bill then will be sitting in the Senate in the lame-duck session, and at that juncture, all bets are off … as to whether or not we will actually be able to get a very solid reform bill in front of this governor this session.”  The bill, as it stands, strives to “increase the number of gambling crime units, eliminate middlemen—or slot machine suppliers, and eliminate the possibility of political gain by rewording the section on public officials owning and receiving funds from the slot machines and casinos,” added Smith.

Slot machine middle men are known as suppliers. In Pennsylvania, middlemen are required, by law, to deal with slot machine parlors and the machines’ manufacturers.  A new bill has just been introduced that would do away with the middlemen. Heated debates are still on, however regarding which middlemen would be affected and how soon.  The bill would open the door for slots parlors and manufacturers to deal with each other directly regarding negotiations. The Republican Party is the main backer of the bill, along with industry critics. They believe that the provision benefits political insiders, rather than the Pennsylvania workforce. Pennsylvania, like all other US states, has suffered greatly due to the recession and is looking for ways to revamp itself in terms of job creation.  This bill would circumvent an entire industry position that has been around for many years. People count on those jobs and without them, the unemployment rate could get even higher. Entire companies could be outdated with one swoop of the vote.

Bally Technologies, Inc, based in Las Vegas, is one company that is highly concerned about the change in the Pennsylvania gambling industry. The company is worried about their long-term solvency if middlemen are cut out of the gambling picture. The company announced that it will not use the slot machine middlemen to conduct business in Pennsylvania if it is not required. In the same way, Reno-base company IGT is the largest slot machine manufacturer in the nation and the contracted company that IGT uses to sell slot machines in Pennsylvania announced they would “reevaluate the use of the slot machine middlemen from a business standpoint” if the law changes according to Ed Rogich of IGT.

Bally Technologies, Inc. and IGT are just two companies concerned. There are others. Their worry is that if restrictions change, they will be like dinosaurs in the industry and soon lose any footing they had. Edward J. Hannon Jr., owner of TDN Money Systems, a middleman, stated, “We are very concerned—who wouldn’t be? We just got through a recession that caused huge declines in our business and now we have to deal with being made obsolete altogether.”

The secondary problem it posed to the US economy was that it left only the least professional online casinos on US soil. A lot of critics say that the companies left are “rip-off” merchants. Players log in, follow all the rules and deposit money. Then when they “win”, there is some small infraction of the rules that makes it possible for the casino to deny payment.

One of the biggest negative movements within the online gaming industry was when MicroGaming, software giant in the market, pulled out of the US market. They closed their doors to US players completely. MicroGaming is a huge company in the market and one of the most respected. Without their presence, there were few other options for the US gambling public to choose from. As a result, Americans have to be more careful than ever about what US online casinos they decide to work with. Online gamers are warned to never join a casino for the sake of playing, but rather to be discretionary in choosing. It is imperative that every online gambler does their own research and makes wise decisions regarding what company they choose to deposit money with.

While the UIGEA most likely is going to be amended and changed, it’s important for US players to choose carefully. Here are some online casinos that are safe to play at:Club USA, Bodog and iNetBet. These websites all use RTG, or Realtime Gaming software and accept players from all US States. The choice of games at these casinos are not as diverse as say MicroGaming, but the banking options and customer service make up for it.  iNetBet has the least restrictions and in general offers the most reliable gaming. It is also wise to look at Slots Oasis, Cherry Red and Rushmore Casino for gambling as these are all proven to be reliable too. These three casinos also have great bonuses, both loyalty and welcome, and great gaming choices.

In the end, it’s up to the US player to protect themselves. Don’t be fooled into playing at the first casino you find. Rather, do some research, read reviews and do a quick Google search of the casino. You can easily see if the company has had any recurring problems in the past and that can give you a good idea of how they are going to serve you.