The new manager at Blackpool's biggest casino has told The Gazette she wants to expand the brand in the resort. G-Casino will also open its doors 24 hours a day at the weekends from tomorrow. Maxine Gibbons took over the South Promenade business three months ago after managing a string of casinos across the North West. But she admits this is the biggest and the best casino she has worked with in her seven years in the trade.

British bookmaking technology company Alphameric swung to a profit in the first half, helped by growth in subscribers for its TurfTV joint venture and an improved performance from Alphameric Solutions. Alphameric on Tuesday posted pretax profit from continuing operations of 4.1 million pounds ($6.6 million) in the six months to end-May, after a loss of 3.0 million pounds in the year-earlier period. Sales rose 17.4 percent to 19.9 million pounds.

An end in sight to the television turf wars in the horseracing industry should see shareholders in Alphameric reaping dividends. Alphameric is the betting-industry technology company that went into battle against the top bookmakers over their SIS monopoly racing coverage showing pictures in the nation's betting shops. With tortuous legal actions now ending, Alphameric claims its rival TurfTV operations, in league with half the country's courses including Ascot, Newmarket, Cheltenham and Aintree, have been installed in 95% of all British bookmakers.

Leisure & Gaming PLC said the overall volume of business increased significantly in the second quarter to end June 2009 over the previous year, reflecting the growth of poker in Italy and business activity in both Cyprus and Greek markets. The online betting and gaming group said amounts wagered rose to €38.5 million in the second quarter from €28.4 million a year earlier. Sports margins in the period were disappointing, however, and Ebitda was lower at €0.2 million from €0.4 million.

Reporting second quarter unaudited results, L&G saw the benefits of continuing diversification of products and territorial reach. A significant year-on-year increase in overall business was frustrated by low sports margins as title contending teams maintained their form to the end of the league campaigns. Financial highlights for Quarter 2; Amounts wagered €38.5m (2008: €28.4m); Net win €5.2m (2008: €5.2m); Net win margin 13.5% (2008: 18.3%); Gross profit €1.2m (2008: €1.3m); Overheads €1.0m (2008: €0.9m); Ebitda €0.2m (2008: €0.4m).

Delaware - When Delaware legalized sports betting and table games this spring, neighboring states began to fight back. But the First State is well positioned. Armed with sports betting -- offered by no other state east of the Mississippi -- and table games, experts say Delaware could become a gambling destination to give Atlantic City a run for its money.

Massachusetts - The proposal for a $1 billion casino resort here has raised interest and issues across Western Massachusetts, but little action in the developer's downtown office.

North Carolina - With the recession in full swing, fewer people are taking chances at the gaming tables, but that is not stopping the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation from moving forward with its $633 million expansion of the Cherokee Casino & Hotel in Cherokee, N.C. Tribal leaders just broke ground on the 532-room hotel segment of the property's massive upgrade.

New Jersey - A program designed to attract big-money gamblers to Freehold Raceway operated illegally and the track should not be allowed to collect a $554,000 debt on bad checks owed by one high roller, according to a lawsuit filed Friday by the gambler.

Kentucky - A key player in the 2008 campaign to add slot machines at Calder Race Course, Kevin Flanery has been named the new president of Churchill Downs racetrack.

Oklahoma - The 29 Oklahoma-based tribes that offer gaming contributed almost $106 million to state coffers during the just-completed fiscal year, according to a report from the Office of State Finance. That is a 23 percent increase over the previous year, when the state received about $81 million from the tribes.

National - Riviera Holdings Corp., owner of the budget-oriented Riviera casinos in Las Vegas and Colorado said this week it missed another interest payment on its $245-million credit agreement

but says it continues to talk with Wachovia regarding a solution.

Atlantic City - As slot machines sound their siren call up and down Atlantic City’s boardwalk, one company is betting that downplaying these noisy casino staples is the seaside city’s key to success. Revel Entertainment LLC is building a $2 billion hotel in Atlantic City, but unlike other gambling meccas, the spotlight will also be on spas and shows, Chief Executive Kevin DeSanctis said in an interview.

Ohio - Gov. Ted Strickland did his part in the great state gambling bargain on Monday, July 13 - issuing a directive to the Ohio Lottery to set up video slot machines at Ohio’s seven horse racing tracks. The slots are officially called Video Lottery Terminals - VLTs. ...Strickland expects the slots to bring in $933 million to the state over the next two years.

California - The public can now read and comment on the environmental impacts of a proposal to build a hotel-casino resort at Point Molate that is expected to draw some 20,000 people to Richmond's waterfront.

and the report;

Kansas - The Kansas City area’s four riverboat casinos reported a 2.5 percent combined revenue decrease in June, driven by Ameristar Casino & Hotel Kansas City’s 11.7 percent revenue decrease, and the casinos’ combined customer count fell less than 1 percent compared with the same month last year, the Missouri Gaming Commission said Friday. The Kansas City market as a whole reported revenue of $57.3 million in June, down from $58.8 million last year. The market had 868,889 customers in June, down from 873,941 last year.

and;

Missouri Gaming Commission Market Analysis for month ended June 30, 2009;

Pennsylvania - A combination of wet weather and the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem opening 40 miles to the south contributed to a nearly 15 percent drop in June revenue for the Mount Airy Casino Resort from the same period in 2008.

Michigan - While the overall gaming market in Detroit saw a 4.2 percent decline in May, Greektown Casino-Hotel bucked the trend once again with a 7.2 percent year-over-year revenue increase for the month. Greektown was the only Detroit casino to see an increase, with MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity seeing a 10.9 percent and 3.6 percent decrease, respectively.

and;

Michigan Gaming Control Board Revenue January to June, 2009;

Nevada - Casino operator Penn National Gaming, one of the Strip's most widely rumored suitors, has applied for a Nevada gaming license after acquiring 1 percent of a small slot machine distributor. The move allows Penn National, which operates 19 casinos and racetracks in regional markets, to gain Nevada licensing approval before buying a Strip casino. The company, which has roughly $1.5 billion in available cash, has been linked since last year to numerous casino acquisition rumors along the Strip.

Las Vegas - Downtown Las Vegas casino owner TLC Casino Enterprises has been sued by another group of landlords alleging it's behind on rent payments for its Four Queens hotel-casino.

Las Vegas - Caesars Palace opened 110,000 square feet of new convention and meeting space Monday in the middle of an economic downturn that has cut local convention attendance to its lowest levels in years. The convention area was part of a $1 billion expansion project of Caesars Palace that boosts the property's total meeting space to 320,000 square feet.

Las Vegas - The district attorney’s office has filed a criminal complaint against former NBA all-star Antoine Walker alleging he failed to pay back $822,500 in gambling debts at three Las Vegas casinos.

International - George Michael Lee, Duc Cong Nguyen, Hop Nguyen and Tien Duc Vu were sentenced today in San Diego for their roles in a scheme by the "Tran Organization" to cheat casinos across the United States and Canada.

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Ukraine - As Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said today during her meeting with representatives of the All-Ukraine Council of Churches, enactment of the law prohibiting gambling business has drawn some of those businesses into shadow.

International - Jenny Owen, of Citigroup, estimates Crown has spent $A857m in cash since early December 2007. Asset write-downs have essentially made those funds disappear. However, Owen estimates the potential for the write-downs to continue is beginning to decline.

Canada - A total of 70 new full and part-time jobs will be created with the planned expansion of OLG Slots at Ajax Downs. The construction project will soon begin and will include the installation of 544 new slot machines that will create jobs and revenue to benefit the municipality of Ajax.

Canada - ...In late March, 2009 more than one hundred delegates arrived at The Banff Centre

in Banff, Alberta to participate in the Institute’s Eighth Annual Conference. The theme

of this year’s conference was Internet gambling and, over the course of two days,

attendees heard presentations from a distinguished roster of academics and government

officials from around the globe.

International - A Sydney floor tiler is well placed to pocket $US8 million ($A10.2 million) in the world's biggest poker tournament. Charlie Elias, 26, only took up poker three years ago after seeing it played at his local club, Revesby Workers. The Australia Poker League sent Mr Elias -

along with 23 others - as TeamAPL to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, which has a prize pool of $US61 million.

International - Experian((R)) CheetahMail((R)), a global leading provider of e-mail marketing and customer intelligence technologies, today announced that it has been selected by global brand leader Las Vegas Sands Corp. to increase the relevancy and success of its e-mail marketing campaigns.

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