Australia's mixed reputation as a place to frequent land based casinos continues following an extremely violence attack outside Burswood Entertainment Complex yesterday. The disturbing trend does show that undesirables do have a habit of committing violence in or around land based casinos, pubs and hotels. The trend appears to be changing peoples behavior where they are starting to spend more time at home in front of the television and online games, rather than brave the mean streets around Aussie casinos and gambling dens. Media Man and Gambling911 put on the bullet proof vests, grab the baton and plastic handcuffs once again with this special report...
Western Australian police officers are grateful of the efforts of two do gooders who may have saved the life of of a woman after a bottle was smashed across her cranium and she was repeatedly bashed outside Crown Limited's Burswood Casino yesterday.
The cowardly attack is the latest in a tidal wave of violent incidents that have plagued the casino - complex over the recent months.
The 44-year-old female had been departing the nearby Holiday Inn Hotel at roughly 5am when she was approached by a young bitch dog... er woman, who cunningly followed her along the street and we understand into a loading dock behind the casino.
Police will be allegedly the *itch demanded the victim hand over cash before punching her multiple times and viciously smashing a beer bottle across her skull. An ambulance madly rushed to Royal Perth Hospital for emergency treatment.
The offender then allegedly snatched the woman's handbag and ran towards the Burswood Dome. Some are saying that woman should not carry handbags at night near the casino to try to reduce the risk of attack, but the other options are of course to stay at home, or have a strong and brave person accompany you.
We understand that 2 gents saw the incident and came to the woman's help, before they chased after her attacker, retrieving her stolen handbag.
The offending mug, a 19 year old *itch, was arrested by police near Burswood trains and charged with aggravated armed robbery. The train station is also understood to be a dangerous place to spend time of an evening and many are calling for security to be further beefed up.
Police have requested for the two Good Samaritans to contact police urgently, to further help them with getting the crim to pay for her crime.
Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The incident has got more traditional casino players thinking of playing more time online and less timing braving the mean streets of Aussie casinos.
Gambling911 Australian News
http://www.gambling911.com/regional-news/australia.html
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Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, do you think Australian casinos are safer than they used to be, and why or why not? Would you brave a visit to Burswood? Tell us in the forum. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Asia Pacific Casino News: Fiji To Get First Casino, by Greg Tingle - 30th October 2010
G'day punters, casino and media millionaires and billionaires, politicians and one and all. This week we take you a bit further afield that Australian waters. We paddle across to Fiji where talk of the counties first ever casino project is all the rage. Media Man and Gambling911 with this Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka body splashing report...
Fiji's notorious military government called for keen expressions of interest in developing and operating the embattled Pacific nation's first casino.
Tourism Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum advised a casino would help Fiji attract more visitors from the emerging markets of China, India and from Europe, in addition to building on the potentially lucrative US market.
The invitation to gaming companies will be a strong test for international investor confidence in the nation, where the economy has faltered since a military coup in 2006 led by current Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.
Sayed-Khaiyum said there were very obvious economic benefits from a casino development, which could create jobs of course, and also help raise additional revenue for the government.
He would not give a timeline for the casino at this time, saying Fiji was looking for reputable international gaming operators to develop a casino that would increase leisure activities in the country.
"At the same time we do not want to harm Fiji's tourism brand, which the government and the people of Fiji have invested so much in," Sayed-Khaiyum said in a statement to the press.
He said laws would be put in place to minimise possible negative social impact from the casino, citing Malaysia and Singapore as countries where such protective mechanisms had been very successfully installed. He did not mention the Australian experience and productivity commission findings into the gambling business, which are questionable in nature we have learned in our own probe over the past months.
Tourism is Fiji's major export earner following a decline in its former economic bread and butter, the sugar industry.
More than 540,000 international visitors, 65% of them from "downunder" in Australia and "Kiwi Land" New Zealand, flocked to the the island nation's white sandy beaches last year, according to official data.
The World Bank this month said Fiji's economy was expected to grow 0.5-1.0% in 2010, only partially recovering from a 3.0% contraction last year.
It said Fiji's public debt, including state-owned enterprises, was about 67% of gross domestic product and government revenues this year were were likely to fall below budget forecasts.
The non-profit organisation International Budget Partnership this week ranked Fiji bottom in a survey of budget transparency covering 94 countries, saying publicly-available information on government accounts was inadequate.
Media Man's bodyguards and Fiji cultural experts Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Adam Yarad and John "Vucan" Seru aka "The Fijian Warrior" are not commenting on the proposed casino development at this time, but we will advise if the situation changes. Ni Sa Moce (Goodbye in Fijian).
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Readers... er, punters, do you think Fiji should get a land based casino, or are online casinos enough to service our native friends? Tell us in the forum. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
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Fiji's notorious military government called for keen expressions of interest in developing and operating the embattled Pacific nation's first casino.
Tourism Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum advised a casino would help Fiji attract more visitors from the emerging markets of China, India and from Europe, in addition to building on the potentially lucrative US market.
The invitation to gaming companies will be a strong test for international investor confidence in the nation, where the economy has faltered since a military coup in 2006 led by current Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.
Sayed-Khaiyum said there were very obvious economic benefits from a casino development, which could create jobs of course, and also help raise additional revenue for the government.
He would not give a timeline for the casino at this time, saying Fiji was looking for reputable international gaming operators to develop a casino that would increase leisure activities in the country.
"At the same time we do not want to harm Fiji's tourism brand, which the government and the people of Fiji have invested so much in," Sayed-Khaiyum said in a statement to the press.
He said laws would be put in place to minimise possible negative social impact from the casino, citing Malaysia and Singapore as countries where such protective mechanisms had been very successfully installed. He did not mention the Australian experience and productivity commission findings into the gambling business, which are questionable in nature we have learned in our own probe over the past months.
Tourism is Fiji's major export earner following a decline in its former economic bread and butter, the sugar industry.
More than 540,000 international visitors, 65% of them from "downunder" in Australia and "Kiwi Land" New Zealand, flocked to the the island nation's white sandy beaches last year, according to official data.
The World Bank this month said Fiji's economy was expected to grow 0.5-1.0% in 2010, only partially recovering from a 3.0% contraction last year.
It said Fiji's public debt, including state-owned enterprises, was about 67% of gross domestic product and government revenues this year were were likely to fall below budget forecasts.
The non-profit organisation International Budget Partnership this week ranked Fiji bottom in a survey of budget transparency covering 94 countries, saying publicly-available information on government accounts was inadequate.
Media Man's bodyguards and Fiji cultural experts Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Adam Yarad and John "Vucan" Seru aka "The Fijian Warrior" are not commenting on the proposed casino development at this time, but we will advise if the situation changes. Ni Sa Moce (Goodbye in Fijian).
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Australian Casinos
Asia Pacific
New Zealand
Fiji
Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, do you think Fiji should get a land based casino, or are online casinos enough to service our native friends? Tell us in the forum. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
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Friday, October 29, 2010
Australian Entertainment And Gambling News, by Greg Tingle - 29th October 2010
Punters, entertainment and celebrity news junkies, casino and media millionaires and billionaires, and one and all. What a huge week it was. Media Man and Gambling911 offer up a weekly entertainment and gambling wrap up Skippy down under style maties....
Crown Casino Aussie Millions Robber Gets Jail...
A mug punter and druggy who robbed an American poker player at knifepoint of his $31,000 grand in winnings as he departed Melbourne's Crown Casino has lost an appeal against his sentence we are pleased to report. Dwayne Johnstone (no relation to The Rock), 34, and a co-accused mug decided to rob Jason Potter after a brain malfunction, when they witnessed him collect his hard earned winnings after leaving the Aussie Millions poker tournament at James Packer's Crown Casino on 21st January 2008. As Potter returned to his hotel, Johnstone nailed him on the cranium, produced a knife with intent to harm, and called for his wallet and its contents. The robbery netted $31,075, but the law caught up with the perpetrators. Johnstone, who had just been released on parole for being a getaway driver in a nasty milk bar robbery, was hitting "ice" (drug) daily and using "mull" (cannabis) at the time of the heist. During his court appeal, his defence team argued his 4-year jail term was way too big because it failed to take into account a brain injury he received from an earlier assault and his depression. They argued it reduced his moral culpability and that he did not get enough credit for pleading guilty to charges of armed robbery, possession of a drug of dependence, and theft. The Court of Appeal rejected the appeal, determining the sentence was reasonable and the sentencing judge was correct in finding the offence was well planned, coordinated, and not "impulsive". Johnstone has a massive 69 prior convictions, will serve a 2 two years before being eligible for parole. His co-accused, Vhyharn Arumughasamy, of Wheelers Hill, was put in the slammer in 2008 for a minimum 12 months after pleading guilty to armed robbery. Crown Casino 'Aussie Millions' will start again mid January 2011, and we understand security will be stronger than ever, so don't get any funny ideas ok? Gambling911 has a vast array of news from Australian casinos, including a colourful range of crimes that have occurred at Packer's Crown over the years.
Casino Icon James Bond 009 Aston Martin DB Sells Below Expected Price...
As reported earlier in the week, the James Bond DB5 went under the hammer. The car driven by Sean Connery in the 1964 James Bond film "Goldfinger" sold for 2.6 million pounds ($4.1 million) at an auction on Wednesday. The Aston Martin specially outfitted for the world's most famous spy was the star attraction at a classic car auction in London that also saw rocker Rod Stewart's Lamborghini sell for 600,000 pounds ($946,000). Auctioneer Peter Haynes had earlier estimated the Bond supercar could have snatched as much as 3.5 million pounds ($5.5 million), but we thought he was talking things up a bit old chap. Bond's gadget master Q outfitted the car with an ejection seat, machine guns, radar and nail-throwing machine. American broadcaster Jerry Lee, who purchased the car in 1969 for $12,000 sold it to raise money for his charitable foundation. Tally ho then.
Tweeting Celebs Look To Cash In On Online Ads And Promos...
Well, casino and poker nuts, and news media entrepreneurs could have told you there's good money to be made in Tweeting, but now the cat is out of the bag. Aussie celebs are being offered as much as $10 grand for a single tweet endorsing products to their thousands of Twitter followers, say experts. In the US celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton are understood to be already enjoying large one-off payments to promote brands and products on Twitter, the dash for cash is yet reach its potential down under. Media Man reckons they might well be leaders in the field, and they also think Shane Warne and Max Markson are doing pretty well out of it also. US websites like Sponsored Tweets are also helping to shake up traditional sponsorship models by matching advertisers like Sony and Microsoft directly with the celebrities on their registers for one-off transactions. Lindsay Lohan's profile on Sponsored Tweets says she will tweet for a $US2985.80 fee, while Khloe Kardashian (sister of reality star Kim) will tweet for a slightly lesser $US2,941. For an extra thousand, advertisers can procure the tweeting services of model Holly Madison. Some companies that will pay for the right promos are understood to include Microsoft, Sony, American Airlines, Toyota, and AT&T. Media Man doesn't pay for ads however, as they don't need to, whispered an insider. Payment usually on a per-tweet model. US rules compel celebrities to add the word "ad" or "spon" to paid-for comments, and Shane Warne said non-disclosure by celebrities tweeting about products for cash, amounted to "the same sort of deal as cash for comments". Scott McClellan, executive director of the Australian Association of National Advertisers said social media campaigns would fall under the existing advertising code of ethics in Australia. We have quite a strong statement in the code around being honest and truthful and obviously not misleading person in any way. We believe that abbreviated terms like 'spon' will very rapidly be understood by consumers as being commercial in their nature and people will learn there is a cost associated with accessing the material." He said his biggest concerns were related to children, who would be particularly vulnerable to social media marketing from celebrities. "For children there would be a much greater onus on the advertiser to be clear about the offer they are presenting," he said. U.S gaming powerhouse Gambling911 has found the Twitter medium good for business on a national and international level, as has some of their contributors like Media Man. Some of the strongest gambling Twitter brands on the web include PartyGaming, Virgin, World Poker Tour, Casino News Media, Poker News Daily and World Series of Poker. Media Man Int Twitter: http://twitter.com/mediamanint
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Bruno Star Accused Of Inciting Gay Riot...Not?
Controversial comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has been accused of inciting a riot at a pro-gay marriage rally in America in order to "enhance" the drama in his 2009 film Bruno. Cohen is being sued by a cameraman allegedly assaulted while filming the star at a Proposition 8 rally in Los Angeles in November 2008, claiming he was shoved and threatened after members of the Bruno production crew held up signs advocating against same sex unions to deliberately fire up the crowd! Cameraman Mike Skiff has filed the lawsuit against Cohen, citing alleged assault and battery by the British comic's own production crew, violation of civil rights and inciting a riot. Court documents filed by Mr Skiff - a self-described gay journalist in Los Angeles – allege he was “injured in his health, strength and activity, sustaining injury to his body and shock and injury to his nervous system and person, all of which injuries causes and continue to cause Plaintiff great physical, mental and emotion pain and suffering". Proposition 8 was a proposed legal change to part of the California Constitution to recognise gay marriage. The papers claim Mr Skiff was "shoved, pulled and wrestled in a vicious and blatant attempt to keep him from filming the event" in breach of his "right to go about his business free from violence and intimidation directed at his sexual orientation." Bruno follows the antics of fictional gay Austrian fashion journalist Bruno Gehard, played by Cohen, as he takes his fashion program to America. Mr Skiff alleges the production team incited violence while filming the rally ahead of an important vote on gay marriage in Los Angeles, in order to increase entertainment value for their movie. The lawsuit states: "In order to create dramatic content for its production, Bruno Productions' intent was to promote violent discord between the assembled yes and no factions. In stark contrast with the ‘ultra gay’ Bruno character, members of the crew of Bruno Productions carried ‘Yes On Proposition 8’ signs contrived for the sole purpose of inciting and sparking unrest to enhance the dramatic effect of what they may capture on film." Mr Skiff is seeking $25,000 in damages, medical expenses, and attorney's fees.
Batman 3 Movie News...
The next Batman sequel has a title -The Dark Knight Rises. Distributor Warner Bros confirmed the name for director Christopher Nolan's third adventure about the DC Comics vigilante hero, which follows Batman Begins in 2005 and The Dark Knight in 2008. The Dark Knight Rises is due in theatres July 20, 2012. Ignoring Hollywood's current wave of 3D movies, Nolan is not planning to shoot the film in 3D. Warner Bros had agreed with Nolan's argument that the sequel should resist the 3D craze, the director told the Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex blog, which first reported the title. Nolan would not reveal what villain might appear in The Dark Knight Rises, but he said it would not be the Riddler, one of the key bad guys in the comics and past film and TV Batman tales. Earlier this year, Nolan said he would not resurrect the Joker, the cackling villain played by the late Australian actor Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. Ledger won the supporting-actor Academy Award for the role, a year after he died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. That was no laughing matter.
Avatar To Be Trilogy First Sequel In 4 Years...
James Cameron will start writing the scripts for two Avatar sequels early next year, aiming to land the first one in cinemas four years from now. Executives at 20th Century Fox announced on Wednesday that Cameron has settled on two sequels to the blockbuster hit as his next film projects, with plans to begin production in late 2011. The studio hopes to have the first of the as-yet-untitled sequels in cinemas in December 2014, with the third movie in the franchise following in December 2015. Like the first film, the sequels will be shot in 3D. Cameron will decide whether to shoot the films back-to-back after he completes the scripts for the sequels to his sci-fi sensation. Set on the distant Pandora, Avatar is the biggest modern blockbuster, with $US2.8 billion ($A2.85 billion) at the box office worldwide. "In the second and third films, which will be self-contained stories that also fulfill a greater story arc, we will not back off the throttle of Avatar's visual and emotional horsepower, and will continue to explore its themes and characters, which touched the hearts of audiences in all cultures around the world," Cameron said in a news release. "I'm looking forward to returning to Pandora, a world where our imaginations can run wild." Cameron had been up in the air on what he would do next, telling reporters as recently as last week that he had not decided whether to shoot another film before returning to his Avatar saga. At an event a week ago to show off the technology used to make Avatar, Cameron speculated about how long it might be until the next instalment would hit cinemas. "I made two very effective sequels in my career. One was Aliens, and one was Terminator 2. Aliens came out seven years after the first film. Terminator 2, seven years after the first film. I'm not saying that we're planning on seven years," Cameron said of Avatar. If Cameron meets the 2014 deadline, it will be just five years after Avatar arrived last December. Avatar follows the adventures of a man in alien form (Sam Worthington) who falls for a two metre, blue-skinned native (Zoe Saldana) of the distant moon Pandora, where greedy humans wage war over the land's natural resources. While Avatar was set in the exotic jungles of Pandora, Titanic director Cameron plans to bring his love for deep-sea exploration into the next chapter, setting some of the action in the moon's oceans. He would not reveal plot details. "That's classified," Cameron said. Avatar blended live action with performance-capture, scenes shot on a soundstage with actors in skintight suits covered in sensors that allow digital cameras to record their movements. Visual-effects artists later transformed them into the alien creatures and filled in landscapes and other details. Jon Landau, Cameron's producing partner, said last week that they would only proceed with an Avatar sequel when the script and story were right. "Jim has done a couple of sequels in his career, and both times he's done them, I would argue they lived up to at least what the first movies were," Landau said. The studio was anxious to get back into the Avatar business. "We had no higher priority, and can feel no greater joy, than enabling Jim to continue and expand his vision of the world of Avatar," Fox studio bosses Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman said in a statement.
E Book Heading For Hollywood...
Melbourne writer Max Barry's novel Machine Man, which was published online one page at a time and does not appear in book form until late next year, is to be made into a major Hollywood movie. It will be directed by Darren Aronofsky, who made the Oscar-nominated 2008 film The Wrestler, the cult sci-fi hit Pi and the forthcoming, critically acclaimed sicko-in-a-tutu thriller Black Swan. "I'm absolutely thrilled, because he's a fantastic director who can make a movie that's smart and also popular and good," the 37-year-old Barry, who lives in Kensington, said. "The fear you have with a movie is that it will turn out to be commercial but bad, or good but a commercial failure, but he's a wonderful guy who can make a film that hits both of them." Machine Man was an experiment in publishing that, perhaps understandably, didn't at first meet with the full approval of Barry's US publisher, Vintage, which saw it as potentially undermining sales. (His Australian publisher, Scribe, was quite relaxed about the exercise, seeing it as a form of marketing.) The first page was published on Barry's website on March 18, last year. The last page was published on December 3. "There is something very satisfying about a solid, ninety-word scene," he wrote on his blog early in the exercise. "I think I like this medium. It's like a novel with ADHD." At first, subscription was free, and Barry reached a peak of around 3500 readers. When he began charging — casual visitors could still see some pages free, but not the entire story — his numbers dropped to around 650. At a cost of $US6.95 each, it wasn't exactly enough to keep him well fed but, he said, it helped.
Every page was open to comments from readers, a risky proposition that Barry found exhilarating. In fact, some of the feedback he received informed later entries. Barry is now working on thoroughly rewriting the "rough and ready" online version, which he always considered a first draft, for the print version due late next year. Although he is excited about the deal for Machine Man, which he has known about for six months but which he said he is finally ready to believe, experience has taught him to keep at least a portion of his expectations in check. In 2003, his novel Jennifer Government was optioned by Section Eight, the production company in which Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney were partners. It has never been filmed. His two other published novels, Syrup and Company, have also been optioned by Hollywood but are yet to see the flickering light of day. Still, Barry said he felt this time was different, with a name director attached and a production company — Mandalay — with a proven track record involved. "Realistically, there are so many ways for a movie to fall apart and so few ways for it all to come together," he said. "But this time, I feel like it's got a really good chance." Bloggers out there, don't think just because this guy is getting a movie done you can to. 'Machine Man' is the exception and a one in a million. We here hope the film doesn't disappoint.
Rebel Avatars Spotted In Sydney; News Media Companies Start Probe...
A new mystery has struck Sydney's suburbs, stretching from Bondi Beach out to Marrickville and beyond, which has people from all walks of life wondering where the lovable creatures will strike next. It was film producer / director James Cameron who introduced the world to 'Avatar' in 2009, however sources close to Cameron and News Limited owned 20th Century Fox deny any responsibly for the "rebel" avatar phenom to hit Sydney streets. Marketing and media insiders have noted however that the "knock off" Avatar's have a habit of showing up whenever bodypainter and artist Eva Rinaldi and one or two of her photographic team are around. In this month alone the rebel 'Avatar' creatures have been seen and photographed at Bondi Beach (alongside the graffiti art wall), the Sydney Opera House, Abbotsford and most recently, Marrickville (Skid Row Radio). Judging upon appearance the mysterious Avatar's are neither the work of amateurs, however they are not quite ready to insert right into a Cameron production either. A source who claims to be close to the rebel Avatar's leaked that they are quite likely creations of Sydney based artist Eva Rinaldi, who perhaps not by coincidence has also embarked on a national - international campaign to bodypaint and / or create a human statue of Oprah Winfrey, who is set to hit Australian soil this December. The leak said "I'm pretty sure its Eva Rinaldi behind this publicity stunt - ambush marketing effort of sorts. She's very clever. You will note that there's no branding on her bodypainted creations, unlike the Barvaria beer happening at the World Cup. She seems to have her heart in the right place and its not a blatant brand knock off or anything else that is likely to get her in hot water on the legal front. It's actually very clever and talented work and marketing, and she looks to have created an international marketing and media campaign on a shoestring budget. I'm pretty sure had something to do with the Sydney Opera House 'John Travolta' shenanigans last weekend on the open day also. By plugging into major events she's generating national and worldwide publicity, and I think it may even be assisting the official Tourism Australia and Oprah Winfrey media campaigns also. Her campaign, if its hers of course, is likely to spark a number of copy cat artists, and I think that may have already happened. If one further researches Eva Rinaldi you come across Human Statue Bodyart on the internet, and there's a number of photos, articles and even blog entries that further suggest she is the mastermind behind these Avatar phenoms". Thus far both the official Avatar franchise and the mystery Avatar's have received largely balanced and positive news media coverage. James Cameron's Avatar recently announced that they will be doing a trilogy, and something tells us that Rinaldi and co conspirators are also well aware of that fact. Readers, if you happen to spot any of the rebel Avatar's in your neighborhood please make contact with both local authorities and us immediately. No one has offered any reward money to date, however an anonymous legal eagle did suggest that if the outbreak of the new breed of Avatar's become too much of a problem that reward money may be offered. Rinaldi or her Human Statue Bodyart enterprise is understood to have not entered any marketing or media awards this year, but judging upon her recent efforts we think most certainly that she should throw her colourful hat in the ring. At the time of publication a media leak suggested that Rinaldi and / or the rebel Avatars, will also be covered in suburban Sydney newspaper, Northern District Times, published by the Cumberland Newspaper Group. In the meantime entertainment and media commentators have suggested to enjoy the ride, as its unlikely to last forever, however with that said, Rinaldi and friends are understood to always remain one or two steps ahead of the thought police, adding media tycoon Richard Branson, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman and rock gods KISS to her 'To Do - To Paint' list. Rinaldi if you're out there, and I think you are, I See You!
3-D Movie Genre May Be Getting Old...
That's the question Hollywood executives are asking after a post-Avatar nose dive. Hollywood will continue to push 3-D movies to bolster box-office revenue even if profits aren't what the studios envisioned when "Avatar" ignited widespread enthusiasm for the format. Studios will release at least 26 films in 3-D next year, up from 22 in 2010, according to Hollywood.com Box-Office. 3-D winners include James Cameron's Avatar, the No. 1 film of all time, and Walt Disney Co.'s Toy Story 3. "Jim showed how it can be done well," Bill Mechanic, the former chairman of Twentieth Century Fox and producer of the 2009 3-D release "Coraline," said in an interview. "A lot of it depends on how you use it." For many of this year's releases, the typical $3 to $3.50 surcharge for a ticket to a three-dimensional film more than covered added production costs of $5 million to $20 million per movie, studios say. Still, not all 3-D movies have succeeded, and 2012 may see a smaller number as studios complete projects approved in the glow of "Avatar" and become more selective. "If you get a 10 percent or 15 percent boost in your box office, it's completely worth it," Mechanic said. Execs will discuss the success and the future of 3-D films today at the 3D Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles. Speakers include DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Katzenberg and director M. Night Shyamalan. As they say, I see you!
Lachlan Murdoch Prime Media Group Sells Assets...
Prime Media Group Ltd has sold its non-core outside broadcast assets amid reports its deputy chairman Lachlan Murdoch is in talks to buy half of James Packer's new stake in Ten Network Holdings Ltd. Prime said it had sold OSB Australia to UK-based Gearhouse Broadcast Pty Ltd for $8.5 million in cash and $3 million in instalments between December 2012 and December 2014. OSB Australia provides outside broadcast facilities and services for professional sporting events. Prime will hold a 15 per cent interest in the merged OSB/Gearhouse business, which has extended its agreement with Fox Sports for rugby union coverage through to 2015. "The sale of OSB Australia continues our program of divesting non-core assets to re-focus on maximising earnings from television and radio," Prime chief executive Ian Audsley said in a statement.
Prime in July sold its New Zealand outside broadcast operator, OSB New Zealand, to Sky Television Ltd and also announced the sale of Moonlight Cinema to Amalgamated Holdings Ltd. Prime will incur a $1 million impairment on the sale of OSB, but will avoid $13 million of capital expenditure that is required for OSB Australia. The proceeds of the sale will be used by Prime to pay down debt, which stood at $96 million at the end of June when the company recorded a $54.5 million full-year net loss, a widening of its $45.5 million net loss for the previous financial year. Separately on Thursday, Fairfax reported Mr Murdoch's company Illyria Pty Ltd was likely to buy 50 per cent of Mr Packer's 17.88 per cent stake in Ten acquired last week. Mr Packer's surprise $280 million purchase marked his return to free-to-air television after years of focusing on the gambling sector. The Fairfax reports, citing "a well-placed Murdoch source familiar with the discussions", said Mr Murdoch saw the possible deal as a "turnaround" story. A price had not been agreed upon, the report said. Ten declined to comment, while Prime was being sought for comment. Comment was also being sought from Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd, where Mr Packer is deputy chair. Shares in Prime closed steady at 65 cents, Ten shares dipped almost two per cent to $1.50 - the same price Mr Packer paid for his shares in the broadcaster - and Consolidated Media shares were two cents softer at $3.35.
James Packer Media News...
Ten Network chairman Nick Falloon may be getting ready to leave as media moguls James Packer and Lachlan Murdoch join forces on the network and we ponder could Falloon’s loss end up as Murdoch’s gain? Meanwhile, BHP Billiton moves to squash talk that its PotashCorp bid is set to crash and burn in Ottawa. Elsewhere, as the political offensive against the ASX-SGX merger intensifies investors may be losing faith with the exchange operators and AXA SA seals a heavyweight China deal with the world’s most valuable lender ICBC. With Ten Network Holdings reportedly set to welcome two heavyweight media moguls as its major shareholders the rumour-mill has gone into overdrive with reports that James Packer’s planned overhaul of the network may have claimed its first victim. Unsurprisingly, the unfortunate victim is reportedly the network’s executive chairman Nick Falloon. According to The Australian, Falloon has agreed to relinquish his position after a meeting with Packer. Rumblings that Falloon’s head was on the block took hold pretty much as soon as Packer pulled of his share raid last week and The Australian reports that his departure is yet to be formalised. The news comes as media scion Lachlan Murdoch looks set to take a board seat at the network with confirmation that his Illyria Private Limited was in talks with Packer’s Prime Capital to buy 50 per cent of its 17.88 per cent stake in Ten for around $155 million. The deal between the two moguls is expected to be finalised in a month or so and interestingly there is talk that Murdoch will not only push for a board seat but could possibly be a candidate to become Ten’s chairman. Packer has reportedly set his sights on culling Ten’s planned foray into news and current affairs and return the focus on the low-cost 16 to 39 demographic. While the plans seem to have been broadly welcomed by Ten’s major shareholders there are detractors out there especially analysts who point out that a return to youth-friendly programming could actually end up costing the network more money and with the inception of multi-channel offerings from Seven and Nine cutting into the market the new approach may not be as successful as first thought. Either way its great reading for the the Gambling911 and Media Man loyal following. All we can say is don't bet against Packer.
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If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
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Crown Casino Aussie Millions Robber Gets Jail...
A mug punter and druggy who robbed an American poker player at knifepoint of his $31,000 grand in winnings as he departed Melbourne's Crown Casino has lost an appeal against his sentence we are pleased to report. Dwayne Johnstone (no relation to The Rock), 34, and a co-accused mug decided to rob Jason Potter after a brain malfunction, when they witnessed him collect his hard earned winnings after leaving the Aussie Millions poker tournament at James Packer's Crown Casino on 21st January 2008. As Potter returned to his hotel, Johnstone nailed him on the cranium, produced a knife with intent to harm, and called for his wallet and its contents. The robbery netted $31,075, but the law caught up with the perpetrators. Johnstone, who had just been released on parole for being a getaway driver in a nasty milk bar robbery, was hitting "ice" (drug) daily and using "mull" (cannabis) at the time of the heist. During his court appeal, his defence team argued his 4-year jail term was way too big because it failed to take into account a brain injury he received from an earlier assault and his depression. They argued it reduced his moral culpability and that he did not get enough credit for pleading guilty to charges of armed robbery, possession of a drug of dependence, and theft. The Court of Appeal rejected the appeal, determining the sentence was reasonable and the sentencing judge was correct in finding the offence was well planned, coordinated, and not "impulsive". Johnstone has a massive 69 prior convictions, will serve a 2 two years before being eligible for parole. His co-accused, Vhyharn Arumughasamy, of Wheelers Hill, was put in the slammer in 2008 for a minimum 12 months after pleading guilty to armed robbery. Crown Casino 'Aussie Millions' will start again mid January 2011, and we understand security will be stronger than ever, so don't get any funny ideas ok? Gambling911 has a vast array of news from Australian casinos, including a colourful range of crimes that have occurred at Packer's Crown over the years.
Casino Icon James Bond 009 Aston Martin DB Sells Below Expected Price...
As reported earlier in the week, the James Bond DB5 went under the hammer. The car driven by Sean Connery in the 1964 James Bond film "Goldfinger" sold for 2.6 million pounds ($4.1 million) at an auction on Wednesday. The Aston Martin specially outfitted for the world's most famous spy was the star attraction at a classic car auction in London that also saw rocker Rod Stewart's Lamborghini sell for 600,000 pounds ($946,000). Auctioneer Peter Haynes had earlier estimated the Bond supercar could have snatched as much as 3.5 million pounds ($5.5 million), but we thought he was talking things up a bit old chap. Bond's gadget master Q outfitted the car with an ejection seat, machine guns, radar and nail-throwing machine. American broadcaster Jerry Lee, who purchased the car in 1969 for $12,000 sold it to raise money for his charitable foundation. Tally ho then.
Tweeting Celebs Look To Cash In On Online Ads And Promos...
Well, casino and poker nuts, and news media entrepreneurs could have told you there's good money to be made in Tweeting, but now the cat is out of the bag. Aussie celebs are being offered as much as $10 grand for a single tweet endorsing products to their thousands of Twitter followers, say experts. In the US celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton are understood to be already enjoying large one-off payments to promote brands and products on Twitter, the dash for cash is yet reach its potential down under. Media Man reckons they might well be leaders in the field, and they also think Shane Warne and Max Markson are doing pretty well out of it also. US websites like Sponsored Tweets are also helping to shake up traditional sponsorship models by matching advertisers like Sony and Microsoft directly with the celebrities on their registers for one-off transactions. Lindsay Lohan's profile on Sponsored Tweets says she will tweet for a $US2985.80 fee, while Khloe Kardashian (sister of reality star Kim) will tweet for a slightly lesser $US2,941. For an extra thousand, advertisers can procure the tweeting services of model Holly Madison. Some companies that will pay for the right promos are understood to include Microsoft, Sony, American Airlines, Toyota, and AT&T. Media Man doesn't pay for ads however, as they don't need to, whispered an insider. Payment usually on a per-tweet model. US rules compel celebrities to add the word "ad" or "spon" to paid-for comments, and Shane Warne said non-disclosure by celebrities tweeting about products for cash, amounted to "the same sort of deal as cash for comments". Scott McClellan, executive director of the Australian Association of National Advertisers said social media campaigns would fall under the existing advertising code of ethics in Australia. We have quite a strong statement in the code around being honest and truthful and obviously not misleading person in any way. We believe that abbreviated terms like 'spon' will very rapidly be understood by consumers as being commercial in their nature and people will learn there is a cost associated with accessing the material." He said his biggest concerns were related to children, who would be particularly vulnerable to social media marketing from celebrities. "For children there would be a much greater onus on the advertiser to be clear about the offer they are presenting," he said. U.S gaming powerhouse Gambling911 has found the Twitter medium good for business on a national and international level, as has some of their contributors like Media Man. Some of the strongest gambling Twitter brands on the web include PartyGaming, Virgin, World Poker Tour, Casino News Media, Poker News Daily and World Series of Poker. Media Man Int Twitter: http://twitter.com/mediamanint
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Bruno Star Accused Of Inciting Gay Riot...Not?
Controversial comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has been accused of inciting a riot at a pro-gay marriage rally in America in order to "enhance" the drama in his 2009 film Bruno. Cohen is being sued by a cameraman allegedly assaulted while filming the star at a Proposition 8 rally in Los Angeles in November 2008, claiming he was shoved and threatened after members of the Bruno production crew held up signs advocating against same sex unions to deliberately fire up the crowd! Cameraman Mike Skiff has filed the lawsuit against Cohen, citing alleged assault and battery by the British comic's own production crew, violation of civil rights and inciting a riot. Court documents filed by Mr Skiff - a self-described gay journalist in Los Angeles – allege he was “injured in his health, strength and activity, sustaining injury to his body and shock and injury to his nervous system and person, all of which injuries causes and continue to cause Plaintiff great physical, mental and emotion pain and suffering". Proposition 8 was a proposed legal change to part of the California Constitution to recognise gay marriage. The papers claim Mr Skiff was "shoved, pulled and wrestled in a vicious and blatant attempt to keep him from filming the event" in breach of his "right to go about his business free from violence and intimidation directed at his sexual orientation." Bruno follows the antics of fictional gay Austrian fashion journalist Bruno Gehard, played by Cohen, as he takes his fashion program to America. Mr Skiff alleges the production team incited violence while filming the rally ahead of an important vote on gay marriage in Los Angeles, in order to increase entertainment value for their movie. The lawsuit states: "In order to create dramatic content for its production, Bruno Productions' intent was to promote violent discord between the assembled yes and no factions. In stark contrast with the ‘ultra gay’ Bruno character, members of the crew of Bruno Productions carried ‘Yes On Proposition 8’ signs contrived for the sole purpose of inciting and sparking unrest to enhance the dramatic effect of what they may capture on film." Mr Skiff is seeking $25,000 in damages, medical expenses, and attorney's fees.
Batman 3 Movie News...
The next Batman sequel has a title -The Dark Knight Rises. Distributor Warner Bros confirmed the name for director Christopher Nolan's third adventure about the DC Comics vigilante hero, which follows Batman Begins in 2005 and The Dark Knight in 2008. The Dark Knight Rises is due in theatres July 20, 2012. Ignoring Hollywood's current wave of 3D movies, Nolan is not planning to shoot the film in 3D. Warner Bros had agreed with Nolan's argument that the sequel should resist the 3D craze, the director told the Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex blog, which first reported the title. Nolan would not reveal what villain might appear in The Dark Knight Rises, but he said it would not be the Riddler, one of the key bad guys in the comics and past film and TV Batman tales. Earlier this year, Nolan said he would not resurrect the Joker, the cackling villain played by the late Australian actor Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. Ledger won the supporting-actor Academy Award for the role, a year after he died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. That was no laughing matter.
Avatar To Be Trilogy First Sequel In 4 Years...
James Cameron will start writing the scripts for two Avatar sequels early next year, aiming to land the first one in cinemas four years from now. Executives at 20th Century Fox announced on Wednesday that Cameron has settled on two sequels to the blockbuster hit as his next film projects, with plans to begin production in late 2011. The studio hopes to have the first of the as-yet-untitled sequels in cinemas in December 2014, with the third movie in the franchise following in December 2015. Like the first film, the sequels will be shot in 3D. Cameron will decide whether to shoot the films back-to-back after he completes the scripts for the sequels to his sci-fi sensation. Set on the distant Pandora, Avatar is the biggest modern blockbuster, with $US2.8 billion ($A2.85 billion) at the box office worldwide. "In the second and third films, which will be self-contained stories that also fulfill a greater story arc, we will not back off the throttle of Avatar's visual and emotional horsepower, and will continue to explore its themes and characters, which touched the hearts of audiences in all cultures around the world," Cameron said in a news release. "I'm looking forward to returning to Pandora, a world where our imaginations can run wild." Cameron had been up in the air on what he would do next, telling reporters as recently as last week that he had not decided whether to shoot another film before returning to his Avatar saga. At an event a week ago to show off the technology used to make Avatar, Cameron speculated about how long it might be until the next instalment would hit cinemas. "I made two very effective sequels in my career. One was Aliens, and one was Terminator 2. Aliens came out seven years after the first film. Terminator 2, seven years after the first film. I'm not saying that we're planning on seven years," Cameron said of Avatar. If Cameron meets the 2014 deadline, it will be just five years after Avatar arrived last December. Avatar follows the adventures of a man in alien form (Sam Worthington) who falls for a two metre, blue-skinned native (Zoe Saldana) of the distant moon Pandora, where greedy humans wage war over the land's natural resources. While Avatar was set in the exotic jungles of Pandora, Titanic director Cameron plans to bring his love for deep-sea exploration into the next chapter, setting some of the action in the moon's oceans. He would not reveal plot details. "That's classified," Cameron said. Avatar blended live action with performance-capture, scenes shot on a soundstage with actors in skintight suits covered in sensors that allow digital cameras to record their movements. Visual-effects artists later transformed them into the alien creatures and filled in landscapes and other details. Jon Landau, Cameron's producing partner, said last week that they would only proceed with an Avatar sequel when the script and story were right. "Jim has done a couple of sequels in his career, and both times he's done them, I would argue they lived up to at least what the first movies were," Landau said. The studio was anxious to get back into the Avatar business. "We had no higher priority, and can feel no greater joy, than enabling Jim to continue and expand his vision of the world of Avatar," Fox studio bosses Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman said in a statement.
E Book Heading For Hollywood...
Melbourne writer Max Barry's novel Machine Man, which was published online one page at a time and does not appear in book form until late next year, is to be made into a major Hollywood movie. It will be directed by Darren Aronofsky, who made the Oscar-nominated 2008 film The Wrestler, the cult sci-fi hit Pi and the forthcoming, critically acclaimed sicko-in-a-tutu thriller Black Swan. "I'm absolutely thrilled, because he's a fantastic director who can make a movie that's smart and also popular and good," the 37-year-old Barry, who lives in Kensington, said. "The fear you have with a movie is that it will turn out to be commercial but bad, or good but a commercial failure, but he's a wonderful guy who can make a film that hits both of them." Machine Man was an experiment in publishing that, perhaps understandably, didn't at first meet with the full approval of Barry's US publisher, Vintage, which saw it as potentially undermining sales. (His Australian publisher, Scribe, was quite relaxed about the exercise, seeing it as a form of marketing.) The first page was published on Barry's website on March 18, last year. The last page was published on December 3. "There is something very satisfying about a solid, ninety-word scene," he wrote on his blog early in the exercise. "I think I like this medium. It's like a novel with ADHD." At first, subscription was free, and Barry reached a peak of around 3500 readers. When he began charging — casual visitors could still see some pages free, but not the entire story — his numbers dropped to around 650. At a cost of $US6.95 each, it wasn't exactly enough to keep him well fed but, he said, it helped.
Every page was open to comments from readers, a risky proposition that Barry found exhilarating. In fact, some of the feedback he received informed later entries. Barry is now working on thoroughly rewriting the "rough and ready" online version, which he always considered a first draft, for the print version due late next year. Although he is excited about the deal for Machine Man, which he has known about for six months but which he said he is finally ready to believe, experience has taught him to keep at least a portion of his expectations in check. In 2003, his novel Jennifer Government was optioned by Section Eight, the production company in which Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney were partners. It has never been filmed. His two other published novels, Syrup and Company, have also been optioned by Hollywood but are yet to see the flickering light of day. Still, Barry said he felt this time was different, with a name director attached and a production company — Mandalay — with a proven track record involved. "Realistically, there are so many ways for a movie to fall apart and so few ways for it all to come together," he said. "But this time, I feel like it's got a really good chance." Bloggers out there, don't think just because this guy is getting a movie done you can to. 'Machine Man' is the exception and a one in a million. We here hope the film doesn't disappoint.
Rebel Avatars Spotted In Sydney; News Media Companies Start Probe...
A new mystery has struck Sydney's suburbs, stretching from Bondi Beach out to Marrickville and beyond, which has people from all walks of life wondering where the lovable creatures will strike next. It was film producer / director James Cameron who introduced the world to 'Avatar' in 2009, however sources close to Cameron and News Limited owned 20th Century Fox deny any responsibly for the "rebel" avatar phenom to hit Sydney streets. Marketing and media insiders have noted however that the "knock off" Avatar's have a habit of showing up whenever bodypainter and artist Eva Rinaldi and one or two of her photographic team are around. In this month alone the rebel 'Avatar' creatures have been seen and photographed at Bondi Beach (alongside the graffiti art wall), the Sydney Opera House, Abbotsford and most recently, Marrickville (Skid Row Radio). Judging upon appearance the mysterious Avatar's are neither the work of amateurs, however they are not quite ready to insert right into a Cameron production either. A source who claims to be close to the rebel Avatar's leaked that they are quite likely creations of Sydney based artist Eva Rinaldi, who perhaps not by coincidence has also embarked on a national - international campaign to bodypaint and / or create a human statue of Oprah Winfrey, who is set to hit Australian soil this December. The leak said "I'm pretty sure its Eva Rinaldi behind this publicity stunt - ambush marketing effort of sorts. She's very clever. You will note that there's no branding on her bodypainted creations, unlike the Barvaria beer happening at the World Cup. She seems to have her heart in the right place and its not a blatant brand knock off or anything else that is likely to get her in hot water on the legal front. It's actually very clever and talented work and marketing, and she looks to have created an international marketing and media campaign on a shoestring budget. I'm pretty sure had something to do with the Sydney Opera House 'John Travolta' shenanigans last weekend on the open day also. By plugging into major events she's generating national and worldwide publicity, and I think it may even be assisting the official Tourism Australia and Oprah Winfrey media campaigns also. Her campaign, if its hers of course, is likely to spark a number of copy cat artists, and I think that may have already happened. If one further researches Eva Rinaldi you come across Human Statue Bodyart on the internet, and there's a number of photos, articles and even blog entries that further suggest she is the mastermind behind these Avatar phenoms". Thus far both the official Avatar franchise and the mystery Avatar's have received largely balanced and positive news media coverage. James Cameron's Avatar recently announced that they will be doing a trilogy, and something tells us that Rinaldi and co conspirators are also well aware of that fact. Readers, if you happen to spot any of the rebel Avatar's in your neighborhood please make contact with both local authorities and us immediately. No one has offered any reward money to date, however an anonymous legal eagle did suggest that if the outbreak of the new breed of Avatar's become too much of a problem that reward money may be offered. Rinaldi or her Human Statue Bodyart enterprise is understood to have not entered any marketing or media awards this year, but judging upon her recent efforts we think most certainly that she should throw her colourful hat in the ring. At the time of publication a media leak suggested that Rinaldi and / or the rebel Avatars, will also be covered in suburban Sydney newspaper, Northern District Times, published by the Cumberland Newspaper Group. In the meantime entertainment and media commentators have suggested to enjoy the ride, as its unlikely to last forever, however with that said, Rinaldi and friends are understood to always remain one or two steps ahead of the thought police, adding media tycoon Richard Branson, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman and rock gods KISS to her 'To Do - To Paint' list. Rinaldi if you're out there, and I think you are, I See You!
3-D Movie Genre May Be Getting Old...
That's the question Hollywood executives are asking after a post-Avatar nose dive. Hollywood will continue to push 3-D movies to bolster box-office revenue even if profits aren't what the studios envisioned when "Avatar" ignited widespread enthusiasm for the format. Studios will release at least 26 films in 3-D next year, up from 22 in 2010, according to Hollywood.com Box-Office. 3-D winners include James Cameron's Avatar, the No. 1 film of all time, and Walt Disney Co.'s Toy Story 3. "Jim showed how it can be done well," Bill Mechanic, the former chairman of Twentieth Century Fox and producer of the 2009 3-D release "Coraline," said in an interview. "A lot of it depends on how you use it." For many of this year's releases, the typical $3 to $3.50 surcharge for a ticket to a three-dimensional film more than covered added production costs of $5 million to $20 million per movie, studios say. Still, not all 3-D movies have succeeded, and 2012 may see a smaller number as studios complete projects approved in the glow of "Avatar" and become more selective. "If you get a 10 percent or 15 percent boost in your box office, it's completely worth it," Mechanic said. Execs will discuss the success and the future of 3-D films today at the 3D Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles. Speakers include DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Katzenberg and director M. Night Shyamalan. As they say, I see you!
Lachlan Murdoch Prime Media Group Sells Assets...
Prime Media Group Ltd has sold its non-core outside broadcast assets amid reports its deputy chairman Lachlan Murdoch is in talks to buy half of James Packer's new stake in Ten Network Holdings Ltd. Prime said it had sold OSB Australia to UK-based Gearhouse Broadcast Pty Ltd for $8.5 million in cash and $3 million in instalments between December 2012 and December 2014. OSB Australia provides outside broadcast facilities and services for professional sporting events. Prime will hold a 15 per cent interest in the merged OSB/Gearhouse business, which has extended its agreement with Fox Sports for rugby union coverage through to 2015. "The sale of OSB Australia continues our program of divesting non-core assets to re-focus on maximising earnings from television and radio," Prime chief executive Ian Audsley said in a statement.
Prime in July sold its New Zealand outside broadcast operator, OSB New Zealand, to Sky Television Ltd and also announced the sale of Moonlight Cinema to Amalgamated Holdings Ltd. Prime will incur a $1 million impairment on the sale of OSB, but will avoid $13 million of capital expenditure that is required for OSB Australia. The proceeds of the sale will be used by Prime to pay down debt, which stood at $96 million at the end of June when the company recorded a $54.5 million full-year net loss, a widening of its $45.5 million net loss for the previous financial year. Separately on Thursday, Fairfax reported Mr Murdoch's company Illyria Pty Ltd was likely to buy 50 per cent of Mr Packer's 17.88 per cent stake in Ten acquired last week. Mr Packer's surprise $280 million purchase marked his return to free-to-air television after years of focusing on the gambling sector. The Fairfax reports, citing "a well-placed Murdoch source familiar with the discussions", said Mr Murdoch saw the possible deal as a "turnaround" story. A price had not been agreed upon, the report said. Ten declined to comment, while Prime was being sought for comment. Comment was also being sought from Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd, where Mr Packer is deputy chair. Shares in Prime closed steady at 65 cents, Ten shares dipped almost two per cent to $1.50 - the same price Mr Packer paid for his shares in the broadcaster - and Consolidated Media shares were two cents softer at $3.35.
James Packer Media News...
Ten Network chairman Nick Falloon may be getting ready to leave as media moguls James Packer and Lachlan Murdoch join forces on the network and we ponder could Falloon’s loss end up as Murdoch’s gain? Meanwhile, BHP Billiton moves to squash talk that its PotashCorp bid is set to crash and burn in Ottawa. Elsewhere, as the political offensive against the ASX-SGX merger intensifies investors may be losing faith with the exchange operators and AXA SA seals a heavyweight China deal with the world’s most valuable lender ICBC. With Ten Network Holdings reportedly set to welcome two heavyweight media moguls as its major shareholders the rumour-mill has gone into overdrive with reports that James Packer’s planned overhaul of the network may have claimed its first victim. Unsurprisingly, the unfortunate victim is reportedly the network’s executive chairman Nick Falloon. According to The Australian, Falloon has agreed to relinquish his position after a meeting with Packer. Rumblings that Falloon’s head was on the block took hold pretty much as soon as Packer pulled of his share raid last week and The Australian reports that his departure is yet to be formalised. The news comes as media scion Lachlan Murdoch looks set to take a board seat at the network with confirmation that his Illyria Private Limited was in talks with Packer’s Prime Capital to buy 50 per cent of its 17.88 per cent stake in Ten for around $155 million. The deal between the two moguls is expected to be finalised in a month or so and interestingly there is talk that Murdoch will not only push for a board seat but could possibly be a candidate to become Ten’s chairman. Packer has reportedly set his sights on culling Ten’s planned foray into news and current affairs and return the focus on the low-cost 16 to 39 demographic. While the plans seem to have been broadly welcomed by Ten’s major shareholders there are detractors out there especially analysts who point out that a return to youth-friendly programming could actually end up costing the network more money and with the inception of multi-channel offerings from Seven and Nine cutting into the market the new approach may not be as successful as first thought. Either way its great reading for the the Gambling911 and Media Man loyal following. All we can say is don't bet against Packer.
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Readers... er, punters, how did you like our special entertainment and gambling update today? Tell us in the forum.
If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
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Avatar mystery building up in Sydney suburbs; News media companies start probe, by Greg Tingle - 29th October 2010
A new mystery has struck Sydney's suburbs, stretching from Bondi Beach out to Marrickville and beyond, which has people from all walks of life wondering where the lovable creatures will strike next.
It was film producer / director James Cameron who introduced the world to 'Avatar' in 2009, however sources close to Cameron and News Limited owned 20th Century Fox deny any responsibly for the "rebel" avatar phenom to hit Sydney streets.
Marketing and media insiders have noted however that the "knock off" Avatar's have a habit of showing up whenever bodypainter and artist Eva Rinaldi and one or two of her photographic team are around.
In this month alone the rebel 'Avatar' creatures have been seen and photographed at Bondi Beach (alongside the graffiti art wall), the Sydney Opera House, Abbotsford and most recently, Marrickville (Skid Row Radio).
Judging upon appearance the mysterious Avatar's are neither the work of amateurs, however they are not quite ready to insert right into a Cameron production either.
A source who claims to be close to the rebel Avatar's leaked that they are quite likely creations of Sydney based artist Eva Rinaldi, who perhaps not by coincidence has also embarked on a national - international campaign to bodypaint and / or create a human statue of Oprah Winfrey, who is set to hit Australian soil this December.
The leak said "I'm pretty sure its Eva Rinaldi behind this publicity stunt - ambush marketing effort of sorts. She's very clever. You will note that there's no branding on her bodypainted creations, unlike the Barvaria beer happening at the World Cup. She seems to have her heart in the right place and its not a blatant brand knock off or anything else that is likely to get her in hot water on the legal front. It's actually very clever and talented work and marketing, and she looks to have created an international marketing and media campaign on a shoestring budget. I'm pretty sure had something to do with the Sydney Opera House 'John Travolta' shenanigans last weekend on the open day also. By plugging into major events she's generating national and worldwide publicity, and I think it may even be assisting the official Tourism Australia and Oprah Winfrey media campaigns also. Her campaign, if its hers of course, is likely to spark a number of copy cat artists, and I think that may have already happened. If one further researches Eva Rinaldi you come across Human Statue Bodyart on the internet, and there's a number of photos, articles and even blog entries that further suggest she is the mastermind behind these Avatar phenoms".
Thus far both the official Avatar franchise and the mystery Avatar's have received largely balanced and positive news media coverage.
James Cameron's Avatar recently announced that they will be doing a trilogy, and something tells us that Rinaldi and co conspirators are also well aware of that fact.
Readers, if you happen to spot any of the rebel Avatar's in your neighborhood please make contact with both local authorities and us immediately. No one has offered any reward money to date, however an anonymous legal eagle did suggest that if the outbreak of the new breed of Avatar's become too much of a problem that reward money may be offered.
Rinaldi or her Human Statue Bodyart enterprise is understood to have not entered any marketing or media awards this year, but judging upon her recent efforts we think most certainly that she should throw her colourful hat in the ring.
At the time of publication a media leak suggested that Rinaldi and / or the rebel Avatars, will also be covered in suburban Sydney newspaper, Northern District Times, published by the Cumberland Newspaper Group.
In the meantime entertainment and media commentators have suggested to enjoy the ride, as its unlikely to last forever, however with that said, Rinaldi and friends are understood to always remain one or two steps ahead of the thought police, adding media tycoon Richard Branson, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman and rock gods KISS to her 'To Do - To Paint' list. Rinaldi if you're out there, and I think you are, I See You!
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It was film producer / director James Cameron who introduced the world to 'Avatar' in 2009, however sources close to Cameron and News Limited owned 20th Century Fox deny any responsibly for the "rebel" avatar phenom to hit Sydney streets.
Marketing and media insiders have noted however that the "knock off" Avatar's have a habit of showing up whenever bodypainter and artist Eva Rinaldi and one or two of her photographic team are around.
In this month alone the rebel 'Avatar' creatures have been seen and photographed at Bondi Beach (alongside the graffiti art wall), the Sydney Opera House, Abbotsford and most recently, Marrickville (Skid Row Radio).
Judging upon appearance the mysterious Avatar's are neither the work of amateurs, however they are not quite ready to insert right into a Cameron production either.
A source who claims to be close to the rebel Avatar's leaked that they are quite likely creations of Sydney based artist Eva Rinaldi, who perhaps not by coincidence has also embarked on a national - international campaign to bodypaint and / or create a human statue of Oprah Winfrey, who is set to hit Australian soil this December.
The leak said "I'm pretty sure its Eva Rinaldi behind this publicity stunt - ambush marketing effort of sorts. She's very clever. You will note that there's no branding on her bodypainted creations, unlike the Barvaria beer happening at the World Cup. She seems to have her heart in the right place and its not a blatant brand knock off or anything else that is likely to get her in hot water on the legal front. It's actually very clever and talented work and marketing, and she looks to have created an international marketing and media campaign on a shoestring budget. I'm pretty sure had something to do with the Sydney Opera House 'John Travolta' shenanigans last weekend on the open day also. By plugging into major events she's generating national and worldwide publicity, and I think it may even be assisting the official Tourism Australia and Oprah Winfrey media campaigns also. Her campaign, if its hers of course, is likely to spark a number of copy cat artists, and I think that may have already happened. If one further researches Eva Rinaldi you come across Human Statue Bodyart on the internet, and there's a number of photos, articles and even blog entries that further suggest she is the mastermind behind these Avatar phenoms".
Thus far both the official Avatar franchise and the mystery Avatar's have received largely balanced and positive news media coverage.
James Cameron's Avatar recently announced that they will be doing a trilogy, and something tells us that Rinaldi and co conspirators are also well aware of that fact.
Readers, if you happen to spot any of the rebel Avatar's in your neighborhood please make contact with both local authorities and us immediately. No one has offered any reward money to date, however an anonymous legal eagle did suggest that if the outbreak of the new breed of Avatar's become too much of a problem that reward money may be offered.
Rinaldi or her Human Statue Bodyart enterprise is understood to have not entered any marketing or media awards this year, but judging upon her recent efforts we think most certainly that she should throw her colourful hat in the ring.
At the time of publication a media leak suggested that Rinaldi and / or the rebel Avatars, will also be covered in suburban Sydney newspaper, Northern District Times, published by the Cumberland Newspaper Group.
In the meantime entertainment and media commentators have suggested to enjoy the ride, as its unlikely to last forever, however with that said, Rinaldi and friends are understood to always remain one or two steps ahead of the thought police, adding media tycoon Richard Branson, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman and rock gods KISS to her 'To Do - To Paint' list. Rinaldi if you're out there, and I think you are, I See You!
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Monday, October 25, 2010
James Packer 'Very Clever' TV Raid Says Sen Conroy, by Greg Tingle - 25th October 2010
G'day punters, casino and media billions, those who aspire to be, journalists, politics and one and all. Australian and Asia Pacific gambling and lifestyle king, James Packer, is gaining powerful support in his expanding his empire, with a Network Ten share raid appearing to be a key focus. The move continues to have the attention of the world's casino and media billionaires, and even the Australian Communications Minister Sen Stephen Conroy has been drawn into the excitement, with a rare public comment on friend of sorts, Packer, and no, it didn't take a spot of golf this time around to get the senator to go on record with "Very Clever". Media Man and Gambling911 reach out to you, the loyal and passionate readership with our "very clever" report...
Australian gambling and lifestyle 'king of the castle', James Packer is officially "very clever", at least that's the word from Australian Communications Minister, out friend and yours (satire), Senator Stephen Conroy. The Packer leap sets him up to be one of Australia's, if not the world's, kings of mainstream media. Packer has jumped on (in a smart and friendly fashion) Network Ten in a massive $245 million share raid that also sets him up for next year's AFL broadcast rights, and much more. The move is an exciting return for Packer as one of the Australian media's heavyweights some 4 years after he started selling off his family's famous share in PBL Media, including the main event attraction, the prestigious Nine Network. Analysts now expect the move will spark more maneuvering and "fun and games" in the industry by competitors ahead of key changes to Australian sports broadcast laws, notably the anti-siphoning regime that restricts pay-TV's shadow. Communications Minister, you're friend and ours (satire) Stephen Conroy previously said the purchase of Ten shares was a matter for Packer. Media and gaming insiders have noted its great to see Conroy stop attacking the gaming and media sector, and be balanced and non confrontational once again. Just maybe Conroy may like the fact that Australian television is easier to censors and "filter" than the internet, but that's only speculation.
Ok, we know Packer is a smart cookie and made a "very clever move", but let's dig a little deeper shall we.
'Our James', son of the late gambling and media mogul Kerry Packer, has been named as the mystery buyer of a A$250 million (S$318 million), 18% in Ten Network, one of Australia's 3 major commercial stations. Currently before the famed antitrust watchdog...Woof, Conroy said the investment posed "some issues around competition and concentration".
"But I think James is a very, very savvy businessman and this is a very clever move," Conroy told ABC TV. "I think he's got a foot in all the camps and he likes to have all the bases covered.".
Conroy declined to comment on whether he regarded Packer's stake as constituting a controlling interest in Ten, but said it was "clear... (he) has got more support than just his own holding from all indications." Regulators faced a 'real challenge' in deciding whether or not the move was anti-competitive, he added.
Packer has casino and gaming - gambling - sports betting interests in Australia and Macau but his company Consolidated Media Holdings also holds a 25% stake in pay-TV provider Foxtel and also owns 50% of the Fox Sports cable network. Fox Sports is also tied in with Premier Media Group, where some Media Man top brass once did some work experience. He effectively walked from commercial television 2 years back with the sale of most of his stake in rival Network Nine, an empire founded by his grandfather, Sir Frank Packer, and built up by his late father, Kerry. Packer said he had been lured back to the industry by the surprise success of extra free-to-air channels launched on the new digital spectrum by the major networks, saying he was "happy to be back".
"It's a vote of confidence for free-to-air television," Packer told News Limited - Rupert Murdoch owned The Sunday Telegraph newspaper, in his first public - on the record bit about the Ten share raid. "Multi-channels have surprised everybody with their outstanding success to take advertising dollars from other mediums while pay-TV stays strong."
Since the announcement of Packer's raid on Ten, both Network Ten and Crown Limited shares have continued an upward rise.
Media Man top brass added "James Packer surprises a few folks with his move back into television, Mind you, he surprised a few with his massive bounce back in the casino and gaming sector in Australia and Macau also, as well as his solid exit strategy from the mayhem Las Vegas. Watch for Packer to also ramp up in the online area, with Betfair maintaining a strong position. More online casino game content to hit Betfairs, and I would be totally surprised to see the likes of a Packer do a deal with other leaders like PartyGaming or Richard Branson's Virgin. Packer is friendly with Tom Cruise, featured in a PartyGaming release, and has also been spotted and photographed with Richard Branson over the years, so nothing is impossible for JP - James Packer at this stage of the game. He appears to have the killer instinct and is virtually unstoppable. You really have to give the devil his due. At the same time he is main tainting his friendship with Network Nine boss David Gyngell, so good on his for taking care of the work - life balance, something many media and gaming tycoons struggle with. Packer is starting to turn into a living legend, and we are not talking that up. The record speaks for itself. For anyone that wants to try to step in Packer's way, its game on.!
The Packer camp is expected to make more information available to the press in the coming days, and rest assured Media Man and Gambling911 are onto it.
More details on the Packer - Network Ten Raid...
Packer's Consolidated Media Holdings purchased the 15.6% stake in the network through investment bank UBS, a favorite of JP. A block of some 163.3 million Ten shares was traded in a single transaction at $1.50 a piece, according to the Australian Securities Exchange. Packer mate, David Gyngell, recently purchasing a modest $100,000 or so worth of Crown Limited shares. Numerous in the know sources, leaks et al continued to confirm Packer's company was indeed behind the sale. The move also comes amid heavy speculation Packer is planning to privatise his gaming empire, Crown Limited, in which he has also recently increased his stake, leading by example, say the Packer supporters. Packer and Kerry Stokes began wrestling for Consolidated Media, which holds online and pay television assets in the middle of last year. The move got people talking about Packer moving into position ahead of the next round of AFL television rights that are up for grabs in 2011. They do say the early bird catches the worm, so Packer might be feeling a like a very confident worm as of late.
CMH currently also owns a 25% stake at pay TV operator Foxtel. BBY media analyst Mark McDonnell was prepared to go on record and advised the purchase put Fox Sports into a strategic position for the AFL rights. "It's very interesting, particularly with the AFL rights coming up again next year and, of course, Ten teamed up with Seven and Fox Sports the last time the contract was being renewed. Packer effectively owns Fox Sports and the AFL rights are going to be one of the big stories over the next 12 months." McDonnell said CMH may have also "simply" thought Ten's shares were going for a good price and Packer may have seen potential in the network's future. However he also said every free to air channel wanted the football broadcasting rights and the move positioned Ten into a strong position to again team up with Foxtel. The purchase also coincides with the Gillard Government's review of anti-siphoning laws governing sports broadcasting on Australian television. Both Foxtel and the AFL have been lobbying for changes to the anti-siphoning legislation so pay-TV stations can bid for a minimum of 4 home-and-away matches a week. Packer is surrounded by media and sports on the home front, owning a pad overlooking Bondi Beach, world class pro surfers, favorite of NRL Sydney Roosters, mate Gyngell, the Bondi Rescue (Network Ten inked lads), and much much more. Yeah, Media Man has a pad there too, and Bondi Beach is constantly becoming home to Australia's best entertainment and sporting talent. Warnie, are you here yet mate? Poker in the beach park perhaps or a few slots at Bondi Icebergs Bergs Gaming? Changes to the anti-siphoning legislation could allow the 3 big free-to-air networks to broadcast AFL matches on their digital channels and AFL games on their secondary digital channels. Senator Conroy's spokesman said the anti-siphoning review would be released "shortly". Network Ten declined to comment, while Media Man said "coincidences don't normally happen, be it in gambling, media or the internet business. Packer is smart and clearly his relationship and lines of communication with Sen Conroy are excellent, so you have to give the devil his due."
A number of high profile media and gaming commentators also think its a smart move by Packer ramping up his TV interests, and industry talks says of Packer...fire in the belly, and his passion for news media has certainly bounced back. Insiders also tipped he enjoys seeing the balanced and positive coverage of his Crown Casino empire on Ten News and The 7PM Project, giving him a fair go, when some other Australian media companies choose to go more down the "attack journalism" path. Packer also has plans to offer Australian's a full online casino offering via his 50% owned Betfair, which have noted the success of other online gambling operators servicing down under such as PartyGaming. Interestingly, PartyGaming's PartyPoker last year in a b2b type arrangement directed a number of their online poker players to Packer's poker tournament, Aussie Millions. Packer mate, Shane Warne, is also tipped to have a poker room and / or tourney named after him at Crown Casino, and its speculated other deals are on the radar with even some tipping Media Man, Casino News Media, Richard Branson - Virgin b2b and website portals in the mix. PartyGaming and NextGen Gaming are expected to also pitch to Packer and his team on the new media - internet front, and the brands 'Underbelly', 'Kerry Packer' and 'Casino Jack' keep coming up. Yep, Packer is a busy man and taking on the world and winning by all accounts.
A Media Man spokesperson said "James Packer's latest business plays have been brilliant. It's risk management, brand building, convergent media, relationship leveraging and more all in one. He's also buying entities at the right price, and has a global business model which helps ride out the world's financial storm, while also having an Australian - Asia Pacific focus, which is one of the strongest markets in the world at the moment, away from the chaos of sorts in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. From here on up it should be pretty smooth sailing for Packer and Billionaire Inc. Punters should likely expect some gambling or gaming reality TV shows, as Packer's passion for both having a punt and news media is pretty contagious. Packer is making exciting and smart business moves and has a world class team of advisers around him. He's also spending millions upgrading Crown and Burswood casinos, to help further cement them as the leaders, while Tabcorp tries to chase him with their Star City. Packer once again proves the knockers wrong, and we can't wait to get back down to Crown Casino to congratulate the Packer powers that be in person. From Bondi Beach to Palm Beach, Macau, Perth, the internet, to TV land - the world is his oyster. Watch this space".
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Australian Casinos
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James Packer
Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, what's your view on the latest? Keep checking daily for updates. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
Crown Limited Share Price: $8.530
Network Ten Holdings Limited Price: $1.61
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Australian gambling and lifestyle 'king of the castle', James Packer is officially "very clever", at least that's the word from Australian Communications Minister, out friend and yours (satire), Senator Stephen Conroy. The Packer leap sets him up to be one of Australia's, if not the world's, kings of mainstream media. Packer has jumped on (in a smart and friendly fashion) Network Ten in a massive $245 million share raid that also sets him up for next year's AFL broadcast rights, and much more. The move is an exciting return for Packer as one of the Australian media's heavyweights some 4 years after he started selling off his family's famous share in PBL Media, including the main event attraction, the prestigious Nine Network. Analysts now expect the move will spark more maneuvering and "fun and games" in the industry by competitors ahead of key changes to Australian sports broadcast laws, notably the anti-siphoning regime that restricts pay-TV's shadow. Communications Minister, you're friend and ours (satire) Stephen Conroy previously said the purchase of Ten shares was a matter for Packer. Media and gaming insiders have noted its great to see Conroy stop attacking the gaming and media sector, and be balanced and non confrontational once again. Just maybe Conroy may like the fact that Australian television is easier to censors and "filter" than the internet, but that's only speculation.
Ok, we know Packer is a smart cookie and made a "very clever move", but let's dig a little deeper shall we.
'Our James', son of the late gambling and media mogul Kerry Packer, has been named as the mystery buyer of a A$250 million (S$318 million), 18% in Ten Network, one of Australia's 3 major commercial stations. Currently before the famed antitrust watchdog...Woof, Conroy said the investment posed "some issues around competition and concentration".
"But I think James is a very, very savvy businessman and this is a very clever move," Conroy told ABC TV. "I think he's got a foot in all the camps and he likes to have all the bases covered.".
Conroy declined to comment on whether he regarded Packer's stake as constituting a controlling interest in Ten, but said it was "clear... (he) has got more support than just his own holding from all indications." Regulators faced a 'real challenge' in deciding whether or not the move was anti-competitive, he added.
Packer has casino and gaming - gambling - sports betting interests in Australia and Macau but his company Consolidated Media Holdings also holds a 25% stake in pay-TV provider Foxtel and also owns 50% of the Fox Sports cable network. Fox Sports is also tied in with Premier Media Group, where some Media Man top brass once did some work experience. He effectively walked from commercial television 2 years back with the sale of most of his stake in rival Network Nine, an empire founded by his grandfather, Sir Frank Packer, and built up by his late father, Kerry. Packer said he had been lured back to the industry by the surprise success of extra free-to-air channels launched on the new digital spectrum by the major networks, saying he was "happy to be back".
"It's a vote of confidence for free-to-air television," Packer told News Limited - Rupert Murdoch owned The Sunday Telegraph newspaper, in his first public - on the record bit about the Ten share raid. "Multi-channels have surprised everybody with their outstanding success to take advertising dollars from other mediums while pay-TV stays strong."
Since the announcement of Packer's raid on Ten, both Network Ten and Crown Limited shares have continued an upward rise.
Media Man top brass added "James Packer surprises a few folks with his move back into television, Mind you, he surprised a few with his massive bounce back in the casino and gaming sector in Australia and Macau also, as well as his solid exit strategy from the mayhem Las Vegas. Watch for Packer to also ramp up in the online area, with Betfair maintaining a strong position. More online casino game content to hit Betfairs, and I would be totally surprised to see the likes of a Packer do a deal with other leaders like PartyGaming or Richard Branson's Virgin. Packer is friendly with Tom Cruise, featured in a PartyGaming release, and has also been spotted and photographed with Richard Branson over the years, so nothing is impossible for JP - James Packer at this stage of the game. He appears to have the killer instinct and is virtually unstoppable. You really have to give the devil his due. At the same time he is main tainting his friendship with Network Nine boss David Gyngell, so good on his for taking care of the work - life balance, something many media and gaming tycoons struggle with. Packer is starting to turn into a living legend, and we are not talking that up. The record speaks for itself. For anyone that wants to try to step in Packer's way, its game on.!
The Packer camp is expected to make more information available to the press in the coming days, and rest assured Media Man and Gambling911 are onto it.
More details on the Packer - Network Ten Raid...
Packer's Consolidated Media Holdings purchased the 15.6% stake in the network through investment bank UBS, a favorite of JP. A block of some 163.3 million Ten shares was traded in a single transaction at $1.50 a piece, according to the Australian Securities Exchange. Packer mate, David Gyngell, recently purchasing a modest $100,000 or so worth of Crown Limited shares. Numerous in the know sources, leaks et al continued to confirm Packer's company was indeed behind the sale. The move also comes amid heavy speculation Packer is planning to privatise his gaming empire, Crown Limited, in which he has also recently increased his stake, leading by example, say the Packer supporters. Packer and Kerry Stokes began wrestling for Consolidated Media, which holds online and pay television assets in the middle of last year. The move got people talking about Packer moving into position ahead of the next round of AFL television rights that are up for grabs in 2011. They do say the early bird catches the worm, so Packer might be feeling a like a very confident worm as of late.
CMH currently also owns a 25% stake at pay TV operator Foxtel. BBY media analyst Mark McDonnell was prepared to go on record and advised the purchase put Fox Sports into a strategic position for the AFL rights. "It's very interesting, particularly with the AFL rights coming up again next year and, of course, Ten teamed up with Seven and Fox Sports the last time the contract was being renewed. Packer effectively owns Fox Sports and the AFL rights are going to be one of the big stories over the next 12 months." McDonnell said CMH may have also "simply" thought Ten's shares were going for a good price and Packer may have seen potential in the network's future. However he also said every free to air channel wanted the football broadcasting rights and the move positioned Ten into a strong position to again team up with Foxtel. The purchase also coincides with the Gillard Government's review of anti-siphoning laws governing sports broadcasting on Australian television. Both Foxtel and the AFL have been lobbying for changes to the anti-siphoning legislation so pay-TV stations can bid for a minimum of 4 home-and-away matches a week. Packer is surrounded by media and sports on the home front, owning a pad overlooking Bondi Beach, world class pro surfers, favorite of NRL Sydney Roosters, mate Gyngell, the Bondi Rescue (Network Ten inked lads), and much much more. Yeah, Media Man has a pad there too, and Bondi Beach is constantly becoming home to Australia's best entertainment and sporting talent. Warnie, are you here yet mate? Poker in the beach park perhaps or a few slots at Bondi Icebergs Bergs Gaming? Changes to the anti-siphoning legislation could allow the 3 big free-to-air networks to broadcast AFL matches on their digital channels and AFL games on their secondary digital channels. Senator Conroy's spokesman said the anti-siphoning review would be released "shortly". Network Ten declined to comment, while Media Man said "coincidences don't normally happen, be it in gambling, media or the internet business. Packer is smart and clearly his relationship and lines of communication with Sen Conroy are excellent, so you have to give the devil his due."
A number of high profile media and gaming commentators also think its a smart move by Packer ramping up his TV interests, and industry talks says of Packer...fire in the belly, and his passion for news media has certainly bounced back. Insiders also tipped he enjoys seeing the balanced and positive coverage of his Crown Casino empire on Ten News and The 7PM Project, giving him a fair go, when some other Australian media companies choose to go more down the "attack journalism" path. Packer also has plans to offer Australian's a full online casino offering via his 50% owned Betfair, which have noted the success of other online gambling operators servicing down under such as PartyGaming. Interestingly, PartyGaming's PartyPoker last year in a b2b type arrangement directed a number of their online poker players to Packer's poker tournament, Aussie Millions. Packer mate, Shane Warne, is also tipped to have a poker room and / or tourney named after him at Crown Casino, and its speculated other deals are on the radar with even some tipping Media Man, Casino News Media, Richard Branson - Virgin b2b and website portals in the mix. PartyGaming and NextGen Gaming are expected to also pitch to Packer and his team on the new media - internet front, and the brands 'Underbelly', 'Kerry Packer' and 'Casino Jack' keep coming up. Yep, Packer is a busy man and taking on the world and winning by all accounts.
A Media Man spokesperson said "James Packer's latest business plays have been brilliant. It's risk management, brand building, convergent media, relationship leveraging and more all in one. He's also buying entities at the right price, and has a global business model which helps ride out the world's financial storm, while also having an Australian - Asia Pacific focus, which is one of the strongest markets in the world at the moment, away from the chaos of sorts in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. From here on up it should be pretty smooth sailing for Packer and Billionaire Inc. Punters should likely expect some gambling or gaming reality TV shows, as Packer's passion for both having a punt and news media is pretty contagious. Packer is making exciting and smart business moves and has a world class team of advisers around him. He's also spending millions upgrading Crown and Burswood casinos, to help further cement them as the leaders, while Tabcorp tries to chase him with their Star City. Packer once again proves the knockers wrong, and we can't wait to get back down to Crown Casino to congratulate the Packer powers that be in person. From Bondi Beach to Palm Beach, Macau, Perth, the internet, to TV land - the world is his oyster. Watch this space".
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Australian Casinos
Crown Casino
Network Ten
James Packer
Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, what's your view on the latest? Keep checking daily for updates. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
Crown Limited Share Price: $8.530
Network Ten Holdings Limited Price: $1.61
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Friday, October 22, 2010
Australian Casino And Gambling News: Huge Week, by Greg Tingle - 22nd October 2010
It's been one of the biggest and most colourful weeks in the history of the Australian casino, gambling and media industry. We've got Crown Limited VS Tabcorp in the Aussie casino war, Tabcorp restructure, Crown's Packer VS Network Nine's Gyngell, politics and gambling, tons of new games hitting PartyGaming and Virgin, the government chasing revenue, money laundering via pub pokie palaces and so much more. Media Man and Gambling911 continue to bring you the hottest news on the planet...
Fake Casino Chips Found At Star City Casino; 'Sin City' Lives Up To Name...
Action by a casino cashier uncovered a rather fishy fake chip scam that saw the arrest of a female (not fem bot) at Star City in Australia's 'Sin City' Sydney. Cops and security nabbed and detained the woman in the early hours of Monday morning after a staffer member alerted them to a batch of high-quality fake $100 gaming chips that had just been handed in at the cashier. The counterfeit chips were allegedly smuggled into the casino on Sunday night. A 27-year-old woman was arrested at roughly 1.15am. It was the first time in a decade that counterfeit chips have been found at the casino. A Star City spokesman said the cashier noticed an "irregular chip" and immediately contacted security. "It is very rare that we see a good quality chip like this but our cashiers are very well trained and fortunately we picked up on it early in the piece," he said. We had a separate set of $100 chips ready to go and they were distributed as quickly as possible. It will not affect those people who took chips home and want to come back into the casino to use them." The arrest was made as part of a wider surveillance operation. The Blakehurst woman was charged with dishonestly obtaining property by deception and two counts of use and possess counterfeit chips in a casino. Police went onto executed a search warrant at a house in Coogarah St, Blakehurst and seized more counterfeit chips, credit cards, computers and $21,840 in cash. A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of dishonestly obtain property by deception and two counts of possessing counterfeit chips in a casino. Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis said police were keeping a close watch for more fake chips. "Due to the co-operation and fast action by the casino, police have been able to identify and respond to these offences," Supt Katsogiannis said. "Anyone found using such chips will be arrested and dealt with by police."
In April last year, bosses at Melbourne's Crown Casino were forced to check the authenticity of more than $13.7 million worth of $1000 chips after near-perfect counterfeits were detected. More than $36,000 worth of chips were found to be fakes.
The woman charged over the Star City fakes will appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on November 8. The man has been bailed and will appear at Bankstown Local Court on November 16. No fish or vinegar was found with the chips, and before you ask, no, Annie "The Hunt" Duke or "Annette15" were not connected, despite many insiders calling them "sharks", with eyes squarely on Australian fresh meat!
Expert Advisory Panel On Australian Gambling Announced...
We've been chasing this story for a while, but only now can we give you the meaty chunks you've been waiting for on this front...
22 (not 21!) people have been selected to advise the Australian Government on its gambling reforms through a new expert panel. The Ministerial Expert Advisory Group on Gambling, chaired by Professor Peter Shergold AC, will provide specialist and technical implementation advice and assist the Government to deliver gambling reforms.
The Government has invited representatives to join the Ministerial Expert Advisory Group from:
problem gambling counselling and support services;
clubs, hotels, casinos and gaming machine manufacturers;
the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union; and
research and academic institutions that specialise in understanding problem gambling behaviour and harm minimisation measures.
The group will consider key issues such as the implementation of a best practice, full pre‑commitment scheme on poker machines, the roll out of poker machine dynamic warning and cost of play displays and establishing ATM withdrawal limits in venues with poker machines (excluding casinos).
The Government says the group will be guided by the latest evidence on gambling and will seek advice from other stakeholders where necessary and will meet for the first time in early November.
They will provide advice to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Assistant Treasurer regularly, through the Secretariat and the Chair.
On Saturday the Council of Australian Government's (COAG) Select Council on Gambling Reform, which includes Treasurers, Ministers responsible for gambling regulation, and Ministers responsible for community services, will meet for the first time to develop national solutions to minimise harm from problem gambling.
The Australian Government has committed to work with the states and territories, industry and the community sector to progress a national response to the recommendations of the Productivity Commission Report on Gambling.
The Productivity Commission estimates that there are between 80,000 and 160,000 problem gamblers in Australia. In addition there are between 230,000 and 350,000 people at moderate risk.
Ministerial Expert Advisory Group Membership
Chair: Professor Peter Shergold AC, Macquarie Group Foundation Professor, Centre for Social Impact, University of NSW.
The Government has invited the following people to join the Ministerial Advisory Group on Gambling:
Ms Cheryl Vardon, Australasian Gaming Council
Mr Anthony Ball, Clubs Australia
Mr John Whelan, Australian Hotels Association
Mr Chris Downy, Australasian Casino Association
Mr Ross Ferrar, Gaming Technologies Association
Mr Rohan Martin, ATM Industry Reference Group
Mr John Duffy, International Gaming Technology
Mr John Bresnan, Crown Limited
Mr David Curry, Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group
Mr Simon Schrapel, ACOSS and UnitingCare Wesley, Adelaide
Dr Mark Zirnsak, Victorian InterChurch Gambling Taskforce
Major Brad Halse, Salvation Army Southern Territory
Ms Rosemary Hambledon, Relationships Australia South Australia
Mr Barry Sheehan, Centacare Toowoomba
Ms Kate Roberts, Gambling Impact Society
Ms Louise Tarrant, Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union
Dr Paul Delfabbro, Associate Professor in Psychology, University of Adelaide
Professor Nerilee Hing, Director, Centre for Gambling Education and Research, Southern Cross University
Professor Alex Blaszczynski, Chair in Psychology, University of Sydney
Mr Ashley Gordon, Centre for Gambling Education and Research, Southern Cross University
Dr Charles Livingstone, Deputy Head, Department of Health Social Science, Monash University
Money Laundering Crime Spree At Australian Pokie Palaces In The Suburbs...
Money laundering via club pokies is big and dirty business in Aussie hotels, but its been a bit of a secret, before Gambling911 and Media Man spread the word worldwide. It usually happens in the middle of the night, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning. This is when many of Australia's top pokie palaces are doing the big numbers, in more ways than one. Professional money launderers in Australia are understood to have similar working hours and sleeping patterns to bats, rats, other rodents, and creatures of the night. They often hit several hotels in a night. Winter is understood to be the real festive season for this breed, as it's easier to carry huge wads of dirty cash in a jacket pocket, hidden into the landscape. They frequently use the car parks attached to the hotel, launderers trying to get a spot as close to the door as possible, as they carry large sums of cold hard cash. Being loyal patrons they are sometimes well known to security guards, who nod to them, get them inside, so the fun and games begin. The nod is known in the security trade as "brothel protocol", where familiar and loyal patrons are discreetly acknowledged without mentioning names, and you get the idea maties. Security guards who understand "the rules" make it easier for the pros. A car park is key because the launderers don't want to walk the street carrying thousands of bucks in the dead of night. After they enter the hotel, the pro launderers do what is known as a "recognisance" of the gambling room to check for any threats such as under-cover police officers or prospective muggers or other problems. You can sometimes spot the pros by the long jackets, with large pockets. This folks are daring and usually pretty tough. It's a bugger of a job, but those qualified and willing make a handsome living doing the midnight shifts. Crime gangs often go for Sydney's west and south-west when they need to convert large amounts of cash into funds in the form of a winnings cheque because they offer the top notch car parks and security needed. Pro launderers are almost exclusively male, and they take their profession seriously. Almost always as part of the art, during the initial visit they will play a small amount of cash through a one armed bandit and then reserve it by pressing a "reserve" button, before returning to their car to collect up to $10 grand in $100 notes. They often make several trips to their car to collect more cash, then return to the same pokie. Unlike other automated cash machines such as ticket dispensers, poker machines are not so fussy about how notes are fed into them. This means gamblers can do $10,000 in minutes by feeding 100 $100 notes before the reels start spinning, and the speed of machines means each bet may be seconds apart. The gambler then gets a cheque from the hotel, which is "clean" and appears to tax and other authorities to be a "win". Often they simply feed the money into the pokie without actually gambling it, and then collect a cheque for what they have put in the machine. Sometimes they play a few hundred bucks, or less, before collecting their clean money. The hotel of course gets high turnover through its machines, of which it can legally keep a percentage of the amount, through the profits on its machines, and the government coffers gets a percentage through gaming taxes. About $2 million passes through the pokies in a week at each of the state's top pokie palaces, according to an analysis of figures supplied from friends at the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing. This produces a net profit of about $160,000 a week, or $8.3 million a year for the hotelier. Good business, if you don't get caught. Many launderers don't need to play the machines, they just feed in the cash and press the "collect" button, allowing them to go to the bar or a booth and receive a fat cheque. The rumour mills says some hoteliers say some pubs are so well known to crime gangs that they refer to them as LLs, slang for "local laundries". Hotel industry sources estimate that nationally $2 billion is laundered through hotels, clubs and casino poker machines and gambling chips, and about 40% of this is via New South Wales, the nation's aptly named 'Sin City' Sydney. This is a party of the $14 billion fed through Australia's poker machines in pokie palaces every year. Poker machines are understood to be one of the few places remaining for crims to clean cash due to a crackdown on money laundering at racecourses, the TAB and a few other lurks.
Hoteliers and their staff are supposed to report suspicious transactions as one might guess, but the reporting of customers who feed large amount of cash through machines in return for cheques is not routine to say the least. The nation's anti-laundering agency is trying to crack down on this through the enhanced powers it got in 2006, but not much movement on that front, and there are more than 6000 hotels around the country, making it a tough nut to crack. Under the strict anti-laundering legislation, hotels are supposed to have a "compliance manager" on staff to report suspicious and large payouts, but in reality those who hand out the fat winnings cheques are often young and inexperienced bar staff. Many in the industry say that hoteliers won't be compelled to report all suspicious transactions and stamp out laundering until a hotelier "is made an example of". The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre has been sending out formal questionnaires to hotels and clubs for the past few months, asking hotels to declare who its big "winners" are. There was another round of these quiz's sent to hotels around NSW on 29th September. Austrac is working with the Australian Crime Commission, but no hotels or clubs have been prosecuted for breaching laundering laws, even though there are harsh penalties including jail and fines of $11 million for each offence. George Thomas, a 74-year-old publican from Vaucluse, is the only hotelier to be busted so far by the nation's anti-laundering agency. Austrac forced Thomas's seven companies to appoint an external auditor from the accounting firm Deloittes after they were found to have breached four sections of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act. The breaches were related to asking customers for identification, identifying and managing money-laundering risks and lodging reports to the regulator. Austrac said they were "asked a number of times" to comply with the laws which require the hotels to produce evidence it has procedures to address money laundering, but the hotels did not comply until the auditor was appointed. The Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing knows down to the dollar how much cash is going through poker machines in every NSW hotel, because of sophisticated centralised monitoring software that sends data back to head office. It can even identify if launderers are feeding money into machines and pressing collect without playing them! But those in the know reckon it is a state-government body which is mostly interested in gaming taxes, not laundering. No hoteliers were willing to comment on the record about the extent of laundering through poker machines. "The hoteliers think, 'Jesus, if my hotel gets mentioned then the launderers won't come. How much will that impact on my business?" one leaker said. The chief executive of the Australian Hotels Association, Sally Fielke, declined to comment about the extent of laundering through hotels, saying she had no way of measuring it. One of those willing to comment was Paul Mulligan, a risk manager for Risk Consultants Australia, which advises hotels on how to comply with the new laws. Mulligan said hotels wanted to stamp out money laundering but they were finding it costly and time consuming to comply as the legislation was complex. Bankers who fund the hotel industry are also concerned about the extent of dirty money flowing through poker machines that in effect, they part-own. "It is a very delicate matter," said one person in the bank sector, who does not want to be associated with laundering. They are also concerned about the loss of business, and how that will hit the bottom line of hotels. Austrac is also cracking down on poker machines within licensed clubs, as well as bets placed through bookmakers, one may ask is if launderers can't go to hotels, clubs or to the racetrack, where might the money go? Online casinos... the www, underground gambling dens at Kings Cross?
Tabcorp To Ramp Up Queensland Banana Bender Land Based Casinos...
Tabcorp Holdings has tipped even greater investment in Queensland casinos, stating it wants to snatch some of rival Crown Ltd's high-rolling VIP players aka "whales". Tabcorp on Monday announced a demerger of its casinos operations from its wagering, gaming and keno businesses. The company also said it would spend $175 million on upgrading its Jupiters casino on the Gold Coast to create an international entertainment and resort destination. The upgrade will include refurbishment of the main gaming floor, a new private gaming room, dedicated gaming areas for VIP - whale customers, new restaurants and bars, a nightlife venue, a refurbishment of the pool area and a new spa. Construction is expected to start in the middle of calendar year 2011 and be completed in 2014. Tabcorp also said it was in talks with the Queensland government on further expansion of its Gold Coast, Brisbane and Townsville casinos, including the construction of one or two new hotels. Tabcorp already is engaged in a $960 million expansion of its Star City casino in Sydney, which includes a $100 million licence fee to the NSW government. Tabcorp chief executive Elmer Funke Kupper said Asian VIP gamblers visiting Australia would "naturally gravitate" to the Gold Coast and Sydney. But Crown Limited, which operates the Crown Casino in Melbourne and the Burswood Casino in Perth, had more than 80% of the VIP market. Clients are understood to be loyal to the James Packer owned company, as are Media Man and most friends. "If you look at the geography, at the size of Australia, that is not the right mix," Funke Kupper said. "Therefore, we are very confident that by investing in Sydney and the Gold Coast, we can grow the market by creating destinations that people might prefer over Melbourne. "Secondly, we'd like to correct the market share equation where I think we're underdoing it." Funke Kupper said that given the far greater size of Melbourne and Sydney and the large number of tourist arrivals, casinos in those two cities would always be much bigger than casinos in Queensland. He said Queensland was a "stretched out" market along several thousand kilometres of coastline and more suited to a number of very strong local casinos. Tabcorp was pleased with its positioning of casinos at the Gold Coast and in Brisbane and Townsville but needed to grow the market. "We're flagging that we continue to be working with, and discussing very constructively with, the Queensland government on the next round of possibilities," Funke Kupper told the press. "Now that's a much bigger investment, that is a much bigger decision. If it were to be a possibility, then the casinos business will undertake that investment whenever that is - it could be 12 to 18 months out, or further out.". Folks, the Aussie casino wars are still going strong, and we thank each one of your for your ongoing contributions via email and in the world famous forum.
The latest just in...
Packer Eyes Sky TV...
Packer's $250 million-plus raid on the Ten Network is likely part of an elaborate plan that could lead to the axing of Ten's sports channel, One HD, and its replacement with a free-to-air version of Rupert Murdoch's Sky News service! By closing the Ten sports channel, Packer would eliminate a big competitor for the sports channels on Foxtel...the pay TV network that he jointly owns with Murdoch's News Ltd and Telstra. Under Packer's crafty if not cunning plan, Sky News would still be screened by Foxtel but would use one of Channel Ten's new digital free-to-air stations as another distribution point, giving it a much bigger potential audience reach... piece of the pie. Until now Sky News has only been available on Foxtel and its regional equivalent Austar. So as the commercial networks began offering multiple free-to-air channels, the pay television business has been under massive pressure. The management of Foxtel is tipped to battle the Packer move. A second leg to Mr Packer's investment in Ten involves cutting costs by chopping the network's expensive plans to boost its news service between 6pm -7pm, part of which involved installing news and current affairs veterans George Negus and Chris Masters. Packer would rather see a cheap alternative of reruns of programs such as mainstay The Simpsons. Cutting network operating costs would be an essential element to making a return on his investment. But while the theory is sound enough, the execution will put Packer into battle with the management and board of Ten. In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange last night, Packer's private company, Consolidated Press Holdings, confirmed it now owned more than 186 million shares in Ten, or 17.8% of the stock. As the stake might not be sufficient for Packer to push through his plans, he may need to enlist the support of regional TV tycoon Bruce Gordon, who owns 12% of Ten, and Perpetual Investments, which has about 10%. At this stage, Packer has no plan for a full takeover bid. Mr Packer ended his family's association with free-to-air television two years ago when he sold the last of his stake in Nine Network's parent, PBL Media.
PartyGaming VS Virgin Games War Continues...
In a week that sees PartyCasino and Virgin Casino go at it hammer and tong, both online casinos unleash yet more games, with a focus on slots and attractive bonuses. PartyGaming still has a clear upper hand on a global scale, as they are available in many more counties than Virgin at this stage, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In addition, Party is offering up to $3000 in bonuses for new players, while Virgin is only tipping $100. We still love Richard Branson's Virgin, so don't be too hard on them. We know they are trying to get into other counties, but until then, Party wins hands down. Both casinos have previously won the prestigious Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award. New slots include Unicorn Legend, Crocodopolis, Shark Super Bet, Thunderstruck II, Tally Ho, HellBoy, Pharaoh's Treasure, Snow Business, Alice’s Wonderland and Kung Food. Insiders say more new slots have hit the internet this month, than any other month in history! Well, what are you waiting for. Spin to win and good luck.
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Australian Casinos
Crown Casino
Network Ten
James Packer
David Gyngell
Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, what's your view on the latest in the Australian casino and gambling landscape? Keep checking daily for updates. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
Shares
Crown Limited Share price: $8.490
Tabcorp price: $7.450
Network Ten Holdings Limited price: $1.580
CVC price: 0.910
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Fake Casino Chips Found At Star City Casino; 'Sin City' Lives Up To Name...
Action by a casino cashier uncovered a rather fishy fake chip scam that saw the arrest of a female (not fem bot) at Star City in Australia's 'Sin City' Sydney. Cops and security nabbed and detained the woman in the early hours of Monday morning after a staffer member alerted them to a batch of high-quality fake $100 gaming chips that had just been handed in at the cashier. The counterfeit chips were allegedly smuggled into the casino on Sunday night. A 27-year-old woman was arrested at roughly 1.15am. It was the first time in a decade that counterfeit chips have been found at the casino. A Star City spokesman said the cashier noticed an "irregular chip" and immediately contacted security. "It is very rare that we see a good quality chip like this but our cashiers are very well trained and fortunately we picked up on it early in the piece," he said. We had a separate set of $100 chips ready to go and they were distributed as quickly as possible. It will not affect those people who took chips home and want to come back into the casino to use them." The arrest was made as part of a wider surveillance operation. The Blakehurst woman was charged with dishonestly obtaining property by deception and two counts of use and possess counterfeit chips in a casino. Police went onto executed a search warrant at a house in Coogarah St, Blakehurst and seized more counterfeit chips, credit cards, computers and $21,840 in cash. A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of dishonestly obtain property by deception and two counts of possessing counterfeit chips in a casino. Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis said police were keeping a close watch for more fake chips. "Due to the co-operation and fast action by the casino, police have been able to identify and respond to these offences," Supt Katsogiannis said. "Anyone found using such chips will be arrested and dealt with by police."
In April last year, bosses at Melbourne's Crown Casino were forced to check the authenticity of more than $13.7 million worth of $1000 chips after near-perfect counterfeits were detected. More than $36,000 worth of chips were found to be fakes.
The woman charged over the Star City fakes will appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on November 8. The man has been bailed and will appear at Bankstown Local Court on November 16. No fish or vinegar was found with the chips, and before you ask, no, Annie "The Hunt" Duke or "Annette15" were not connected, despite many insiders calling them "sharks", with eyes squarely on Australian fresh meat!
Expert Advisory Panel On Australian Gambling Announced...
We've been chasing this story for a while, but only now can we give you the meaty chunks you've been waiting for on this front...
22 (not 21!) people have been selected to advise the Australian Government on its gambling reforms through a new expert panel. The Ministerial Expert Advisory Group on Gambling, chaired by Professor Peter Shergold AC, will provide specialist and technical implementation advice and assist the Government to deliver gambling reforms.
The Government has invited representatives to join the Ministerial Expert Advisory Group from:
problem gambling counselling and support services;
clubs, hotels, casinos and gaming machine manufacturers;
the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union; and
research and academic institutions that specialise in understanding problem gambling behaviour and harm minimisation measures.
The group will consider key issues such as the implementation of a best practice, full pre‑commitment scheme on poker machines, the roll out of poker machine dynamic warning and cost of play displays and establishing ATM withdrawal limits in venues with poker machines (excluding casinos).
The Government says the group will be guided by the latest evidence on gambling and will seek advice from other stakeholders where necessary and will meet for the first time in early November.
They will provide advice to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Assistant Treasurer regularly, through the Secretariat and the Chair.
On Saturday the Council of Australian Government's (COAG) Select Council on Gambling Reform, which includes Treasurers, Ministers responsible for gambling regulation, and Ministers responsible for community services, will meet for the first time to develop national solutions to minimise harm from problem gambling.
The Australian Government has committed to work with the states and territories, industry and the community sector to progress a national response to the recommendations of the Productivity Commission Report on Gambling.
The Productivity Commission estimates that there are between 80,000 and 160,000 problem gamblers in Australia. In addition there are between 230,000 and 350,000 people at moderate risk.
Ministerial Expert Advisory Group Membership
Chair: Professor Peter Shergold AC, Macquarie Group Foundation Professor, Centre for Social Impact, University of NSW.
The Government has invited the following people to join the Ministerial Advisory Group on Gambling:
Ms Cheryl Vardon, Australasian Gaming Council
Mr Anthony Ball, Clubs Australia
Mr John Whelan, Australian Hotels Association
Mr Chris Downy, Australasian Casino Association
Mr Ross Ferrar, Gaming Technologies Association
Mr Rohan Martin, ATM Industry Reference Group
Mr John Duffy, International Gaming Technology
Mr John Bresnan, Crown Limited
Mr David Curry, Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group
Mr Simon Schrapel, ACOSS and UnitingCare Wesley, Adelaide
Dr Mark Zirnsak, Victorian InterChurch Gambling Taskforce
Major Brad Halse, Salvation Army Southern Territory
Ms Rosemary Hambledon, Relationships Australia South Australia
Mr Barry Sheehan, Centacare Toowoomba
Ms Kate Roberts, Gambling Impact Society
Ms Louise Tarrant, Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union
Dr Paul Delfabbro, Associate Professor in Psychology, University of Adelaide
Professor Nerilee Hing, Director, Centre for Gambling Education and Research, Southern Cross University
Professor Alex Blaszczynski, Chair in Psychology, University of Sydney
Mr Ashley Gordon, Centre for Gambling Education and Research, Southern Cross University
Dr Charles Livingstone, Deputy Head, Department of Health Social Science, Monash University
Money Laundering Crime Spree At Australian Pokie Palaces In The Suburbs...
Money laundering via club pokies is big and dirty business in Aussie hotels, but its been a bit of a secret, before Gambling911 and Media Man spread the word worldwide. It usually happens in the middle of the night, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning. This is when many of Australia's top pokie palaces are doing the big numbers, in more ways than one. Professional money launderers in Australia are understood to have similar working hours and sleeping patterns to bats, rats, other rodents, and creatures of the night. They often hit several hotels in a night. Winter is understood to be the real festive season for this breed, as it's easier to carry huge wads of dirty cash in a jacket pocket, hidden into the landscape. They frequently use the car parks attached to the hotel, launderers trying to get a spot as close to the door as possible, as they carry large sums of cold hard cash. Being loyal patrons they are sometimes well known to security guards, who nod to them, get them inside, so the fun and games begin. The nod is known in the security trade as "brothel protocol", where familiar and loyal patrons are discreetly acknowledged without mentioning names, and you get the idea maties. Security guards who understand "the rules" make it easier for the pros. A car park is key because the launderers don't want to walk the street carrying thousands of bucks in the dead of night. After they enter the hotel, the pro launderers do what is known as a "recognisance" of the gambling room to check for any threats such as under-cover police officers or prospective muggers or other problems. You can sometimes spot the pros by the long jackets, with large pockets. This folks are daring and usually pretty tough. It's a bugger of a job, but those qualified and willing make a handsome living doing the midnight shifts. Crime gangs often go for Sydney's west and south-west when they need to convert large amounts of cash into funds in the form of a winnings cheque because they offer the top notch car parks and security needed. Pro launderers are almost exclusively male, and they take their profession seriously. Almost always as part of the art, during the initial visit they will play a small amount of cash through a one armed bandit and then reserve it by pressing a "reserve" button, before returning to their car to collect up to $10 grand in $100 notes. They often make several trips to their car to collect more cash, then return to the same pokie. Unlike other automated cash machines such as ticket dispensers, poker machines are not so fussy about how notes are fed into them. This means gamblers can do $10,000 in minutes by feeding 100 $100 notes before the reels start spinning, and the speed of machines means each bet may be seconds apart. The gambler then gets a cheque from the hotel, which is "clean" and appears to tax and other authorities to be a "win". Often they simply feed the money into the pokie without actually gambling it, and then collect a cheque for what they have put in the machine. Sometimes they play a few hundred bucks, or less, before collecting their clean money. The hotel of course gets high turnover through its machines, of which it can legally keep a percentage of the amount, through the profits on its machines, and the government coffers gets a percentage through gaming taxes. About $2 million passes through the pokies in a week at each of the state's top pokie palaces, according to an analysis of figures supplied from friends at the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing. This produces a net profit of about $160,000 a week, or $8.3 million a year for the hotelier. Good business, if you don't get caught. Many launderers don't need to play the machines, they just feed in the cash and press the "collect" button, allowing them to go to the bar or a booth and receive a fat cheque. The rumour mills says some hoteliers say some pubs are so well known to crime gangs that they refer to them as LLs, slang for "local laundries". Hotel industry sources estimate that nationally $2 billion is laundered through hotels, clubs and casino poker machines and gambling chips, and about 40% of this is via New South Wales, the nation's aptly named 'Sin City' Sydney. This is a party of the $14 billion fed through Australia's poker machines in pokie palaces every year. Poker machines are understood to be one of the few places remaining for crims to clean cash due to a crackdown on money laundering at racecourses, the TAB and a few other lurks.
Hoteliers and their staff are supposed to report suspicious transactions as one might guess, but the reporting of customers who feed large amount of cash through machines in return for cheques is not routine to say the least. The nation's anti-laundering agency is trying to crack down on this through the enhanced powers it got in 2006, but not much movement on that front, and there are more than 6000 hotels around the country, making it a tough nut to crack. Under the strict anti-laundering legislation, hotels are supposed to have a "compliance manager" on staff to report suspicious and large payouts, but in reality those who hand out the fat winnings cheques are often young and inexperienced bar staff. Many in the industry say that hoteliers won't be compelled to report all suspicious transactions and stamp out laundering until a hotelier "is made an example of". The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre has been sending out formal questionnaires to hotels and clubs for the past few months, asking hotels to declare who its big "winners" are. There was another round of these quiz's sent to hotels around NSW on 29th September. Austrac is working with the Australian Crime Commission, but no hotels or clubs have been prosecuted for breaching laundering laws, even though there are harsh penalties including jail and fines of $11 million for each offence. George Thomas, a 74-year-old publican from Vaucluse, is the only hotelier to be busted so far by the nation's anti-laundering agency. Austrac forced Thomas's seven companies to appoint an external auditor from the accounting firm Deloittes after they were found to have breached four sections of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act. The breaches were related to asking customers for identification, identifying and managing money-laundering risks and lodging reports to the regulator. Austrac said they were "asked a number of times" to comply with the laws which require the hotels to produce evidence it has procedures to address money laundering, but the hotels did not comply until the auditor was appointed. The Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing knows down to the dollar how much cash is going through poker machines in every NSW hotel, because of sophisticated centralised monitoring software that sends data back to head office. It can even identify if launderers are feeding money into machines and pressing collect without playing them! But those in the know reckon it is a state-government body which is mostly interested in gaming taxes, not laundering. No hoteliers were willing to comment on the record about the extent of laundering through poker machines. "The hoteliers think, 'Jesus, if my hotel gets mentioned then the launderers won't come. How much will that impact on my business?" one leaker said. The chief executive of the Australian Hotels Association, Sally Fielke, declined to comment about the extent of laundering through hotels, saying she had no way of measuring it. One of those willing to comment was Paul Mulligan, a risk manager for Risk Consultants Australia, which advises hotels on how to comply with the new laws. Mulligan said hotels wanted to stamp out money laundering but they were finding it costly and time consuming to comply as the legislation was complex. Bankers who fund the hotel industry are also concerned about the extent of dirty money flowing through poker machines that in effect, they part-own. "It is a very delicate matter," said one person in the bank sector, who does not want to be associated with laundering. They are also concerned about the loss of business, and how that will hit the bottom line of hotels. Austrac is also cracking down on poker machines within licensed clubs, as well as bets placed through bookmakers, one may ask is if launderers can't go to hotels, clubs or to the racetrack, where might the money go? Online casinos... the www, underground gambling dens at Kings Cross?
Tabcorp To Ramp Up Queensland Banana Bender Land Based Casinos...
Tabcorp Holdings has tipped even greater investment in Queensland casinos, stating it wants to snatch some of rival Crown Ltd's high-rolling VIP players aka "whales". Tabcorp on Monday announced a demerger of its casinos operations from its wagering, gaming and keno businesses. The company also said it would spend $175 million on upgrading its Jupiters casino on the Gold Coast to create an international entertainment and resort destination. The upgrade will include refurbishment of the main gaming floor, a new private gaming room, dedicated gaming areas for VIP - whale customers, new restaurants and bars, a nightlife venue, a refurbishment of the pool area and a new spa. Construction is expected to start in the middle of calendar year 2011 and be completed in 2014. Tabcorp also said it was in talks with the Queensland government on further expansion of its Gold Coast, Brisbane and Townsville casinos, including the construction of one or two new hotels. Tabcorp already is engaged in a $960 million expansion of its Star City casino in Sydney, which includes a $100 million licence fee to the NSW government. Tabcorp chief executive Elmer Funke Kupper said Asian VIP gamblers visiting Australia would "naturally gravitate" to the Gold Coast and Sydney. But Crown Limited, which operates the Crown Casino in Melbourne and the Burswood Casino in Perth, had more than 80% of the VIP market. Clients are understood to be loyal to the James Packer owned company, as are Media Man and most friends. "If you look at the geography, at the size of Australia, that is not the right mix," Funke Kupper said. "Therefore, we are very confident that by investing in Sydney and the Gold Coast, we can grow the market by creating destinations that people might prefer over Melbourne. "Secondly, we'd like to correct the market share equation where I think we're underdoing it." Funke Kupper said that given the far greater size of Melbourne and Sydney and the large number of tourist arrivals, casinos in those two cities would always be much bigger than casinos in Queensland. He said Queensland was a "stretched out" market along several thousand kilometres of coastline and more suited to a number of very strong local casinos. Tabcorp was pleased with its positioning of casinos at the Gold Coast and in Brisbane and Townsville but needed to grow the market. "We're flagging that we continue to be working with, and discussing very constructively with, the Queensland government on the next round of possibilities," Funke Kupper told the press. "Now that's a much bigger investment, that is a much bigger decision. If it were to be a possibility, then the casinos business will undertake that investment whenever that is - it could be 12 to 18 months out, or further out.". Folks, the Aussie casino wars are still going strong, and we thank each one of your for your ongoing contributions via email and in the world famous forum.
The latest just in...
Packer Eyes Sky TV...
Packer's $250 million-plus raid on the Ten Network is likely part of an elaborate plan that could lead to the axing of Ten's sports channel, One HD, and its replacement with a free-to-air version of Rupert Murdoch's Sky News service! By closing the Ten sports channel, Packer would eliminate a big competitor for the sports channels on Foxtel...the pay TV network that he jointly owns with Murdoch's News Ltd and Telstra. Under Packer's crafty if not cunning plan, Sky News would still be screened by Foxtel but would use one of Channel Ten's new digital free-to-air stations as another distribution point, giving it a much bigger potential audience reach... piece of the pie. Until now Sky News has only been available on Foxtel and its regional equivalent Austar. So as the commercial networks began offering multiple free-to-air channels, the pay television business has been under massive pressure. The management of Foxtel is tipped to battle the Packer move. A second leg to Mr Packer's investment in Ten involves cutting costs by chopping the network's expensive plans to boost its news service between 6pm -7pm, part of which involved installing news and current affairs veterans George Negus and Chris Masters. Packer would rather see a cheap alternative of reruns of programs such as mainstay The Simpsons. Cutting network operating costs would be an essential element to making a return on his investment. But while the theory is sound enough, the execution will put Packer into battle with the management and board of Ten. In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange last night, Packer's private company, Consolidated Press Holdings, confirmed it now owned more than 186 million shares in Ten, or 17.8% of the stock. As the stake might not be sufficient for Packer to push through his plans, he may need to enlist the support of regional TV tycoon Bruce Gordon, who owns 12% of Ten, and Perpetual Investments, which has about 10%. At this stage, Packer has no plan for a full takeover bid. Mr Packer ended his family's association with free-to-air television two years ago when he sold the last of his stake in Nine Network's parent, PBL Media.
PartyGaming VS Virgin Games War Continues...
In a week that sees PartyCasino and Virgin Casino go at it hammer and tong, both online casinos unleash yet more games, with a focus on slots and attractive bonuses. PartyGaming still has a clear upper hand on a global scale, as they are available in many more counties than Virgin at this stage, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In addition, Party is offering up to $3000 in bonuses for new players, while Virgin is only tipping $100. We still love Richard Branson's Virgin, so don't be too hard on them. We know they are trying to get into other counties, but until then, Party wins hands down. Both casinos have previously won the prestigious Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award. New slots include Unicorn Legend, Crocodopolis, Shark Super Bet, Thunderstruck II, Tally Ho, HellBoy, Pharaoh's Treasure, Snow Business, Alice’s Wonderland and Kung Food. Insiders say more new slots have hit the internet this month, than any other month in history! Well, what are you waiting for. Spin to win and good luck.
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Australian Casinos
Crown Casino
Network Ten
James Packer
David Gyngell
Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, what's your view on the latest in the Australian casino and gambling landscape? Keep checking daily for updates. If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
Shares
Crown Limited Share price: $8.490
Tabcorp price: $7.450
Network Ten Holdings Limited price: $1.580
CVC price: 0.910
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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PartyCasino: The World's Leading Online Casino; A PartyGaming Company
PartyCasino: The World's Leading Online Casino
New Players get up to $3000 sign up bonus at PartyCasino.com
PartyGaming also operates casinos, online poker rooms and bingo through various websites, including PartyCasino.com, PartyPoker.com, PartyBingo.com, WPTCasino.com and WPTPoker.com
PartyCasino is the Group’s most popular casino brand by far although other brands include CasinoKing and CasinoLasVegas.com The Group's casinos offer a huge variety of over 150 games including slots, blackjack, roulette, and video poker. As well as these traditional online casino games, the Group also offers virtual horse and virtual dog racing as well as multi-player blackjack.
Except for casino tournaments, all players place bets against the house, and the outcome is determined by randomly generated results. Wager limits vary from $0.01 to $1,000, depending on the game. Casino revenue represents the net win, being the amount wagered less player winnings and any change in liability of progressive prize pools. Bingo revenue represents player buy-in less prize payouts.
In 2007, the Group’s casino product was substantially improved through a series of software upgrades, the addition of a number of new slot machines and the integration of the acquisitions from EOL and IOG. Casino, which includes bingo games, is the Group’s second largest business segment and in 2007 it generated Continuing revenue of $146.7 million (2006: $51.0 million) and Continuing Clean EBITDA of $43.6 million (2006: $15.9 million).
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Thursday, October 21, 2010
Virgin Casino News: Hang Out With the Osbournes at Virgin Casino
Press Release
Hang Out With the Osbournes at Virgin Casino
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 14th Oct 2010 - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, is pleased to announce the launch of a new slot, The Osbournes, by Microgaming. The branded slot game is based on the TV series and features all the members of the unconventional family of aging rocker, Ozzy Osbourne, and offers additional opportunities to win with an innovative on-screen trail feature that unfolds above the reels.
The Osbournes is a 5 reel 20 pay-line slot with great graphics that captures the outrageous spirit and humour of the famously dysfunctional family and creates an engrossing new slot that is jam-packed with great opportunities to score free spins, multiplier boosts and solid cash prizes.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "Just as the TV show of this dysfunctional family provides hours of entertainment, The Osbournes slot does not fail to deliver in the entertainment stakes whilst also providing fantastic rewards. With free spins, multiplier boosts and great cash prizes, players don't have to be a fan of the show to enjoy playing this great new game".
Players can choose their currency - GBP, $, € - and win up to 75,000.00 in the base game and 150,000.00 in Free Spins. Whilst in the new Door Knocker bonus a further 50,000.00 is available and additional bonuses can bring in another 3,000.00. The betting range is anything from 0.01 to 0.50 and up to ten coins a line, making a maximum bet of 100.00 possible.
Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 200 games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Games seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. A growing selection of games can be found at Virgin Games from a number of producers including Microgaming, WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming.
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, CryptoLogic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games.
Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Press Release
Thunderstruck II Arrives at Virgin Casino
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -8th Oct 2010 - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, is pleased to announce the launch of Thunderstruck II by top game developer, Microgaming. The game's predecessor, Thunderstruck, which launched in 2003, is one of the most successful and entertaining video slots in online gaming; a feature-rich game which has achieved iconic stature over the years with a wide player demographic.
This latest game promises to be a big hit with fans of Thunderstruck and offers even more features and opportunities to win big rewards. Based on the innovative 5 reel, 243 ways to win concept, this slot offers the player a range of benefits that includes Wilds and Expanding Wilds, four different Bonuses, Scatter action, four different Free Spins rewards, Multipliers ranging from 2x to 6x and absorbing free games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "Given the success of its predecessor, Thunderstruck II is set to become a firm favourite with our customers. It offers players hours of entertaining gaming with the real possibility of great rewards. Thunderstruck II truly enhances our games portfolio and helps deliver on our promise to provide the best online casino experience available."
All the mystical Nordic gods are present in Thunderstruck II, depicted in high quality graphics along with theme-setting symbols like long ships, kings and Asgard, a rainbow city from the great Nordic sagas.
The gods of Thunderstruck II offers players new features, such as the randomly triggered WildStorm award with its held Wild reels, and the introduction of a Player Achievements structure. The achievements concept is a new feature for online slots, empowering players to achieve gold status by winning the range of payouts of each symbol.
Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 200 games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Games seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. A growing selection of games can be found at Virgin Games from a number of producers including Microgaming, WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Press Release
Virgin Casino Premieres Brand New Online Slot Game - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(TM) Win a Luxury 10-Night Break to New Zealand With Virgin Casino
Virgin Casino Premieres Brand New Online Slot Game - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(TM) Win a Luxury 10-Night Break to New Zealand With Virgin Casino
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 09/03/10 - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company - Virgin Games, is proud to announce that it is one of the first online casinos to introduce Microgaming's eagerly awaited five reel cinematic online slot game, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The game, which promises to be one of the biggest launched this year, offers players a massive 243 ways to win and will be one of the most graphically rich, innovative and exciting online slot games to date.
To celebrate the launch of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Virgin Casino is offering a fantastic prize for one very lucky customer and a partner of their choice - a luxury 10 night break to New Zealand. The winner will be flown to New Zealand where they will stay in the 5(i) Rees Hotel which has amazing views of both Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkable Mountains. This picturesque setting is the perfect place to relax before the exciting Lord of the Rings mini tours begin. For every GBP 50 wagered customers will receive a ticket for the prize draw.
In the online slot game, players follow the Hobbit "Frodo Baggins" as he sets out to ensure the destruction of the Dark Lord Sauron. The five reel online slot will have unrivalled game graphics and include beloved characters from the film, such as Frodo, Aragorn, Saruman and the deadly Black Riders; along with some of the film's iconic footage, featuring Ringwraiths during the attack at Weathertop, Balrog in the Mines of Moria, and Uruk-hai in the woods of Middle-earth.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "This is truly a fantastic game and we are incredibly proud to be one of the first casinos to launch what is sure to become one of the biggest online gaming hits of the year. At the beginning of the year we stated our vision for Virgin Casino was to offer more choice to our customers and expand on the titles we offered. We are now doing this in spades."
Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 200 games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Games seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. A growing selection of games can be found at Virgin Games from a number of producers including Microgaming, WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming.
© 2010 New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
- Virgin Casino: offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over GBP 2,500,000
- Virgin Poker: part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
- Virgin Bingo: part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -(Sept. 2, 2010) - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, has today announced that it is launching nine new games in September from four leading games producers – Microgaming, WagerWorks, Virtue Fusion and Ash Gaming. Amongst the new games are some big titles, including, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ and Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword.
Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."
Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.
Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Profiles
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Virgin
Virgin New Games
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Virgin Casino Introduces Major New Games in September
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -(Sept. 2, 2010) - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, has today announced that it is launching nine new games in September from four leading games producers – Microgaming, WagerWorks, Virtue Fusion and Ash Gaming. Amongst the new games are some big titles, including, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ and Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword.
Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."
Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.
Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
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Virgin
Virgin New Games
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Virgin Casino
Hang Out With the Osbournes at Virgin Casino
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 14th Oct 2010 - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, is pleased to announce the launch of a new slot, The Osbournes, by Microgaming. The branded slot game is based on the TV series and features all the members of the unconventional family of aging rocker, Ozzy Osbourne, and offers additional opportunities to win with an innovative on-screen trail feature that unfolds above the reels.
The Osbournes is a 5 reel 20 pay-line slot with great graphics that captures the outrageous spirit and humour of the famously dysfunctional family and creates an engrossing new slot that is jam-packed with great opportunities to score free spins, multiplier boosts and solid cash prizes.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "Just as the TV show of this dysfunctional family provides hours of entertainment, The Osbournes slot does not fail to deliver in the entertainment stakes whilst also providing fantastic rewards. With free spins, multiplier boosts and great cash prizes, players don't have to be a fan of the show to enjoy playing this great new game".
Players can choose their currency - GBP, $, € - and win up to 75,000.00 in the base game and 150,000.00 in Free Spins. Whilst in the new Door Knocker bonus a further 50,000.00 is available and additional bonuses can bring in another 3,000.00. The betting range is anything from 0.01 to 0.50 and up to ten coins a line, making a maximum bet of 100.00 possible.
Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 200 games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Games seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. A growing selection of games can be found at Virgin Games from a number of producers including Microgaming, WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming.
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, CryptoLogic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games.
Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Press Release
Thunderstruck II Arrives at Virgin Casino
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -8th Oct 2010 - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, is pleased to announce the launch of Thunderstruck II by top game developer, Microgaming. The game's predecessor, Thunderstruck, which launched in 2003, is one of the most successful and entertaining video slots in online gaming; a feature-rich game which has achieved iconic stature over the years with a wide player demographic.
This latest game promises to be a big hit with fans of Thunderstruck and offers even more features and opportunities to win big rewards. Based on the innovative 5 reel, 243 ways to win concept, this slot offers the player a range of benefits that includes Wilds and Expanding Wilds, four different Bonuses, Scatter action, four different Free Spins rewards, Multipliers ranging from 2x to 6x and absorbing free games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "Given the success of its predecessor, Thunderstruck II is set to become a firm favourite with our customers. It offers players hours of entertaining gaming with the real possibility of great rewards. Thunderstruck II truly enhances our games portfolio and helps deliver on our promise to provide the best online casino experience available."
All the mystical Nordic gods are present in Thunderstruck II, depicted in high quality graphics along with theme-setting symbols like long ships, kings and Asgard, a rainbow city from the great Nordic sagas.
The gods of Thunderstruck II offers players new features, such as the randomly triggered WildStorm award with its held Wild reels, and the introduction of a Player Achievements structure. The achievements concept is a new feature for online slots, empowering players to achieve gold status by winning the range of payouts of each symbol.
Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 200 games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Games seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. A growing selection of games can be found at Virgin Games from a number of producers including Microgaming, WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Press Release
Virgin Casino Premieres Brand New Online Slot Game - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(TM) Win a Luxury 10-Night Break to New Zealand With Virgin Casino
Virgin Casino Premieres Brand New Online Slot Game - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(TM) Win a Luxury 10-Night Break to New Zealand With Virgin Casino
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 09/03/10 - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company - Virgin Games, is proud to announce that it is one of the first online casinos to introduce Microgaming's eagerly awaited five reel cinematic online slot game, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The game, which promises to be one of the biggest launched this year, offers players a massive 243 ways to win and will be one of the most graphically rich, innovative and exciting online slot games to date.
To celebrate the launch of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Virgin Casino is offering a fantastic prize for one very lucky customer and a partner of their choice - a luxury 10 night break to New Zealand. The winner will be flown to New Zealand where they will stay in the 5(i) Rees Hotel which has amazing views of both Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkable Mountains. This picturesque setting is the perfect place to relax before the exciting Lord of the Rings mini tours begin. For every GBP 50 wagered customers will receive a ticket for the prize draw.
In the online slot game, players follow the Hobbit "Frodo Baggins" as he sets out to ensure the destruction of the Dark Lord Sauron. The five reel online slot will have unrivalled game graphics and include beloved characters from the film, such as Frodo, Aragorn, Saruman and the deadly Black Riders; along with some of the film's iconic footage, featuring Ringwraiths during the attack at Weathertop, Balrog in the Mines of Moria, and Uruk-hai in the woods of Middle-earth.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "This is truly a fantastic game and we are incredibly proud to be one of the first casinos to launch what is sure to become one of the biggest online gaming hits of the year. At the beginning of the year we stated our vision for Virgin Casino was to offer more choice to our customers and expand on the titles we offered. We are now doing this in spades."
Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 200 games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Games seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. A growing selection of games can be found at Virgin Games from a number of producers including Microgaming, WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming.
© 2010 New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
- Virgin Casino: offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over GBP 2,500,000
- Virgin Poker: part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
- Virgin Bingo: part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -(Sept. 2, 2010) - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, has today announced that it is launching nine new games in September from four leading games producers – Microgaming, WagerWorks, Virtue Fusion and Ash Gaming. Amongst the new games are some big titles, including, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ and Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword.
Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."
Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.
Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Profiles
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Virgin
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Richard Branson
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Global Gaming Directory
Virgin Casino Introduces Major New Games in September
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -(Sept. 2, 2010) - Virgin Casino, part of the leading online gaming company – Virgin Games, has today announced that it is launching nine new games in September from four leading games producers – Microgaming, WagerWorks, Virtue Fusion and Ash Gaming. Amongst the new games are some big titles, including, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ and Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword.
Virgin Casino now has over 130 slot games from 11 games producers on its site. The wide range of leading gaming operators with which Virgin Casino has partnered allows the Company to select the best games available on the market, and as such it has become the natural home for players that want instant play (non download) online slot games.
Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, commented: "We're really thrilled to be offering such great titles from these leading online game developers as they greatly enhance both choice and player experience for Virgin Casino customers, making it one of the most exciting online casinos around.
"We launch at least one new game a week, and with our multiple partnerships allowing us to cherry pick the best of breed games we now offer unrivalled entertainment for players wanting instant play."
Tomb Raider - The Secret of the Sword is the first game to be launched in September. Presented in a glossy 5 reel 30 pay-line multi-faceted package, this game offers hours of interactive entertainment and the chance to hit major rewards through a variety of free spins, bonuses, wild and scatter awards and free games.
Also to be launched in September are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Loaded and Tally Ho, all by Microgaming, Bitten by WagerWorks, Challenge Roulette, Fruity Burst, Sacred 7's all by Virtue Fusion, and Alice's Wonderland by Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com) launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
• Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a current jackpot value of over £2,500,000
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
• Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
Profiles
Virgin Casino
Virgin Games
Virgin
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Richard Branson
Website Network
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