glücksspielsstaatsvertrag in deutschland

und erste Käufer haben schnell zugeschlagen und heute wurde ja erst in England wieder gehandelt.

Grund für den Anstieg:   US-Online-Poker vor Legalisierung - bwin.party-Kurssprung

Das US-Justizministerium hat durch die Neuauslegung eines Gesetzes den Weg für eine Legalisierung von Online-Poker freigemacht. Der Online Spiele-Anbieter bwin-party verzeichnet in der Folge einen Kurssprung von 22 Prozent.

In der Hoffnung auf sprudelnde Gewinne aus dem Geschäft mit Online-Poker haben Anleger deswegen am Mittwoch bei bwin.party und 888 zugegriffen. Die Aktien der beiden Glücksspiel-Anbieter stiegen in der Spitze um 22 Prozent auf 159 Pence (1,22 Euro) beziehungsweise um 13 Prozent auf 40,75 Pence. Für beide war dies einer der größten Tagesgewinne der Unternehmensgeschichte.

"Das ist ein deutlicher Richtungswechsel", schrieben die Analysten von Numis Securities. Es öffne die Tür für Online-Glücksspielangebote aus dem Ausland. Damit könnte der US-Kongress gezwungen sein, umgehend einen rechtlichen Rahmen hierfür zu schaffen, "bevor die Schleusen geöffnet werden".

http://www.wirtschaftsblatt.at/home/boerse/...ssprung-501904/index.do

 

 

 

LONDON (MarketWatch) — The news over the holiday weekend is that the Obama administration may be moving towards legalizing online poker.

An opinion by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, written in September but only published on Friday, may open the door to online poker once again. It argues that the federal Wire Act may only prohibit betting on things like sporting events.

Poker has been subject to a crackdown since President George Bush signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006.

If this is reversed, investors can expect a gold rush into online poker companies. To cut to the chase, one of the stocks to watch is Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment UK:BPTY
+20.34%   , traded in London. It is a market leader overseas, has a clean balance
sheet, strong profits, and a joint venture ready to go with two big U.S. companies.

Online poker was promising to become a very big deal before 2006. Even though the industry had only been around for a few years it was already growing fast and had hit critical mass.
Click to Play

Google travel search tactics causing turbulence

Travel search engines are taking issue with Google over the company's placement of travel search results at the top of search pages. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

At the time the biggest operator, PartyPoker, was handling 32 online poker hands a second, and $125 million in wagers a day. Nearly all of that was in the U.S. Its revenues had rocketed eighty-fold, to nearly $900 million, in four years.

The crackdown caused its stock to collapse. Even though it was an overseas company, it ended up paying Uncle Sam $105 million in settlement to atone for the sin of taking U.S. bets.

There are reasons to think the door to online poker may be opened again.

Forget the “positive reasons” — like freedom, pursuit of happiness, or the absurd hypocrisy of our gambling laws.

The real reasons are negative.

State governments are desperate for revenue. Yet taxpayers don’t like paying taxes. They want paved roads, educated (sort of) fellow citizens, police, and clean air. But they don’t really want to pay for them.

As a result, state governments are raising revenues through other means. One of their favorites? Gambling.

It’s the only tax Americans don’t mind. Indeed it’s the only tax Americans actually line up to pay. The same people who will scream blue murder over $50 in extra taxes will happily drop $1,000 in slot machines or on lottery tickets without a whimper.

States everywhere are licensing more casinos and slot machines. They are selling lottery tickets as fast as they can. 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/...h-2011-12-28?reflink=MW_news_stmp

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-online-poker-gold-rush-…

http://www.legalpokersites.com/blog/nevada-passed-online-pok…  

bwin.party digital entertainment plc

('bwin.party' or the 'Company')



Danske Licens Spil and bwin.party launch online games in Denmark



bwin.party, the world's largest listed online gaming company, today announces the launch of online poker and casino games in Denmark for Danske Licens Spil ('DLS'), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Danske Spil A/S ('Danske Spil').



Owned by the Danish Government (80%), Sports Confederation of Denmark (10%) and Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations (10%), The Danske Spil Group is one of the largest betting and gaming organisations in Europe with DKK10.3 billion of turnover in 2010. Offering a variety of gaming products in Denmark including the national lottery, numbers games, instant games as well as gambling on machines, Danske Spil has also established a large online gaming business and already has over 600,000 registered online customers.



Commenting on today's announcement, Jim Ryan and Norbert Teufelberger, Co-Chief Executive Officers of bwin.party said:



"Building on our recent announcement regarding deals with both MGM and Boyd in the US market, this is another important milestone in the execution of our stated strategy that is focused on securing leadership positions in regulated and to-be-regulated markets. We are delighted that DLS has recognised our expertise and high standards of business practice and we look forward to building a market-leading customer offer for the Danish consumer."



Jens Aalose, CEO at DLS, said:



"With some of the world's leading products in online poker and casino as well as a large international customer base, bwin.party was the obvious choice for DLS. Combining this with Danske Spil's unique and strong position in the Danish market I am confident that we will deliver a highly attractive customer experience to players in Denmark."



Contacts:
bwin.party digital entertainment plc



Investors
Peter Reynolds +44 (0) 20 7337 0100
Media
John Shepherd +44 (0) 20 7337 0100
Matthias Winkler +43 664 305 0000




Editor's Notes



About Danske Spil

Danske Spil is a company group comprising of Danske Spil A/S and the subsidiary company Danske Licens Spil A/S and Danske Lotteri Spil A/S. Danske Spil has 252 employees.



In the 2010 financial year, the Danske Spil Group recorded a turnover of DKK10,135 million, DKK8,489 million in Danske Spil and DKK1,714 million in Dansk Automatspil. Group profits were DKK1,481million and a total of DKK1,605 million, including a guaranteed payment from the State of DKK163 million, was distributed to stakeholders. Danske Spil's total contribution to Danish society in 2010, comprising profit for the year and government taxes, was DKK2,700million.



The Board has nine members, three of whom are employee representatives and two of whom are appointed by Sports Confederation of Denmark ('DIF') and the Danish Gymnastics and Sports Association ('DGI'). Three are elected by the general assembly. The chairman of the Board is appointed by the Minister of Finance.



About bwin.party

bwin.party digital entertainment plc (LSE: BPTY) is the world's largest listed online gaming company. The Company was formed from the merger of bwin Interactive Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc on 31 March 2011. Incorporated, licensed and regulated in Gibraltar, the Group has offices in Europe, India, Israel and the US and generated total pro forma revenue of ?814.0m (H1 2011: ?398.0m) and pro forma Clean EBITDA of ?193.2m in 2010 (H1 2011: ?81.9m). bwin.party is also licensed in Denmark, France, Italy and Alderney, and commands leading market positions in each of its four key product verticals: online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo with some of the world's biggest online gaming brands including www.bwin.com, www.PartyPoker.com, www.PartyCasino.com and www.FoxyBingo.com. The Group's proprietary software, online gaming platforms and strong portfolio of games collectively differentiate its brands from those of competitors. bwin.party is a constituent member of the FTSE4Good Index Series, which identifies companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards.  

Ruling could set precedent on sponsorship deals

Bwin says ruling goes against European law (Adds Bwin spokesman's comments)


By Daniel Alvarenga

LISBON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - A Portuguese court ruled against Bwin.party digital, the world's biggest listed online gaming company, saying it must remove all advertising and sponsorship from national sports competitions after labelling its activities illegal.

Monday's ruling, covering tax and regulatory issues, could set a precedent affecting sponsorship deals between other online gambling companies and sports clubs and associations.

Gilbraltar-based Betclic -- which pays to have its name on several Portuguese soccer teams' shirts, including Sporting Braga -- and London-listed Betfair are also active in the Portuguese market.

Bwin.party, formed by the merger of UK-based Partygaming and Austria's Bwin, has a 4 million euro ($5.09 million) sponsorship deal for the Portuguese soccer league cup, which is now in jeopardy.

"As of Monday, the Portuguese professional football league (LPFP) is obliged to remove all advertising that refers to Bwin," the LPFP said in a statement. It said the ruling was harmful to the national game and that it will appeal.

The court battle started in 2005 when the Portuguese Casino Association teamed up with national lottery operator Santa Casa to file a complaint about Bwin's activities.

They alleged Bwin has an unfair advantage because it is not taxed or subject to Portuguese gambling legislation.

Bwin said the court decision goes against European law.

"The court failed to take into account EU law. One cannot aggressively advertise and expand games on the one hand and keep foreign competition out on the other hand," said a Bwin spokesman.

A preliminary ruling last year deemed Bwin's activities illegal because Portugal does not recognise online gambling companies.

And a court in Porto enforced the immediate removal of all Bwin advertising as of Monday.

"We are happy with this decision, it was a positive one. We pay for extremely expensive licences so we want the state to combat illegal operators who have unfair advantages," said Artur Mateus, a manager of the Portuguese Casino Association.

"We will suspend all sponsorship and advertising," Bwin said in a statement.
"It is time for the state to legislate and tax online gambling instead of banning it. Regulating it is in the interest of the consumer, the economy and the state budget," Bwin's lawyer, Eduardo Serra Jorge, said. ($1 = 0.7865 euro) (Editing by David Hulmes and John Wallace)

 

http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/news/article/-/...-portuguese-court/ 

 

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/...-von-buy-auf-neutral-322.htm 

 

 

Online Gambling in India Predicted Goldmine for Operators
Published Wednesday, January 11, 2012 - Online-Casinos.com

The BRIC countries of the world, that’s Brazil, Russia, India and China are gaining a middle class with a disposable income at a fast pace. The gambling public in those countries have never had the wealth they have now and it seems certain that at least in a few of those emerging nations gambling will turn big profits for online operators and the government. Gambling in China and Russia are being strictly controlled by their current governments but India and Brazil are still pushing towards a legalized online gambling environment.
India is probably the largest of the untapped jurisdictions with more billionaires being produced than America and Europe combined. Lorien Pilling, director of research for Global Betting & Gaming Consultants, has said, “There is a huge propensity to gamble amongst the Indian population.”

Mobile phones and access to the internet across a wide spectrum of the population the potential for big time money is evident. According to statistics as of October of 2011 there were 880 million mobile devices in India. Even more users of mobile phones are in China with an astonishing 5.6 billion. These facts outline the potential, comparing the numbers that show America and the U.K. far behind in mobile phone use.

Currently in India the legal situation is in a state of limbo with laws governing gambling antiquated and useless. By default internet gambling is deemed illegal although there is no specific reference to internet wagering on the books. Attempts to bring internet gaming to India have been met with indifference for the most part. Infrastructure must become stable there in order for the system to work and until that funding has been put in place the Indian population will have to continue to access offshore sites.
As in other parts of the world internet gambling is slow legal process that is not on government radar and without champions of the cause it will not come into focus for a long time yet.

http://www.online-casinos.com/news/news1111123.asp

 

 

Sometimes it is all in the timing. A few years ago, around 2005 and 2006, Internet gambling stocks were all the rage, with such names as PartyGaming PLC and Cryptologic Ltd. surging.

Poker on TV was in its heyday, and investors wanted to own any company involved in Internet gaming. It was, in a way, similar to the surge in Internet stocks seen in 1999 and 2000.

Then, everything changed. The United States declared Internet gambling more or less illegal. In a broad interpretation of the law, credit card companies decided they wouldn’t even take deposits from gamers anymore. The industry, for all intents and purposes, collapsed overnight.

But strange things happen when governments are broke. In the last week of December the U.S. Justice Department published an opinion that may open the door to online gambling once again. In the release, the Justice Dept. indicated that the Federal Wire Act — the Act that shut down Internet gambling in the U.S. — should apply only to “sporting” events.

Companies involved in online gaming saw their shares surge in the final week of 2011. However, it was far too late for many of them. Looking at an historical index of online gaming companies, we discovered that more than 80% of them had already disappeared, gone bankrupt, privatized or merged with other companies.

At the peak, the biggest operator, PartyGaming, was handling 32 online poker hands per second, and US$125-million in bets per day. For investors who want a piece of the stock action — as opposed to the poker action — PartyGaming is still around. It merged with Bwin to form Bwin Party Digital Entertainment PLC (BPTY/LON) and says it has 100,000 online players each day. The stock pays a small dividend and is up 4% this year.

Dozens of other companies, though, are gone. Optimal Payments Inc., which was a credit-card processor with the majority of its business coming from gaming, was privatized. E-Lottery.com is delisted. FirstBingo.com is gone. Parlay Entertainment Inc. is suspended.

Chartwell Technology Inc., once a $100-million company, was bought by Amaya Gaming Group Inc. (AYA/TSX-V), which is still around, and also is trying right now to buy Cryptologic Inc.

Las Vegas From Home.com Entertainment Inc. (LVH/TSX-V) is still around, with a $9-million market cap now. Its stock, however, was worth 10 times as much in 2005.

There are a few lessons for investors from the Internet gaming boom, bust, and possible rebirth.

One — even if you own the best stocks in the world, government changes can quickly make you broke. Many of the Internet gaming companies were making hundreds of millions of dollars in 2005. One government ruling put a stop to all that.

Two — you can go broke being too early. Many investors fully expected governments to reverse their decision to ban Internet gambling because of simple economics. Governments, simply, need the revenue than online gambling will bring them. However, if you were investing in this possibility over the past five years you likely went broke long ago.

Three — companies need to survive before they can prosper. Many companies in the Internet gaming space had great products and customers, but — even before government changes — spent too much money too quickly. Now that the rules have potentially changed, they are no longer around to benefit.

Where to invest now, then, assuming new laws are passed? Amaya Gaming looks interesting. It is consolidating other companies and has signed interesting deals in several foreign jurisdictions. For something more stable, you might take a look at William Hill PLC (WMH/LON), which is known more as a bookmaker, but pays a 4% dividend.

Many investors like to stay with what they know, though, and may instead prefer names such as Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS/NYSE) or MGM Resorts International (MGM/NYSE). These “bricks and mortar” companies already have gamblers as customers, so will utilize their brand name to entice their existing customers to play online.

Our advice, though, for whatever you do — do not go “All-in.”

Peter Hodson, CFA, is CEO of 5i Research Inc., a conflict-free independent investment research network.

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/01/13/...from-the-poker-table/
 

 

 

.Prozessflut gegen deutschen Glücksspielstaatsvertrag droht
Die deutsche Glücksspielbranche will mit einer Klageflut gegen den geplanten Glücksspielstaatsvertrag vorgehen

Der Verband der deutschen Automatenindustrie VDAI warnt von einer Hetzjagd auf die Branche. "Sollten die Länder tatsächlich an ihren Vernichtungsplänen festhalten, wird nichts anderes übrig bleiben, als eine große Prozessflut anzustrengen, um unsere gut begründeten Rechte durchzusetzen", sagte der Verbandsvorsitzende Paul Gauselmann. Der Glücksspielstaatsvertrag ist Ende 2011 ausgelaufen. 15 der 16 Bundesländer unterzeichneten Mitte Dezember vergangenen Jahres einen neuen Vertrag. Die Ratifizierung in den Ländern soll aber von der Zustimmung der EU-Kommission, die das staatliche Glücksspielmonopol kritisch beurteilt, abhängig gemacht werden. Aus Brüssel gibt es noch keine Rückmeldung. Der Vertrag soll zum 1. Juli in Kraft treten.

Die Länder versuchten unter dem Vorwand der Suchtbekämpfung, ihr Glücksspielmonopol zu retten und missliebige Wettbewerber zu schwächen, sagte Gauselmann. "Mit diesem Beschluss werden in Zukunft rund zwei Drittel der über 70 000 Arbeitsplätze in der deutschen Automatenwirtschaft vernichtet und viele der über 5000 mittelständischen Unternehmen der Branche in die Pleite getrieben." Der Vertrag sehe vor, Mehrfachkonzessionen, die bislang größere Spielhallen ermöglichten, künftig zu verbieten. Außerdem solle es Mindestabstände zwischen Spielhallen geben, Werbung und Öffnungszeiten sollten beschränkt werden. Die geplante Übergangszeit sei mit fünf Jahren viel zu kurz, kritisierte Gauselmann, Chef des Branchenführers bei Spielgeräten und beim Spielhallenumsatz. "Wir sind aber überzeugt: Es wird so nicht kommen, weil es unrecht ist."

Trotz unsicherer Zukunftsaussichten habe der Umsatz der Branche 2011 etwas zugelegt. Demnach stieg der Umsatz der Aufsteller mit Geld-Gewinn-Spielgeräten im Vergleich zum Vorjahr um 5,1 Prozent auf 4,14 Milliarden Euro. Der Umsatz der Hersteller und Großhändler stieg von 1,09 auf 1,12 Milliarden Euro. Insgesamt legte die Branche um 4,3 Prozent auf 5,36 Milliarden Euro zu. Bundesweit gibt es derzeit 242 000 Geld-Gewinn-Spielgeräte. Der Staatsvertrag habe bereits einen Schatten auf die Branche geworfen, sagte Gauselmann. So sei Berlin vorgeprescht und habe die Öffnungszeiten der Spielhallen um ein Drittel gekürzt. Das bedeute 30 Prozent Umsatzverlust. Die Aufsteller von Geldspielautomaten würden wegen der unsicheren Aussichten immer weniger neue Geräte ordern.

Hauptnutznießer der geplanten Einschränkungen für Spielhallen werde das Internet sein, sagte Gauselmann der dpa. "Was man uns an Marktanteilen wegnimmt, wird ins Internet abwandern."

http://www.boerse-express.com/pages/1220991

 

 

Is online poker headed to Ohio?

http://www.bizjournals.com/mobile/cincinnati/blog/...ded-to-ohio.html

You can add Ohio to the list of states exploring Internet gambling, thanks to a Dec. 23 policy statement by the U.S. Department of Justice that could pave the way for states to launch new options, from poker to lotteries to progressive slots.

“We’re exploring this topic,” said Dennis Berg, interim director of the Ohio Lottery Commission    . “We want to be in the forefront of being able to generate revenue for the lottery commission. But it’s a policy decision that we will not make on our own.”

Berg said any foray into Internet gaming would be made in consultation with the Kasich administration. He offered no timeline for when a decision would be made.

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Virginia Seitz penned the opinion that set the gaming world on fire just before Christmas. The ruling states that the Wire Act, which shut down all forms of Internet gambling in the U.S., only applies to sports betting.

Berg said the ruling may not be a “100 percent green light” for online gaming, many observers have predicted an explosion of Internet gambling in 2012.

That would be a seismic shift for Ohio, where casinos and slots parlors at race tracks are preparing to compete for the first time. The new competitors include the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, now under construction near downtown, and a relocated Lebanon Raceway, which is considering a new race track and video lottery terminals (VLT) facility on 120 state-owned acres near the Lebanon Correctional Institution.

Experts say online gaming is $35 billion industry and the U.S. could reach $10 billion over time.

That’s about $4 billion more than all casinos generate on the Las Vegas strip each year. Ohio has been projected to be a $2 billion gambling market. If Internet gambling was to develop in the Buckeye state, the Ohio Lottery Commission would be the most logical entity to pursue it, since it has constitutional authority to offer multiple kinds of games. Berg said lottery vendor Intralot has expressed a willingness to develop Internet games in Ohio. It already offers such games in Europe.

But Berg said a variety of factors would have to be considered, including the VLT industry over which the lottery commission has regulatory authority.

“There’s a lot going on in Ohio at the moment with other gaming initiatives,” he said. “We’ll have to see how it fits into the entire puzzle.”

One thing he’s not worried about is competition from other states.

“Other states would need to contain interstate business within their borders,” he said. “An Ohio resident could not sit on their computer and play the New York games. So, from that perspective, we don’t see a large competitive threat.”

 

 

Info-Veranstaltung zeigt Interesse der Glücksspielanbieter

Norderstedt (dpa/lno) - Großes Interesse an dem neuen schleswig-holsteinischen Glücksspielgesetz: Rund 170 Vertreter von Glücksspielanbietern aus dem In- und Ausland informierten sich am Montag in Norderstedt bei Hamburg (Kreis Segeberg) über die Ausschreibungsmodalitäten für Lizenzen. Zu den Gästen gehörte Emil Sunvisson, Direktor und Vorstandsvorsitzender (CEO) des Schwedischen Spieleanbieters «Cherry Spelglädje». Die Branche hatte die Informationsveranstaltung selbst organisiert. Ein Referent des für das Glücksspielgesetz zuständigen Innenministeriums in Kiel informierte die Konferenzteilnehmer.

Bislang haben rund 80 Glücksspielanbieter Anfragen ans Ministerium gestellt. Noch sind förmliche Lizenzanträge nicht möglich. Denn die für das am 1. Januar in Kraft getretenen Gesetz notwendigen Verordnungen liegen noch nicht vor, wie ein Ministeriumssprecher erläuterte. Die Verordnungen sollen aber noch im Januar fertig werden. Im März könnten Anbieter, die Lizenzen erwerben, den Spielbetrieb aufnehmen.

Mit seinem Glücksspielgesetz geht Schleswig-Holstein einen Sonderweg unter den 16 Bundesländern. Die Landesregierung in Kiel setzt sich für liberalere Rahmenbedingungen ein, um bislang vom Ausland her operierende Online-Glücksspielanbieter anzulocken und den Markt in geordnete Bahnen zu lenken. Dagegen wollen die anderen 15 Bundesländer nur eine begrenzte Öffnung des Glücksspielmarktes zulassen, Online-Pokern soll weiterhin verboten bleiben. Bisher spielen viele Deutsche Online-Poker im Internet, ohne dass in Deutschland dafür Steuern gezahlt werden.

http://www.welt.de/newsticker/dpa_nt/regioline_nt/...ielanbieter.html

 

 

Last updated: Mon Jan 16 09:13:45 GMT 2012 
16 January 2012 - Bwin.Party Digital (163p) BUY (TP - 256p)

Company: Daniel Stewart

Payment Processing floatation
? The Telegraph reported over the weekend that BPTY is considering to float its payment processing platform business CQR in order to realise value for shareholders as the company’s current market value fails to take this into
account.
? Though difficult to estimate at this stage we estimate that on c€2bn of payment processing the business could generate c€20m of revenue, though BPTY transaction fees (payment processing) in its accounts are in the order €40-€50m. We have used the transaction fees as an approximation of revenue potential though realistically CQR provides payment processing to third parties other than BPTY, so revenue potential is higher. We estimate on €45m of revenue the business should produce c€11m of EBITDA (c25% margin) to this we apply a 7x multiple to arrive at €77m or £64m valuation.
? Furthermore we estimate that the sale of the Ongame network could fetch up to €30m (£25m) so the two non-core assets, CQR and Ongame together could realise c€110m (c£90m) of value for shareholders. This will boost our estimated net cash of £210m for FY12E by c43% to c£300m implying an EBITDA multiple of <7x for FY12E.
? No changes to our current forecasts at this stage but we remain buyers given the strong balance sheet and cash upside from the sale of non-core assets, the continuous shift towards regulated revenues, and US upside potential. We reiterate our Buy recommendation and 256p target price.

http://www.angelnews.co.uk/article.jsf?articleId=12839

l

 

 

After a stunning flip-flop by the Department of Justice right before Christmas, Internet-gaming fever has been spreading across the nation to many in positions of power in state governments.

While Nevada has brazenly taken a big lead in efforts to establish the first intrastate web-gaming industry — poker-only at first in its case — other states are grappling with the idea of taking gambling to the final frontier.

Sensibilities on both sides of the argument are digging in for legislative warfare, with proponents dangling carrots of tax revenue, jobs and consumer protection and opponents citing increases in crime, debt and addiction that come with gambling.

In Nevada, casino interests have already won an easy fight.

The District of Columbia beat Nevada to the punch legislatively by adding an online-gaming provision onto a budget bill in Dec. 2010, but since then has accomplished nothing toward licensing and regulating games.

According to The Washington Times, controversy has surrounded a lottery contract in the omnibus bill, causing some lawmakers to regret not making Internet gaming a stand-alone measure.

A hearing will be held later this month to reportedly discuss the web-gaming program and its possible repeal. D.C. Council member Michael Brown reportedly said that it “would be a tragedy” if the District of Columbia is leapfrogged to the marketplace.

In Iowa, a state with a scant potential player pool, gaming regulators recently released a study on Internet poker that concluded a 22-percent tax could yield as little as $3 million for the state. Consequently, a lawmaker there with a bill in the works wants Iowa to join forces with other jurisdictions, according to the Des Moines Register.



Atlantic City
With a brutalized local casino industry, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie supports broad online gaming — as long as it’s headquartered in Atlantic City. He vetoed a bill last year, but with the DOJ ruling and some tweaks to the proposal, he now has given the persistent Sen. Raymond Lesniak some political affection.

Lawmakers in the Garden State are also still trying to figure out if web gaming should go to a referendum.

In Ohio, The News Record reported that the state lottery is contemplating a venture into online casino games. The DOJ’s broad clarification on the Wire Act was in response to New York and Illinois seeking to use the Internet for lottery sales. Neither of those states has splashed around with the idea of casino games for the web.

Besides a federal bill, California, with its nearly 37 million people, represents the coup de grâce for anti-Internet gaming sentiment in the U.S. The state will revive consideration for Internet gaming in 2012, but Gov. Jerry Brown remains skeptical on the issue and its potential help to the budget deficit, according to the L.A. Times.

The tribal casino industry in the Golden State, which forks over hundreds of millions per year for gaming compacts, is fiercely divided on the issue.

Robert Smith, Chairman of the California Tribal Business Alliance, said last year that many “stakeholders” would be “irreparably harmed” if a bill was rushed.

In an effort to protect Connecticut’s tribal gaming industry — powered by Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun — against an arms race for more casinos in the Northeast, Gov. Dannel Malloy is advocating online gaming, according to the Associated Press. He reportedly called the industry “inevitable.”

Despite its close proximity to the gambling capital of the country, Utah has legislation in the works that would preemptively ban online gaming — just in case a federal bill ever gains traction.



The Las Vegas Strip
Other states like Hawaii, North Dakota and Florida have considered Internet poker, but efforts didn’t survive in their respective legislatures and don’t appear at the moment to have second lives. Florida has been busy lately with an uphill battle to authorize a multibillion-dollar casino in Miami.

While numerous states struggle to find entry into an intrastate online-gaming industry, Nevada has already started to review some of the paperwork for potential web-poker licensees. Regulators are also adding more substance to the industry’s rules, but the core framework is in place.

No one has publicly stated when the first potential licensee will be brought to the Nevada Gaming Commission for approval, but some companies are looking to get approved as soon as possible.

If and when a handful of states offer Internet poker, the potential is there under the law for an inter-play between player pools, according to leading gaming attorneys — making the business more lucrative.

David Schwartz, Director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, said casinos want to have everything in place by the time the market goes interstate.

“It’s not that this is going to be a gold mine for revenue, but it will say ‘Hey look, here’s a concept, we can do it, and it’s working,’” he said.

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/...ne-poker-sweeping-the-country

 

 

Der amerikanische Social Games Provider Zynga will ins Echtgeld-Geschäft einsteigen. Das bestätigte Zynga Ende der Vorwoche gegenüber "AllThingsD.com". Man sei in "aktiven Gesprächen mit potenziellen Partnern", hiess es. "AllThingsD.com" spekuliert, Zygna könnte auch einen bestehenden Anbieter übernehmen, genannt werden bwin.party, Betfair und 888.com. 

Derzeit verdient Zynga Geld mit Werbung und dem Verkauf virtueller Gegenstände wie Chips. Nachdem aber das US-Justizministerium einen Weg für die Implementierung von Online Gambling Plattformen freigemacht hat, wird dieser Bereich interessant.

Der Einstieg ins Gaming-Geschäft würde natürlich signifikante Ressourcen erfordern, so "AllThingsD.com". Dank des im Vorjahr durchgeführten IPO verfügt Zygna aber über diese Mittel. Der Börsegang spülte 1 Mrd. Dollar in die Kassen - er war damit das grösste Internet-IPO seit Google.

Zyngas Browserspiele können sowohl innerhalb sozialer Netzwerke, wie Facebook und Myspace, als auch auf den unternehmenseigenen Webseiten gespielt werden. Die bekanntesten Spiele sind FarmVille, Mafia Wars, FrontierVille, CityVille, ZyngaPoker, Adventure World und CaféWorld.

http://www.boerse-express.com/pages/1222293/fullstory/

 

 

hat gehalten - wichtig - so daß wir wahrscheinlich heute + morgen im Plus rausgehen werden. 

hier noch ein Interview:

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120125-712318.html

-- Co-CEO expects foundations to be laid this year

-- Process of setting it up likely to stretch through 2012

-- Company already applying for preliminary suitability review in Nevada

By Kathy Gordon

Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

LONDON (Dow Jones)--Legalized online gambling in the U.S. is now a case of 'when', not 'if', Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment PLC (BPTY.LN) chief Jim Ryan said Wednesday, adding that he expects the foundations to be laid this year.

But speaking on the fringes of the ICE online gambling conference in London, the co-chief executive cautioned that setting it up will take time.

The process of passing legislation, drawing up regulation, vetting and licensing operators will likely last through 2012, he said, and he speculates that actual operations probably won't get off the ground before next year.

Partygaming, which last year merged with Austrian peer Bwin to form Bwin.Party, along with other European operators withdrew from the U.S. market in 2006 shortly after then-President George W. Bush signed a bill designed to prohibit U.S. banks and credit card companies from processing payments to gambling websites.

Partygaming paid a $105 million fine as part of a non-prosecution deal with the DOJ in 2009, for admitting indirect contravention of US law, but in anticipation of a relaxation of the rules, Bwin.Party last year signed a joint venture with U.S. casino operators MGM and Boyd to operate online gaming if and when it became legal in the U.S.

Ryan's confident tone comes after a recent ruling by the U.S. Department of Justice, which clarifies the scope of the Wire Act, a law that in the past has been used stop online gambling sites. The ruling essentially gives U.S. states the green light to allow gambling within their borders, according to online gambling experts.

Still, Ryan said this doesn't mean the company is in line to recoup any of the$105 million fine.

Bwin.Party and its joint venture partners have already applied for a preliminary suitability review in Nevada which will lay the groundwork for gaining a license there once regulation is agreed.

Ryan also told Dow Jones the sale process for its Ongame poker network is very advanced and he expects to be able to announce further news in the not too distant future.

He confirmed recent reports that the company is looking for an executive to head up its payments processing division CQR with a view to ultimately taking it public, but said this was several years away.

He said the company wants to expand its online payments operations outside of the gambling sector to build an online merchant market place, increasing the value of this asset and ultimately realising shareholder value by listing it on the stock market.

Shares in Bwin.Party closed down 0.7% on Wednesday at 154 pence, valuing the company at GBP1.29 billion.

-By Kathy Gordon, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 207842 9461; kathy.gordon@dowjones.com 

 

Bwin will sich von der Zahlungsabwicklungs-Tochter mit Namen CQR und E-Money-Banklizenz trennen, berichtet "Format" unter Berufung auf die britische Zeitung "The Telegraph".

Die Leistungen der Payment-Tochter, die 2008 operativ an den Start ging, durchaus sehen lassen: In mehr als 20 Ländern ist CQR mit Kreditkarten, Prepaid-Karten und Onlinebanking aktiv. Zahlungen in der Größenordnung von mehr als zwei Milliarden Euro sollen jährlich über die Zahlungsplattform abgewickelt werden.

Doch das Wohl der Aktionäre gehe vor, und diesen Aktionären winken in absehbarer Zeit Zusatzeinnahmen aus dem Verkauf der lukrativen Tochter. Analysten rechnen damit, dass der Verkauf der bwin-Tochter Ongame und von CQR insgesamt 110 Millionen Euro einbringen könnte.

Die Verkaufspläne für CQR dürften schon recht konkret sein:, so "Format". In längstens zwei bis drei Jahren soll CQR über die Börse verkauft werden, ist zu hören. Für dieses Unterfangen will man den Umsatz noch einmal ordentlich ankurbeln. (red) 

http://www.boerse-express.com/pages/1223236/fullstory/

 

Summe Top 10 Brief
41.266 Summe Top 10 Geld
93.375 Verhältnis
1 : 2,26 Stand
31.01.2012 15:21

Ich persönlich rechne in den nächsten 3 Wochen mit der Meldung für den Verkauf von Organe.

........but you never mind...........................

 

 

TWL.L $0.17 +$0.02 +10.00% BPTY.L $160.40 $0.00 0.00% 888.L $52.50 $0.00 0.00%



UK based small cap gaming stock 888 Holdings Plc (LON: 888) surged on Tuesday after announcing a deal with Caesars Interactive Entertainment while other UK gaming stocks like Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc (LON: BPTY) and The Weather Lottery Plc (LON: TWL) have also put in solid gains. Of course, American investors would probably be unfamiliar with these non-US gaming stocks thanks to the fickle and often state by state regulations in the US concerning gambling. However, a statement from the US Department of Justice back in December was interpreted as paving the way for a relaxation of US gambling law – something that would benefit overseas gaming players. Moreover, the just announced 888 Holdings Public Limited Company (888) deal with Caesars Interactive Entertainment involves supplying the later with a poker platform and business-to-business services to support a US operation. So should US and non-US investors and traders be taking notice of 888 Holdings Plc (888) along with Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc (BPTY) and The Weather Lottery Plc (TWL)? Here is a closer glance at all three gaming stocks to help you decide:

888 Holdings Plc (LON: 888)

888 Holdings Plc is involved in the provision of online gaming entertainment to the customers and business partners. More specifically, 888 Holdings Plc and its subsidiaries own software solutions that provide a range of virtual online gaming services over the Internet plus the company provides payment services, customer support and online advertising. On Tuesday, 888 Holdings Plc rose 11.70% to 52.50p (888 has a 52 week trading range of 8.25p to 53.50p a share) for a market cap of 163.74m GBP. The 888 Holdings Plc deal will involve the launch of a real money offering by Caesars once regulation is finalized plus it helps to re-established the company as a major player in the online gaming market. Analysts also believe that 888 Holdings Plc’s top line and margins have plenty of room to expand much further. Nevertheless, it would be good to see 888 Holdings PLC’s final results for 2011 as in 2010, net income fall 68.34% despite a 6.25% increase in revenues as an increase in the selling, general and administrative costs as a percentage of sales rose from 39.25% to 43.46%.

Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc (LON: BPTY)

Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc is an online gaming company involved in poker, backgammon, casino, bingo and sports betting whose principal brands include PartyPoker.com, EmpirePoker.com, PartyCasino.com, PartyBingo.com, PartyGammon.com, PartyBets.com, InterTrader.com, FoxyBingo.com, ThinkBingo.com, BingoScotland.com, CheekyBingo.com, GetMinted.com, WorldPokerTour.com and Gamebookers.com – brands that most Americans should not be familiar with. On Tuesday, Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc rose 2.23% to 160.40p (BPTY has a 52 week trading range of 99.27p to 215.00p a share) for a market cap of 1.30bn GBP. However, Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc is down about 2% since the start of the year and 18.45% over the past year according to Google Finance. Nevertheless, there is an analysts consensus that Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc will out perform the market this year – for whatever analysts consensuses are worth. Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc did grow revenues 5.16% in 2010 while turning a net loss of 20.18 million into net income of 38.90 million – so it would be interesting to see final results for 2011.

The Weather Lottery Plc (LON: TWL)

The Weather Lottery Plc is a bit different than the previous two gaming stocks stocks as it acts as lottery administrators. Specifically, The Weather Lottery Plc raises funds for charities, education, sport organizations and other societies. On Tuesday, The Weather Lottery Plc rose 10% to 0.165p (TWL has a 52 week trading range of 0.08p to 0.90p a share) for a market cap of 603.94k GBP. The Weather Lottery Plc is up 54% since the start of the year but its also down 73% for the past year according to Google Finance and the stock’s chart is full of one day spikes and dips. It should be noted that The Weather Lottery Plc has reported that net income fell 924.68% from a loss of 77.00k to a bigger loss of 789.00k for 2011 - despite a 9.10% increase in revenues from 1.23m to 1.34m. The culprit? An increase in the selling, general and administrative costs as a percentage of sales from 79.85% to 115.04%. That combined with a dour UK economy that is no doubt hitting lotto spending means there are better UK gaming stocks to look at.

The Bottom Line. I would avoid The Weather Lottery Plc (TWL) but investors and traders alike might want to place a bet on 888 Holdings Public Limited Company (888) and Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc (BPTY). 

http://www.smallcapnetwork.com/...a/3414/article/view/p/mid/1/id/486/

 

Der Münchner Medienkonzern Constantin Medien will sein Sportsegment ganz oder zumindest teilweise verkaufen, berichtete die "Süddeutsche Zeitung" am Donnerstag ohne Angabe von Quellen. Als mögliche Interessenten würden im Umfeld der Constantin der Wiener Online-Sportwettenanbieter bwin oder die New Yorker Investmentfirma Avenue Capital Group genannt. Von beiden Unternehmen gab es gegenüber der Zeitung keine Stellungnahme. "Wir kommentieren Gerüchte und Spekulationen nicht", hieß es bei  bwin.party in Wien auch auf APA-Anfrage.

Zum Constantin-Sportsegment gehören Sport 1, also ein Fernsehsender und ein Internetportal, sowie die Produktionsfirma Plaza Media. Dieses Geschäft weist nach monatelangen Sanierungsarbeiten eine schwarze Null aus. (Schluss) snu/gru 

http://www.boerse-express.com/pages/1224443/fullstory/

 

Anbieter von Internet-Sportwetten müssen aufgrund der neuen Bestimmungen im Glücksspielgesetz (GSpG) ihre Abgaben an den österreichischen Fiskus selbst berechnen und entrichten, andernfalls droht ihnen eine Strafe. Seit 1. Jänner 2011 fallen Wettgebühr bzw. Glücksspielabgabe dann an, wenn die Teilnahme vom Inland aus erfolgt ist. Dies festzustellen, sei technisch nicht möglich, finden die betroffenen Unternehmen und wandten sich deswegen an den Verfassungsgerichtshof (VfGH). Dieser hat nun einen entsprechenden Individualantrag aus formalen Gründen zurückgewiesen.

Aus Sicht der Höchstrichter haben die Sportwettenfirmen nämlich die Möglichkeit, einen entsprechenden Bescheid von der Finanz zu erwirken und dann gegen diesen vorzugehen, also eine sogenannte Bescheidbeschwerde einzulegen. Die Vorarbeiten dafür sind bereits im Gange, sagte Anwalt Nikolaus Arnold, ein Vertreter der beschwerdeführenden Parteien, zur APA.

Neben Marktführer  bwin.party sind bet-at-home und Interwetten vor den VfGH gezogen.

Stein des Anstoßes sind Änderungen im Glücksspielgesetz (GSpG-Novellen 2008 und 2010) sowie im Gebührengesetz und im Finanzstrafgesetz. "Diese führten dazu, dass Online-Wettanbieter ihre Gebühren in Österreich selbst berechnen und abführen müssen, und zwar von den im Inland getätigten Wettumsätzen", so Arnold. Das Problem aus Sicht der Anbieter: Es sei technisch nicht verlässlich feststellbar, ob vom Inland oder Ausland aus gezockt wird. Und selbst wenn dies möglich wäre, müsste der Gesetzgeber genau definieren, was er unter Teilnahme aus dem Inland versteht, meinte Interwetten-Anwalt Christoph Leitgeb gegenüber der APA.

Die Finanz hat laut Rechtsvertreter Arnold selbst eingesehen, dass es nicht möglich sei, die Höhe der Abgaben richtig zu berechnen. Es lägen bereits entsprechende Bescheide vom Finanzamt vor, die die Anbieter nun bekämpfen wollen. Momentan warten sie auf eine Entscheidung des Unabhängigen Finanzsenats (UFS). Dann wollen sie erneut den Verfassungsgerichtshof anrufen.

Inhaltlich habe sich der VfGH mit dem aktuellen Entscheid, der am Mittwoch veröffentlicht wurde, noch nicht geäußert, betonten die Anwälte.

Was Anwalt Leitgeb zusätzlich ärgert: Gleichzeitig mit dem Individualantrag hätten die Internet-Wettfirmen beim Finanzamt einen Festsetzungsbescheid beantragt. "Da ist bis heute nichts passiert." Solange kein Bescheid vorliegt, "steht uns kein Rechtsweg offen". (APA) 

http://www.boerse-express.com/cat/pages/1224240/fullstory

 

wichtige Hürde  172,50 einmal ist der Kurs schon abgeprallt - fast bis an die 150èr Marke - die hat gehalten und nun ist die Hürde ( vom 20. April 2011 ) wieder in Sichtweise. Ich dachte eigentlich, daß Diese nur mit einer positiven Meldung übersprungen werden kann - nun scheint der Kaufdruck doch so gewaltig, daß wir möglicherweise "nächste Woche??" vorbeikommen und dann ist der Weg bis 205,00 geebnet. Das wird eine spannende Sache.

 

 Pokerstrategy.com mit Exklusiv Interview..

http://de.pokerstrategy.com/news/world-of-poker/...it-Jim-Ryan_56235/

 

 

 

http://online.barrons.com/article/...777174.html?mod=BOL_twm_fs