DCMS will be looking for contributions from interested parties including operators on a broad range of questions, such as how effective the Act has been in its core objectives, the financial impact of the Act on the UK gambling industry, and the effectiveness of the Gambling Commission .

It would seem to be an ideal opportunity for a dialogue on offshore internet gambling companies advertising in the UK market, and the high taxation rate on internet gambling in the United Kingdom which has persuaded many large companies not to take out UK licensing.

A player from Colchester, UK identified as Julie is the lucky winner, and plans to use the windfall to visit friends in Canada and buy a new car for herself.

Gilles R. from France hit the big win Wednesday morning, after starting out betting only $2.50 per spin and increasing his bets once he had the ‘feel’ of the new game.

Gilles’s highest win in a remarkable run of good luck was $33,450 which he won while playing the “Guide Feature”, one of the free games features built into the new White Rhino slot. The G

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The donation will be handed to the Horserace Betting Levy Board within the next week.

Betfair has also committed to investing a further £3 Million over the next three years into the grassroots of racing.

Martin Cruddace, Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer, Betfair said: “Betfair has a strong track record in supporting British racing and this substantial figure is further testament to the commitment we have in seeing the sport thrive. I

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PokerStars Steve posted the following comment on the poker forum:

“The rumor that PokerStars has decided to block Australian players on August 1 is not true.

“If the company decides to block players in Australia or in any other country it will notify players accordingly.”

On Gregory’s watch has seen expansion associated with land gambling in the state, with more planned in the future, and he used his speech at the lunch to warn on future challenges in keeping gambling revenues up, according to an Associated Press report.

Gregory bemoaned the increase in competition from land gambling in other states, but seemed especially aggrieved at the threat of online gambling, which he argued was illegal by both state and federal law.

Gregory, who headed the Mississippi Gambling Commission, said that Mississippi’s “conservative approach” to gambling – avoiding racier-themed slot machines and restricting locations to within 800 feet of waterfronts, for example – means the state is unlikely to sanction online gambling within its borders anytime soon.

Despite missing out on a piece of what could be a billion-dollar market, Gregory endorsed a continued ban in Mississippi, claiming that internet gambling carries a risk of online security breaches and would make wagering too accessible, fostering addiction problems.

He said that online casinos could also open up gambling to minors.

“That is a scary, scary thing,” said Gregory.

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On April 15, the DOJ seized the domain names of three major poker sites, Pokerstars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker, in a move that impacted online gambling operations in nations where Internet poker is lawful and the U.S.

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Parchomchuk, of British Columbia, has hired a top lawyer to defend himself against US Attorney and Homeland Security Investigations accusations that he is involved in the ownership of ThrillX Systems, a company named in the indictments as operating an illegal internet betting business.

The software provider claims that consulting on software solutions is the extent of his involvement with ThrillX, raising the question of either a mistaken charge…or the enforcement agencies extending their reach to pursue businesses and individuals beyond the current cash processor or operator range.

The latter clearly has serious implications.

Jeff Ifrah, a respected Washington DC lawyer with expert knowledge of the industry, has been engaged by Parchomchuk and claims that his client is in no way recorded as being part of the ownership structure of ThrillX, or its related operations BetEd or OneUpNetworks.

“By indicting a software programmer, Maryland has expanded the definition of who is “in the business of” gambling,” Ifrah noted this week.

“Traditionally only operators, processors and their owner/directors have been included in this definition.”

Parchomchuk claimed through a representative that he had no reason to believe he could be charged for merely providing technical consulting services to another company.

“As a husband and father I would not have jeopardized my livelihood, or the security of my family,” he asserted.

This is a far cry from the claims made in the indictment, which are that ThrillX, Parchomchuk and a second individual, Darren Wright, were engaged in money laundering and that the two men “did knowingly and unlawfully conduct, finance, manage, supervise, direct, and own all or part of an illegal gambling business…”

The case involves the use by federal investigators of a phony payment system titled Linwood Payment Systems, which lured in firms like ThrillX seeking payment options for online players.

Ifrah says that as yet no date has been set for the trial of Parchomchuk, whom he is representing as an individual distinct from the other Canadian named in the federal indictment, Darren Wright.

Case No. A-11-642387-C refers to an action by Phillip Ivey, Jr., Plaintiff against Tiltware LLC, Defendant, in which it is alleged that Tiltware has denied Ivey’s request to pursue other professional relationships in poker. The suit claims more than $150 million in damages to Ivey’s personal and professional reputation.

Ivey’s lawyer, David Chesnoff, claims that Ivey is in the prime of his poker career and wants to have options to pursue other opportunities if they come up.

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It used to be normal to see five to ten jackpots a day hit at US friendly casinos, but since the indictments of PokerStars and Full Tilt, the jackpots have slowed. Read the full post …