Gov. Christie issued a stern message to Atlantic City in January after a state comptroller’s audit uncovered $23 million in municipal government waste: Get your act together, or I’ll do it for you.

Two days after his six-month anniversary of taking office, the governor delivered on his ultimatum, endorsing state oversight of the resort’s casino district to counter ineptitude at City Hall.

Stressing the need for immediate action, Christie on Wednesday set a July 1 deadline for making the new district clean and safe.

It was an illustration of Christie’s general approach to governance in his first half-year: Take a problem that has dogged New Jersey for years. Offer tough love in sound bites that sometimes belie the complexity of the issue. Set a rapid timetable to fix it. And aggressively use executive power to get results.

That path can be seen in his attempts to reform property taxes, affordable-housing policies, the pension system, the state’s top court, and more.

And while repeatedly saying Trenton must get out of the way, Christie has unabashedly wielded executive power more than any other governor in recent memory.

“Is he one of the most powerful governors in New Jersey’s history? Yes. . . . He has consolidated the power that the constitution provided to the Governor’s Office and used it in a far more effective way than his recent predecessors have,” said John Weingart, associate director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

Speaking about Atlantic City at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Wednesday, Christie said New Jersey has had eight years of timid leadership that always looked to please everyone.

“You have to be bold,” he said. “We’re in difficult times. We have to turn the state around, and I’m willing to do that.”

Concerns about a state power grab, balanced by support for strong action, date to the earliest days of Christie’s governance.

Consider the opening lines of a legal challenge to Executive Order 12, which Christie signed three weeks into his term.

The order suspended for 90 days the powers of the state Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) to enforce regulations that towns must provide low- and moderate-income housing. A task force established by the executive order was to use that time to develop recommendations for reforming the system.

“This matter concerns an unprecedented attempt by Governor Chris Christie to expand the power of the governor in contravention of explicit legislative policy. . . . This sweeping assertion of executive power has no basis in New Jersey law and sets a dangerous precedent for the entire operation of state government,” reads the legal filing by the Fair Share Housing Center of Cherry Hill.

The appellate court struck down the portion of the executive order that suspended COAH – a widely criticized agency created under 1985 legislation – but allowed the task force to continue.

Christie was undeterred, later coming out with a proposal to return affordable-housing decisions to the local level and mostly remove Trenton from the equation. The administration pressed for rapid passage by the end of June, with Senate cooperation, but the Assembly put its foot down last month. Members of the lower house questioned why legislation for such a complex problem should be rushed through without more evaluation.

Christie, who pledged while running for office to gut COAH, has been using this approach to make progress on his list of campaign promises at a furious rate.

The governor, who pledged to remake the state Supreme Court, made an unprecedented decision in May not to reappoint Justice John E. Wallace Jr., though Wallace would have had to retire in two years anyway because of age limits. Christie called the court “out of control.”

Christie, who ran for office pledging no new taxes, wielded his oft-used veto pen when Democratic lawmakers approved a bill reinstating a so-called millionaire’s tax to offset the pain of budget cuts.

He set a rapid timetable for tackling the property-tax issue as soon as he signed the $29.4 billion budget, demanding that legislators convene over the July Fourth weekend. Christie noted that residents don’t get a vacation from property taxes and asked why lawmakers should.

The result was a 2 percent cap signed into law July 13 – one that can be overridden only with voter approval. Pension costs, health care, debt service, and states of emergency would all be exempt. Still unclear is how the cap will account for existing multiyear union contracts with raises of 3 and 4 percent.

Moody’s Investors Service raised its ratings outlook on Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) to positive, citing the casino operator’s earnings prospects in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau.

The move comes a day after Fitch Ratings gave Wynn a one-notch upgrade, to the same level as Moody’s rating, on its improved performance in Macau and planned refinancing of $1.32 billion in mortgage …

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It was not exactly the type of grand opening an online casino would hope for. Just hours after launching, PlayNow.com, the online gaming site in British Columbia, was shut down due to malfunctions in the security on the site.

Although there was always going to be a learning curve, online gamblers were not expecting that their private information would be out there for other players to see. When the B.C. Lottery recognized the problem, they immediately pulled the site down.

Now, a week later, the B.C. government is standing by their site. Premiere Gordon Campbell claims that he still has confidence in the site and the people who are operating PlayNow.com. Campbell understands that patience is going to have to be part of this process.

“I think we always have to be vigilant,” said Campbell, when speaking to reporters late last week. “We have to learn from all the mistakes that are made and when mistakes are made, I think that’s exactly what they’ve tried to do.”

Other online gaming sites that are regulated in other jurisdictions have come out and claimed that the B.C. Lottery Corp. has been careless and the breach of private trust is one that will be hard to get back. That is not the feeling of gamblers, however, as they wait for the site to re-launch.

“I have been waiting a long time to be able to play slots online at a place where the government ensures my safety,” said Margaret Lindsey. “If I have to wait a couple of more weeks, that’s fine. I have full confidence that this will be worked out and will not happen in the future.”

The US, along with other Canadian provinces, are looking into the possibility of Internet gambling regulations. If the B.C. online gaming site is successful, other provinces may move quickly into the market. The US would instantly become the largest grossing regulated online gambling market in the world if legislators change the current laws.

July 26, 2010
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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However, the five NCAA investigations that have been initiated in little more than a week — in addition to a high-profile probe involving the Southern California athletic department that concluded in June — have brought into question how those laws are being used.

“How effective have they been?” said agent Darren Heitner, author of the Sports Agent Blog, an industry watchdog Web site. “It seems not very, at least in terms of enforcement.”

Execution of the Uniform Athlete Agent Act of 2000 (UAAA) and the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act of 2004 (SPARTA) has been limited by insufficient resources to pursue investigations at the state level and a preference by some colleges not to invite probes into their revenue-generating athletic programs, according to numerous agents and university compliance officers contacted for this story.

The UAAA was drafted by the Uniform Law Commission as a template for a bill that states could ratify individually (39 states have done so). It requires agents to register in each state that has ratified the law and provide written notice to educational institutions when they sign a student-athlete before the player’s collegiate eligibility expires. The UAAA also allows for criminal, civil and administrative penalties to be sought at the state level.

Chicago-based basketball agent Mark Bartelstein said the UAAA has had mixed success, and that part of the problem is the lack of uniformity among the rules from state to state.

“Having one regulating body is really the way it should go,” Bartelstein said. “Having all the states with different rules and having to register in all the different states is so cumbersome, and I think it just creates more confusion than it does in terms of stopping the problem.”

Making the options clear

SPARTA, a federal law passed by Congress in 2004, prohibits agents from giving false information to a student-athlete and from providing anything of value to the player or anyone associated with the player before entering into a contract. Violations of this bill are considered deceptive practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act. The bill permits state attorneys general and educational institutions to pursue civil action against violators.

And yet, such civil action rarely is taken. According to Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), who sponsored SPARTA, Congress needs to hold hearings to determine whether the NCAA is sufficiently educating its member institutions about the rights afforded them by the law and what kind of enforcement the NCAA is using to protect the amateur status of its student-athletes.

In instances where improper contact has been made between a player agent and a student-athlete, the NCAA has the authority to discipline student-athletes and member institutions. A seven-person unit, led by NCAA director of agent, gambling and amateurism activities Rachel Newman-Baker, investigates such matters. Newman-Baker was not made available to comment, and spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said the NCAA holds no jurisdiction over agents.

“We went around and around with the NCAA on this” when the bill was in its initial stages, Gordon said. “First, they weren’t interested in this [bill], and then they saw it as a good tool. . . . [The NCAA] thought they could handle their own business, and later I think they determined that this was a good [idea]. In fact, we had letters of endorsement from universities all around the country. It just became an overwhelming issue with support all around the country. The college coaches really want some help.”

On Wednesday, Georgia became the fifth school within a week to confirm that the NCAA was looking into the actions of a member of its athletic programs. Multiple reports have stated the probe has to do with the potential presence of a Georgia football player at a party hosted by an agent in Miami over Memorial Day weekend.

WE refer to the letter “Ineffective raids on cybercafes,” (The Star, July 22) in which the writer questioned the futile raids on illegal cybercafés and wondered if there was any way to counter the mushrooming of computerised gambling dens disguised as cybercafes.

The modus operandi of these gambling dens is to camouflage as a cybercafe, equipped with 20 to 30 old computers that are ready to be carted away during raids.

Their main customers are adults above 30 who can gamble away hundreds, if not thousands of ringgit, in a single session.

As such, their typical RM30,000 to RM50,000 investment can be recouped in a month or two.

A genuine cybercafe would need to have 50 to 70 computers to make it viable.

Competition and games requirements make new computers with high specifications necessary. Multi-broadband Internet connections and printing services are essential to meet customer demands.

Their main customer group is 12 to 30 year olds who typically spend between RM3 to RM6, depending on their length of stay.

The typical investment for one cybercafe is between RM150,000 and RM300,000. High operating cost makes the payback period between three and five years.

The economics, buoyed by ineffective raids, show why computerised gambling dens are a thriving business.

Furthermore, you do not need a licence to operate one.

The irony is that a 12-year-old boy can make the distinction between a cybercafe and a computerised gambling den while a 40-year-old adult can’t.

Misleading reports that schoolgoing children patronise cybercafes and get into gambling, drug abuses and criminal activities only further confuse the public.

We urge parents to visit the cybercafes in their neighbourhood to ascertain the activities inside.

Instead of whining about computerised gambling dens, Persatuan Pemilik Pusat Cyber Selangor has been conducting a free IT training programme, “Celik IT Selangor”, since January to reach out to the public.

Hundreds of adults above 35 have been brought into cybercafes and taught Internet applications like e-mail, google, and YouTube.

Many never operated a mouse or keyboard before.

Since January 2007, the Selangor government has applied a blanket freeze on the issuance of new cybercafe licences to tackle the problem of computerised gambling dens.

The ruling however impeded the growth of genuine cybercafes while computerised gambling dens continued to prosper.

And now genuine cybercafe operators like us have become the minority.

Most cybercafe customers do not own a PC or have Internet connection at home.

We wonder why cybercafes have to close by midnight while karaoke, snooker centres, cinemas, discos, bars, coffeehouses, hawker centres, futsal centres, fast-food outlets and even Mat Rempits can carry on with their activities till the early hours?

We urge the Government to lift the freeze and make necessary changes to the by-laws to steer the cybercafe industry forward.

Our recommendations include increasing the barrier to entry; displaying prominent public notices; and having a more transparent cybercafe operation.

On the other hand, the police must carry out joint operations with local councils, TNB and TM Net to weed out the gambling dens. The public can play a part by gathering information and informing the police.

IR FRANK NG,

Deputy President,

Persatuan Pemilik Pusat Cyber Selangor.

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — Nick Saban didn’t pull punches Wednesday when discussing the improper contact with athletes by unscrupulous agents, comparing their behavior to that of a “pimp.”

The Alabama coach was upset about the rash of recent agent-related incidents that have resulted in NCAA investigations at several Southeastern Conference schools.

“I don’t think it’s anything but greed that’s creating it right now on behalf of the agents,” Saban said in a rant at the SEC media days. “The agents that do this — and I hate to say this, but how are they any better than a pimp?

“I have no respect for people who do that to young people. None. How would you feel if they did it to your child?”

Agents, not national titles, was the primary topic on Day 1 at the Wynfrey Hotel. Three SEC teams — Florida, Alabama and South Carolina — are investigating allegations involving improper contact with an agent. Saban and SEC commissioner Mike Slive both emphatically said it was time for a change to NCAA rules governing agents.

Saban confirmed that Alabama is looking into a trip defensive end Marcell Dareus took to an agent’s party at Miami’s South Beach. South Carolina is looking into claims from the same South Beach party with tight end Weslye Saunders.

Georgia associate athletic director Claude Felton confirmed that the NCAA requested permission late Wednesday afternoon to conduct an inquiry on the Bulldogs’ campus. He would not say what the inquiry was about or whether it was related to the South Beach party. “This is all we can say,” Felton said.

Florida and the NCAA are reportedly investigating whether offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey — now an NFL rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers received $100,000 from a sports agent’s representative between the SEC championship game and the Sugar Bowl.

Pouncey denied the allegation.

“I did not accept $100,000, it is an absolutely ridiculous claim,” he said in a statement through his attorney. “I have completely cooperated with the investigation and answered any and all questions put to me.”

Florida coach Urban Meyer said the Gators support Pouncey.

“If something happened, we should be punished severely,” Meyer said. “If it didn’t happen, then it’s nonsense. I heard his denial today and we stand by Maurkice Pouncey.”

The player’s twin brother, Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey, said they have both cooperated with investigators.

“I talked to my brother and it’s not true,” Mike Pouncey said. “He pretty much cleared that up in his statement. I feel bad about it because they’re ruining somebody’s name and they really don’t know who my brother and I are. We pride ourselves on having a good, clean name. It’s just hard right now.

“I’m just ready to be done with it.”

Saban said he wants the NFL Players Association to get involved and suspend agents whose dealings help cost players eligibility, sending a message through their bank accounts.

“That’s the only way we’re going to stop this happening, because it’s ridiculous and it’s entrapment for young people at a very difficult time in their life,” the former Miami Dolphins coach said. “It’s very difficult for the NCAA to control it, and it’s very unfair to college football.

“I think we should look into doing something about that.”

Florida coach Urban Meyer said it’s impossible for a coach to keep agents or their “runners” off campus and said they need to be “severely punished” by either state laws or the NFL for wrongdoing.

“It’s epidemic right now,” he said. “It’s always been there, but I think we’ve reached a point where the magnitude of college football is really overwhelming. We’ve really got to keep an eye on that.”

The NFL itself, though, seems unlikely to get involved. Told of Meyer’s comments, league spokesman Greg Aiello noted in an e-mail exchange with The Associated Press: “The agents are regulated by the union.”

Asked whether the NFL might prod the NFLPA on the matter, Aiello wrote: “The union’s comments make clear that no encouragement is necessary.”

NFLPA assistant executive director George Atallah wrote in an e-mail to the AP: “We take violations of NFLPA rules by agents seriously and investigate them vigilantly. This situation is no different.”

Atallah’s boss, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, voiced an even stronger stance in an appearance on ESPN radio earlier Wednesday — before Saban’s remarks.

“I think that any agent or contract adviser who does that, and preys upon kids like that in college, is something that we’re going to deal with extremely aggressively,” Smith said. “Frankly, God help those agents if they’re found to be in violation, because I’ve given our players … the green light to take the most aggressive steps that they want to take.

“If those steps include me or someone else in our office making a criminal referral under certain circumstances, that’s what we’ll do.”

Slive said he wanted the NCAA to change its philosophy for dealing with agents from one based on rules enforcement to a policy that is more oriented toward educating student-athletes.

He said the current NCAA rules “may be as much part of the problem as they are the solution.”

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Rachel Newman-Baker, the NCAA’s director of agent, gambling and amateurism, said the governing body is reviewing its policies, but pointed out that schools can “change or amend the agent rules through the normal legislative process.”

The statement said, “NCAA rules allow conversations and information gathering between agents and student-athletes, but agreements and receiving extra benefits are not permitted. The NCAA Division I Amateurism Cabinet, a group of individuals from across membership with representation by 21 conferences, is currently reviewing how the NCAA can continue to help student-athletes gather information about pursuing a career in professional athletics.”

Improper contact with agents is hardly just an SEC issue, and it appears the rest of college football is paying attention.

At Miami, players said Wednesday they’re reminded “constantly” about the rules prohibiting contact with agents. And the investigations that have come out in recent days led to a reiteration of those rules, Hurricanes wide receiver LaRon Byrd said.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Byrd said. “You look at things like that, and I feel like those guys are being selfish, not looking out for the team. That’s something we always instill. It’s all about teamwork here. I would not put my teammates in danger, in jeopardy of losing games or damaging this program because I want to be greedy and take gifts or take things.”

Alabama is among SEC schools who use former NFL executive Joe Mendes to counsel players and families about dealing with agents. Heisman Trophy running back Mark Ingram said Tide players are educated about dealing with agents or their representatives.

“We have a great program in our organization that teaches us how to deal with situations like that,” said Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Mark Ingram, a junior. “Everybody is educated on how to deal with situations and how to approach those situations.

“My focus is on this team and this football season. Anything else is irrelevant.”

Tide junior linebacker Dont’a Hightower said he hasn’t personally been contacted by agents.

“We try to keep away from things like that and not bring it into the team,” Hightower said.

PokerStars has announced the creation of two more tournaments outside of the USA, one in Mexico and the other in the eastern European country of Bulgaria.
Mexico City’s Casino Life del Valle will be the venue for the First National Poker Tournament, an event that is sure to surpass everyone’s expectations. From August 19th to August 22nd, the tournament will start with a maximum of 300 players, who will play until there are but 90 contestants left. The semi finalists advance with the top ten finishers moving on to the August 22nd Grand Final.
The champion of the Grand Final will win $1 million Mexican Pesos and a place at the Latin American Poker Tour Grand Final in Argentina, scheduled  for September 22nd to September 26th.
Initial stacks of 10,000 chips and blinds only lasting a mere thirty minutes a relatively short time because the tournament will be played on electronic poker tables, allowing for faster deals, little wait between hands, and no dealer errors.
Angel Guillen, a PokerStars team professional from Mexico City will be involved in the tournament. Guillen garnered serious attention at the World Series of Poker in 2009 when he finished second in the $2,500 No Limit Hold’em event. Later, he won over 1,533 other players to take his first gold bracelet at the $2,000 No Limit Texas Hold’em event. During those two tournaments he took home $840,000 in prize money.
A few weeks after the Mexican event Varna, Bulgaria, will host the PokerStars Balkan Poker Festival.  
The beautiful Grand Hotel Casino International at the Golden Sands Resort on the shores of the Black Sea will be filled to the rafters from September 2nd  to September 5th by two hundred players competing for as yet unannounced prizes. PokerStars has guaranteed that the winner will take home a European Poker Tour prize package valued at €5,300.

September, 24th 2010 marks the one day event that women who play or work in the online gaming industry should think about attending. The Women in Gaming Networking Event takes place at the Millennium Hotel in London England. The Women in Gaming Networking Event will give an opportunity to those attending to network with other women professionals in the industry, listen to and share their experiences, business expertise and ideas. The conference will include marketing and social media discussions and relevant seminars associated with the gaming industry.
The intense event comes complete with keynote speeches from industry professionals which will be followed by lively discussion and real time examples of various experiences followed by an intensive series of discussions. Speakers hail from international companies such as Income Access, Virgin Games, Foviance, Vegas Affiliates, Melco Crown Entertainment, Tenner & Associates Inc, Ladbrokes, Betfair, Easy Odds and Nokia.
Truly giving attendees a global perspective, the conference will feature presentations from delegates who will offer insight from the European Asian and North American jurisdictions.
A big highlight to event will be the first International Woman in Gaming Awards that will honour exceptional women working in land based and iGaming industry. The inaugural awards will show it is an industry that offers exciting career opportunities for women on both a National and Global scale. This is a great opportunity for employers to recognize the women within their organization and their contribution to the success and growth of the business.
Some of the categories that honour women in the gaming industry are the Hidden Talent of the Year Award, the Star of the Future Award, the Leader of the Year Award, the Team of the Year Award, the Inspiration of the Year Award, the Affiliate Manager of the Year Award, the Innovator of the Year Award, the Industry Pride of the Year Award, and most interesting the Man Championing Women in Business Award.