PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man Online Casino Award
PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".
PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.
The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com
The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".
The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.
PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.
The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Rambo, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.
The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.
PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Melon Madness, SlotBox, Rubik's Slot, Beat The Bank, Sands Of Fortune, Tarzan, High Noon and Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 3 months. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.
PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
30 March 2010
PartyCasino New Games: Rubiks Slot, Slotbox, Sands Of Fortune, Beat the Bank and more - March 2010
PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com Releases New Games
Rubiks Slot, Slotbox, Sands Of Fortune, Beat the Bank and more
Multi currency
Multi language
24/7/365 support
Multi-time award winning casino
Australian, European, South African, South African players welcome.
Up to $500 bonus for new players via PartyCasino.com
PartyGaming has also recently launched WPTCasino.com which also carries many new game titles and is currently offering up to $600 welcome bonus for new players.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
WPTCasino.com
WPT.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBets.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyGammon.com
Rubiks Slot, Slotbox, Sands Of Fortune, Beat the Bank and more
Multi currency
Multi language
24/7/365 support
Multi-time award winning casino
Australian, European, South African, South African players welcome.
Up to $500 bonus for new players via PartyCasino.com
PartyGaming has also recently launched WPTCasino.com which also carries many new game titles and is currently offering up to $600 welcome bonus for new players.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
WPTCasino.com
WPT.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBets.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyGammon.com
PartyPoker Introduces The Inaugural Online Cash Game Championships (OCGC); Action Starts 5th April 2010
PartyPoker.com Introduces The Inaugural Online Cash Game Championships (OCGC); Action Starts 5th April 2010
Gibraltar – 29th March 2010 – PartyPoker.com is delighted to give notice that in April they will be hosting the inaugural Online Cash Game Championships (OCGC). This will be the world’s first online cash game championships and shuffle up and deal is called on the 5th April.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "We are very excited about this online poker first! Anyone can claim the crown: you don’t have to be a regular at the high-stakes tables. It’s a long, hard road to victory with $250,000 waiting to be won, the tables are sure to be packed this April. But, when the dust has settled, only the most skillful cash players will take the plaudits."
The competition is divided into seven levels. At each level, players will need to play 400 hands in a day with the most profitable players advancing towards the final table which takes place on 7th May. As the participants progress through the levels, cash prizes will be added and both the stakes and the quality of the opposition will increase. The first stage of this epic challenge runs from 5th to 9th April on PartyPoker.com’s $0.50/$1 no-limit hold’em cash tables.
Please note that customers have to opt in to take part in the Online Cash Game Championships. Players have to opt in before the end of level one (5-9th April).
See: Partypoker.com for more information and schedules
Profiles
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyCasino.com
Poker
Casino
Online Casino
Online Poker
PartyGaming
Gibraltar – 29th March 2010 – PartyPoker.com is delighted to give notice that in April they will be hosting the inaugural Online Cash Game Championships (OCGC). This will be the world’s first online cash game championships and shuffle up and deal is called on the 5th April.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "We are very excited about this online poker first! Anyone can claim the crown: you don’t have to be a regular at the high-stakes tables. It’s a long, hard road to victory with $250,000 waiting to be won, the tables are sure to be packed this April. But, when the dust has settled, only the most skillful cash players will take the plaudits."
The competition is divided into seven levels. At each level, players will need to play 400 hands in a day with the most profitable players advancing towards the final table which takes place on 7th May. As the participants progress through the levels, cash prizes will be added and both the stakes and the quality of the opposition will increase. The first stage of this epic challenge runs from 5th to 9th April on PartyPoker.com’s $0.50/$1 no-limit hold’em cash tables.
Please note that customers have to opt in to take part in the Online Cash Game Championships. Players have to opt in before the end of level one (5-9th April).
See: Partypoker.com for more information and schedules
Profiles
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyCasino.com
Poker
Casino
Online Casino
Online Poker
PartyGaming
29 March 2010
Crown Casino Gets New Gulfstream Jet for VIPs
Think Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Macau get all the casino high rollers and VIP's? Think again, enter James Packer's Crown Casino, which is about to further live up to its 'World Of Entertainment' tag, thanks to a new Gulfstream jet and massive casino makeover, VIP style.
Media Man and Gambling911 investigate...
Crown Casino in the beautiful city of Melbourne, Australia, will soon purchase a $30 million new Gulfstream jet and greatly expand its VIP gambling areas in a move to counter competition from luxury casinos opening in the greater Asia Pacific region.
We reckon he's been speaking to aviation and lifestyle king of the world Richard Branson, who caught up with "Our James" last year at the Australian Grand Prix.
We understand Bodog's Calvin Ayre has been trying to give Packer and Branson a bit of a run for their money, but "C" seems too busy with online ventures, race tracks, coffee and babes, than to be a serious threat, and long time Packer family connection Damian Aspinall, has been very quite of late, no longer doing the social rounds with Australia's Elle "The Body" MacPherson.
Down to business...
The Crown $212 million upgrade will include the transformation of the 'presidential villa' on level 39 of Crown Towers into a VIP gambling area. Crown's Mahogany Room will also be expanded by 50 per cent, with 16 additional gaming tables. This is some of the action anti gambling campaigners were making all the fuss about last year including "sweetheart deal" allegations, and all sorts of innuendo.
The extra greens are legally permitted under an official deal the Victorian government inked with Crown last year, allowing Crown an extra 150 gambling tables in exchange for much needs extra tax revenue. The money's got to come from somewhere!
The CEO of Crown, David Courtney, advised press under the refurbishment there would be no increase in the smoking area at Crown, which just happens to have a lock on being the only licensed venue in Victoria where smoking indoors is permitted. We learned that no gambling facilities at Crown's new Metropol hotel, to be opened in April.
Mr Courtney said it was vital that Crown provide a premium attraction for its VIP gamblers, including free tickets to big events, high-quality food and accommodation. He said Crown's international business contributed $400 million, or 30 per cent of the casino's revenue. It's estimated that last years Tiger Woods visit alone brought in at least $10 million
"Over the past 18 months we have grown our international business by over 50 per cent. Competition for the high-end gaming customer is intense. To protect our existing business and to position us for growth, Crown will embark on a $212 million upgrade of its premium facilities" Mr Courtney emphasised.
"As part of this program, Crown will acquire a long range G5 Gulfstream jet. It is being custom-fitted out at the moment to the highest standards and will sleep nine people.
"That brings our total jets owned by Crown to three. (A jet) is now an expectation of the very top end customers, and so we do need to satisfy the demand of those customers.".
Packer's national competition on the Gold Coast, Conrad Jupiters, has recently upgraded their poker room in somewhat of a counter strategy in a 'art of war' type maneuver, but we reckon nothing beats the strategic alliances and friendships that the Packer empire has built over the years. From Macau to the land down under, James Packer's Billionaire Inc has all the action covered.
We wish management and punters good luck at the casino, and above all else, keep it fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
*Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company, covering over a dozen industry sectors, gaming included
Media Man and Gambling911 investigate...
Crown Casino in the beautiful city of Melbourne, Australia, will soon purchase a $30 million new Gulfstream jet and greatly expand its VIP gambling areas in a move to counter competition from luxury casinos opening in the greater Asia Pacific region.
We reckon he's been speaking to aviation and lifestyle king of the world Richard Branson, who caught up with "Our James" last year at the Australian Grand Prix.
We understand Bodog's Calvin Ayre has been trying to give Packer and Branson a bit of a run for their money, but "C" seems too busy with online ventures, race tracks, coffee and babes, than to be a serious threat, and long time Packer family connection Damian Aspinall, has been very quite of late, no longer doing the social rounds with Australia's Elle "The Body" MacPherson.
Down to business...
The Crown $212 million upgrade will include the transformation of the 'presidential villa' on level 39 of Crown Towers into a VIP gambling area. Crown's Mahogany Room will also be expanded by 50 per cent, with 16 additional gaming tables. This is some of the action anti gambling campaigners were making all the fuss about last year including "sweetheart deal" allegations, and all sorts of innuendo.
The extra greens are legally permitted under an official deal the Victorian government inked with Crown last year, allowing Crown an extra 150 gambling tables in exchange for much needs extra tax revenue. The money's got to come from somewhere!
The CEO of Crown, David Courtney, advised press under the refurbishment there would be no increase in the smoking area at Crown, which just happens to have a lock on being the only licensed venue in Victoria where smoking indoors is permitted. We learned that no gambling facilities at Crown's new Metropol hotel, to be opened in April.
Mr Courtney said it was vital that Crown provide a premium attraction for its VIP gamblers, including free tickets to big events, high-quality food and accommodation. He said Crown's international business contributed $400 million, or 30 per cent of the casino's revenue. It's estimated that last years Tiger Woods visit alone brought in at least $10 million
"Over the past 18 months we have grown our international business by over 50 per cent. Competition for the high-end gaming customer is intense. To protect our existing business and to position us for growth, Crown will embark on a $212 million upgrade of its premium facilities" Mr Courtney emphasised.
"As part of this program, Crown will acquire a long range G5 Gulfstream jet. It is being custom-fitted out at the moment to the highest standards and will sleep nine people.
"That brings our total jets owned by Crown to three. (A jet) is now an expectation of the very top end customers, and so we do need to satisfy the demand of those customers.".
Packer's national competition on the Gold Coast, Conrad Jupiters, has recently upgraded their poker room in somewhat of a counter strategy in a 'art of war' type maneuver, but we reckon nothing beats the strategic alliances and friendships that the Packer empire has built over the years. From Macau to the land down under, James Packer's Billionaire Inc has all the action covered.
We wish management and punters good luck at the casino, and above all else, keep it fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
*Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company, covering over a dozen industry sectors, gaming included
Obama Administration Against Australia Internet Filter
In a story widely covered by Gambling911.com and special correspondent Greg Tingle of Media Man Int., Senator Stephen Conroy, who is Australia's acting Communications Minister, is looking to move forward with attempts at censoring thousands of Internet websites including those related to online gambling.
"The Rudd Government's controversial internet filter legislation, with add on ‘blacklist' on the side, is still being drafted and is unlikely to be debated in parliament until at the middle of June and might be pushed back even further," Tingle says. "Internet lovers, gamers, media - journalists, entrepreneurs and lovers or freedom of expression have been rejoicing and see the latest development as a victory of sorts in the internet control ‘war'."
And now it appears, US President Barack Obama has entered the fray, expressing discontent over Conroy's filtering frenzy.
David Olsen of Dynamic Business Worldwide:
"Coming off the back of Google's announcement they are no longer censoring their Chinese search engine, officials from Obama's State Department are mounting a diplomatic assault on internet censorship worldwide."
US State Department spokesman Noel Clay raised concerns about the proposed Internet filter.
"The US and Australia are close partners on issues related to cyber matters generally, including national security and economic issues," Mr Clay said.
"We do not discuss the details of specific diplomatic exchanges, but can say that in the context of that ongoing relationship, we have raised our concerns on this matter with Australian officials."
Conroy's ‘black list' had been leaked last year and included everything from a dentist's website to the online betting exchange Betfair, which operates legally in Australia.
Just last week, Google announced it will no longer be censoring its Chinese website. Google has been highly critical of the Australian Internet filtering proposal.
"Our primary concern is that the scope of content to be filtered is too wide," Google wrote in its submission, also suggesting the filter would slow browsing speeds.
"Some limits, like child pornography, are obvious. No Australian wants that to be available-and we agree," the Google submission said. "But moving to a mandatory ISP level filtering regime with a scope that goes well beyond such material is heavy-handed and can raise genuine questions about restrictions on access to information."
"The Rudd Government's controversial internet filter legislation, with add on ‘blacklist' on the side, is still being drafted and is unlikely to be debated in parliament until at the middle of June and might be pushed back even further," Tingle says. "Internet lovers, gamers, media - journalists, entrepreneurs and lovers or freedom of expression have been rejoicing and see the latest development as a victory of sorts in the internet control ‘war'."
And now it appears, US President Barack Obama has entered the fray, expressing discontent over Conroy's filtering frenzy.
David Olsen of Dynamic Business Worldwide:
"Coming off the back of Google's announcement they are no longer censoring their Chinese search engine, officials from Obama's State Department are mounting a diplomatic assault on internet censorship worldwide."
US State Department spokesman Noel Clay raised concerns about the proposed Internet filter.
"The US and Australia are close partners on issues related to cyber matters generally, including national security and economic issues," Mr Clay said.
"We do not discuss the details of specific diplomatic exchanges, but can say that in the context of that ongoing relationship, we have raised our concerns on this matter with Australian officials."
Conroy's ‘black list' had been leaked last year and included everything from a dentist's website to the online betting exchange Betfair, which operates legally in Australia.
Just last week, Google announced it will no longer be censoring its Chinese website. Google has been highly critical of the Australian Internet filtering proposal.
"Our primary concern is that the scope of content to be filtered is too wide," Google wrote in its submission, also suggesting the filter would slow browsing speeds.
"Some limits, like child pornography, are obvious. No Australian wants that to be available-and we agree," the Google submission said. "But moving to a mandatory ISP level filtering regime with a scope that goes well beyond such material is heavy-handed and can raise genuine questions about restrictions on access to information."
Packer's Aussie Crown Gets Gulfstream Jet For VIPs, by Greg Tingle - 29th March 2010
Think Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Macau get all the casino high rollers and VIP's? Think again, enter James Packer's Crown Casino, which is about to further live up to its 'World Of Entertainment' tag, thanks to a new Gulfstream jet and massive casino makeover, VIP style.
Media Man and Gambling911 investigate...
Crown Casino in the beautiful city of Melbourne, Australia, will soon purchase a $30 million new Gulfstream jet and greatly expand its VIP gambling areas in a move to counter competition from luxury casinos opening in the greater Asia Pacific region.
We reckon he's been speaking to aviation and lifestyle king of the world Richard Branson, who caught up with "Our James" last year at the Australian Grand Prix.
We understand Bodog's Calvin Ayre has been trying to give Packer and Branson a bit of a run for their money, but "C" seems too busy with online ventures, race tracks, coffee and babes, than to be a serious threat, and long time Packer family connection Damian Aspinall, has been very quite of late, no longer doing the social rounds with Australia's Elle "The Body" MacPherson.
Down to business...
The Crown $212 million upgrade will include the transformation of the 'presidential villa' on level 39 of Crown Towers into a VIP gambling area. Crown's Mahogany Room will also be expanded by 50 per cent, with 16 additional gaming tables. This is some of the action anti gambling campaigners were making all the fuss about last year including "sweetheart deal" allegations, and all sorts of innuendo.
The extra greens are legally permitted under an official deal the Victorian government inked with Crown last year, allowing Crown an extra 150 gambling tables in exchange for much needs extra tax revenue. The money's got to come from somewhere!
The CEO of Crown, David Courtney, advised press under the refurbishment there would be no increase in the smoking area at Crown, which just happens to have a lock on being the only licensed venue in Victoria where smoking indoors is permitted. We learned that no gambling facilities at Crown's new Metropol hotel, to be opened in April.
Mr Courtney said it was vital that Crown provide a premium attraction for its VIP gamblers, including free tickets to big events, high-quality food and accommodation. He said Crown's international business contributed $400 million, or 30 per cent of the casino's revenue. It's estimated that last years Tiger Woods visit alone brought in at least $10 million
"Over the past 18 months we have grown our international business by over 50 per cent. Competition for the high-end gaming customer is intense. To protect our existing business and to position us for growth, Crown will embark on a $212 million upgrade of its premium facilities" Mr Courtney emphasised.
"As part of this program, Crown will acquire a long range G5 Gulfstream jet. It is being custom-fitted out at the moment to the highest standards and will sleep nine people.
"That brings our total jets owned by Crown to three. (A jet) is now an expectation of the very top end customers, and so we do need to satisfy the demand of those customers.".
Packer's national competition on the Gold Coast, Conrad Jupiters, has recently upgraded their poker room in somewhat of a counter strategy in a "art of war' type maneuver, but we reckon nothing beats the strategic alliances and friendships that the Packer empire has built over the years. From Macau to the land down under, James Packer's Billionaire Inc has all the action covered.
We wish management and punters good luck at the casino, and above all else, keep it fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
*Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company, covering over a dozen industry sectors, gaming included
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Casino News Media.net
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Australian Casinos
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Global Gaming Directory.net
Media Man and Gambling911 investigate...
Crown Casino in the beautiful city of Melbourne, Australia, will soon purchase a $30 million new Gulfstream jet and greatly expand its VIP gambling areas in a move to counter competition from luxury casinos opening in the greater Asia Pacific region.
We reckon he's been speaking to aviation and lifestyle king of the world Richard Branson, who caught up with "Our James" last year at the Australian Grand Prix.
We understand Bodog's Calvin Ayre has been trying to give Packer and Branson a bit of a run for their money, but "C" seems too busy with online ventures, race tracks, coffee and babes, than to be a serious threat, and long time Packer family connection Damian Aspinall, has been very quite of late, no longer doing the social rounds with Australia's Elle "The Body" MacPherson.
Down to business...
The Crown $212 million upgrade will include the transformation of the 'presidential villa' on level 39 of Crown Towers into a VIP gambling area. Crown's Mahogany Room will also be expanded by 50 per cent, with 16 additional gaming tables. This is some of the action anti gambling campaigners were making all the fuss about last year including "sweetheart deal" allegations, and all sorts of innuendo.
The extra greens are legally permitted under an official deal the Victorian government inked with Crown last year, allowing Crown an extra 150 gambling tables in exchange for much needs extra tax revenue. The money's got to come from somewhere!
The CEO of Crown, David Courtney, advised press under the refurbishment there would be no increase in the smoking area at Crown, which just happens to have a lock on being the only licensed venue in Victoria where smoking indoors is permitted. We learned that no gambling facilities at Crown's new Metropol hotel, to be opened in April.
Mr Courtney said it was vital that Crown provide a premium attraction for its VIP gamblers, including free tickets to big events, high-quality food and accommodation. He said Crown's international business contributed $400 million, or 30 per cent of the casino's revenue. It's estimated that last years Tiger Woods visit alone brought in at least $10 million
"Over the past 18 months we have grown our international business by over 50 per cent. Competition for the high-end gaming customer is intense. To protect our existing business and to position us for growth, Crown will embark on a $212 million upgrade of its premium facilities" Mr Courtney emphasised.
"As part of this program, Crown will acquire a long range G5 Gulfstream jet. It is being custom-fitted out at the moment to the highest standards and will sleep nine people.
"That brings our total jets owned by Crown to three. (A jet) is now an expectation of the very top end customers, and so we do need to satisfy the demand of those customers.".
Packer's national competition on the Gold Coast, Conrad Jupiters, has recently upgraded their poker room in somewhat of a counter strategy in a "art of war' type maneuver, but we reckon nothing beats the strategic alliances and friendships that the Packer empire has built over the years. From Macau to the land down under, James Packer's Billionaire Inc has all the action covered.
We wish management and punters good luck at the casino, and above all else, keep it fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
*Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company, covering over a dozen industry sectors, gaming included
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Casino News Media
Casino News Media.net
Australian Casino News
Australian Casinos
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
28 March 2010
PartyCasino delivers the best in online casino entertainment; Cleopatra, Rambo, Sinatra, Call Of Duty 4, Classic Slots, Marvel, Table Games and more
PartyCasino.com continues to deliver the best that the online gaming world has to offer.
The company is maintaining its top position in Asia Pacific and Europe and has released more world class slot games and "Avatar" type technology is on the way.
PartyGaming and in particular, its PartyCasino.com are on a roll.
Under the leadership of CEO Jim Ryan, PartyGaming is maintaining its darling status in the news media and gaming world. Quite an accomplishment since the days when they pulled out of the U.S market.
PartyGaming's leading brands, PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com continue to release new features that satisfy their existing clients, in addition to seeing new clients and partners come on board.
They have also built upon the world famous World Poker Tour brand with WPTCasino.com and WPTPoker.com, offering up to $600 bonus for new players.
Some of the key strengths of PartyGaming and its brands include:
Listed on the London Stock Exchange
Branded slot games that can be played for free or played for money. Rambo by StudioCanal, Sinatra by Frank Sinatra Enterprises, Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Cleopatra by IGT, Monopoly and Cluedo by Hasbro, Mission: Impossible, Top Gun, The Naked Gun, Saturday Night Fever and High Noon by Paramount Pictures, Resident Evil by Capcom and Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, The Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four by Marvel Entertainment, Call Of Duty 4 by Activision, King Kong by Universal Studios, The Terminator and Gone With The Wind by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and so the list goes on. As Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee says, "Excelsior!".
PartyGaming also have their own in house game development team entitled 'The Games Studio', that works in collaboration with their business partners.
New technologies have enabled PartyCasino.com to offer "Live Dealer", in collaboration with EvolutionGaming and "Single Wallet" sees players only having to have one account with PartyGaming even if they choose to play a number of games in the portfolio, from slots, to poker, backgammon, sports betting, bingo et al.
The company has ramped up activities and campaigns across the global from Channel Five in Europe, to business deals with Dutch lottery operators and London Capital Group, PMU in France, all the way down to Australia where world class poker player, Stewart Scott is the regions brand ambassador for PartyPoker.com
Government b2b dealings - PartyGaming announced an exclusive, five-year agreement to provide an online gaming platform for poker and casino games in Denmark for Danske Spil A/S (‘Danske Spil’). Danske Spil is controlled by the Danish Government. PartyGaming earlier this week announced a multi year deal with France gaming and racing operator Pari-Mutuel Urbain.
Industry Awards and Commendations: PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com are multi-time award winners of the Media Man - Casino News Media - Global Gaming Directory "Online Casino of the Month" and all entities have also won a range of annual awards handed out by the well respected eGaming Review.
Exclusives - branded slots, Live Dealer, PartyPoints, Palladium Lounge, Single Wallet and more.
For these reasons and more, if you like games, be it playing for free and fun or playing for money, PartyGaming more than likely has a game for you. Numerous multi language and multi currency options are also available, and the customer service is second to none. Don't just play the game, be the game and feel it at PartyCasino.com
PartyGaming Plc is the world’s leading listed online gaming company. The Group is a constituent of the FTSE 250 share index with its shares listed on The London Stock Exchange under the ticker: PRTY.
*The writer has a b2b relationship with PartyGaming and a number of its brands, as they do with dozens of companies in the gaming and igaming world.
The company is maintaining its top position in Asia Pacific and Europe and has released more world class slot games and "Avatar" type technology is on the way.
PartyGaming and in particular, its PartyCasino.com are on a roll.
Under the leadership of CEO Jim Ryan, PartyGaming is maintaining its darling status in the news media and gaming world. Quite an accomplishment since the days when they pulled out of the U.S market.
PartyGaming's leading brands, PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com continue to release new features that satisfy their existing clients, in addition to seeing new clients and partners come on board.
They have also built upon the world famous World Poker Tour brand with WPTCasino.com and WPTPoker.com, offering up to $600 bonus for new players.
Some of the key strengths of PartyGaming and its brands include:
Listed on the London Stock Exchange
Branded slot games that can be played for free or played for money. Rambo by StudioCanal, Sinatra by Frank Sinatra Enterprises, Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Cleopatra by IGT, Monopoly and Cluedo by Hasbro, Mission: Impossible, Top Gun, The Naked Gun, Saturday Night Fever and High Noon by Paramount Pictures, Resident Evil by Capcom and Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, The Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four by Marvel Entertainment, Call Of Duty 4 by Activision, King Kong by Universal Studios, The Terminator and Gone With The Wind by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and so the list goes on. As Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee says, "Excelsior!".
PartyGaming also have their own in house game development team entitled 'The Games Studio', that works in collaboration with their business partners.
New technologies have enabled PartyCasino.com to offer "Live Dealer", in collaboration with EvolutionGaming and "Single Wallet" sees players only having to have one account with PartyGaming even if they choose to play a number of games in the portfolio, from slots, to poker, backgammon, sports betting, bingo et al.
The company has ramped up activities and campaigns across the global from Channel Five in Europe, to business deals with Dutch lottery operators and London Capital Group, PMU in France, all the way down to Australia where world class poker player, Stewart Scott is the regions brand ambassador for PartyPoker.com
Government b2b dealings - PartyGaming announced an exclusive, five-year agreement to provide an online gaming platform for poker and casino games in Denmark for Danske Spil A/S (‘Danske Spil’). Danske Spil is controlled by the Danish Government. PartyGaming earlier this week announced a multi year deal with France gaming and racing operator Pari-Mutuel Urbain.
Industry Awards and Commendations: PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com are multi-time award winners of the Media Man - Casino News Media - Global Gaming Directory "Online Casino of the Month" and all entities have also won a range of annual awards handed out by the well respected eGaming Review.
Exclusives - branded slots, Live Dealer, PartyPoints, Palladium Lounge, Single Wallet and more.
For these reasons and more, if you like games, be it playing for free and fun or playing for money, PartyGaming more than likely has a game for you. Numerous multi language and multi currency options are also available, and the customer service is second to none. Don't just play the game, be the game and feel it at PartyCasino.com
PartyGaming Plc is the world’s leading listed online gaming company. The Group is a constituent of the FTSE 250 share index with its shares listed on The London Stock Exchange under the ticker: PRTY.
*The writer has a b2b relationship with PartyGaming and a number of its brands, as they do with dozens of companies in the gaming and igaming world.
PartyGaming Eyes French With PMU Deal; Global Strategy Sees Punters And Government's Win, by Greg Tingle - 27th March 2010
Websites
PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com WPTCasino.com WPTPoker.com PartyBingo.com PartyGammon.com PartyBets.com
PartyGaming is aiming to take advantage of the newly regulated online gambling market opening up in France by inking a deal with Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) to provide an online poker offering to the French horse racing betting group.
The deal which is understood to be similar to b2b agreements PartyGaming has signed in Italy and Denmark, enables the company to operate its world famous PartyPoker website – provided it wins a licence in the regulated market – as well as power PMU’s poker offering.
Players on both sites will be brought into one poker liquidity pool.
Jim Ryan, PartyGaming’s chief executive, said the company intended to strike other B2B poker deals in France. "The objective is to have the largest poker liquidity pool in France," he said.
PartyGaming declined to disclose terms of the deal. PMU, which has signed up Paddy Power as its partner in sports betting, last year made turnover of €9.3bn and has 6.5m customers.
Wyn Ellis, analyst with Numis, advised the deal could add £5m to 2011 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. "Party has a scale that has allowed it put people and resources into multiple markets to allow it to exploit the changing regulatory environment," Mr Ellis said.
Burt Paul Leyland of Collins Stewart said while the deal would give Party a leading place in the French market, it would not obviously drive revenue.
PartyGaming would have to absorb the loss of revenues coming out of France in the unregulated market, he said, adding that, given the proposed tax rates in the new regime, "Party could easily still be a net loser".
Ryan remains upbeat and positive, emphasising revenues coming out of France were small and that the opportunity for PartyGaming to advertise in France was crucial. "I don’t share the view that we can expect ebit margins to shrink," he said.
France plans to open the new market in time for the start of the World Cup in June. Under the new regime, the PMU is protected by regulations that require bets on horse racing to be pari-mutuel, but fixed-odds betting is allowed on sports.
PartyGaming's global strategy continues to take shape. A return to the United States this year, or next, would likely be the firms jackpot, however they continue to make progress in many regions. Other countries that Party are keen to expand into include Australia, India and South America.
The company's amicable settlement with the U.S Government last year, exceeding $100m, is tangible proof of financial stability and willingness to go the extra mile as to adapt to the market, while satisfying crucial legal requirements. Party's financial strength and positive result for the United States coffers has not gone unnoticed by Government bean counters across the globe. Clearly Party have far greater resources and experience than most of their would be competitors. Mainstream brands Virgin (Games) and Sega are also looking to expand internationally, but in the case of Virgin its more of a non gambling product push. In the eyes of most media and gaming analysts, PartyGaming is way ahead of the pack, with only Harrah's Entertainment giving them a real run for their money in the U.S.
Ryan sees a number of mergers and acquisitions on the cards. Industry buzz of late is that Party may be about to secure a deal with a major Canadian based poker tour brand, and such a deal would add to Party's poker tour portfolio headed up by the World Poker Tour.
"With some acquisitions and major B2B deals already under our belt, we plan to do more in 2010 and I believe we are on course to meet our objective of becoming the world's most valuable online gaming company."
PartyCasino.com remains a big hit for Party and its customers, with Hollywood branded games such as the Sinatra slot, Rambo, The Terminator, Mission: Impossible and Saturday Night Fever enjoying record popularity. The deal with Marvel Entertainment also continues to serve Party, its partners and customers well, and let us not forget upcoming Marvel films, Thor and Spider-Man, that will further propel the Hollywood themed games.
Party is also utilizing the strength of other world class non gaming brands to stand out from the pack. This month PartyCasino players have a chance to win a Porsche playing slot games, a promotion most other competitors would die for.
Australians can currently play virtually all PartyGaming brands including PartyCasino.com, PartyPoker.com, WPTCasino.com, WPTPoker.com, PartyBingo.com, PartyGammon.com and PartyBets.com
Shares in PartyGaming rose ½p to finish at 329.3p on Friday.
*The writer has a b2b agreement with a number of PartyGaming brands, as they do with dozens of companies in the gaming, media and entertainment sector.
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PartyGaming is aiming to take advantage of the newly regulated online gambling market opening up in France by inking a deal with Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) to provide an online poker offering to the French horse racing betting group.
The deal which is understood to be similar to b2b agreements PartyGaming has signed in Italy and Denmark, enables the company to operate its world famous PartyPoker website – provided it wins a licence in the regulated market – as well as power PMU’s poker offering.
Players on both sites will be brought into one poker liquidity pool.
Jim Ryan, PartyGaming’s chief executive, said the company intended to strike other B2B poker deals in France. "The objective is to have the largest poker liquidity pool in France," he said.
PartyGaming declined to disclose terms of the deal. PMU, which has signed up Paddy Power as its partner in sports betting, last year made turnover of €9.3bn and has 6.5m customers.
Wyn Ellis, analyst with Numis, advised the deal could add £5m to 2011 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. "Party has a scale that has allowed it put people and resources into multiple markets to allow it to exploit the changing regulatory environment," Mr Ellis said.
Burt Paul Leyland of Collins Stewart said while the deal would give Party a leading place in the French market, it would not obviously drive revenue.
PartyGaming would have to absorb the loss of revenues coming out of France in the unregulated market, he said, adding that, given the proposed tax rates in the new regime, "Party could easily still be a net loser".
Ryan remains upbeat and positive, emphasising revenues coming out of France were small and that the opportunity for PartyGaming to advertise in France was crucial. "I don’t share the view that we can expect ebit margins to shrink," he said.
France plans to open the new market in time for the start of the World Cup in June. Under the new regime, the PMU is protected by regulations that require bets on horse racing to be pari-mutuel, but fixed-odds betting is allowed on sports.
PartyGaming's global strategy continues to take shape. A return to the United States this year, or next, would likely be the firms jackpot, however they continue to make progress in many regions. Other countries that Party are keen to expand into include Australia, India and South America.
The company's amicable settlement with the U.S Government last year, exceeding $100m, is tangible proof of financial stability and willingness to go the extra mile as to adapt to the market, while satisfying crucial legal requirements. Party's financial strength and positive result for the United States coffers has not gone unnoticed by Government bean counters across the globe. Clearly Party have far greater resources and experience than most of their would be competitors. Mainstream brands Virgin (Games) and Sega are also looking to expand internationally, but in the case of Virgin its more of a non gambling product push. In the eyes of most media and gaming analysts, PartyGaming is way ahead of the pack, with only Harrah's Entertainment giving them a real run for their money in the U.S.
Ryan sees a number of mergers and acquisitions on the cards. Industry buzz of late is that Party may be about to secure a deal with a major Canadian based poker tour brand, and such a deal would add to Party's poker tour portfolio headed up by the World Poker Tour.
"With some acquisitions and major B2B deals already under our belt, we plan to do more in 2010 and I believe we are on course to meet our objective of becoming the world's most valuable online gaming company."
PartyCasino.com remains a big hit for Party and its customers, with Hollywood branded games such as the Sinatra slot, Rambo, The Terminator, Mission: Impossible and Saturday Night Fever enjoying record popularity. The deal with Marvel Entertainment also continues to serve Party, its partners and customers well, and let us not forget upcoming Marvel films, Thor and Spider-Man, that will further propel the Hollywood themed games.
Party is also utilizing the strength of other world class non gaming brands to stand out from the pack. This month PartyCasino players have a chance to win a Porsche playing slot games, a promotion most other competitors would die for.
Australians can currently play virtually all PartyGaming brands including PartyCasino.com, PartyPoker.com, WPTCasino.com, WPTPoker.com, PartyBingo.com, PartyGammon.com and PartyBets.com
Shares in PartyGaming rose ½p to finish at 329.3p on Friday.
*The writer has a b2b agreement with a number of PartyGaming brands, as they do with dozens of companies in the gaming, media and entertainment sector.
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27 March 2010
Australia's Mildura Likely To Get Casino; Jobs And Tourism Boost, by Greg Tingle - 27th March 2010
Australia's Mildura is likely to get a new land based casino, with jobs and a tourism boost as part of the deal.
Victorian Premier John Brumby has described plans for a casino in Mildura as a "high-quality proposal".
Media Man and Gambling911 have noted that Australian casino and resort developers are more positive and optimistic than most on a global scale, with parts of the Las Vegas Strip, Atlantic City and Dubai looking like "train wrecks" with casino developers going bust or projects going "on hold" for numerous years.
The developer has been consulting with Mildura residents and business folks outlining the benefits that would come with his project.
Casino developer John Haddad has released design plans to mixed responses.
The name proposed for the casino is the 'Mildura Jewel'.
The $400 million hotel and casino development to be situated next to the Murray River was likely to include "a couple of hundred poker machines and 40 to 50 tables".
Mr Haddad, who has developed five other casinos, said the project would be a tourist drawcard.
"It's good, good, good. It's employment and it generates tourism and it does all the things that Mildura has been trying to do," he advised.
Mr Brumby said yesterday there was nothing to stop a second casino opening in Mildura.
He said the government would consider a second casino only "if there was clear community support and if there was clear bipartisan support". He added: "I have always said personally that I think it is the sort of thing that would attract jobs and investment to the area. So I think it will be good to have the community debate. We will see how people think about this issue in Mildura."
Ross Douglass, of the community group Sunraysia Against Casinos, said many people were opposed to a casino for a range of reasons, including the "collateral damage" it would do to other businesses in the area.
"Some have had bad-luck stories with gambling. If not, they know other people who have," he said.
"I am against it because I believe it is going to bring a lot of [social] damage."
The group has invited Senator Nick Xenophon, Tim Costello and anti-pokies campaigner Paul Bendat to a meeting in Mildura next month.
At this stage James Packer's Crown Limited is not expected to get involved or plans to build their own casino in the region, despite rumors of the country.
Australians remain on the top ten list of land based and online casino players and Victorian are the most passionate and highest spending of all of the Aussie states.
* Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
* Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company
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Victorian Premier John Brumby has described plans for a casino in Mildura as a "high-quality proposal".
Media Man and Gambling911 have noted that Australian casino and resort developers are more positive and optimistic than most on a global scale, with parts of the Las Vegas Strip, Atlantic City and Dubai looking like "train wrecks" with casino developers going bust or projects going "on hold" for numerous years.
The developer has been consulting with Mildura residents and business folks outlining the benefits that would come with his project.
Casino developer John Haddad has released design plans to mixed responses.
The name proposed for the casino is the 'Mildura Jewel'.
The $400 million hotel and casino development to be situated next to the Murray River was likely to include "a couple of hundred poker machines and 40 to 50 tables".
Mr Haddad, who has developed five other casinos, said the project would be a tourist drawcard.
"It's good, good, good. It's employment and it generates tourism and it does all the things that Mildura has been trying to do," he advised.
Mr Brumby said yesterday there was nothing to stop a second casino opening in Mildura.
He said the government would consider a second casino only "if there was clear community support and if there was clear bipartisan support". He added: "I have always said personally that I think it is the sort of thing that would attract jobs and investment to the area. So I think it will be good to have the community debate. We will see how people think about this issue in Mildura."
Ross Douglass, of the community group Sunraysia Against Casinos, said many people were opposed to a casino for a range of reasons, including the "collateral damage" it would do to other businesses in the area.
"Some have had bad-luck stories with gambling. If not, they know other people who have," he said.
"I am against it because I believe it is going to bring a lot of [social] damage."
The group has invited Senator Nick Xenophon, Tim Costello and anti-pokies campaigner Paul Bendat to a meeting in Mildura next month.
At this stage James Packer's Crown Limited is not expected to get involved or plans to build their own casino in the region, despite rumors of the country.
Australians remain on the top ten list of land based and online casino players and Victorian are the most passionate and highest spending of all of the Aussie states.
* Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
* Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company
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UFC 111: Brock Lesnar talks and fight card - 27th March 2010
As Frank Mir and Shane Carwin prepare to do battle for the interim heavyweight championship at UFC 111 on Saturday, the man who currently holds the title decided to provide his thoughts on the highly-anticipated matchup.
"I'm excited for Saturday night to see these two big heavyweights battle it out for the interim championship, and the winner of those two guys, I'm looking forward to be fighting in mid-summer," UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar told ESPN on Friday.
Lesnar knows both fighters very well. He was training to fight Carwin for the heavyweight belt at UFC 106 this past November, but was forced to postpone the bout due to the illness.
As for Mir, he is still the only person who has defeated Lesnar during his brief but eventful MMA career. Lesnar went on to capture the title and then avenged his loss with a dominant second-round technical knock out over Mir at UFC 100.
Leading up to UFC 111, Mir has stated that Carwin is a better version of Lesnar, something the champion was quick to comment on.
"If Shane Carwin is a better version of Brock Lesnar, then the fights over within the first 30 seconds," remarked Lesnar.
"Frank has a history of putting his foot in his mouth. Let's just see what happens Saturday night. I'm anxious to fight either one of those opponents."
Lesnar who has been sidelined since last July due to a digestive disease, will step back into the octagon on July 3 in Las Vegas at the yet-to-be-announced UFC 116.
It was during his absence, when a timetable for his return was unknown, that the UFC scheduled the interim title bout between Mir and Carwin.
"That was a business decision that the UFC had to make," admitted Lesnar. "Really that belt is a make-believe belt. It was to satisfy the company and to satisfy the people in the heavyweight division. I'm still the heavyweight champion.
"I'm looking for a heavyweight showdown Saturday night and the best thing about it is I can sit back and watch and let these guys fight over who wants to come after Brock Lesnar, the UFC heavyweight champion."
Fight Card
Georges St. Pierre (Cdn) vs. Dan Hardy
Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin
Jon Fitch vs. Ben Saunders
Jim Miller vs. Mark Bocek (Cdn)
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Fabricio Camoes
Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown
Rodney Wallace vs. Jared Hamman
Rousimar Palhares vs. Tomasz Drwal
Matthew Riddle vs. Greg Soto
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"I'm excited for Saturday night to see these two big heavyweights battle it out for the interim championship, and the winner of those two guys, I'm looking forward to be fighting in mid-summer," UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar told ESPN on Friday.
Lesnar knows both fighters very well. He was training to fight Carwin for the heavyweight belt at UFC 106 this past November, but was forced to postpone the bout due to the illness.
As for Mir, he is still the only person who has defeated Lesnar during his brief but eventful MMA career. Lesnar went on to capture the title and then avenged his loss with a dominant second-round technical knock out over Mir at UFC 100.
Leading up to UFC 111, Mir has stated that Carwin is a better version of Lesnar, something the champion was quick to comment on.
"If Shane Carwin is a better version of Brock Lesnar, then the fights over within the first 30 seconds," remarked Lesnar.
"Frank has a history of putting his foot in his mouth. Let's just see what happens Saturday night. I'm anxious to fight either one of those opponents."
Lesnar who has been sidelined since last July due to a digestive disease, will step back into the octagon on July 3 in Las Vegas at the yet-to-be-announced UFC 116.
It was during his absence, when a timetable for his return was unknown, that the UFC scheduled the interim title bout between Mir and Carwin.
"That was a business decision that the UFC had to make," admitted Lesnar. "Really that belt is a make-believe belt. It was to satisfy the company and to satisfy the people in the heavyweight division. I'm still the heavyweight champion.
"I'm looking for a heavyweight showdown Saturday night and the best thing about it is I can sit back and watch and let these guys fight over who wants to come after Brock Lesnar, the UFC heavyweight champion."
Fight Card
Georges St. Pierre (Cdn) vs. Dan Hardy
Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin
Jon Fitch vs. Ben Saunders
Jim Miller vs. Mark Bocek (Cdn)
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Fabricio Camoes
Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown
Rodney Wallace vs. Jared Hamman
Rousimar Palhares vs. Tomasz Drwal
Matthew Riddle vs. Greg Soto
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MMA
Sports Betting
Sports Betting Websites
PartyBets.com
Gamebookers.com
BetUS.com
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Australia's Underbelly 4 To Bring Back Gambling And Brothel Themes, by Greg Tingle - 27th March 2010
Australia's Network Nine announced on-air dates yesterday for its "big three" television programs for after Easter.
A little birdy told Media Man and Gambling911 that gambling and prostitution themes were popular with the audience and the sort of content that keeps punters... er viewers, coming back for more.
The much-anticipated third instalment in the Underbelly series – The Golden Mile – will premiere as a two-hour telemovie on Sunday, April 11, from 8.30pm.
Nine was the first of the three commercial networks to reveal its post-Easter schedule, usually a closely guarded secret by programmers.
Underbelly: The Golden Mile starring Emma Booth, Sigrid Thornton, Wil Traval and Natalie Bassingthwaighte, is set in Kings Cross in the late 1980s.
"We're all fascinated as to why people break the rules," executive producer Des Monaghan said.
"Underbelly differs greatly to the normal staple of television drama, because we are dealing with real life and real people, with all the chaos and unpredictability this entails.
"We operate outside the square, so our audience never knows what's going to happen from one week to the next."
The fourth Underbelly is expected to feature the Fitzgerald inquiry era of Brisbane's illegal gambling and brothel industry. Fortitude Valley aka "The Valley" is expected to be a one key location featured.
An industry source said it was still "in the research stage".
Media Man's been telling Melbourne's Crown Casino that they would do well to get an 'Underbelly' themed slot machine or two on the premises, and an online version of the game for their website, ditto for Sydney's Star City Casino, and Brisbane and the Gold Coast's Conrad Jupiters may as well take the same free advice.
A Media Man insider was overheard, "Mate, The Godfather, Sinatra and Dean Martin have nothing on our Underbelly. Us Aussies, we know how to party... Underbelly rules ok".
Viva Bris Vegas Baby, and as they say on Nine's Footy Show, Bring Back The Biff! Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi Aussie Oi Aussie Oi Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi.
* The writer is a special contributor for Gambling911
* Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company
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A little birdy told Media Man and Gambling911 that gambling and prostitution themes were popular with the audience and the sort of content that keeps punters... er viewers, coming back for more.
The much-anticipated third instalment in the Underbelly series – The Golden Mile – will premiere as a two-hour telemovie on Sunday, April 11, from 8.30pm.
Nine was the first of the three commercial networks to reveal its post-Easter schedule, usually a closely guarded secret by programmers.
Underbelly: The Golden Mile starring Emma Booth, Sigrid Thornton, Wil Traval and Natalie Bassingthwaighte, is set in Kings Cross in the late 1980s.
"We're all fascinated as to why people break the rules," executive producer Des Monaghan said.
"Underbelly differs greatly to the normal staple of television drama, because we are dealing with real life and real people, with all the chaos and unpredictability this entails.
"We operate outside the square, so our audience never knows what's going to happen from one week to the next."
The fourth Underbelly is expected to feature the Fitzgerald inquiry era of Brisbane's illegal gambling and brothel industry. Fortitude Valley aka "The Valley" is expected to be a one key location featured.
An industry source said it was still "in the research stage".
Media Man's been telling Melbourne's Crown Casino that they would do well to get an 'Underbelly' themed slot machine or two on the premises, and an online version of the game for their website, ditto for Sydney's Star City Casino, and Brisbane and the Gold Coast's Conrad Jupiters may as well take the same free advice.
A Media Man insider was overheard, "Mate, The Godfather, Sinatra and Dean Martin have nothing on our Underbelly. Us Aussies, we know how to party... Underbelly rules ok".
Viva Bris Vegas Baby, and as they say on Nine's Footy Show, Bring Back The Biff! Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi Aussie Oi Aussie Oi Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi.
* The writer is a special contributor for Gambling911
* Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company
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26 March 2010
Poker Playing Students Suspended From School Down Under, by Greg Tingle - 26th March 2010
An Aussie clan of school students has been suspended for "gambling" during class hours in a development that many parents, students and members of the press have labelled a massive over-reaction for playing cards, on school grounds no less.
Seven (unlucky) students, from Western Cape College’s Aurukun campus, were nabbed while betting cash on the card game and were punished on Wednesday. It is not known who won the game or who was leading at the time of the bust, nor the pot at stake.
Education leaders have been especially critical of the sanction, saying such a punishment should only be used out for bullying and violent offences.
Media Man thinks it may be a different case if the students had wagged school, hit the "local" (pub - hotel) and were playing the pokies! Let us not forget that playing cards also requires skill and usage of the brain.
The move could have far reaching consequences for the parents who receive welfare payments under the Cape York Welfare Reform program.
Under the CYWR program, if a student is absent from school three times in a term without a reasonable excuse payments can be docked.
It is unknown how long the students will be banned from school.
Opposition education spokesman Bruce Flegg said the punishment didn’t fit the crime and believed the focus should have been on "rehabilitating" the card loving students.
"I would prefer to see such a punishment used for bullying and violence," he said.
"I wonder how letting kids miss out on school is a good thing. It’s a victimless crime, I would’ve thought some sort of guidance would’ve be an appropriate thing."
Child psychologist Frances Quirk said while the school needed to prove "gambling" was not acceptable, she questioned the merit in suspending them.
"Schools handing out suspensions on its own is not likely to be a deterrent," she said.
"I’d prefer to see intervention and discussion with the children, asking them if they know gambling is risky and if they’re doing other risky things. There’s better outcomes for children if you sit them down and look at how you can change the activities they’re engaging in."
An Education Queensland spokesman confirmed the students had been suspended.
"Seven students have been suspended from the Western Cape College’s Aurukun campus," he said.
Media Man says the harsh punishment has resulted in this matter becoming a local, national and now, international news story.
Readers minds might flick back to Betfair babe, Annette Obrestad, who goes under the nickname, "Annette_15". Betfair was warned by the UK advertising authority (Advertising Standards Authority) that such campaigns, tags and tactics et al going in the public domain may potentially encourage underage gambling, poker engagement and the like.
Poker is almost universally recognised as primarily a game of skill, as ruled in court rooms around the world. In fact recently as reported in Gambling911, Lithuania ruled that poker is in fact a sport.
Media Man is currently investigating if TNA pro wrestler Kevin "Big Sexy" Nash, formally known as "Vinnie Vegas", is or was a formidable poker player. Many celebrities present themselves as very poker and casino savvy, but few actually are.
Poker and gambling news remains red hot in the Asia Pacific - Australian region, as two days ago revelations surfaced in The Australian newspaper that cricket great Shane Warne is fronting an "illegal" (in Australia) poker brand (888) and that an Australian government "probe" was on the way. Some legal aspects of poker, gaming and igaming were also covered this past Wednesday at iGaming Business Down Under conducted at Sydney's Star City Casino. Media Man filmed some of the event and had more than one legal eagle in attendance.
Casino News Media and Media Man Online Poker Room of the Month: PartyPoker, WPTPoker and PokerStars (a 3 way tie!) PKR Poker, the 3D poker room was runner up.
Readers, ladies and gentlemen, young (not too young) and old, thank you for your loyalty and patronage. We, Media Man (and Google News) appreciate it, and that's no bluff. Keep it legal, and keep it fun. As rock icon Alice Cooper screams, Schools Out!
*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 also run a poker news website portal Poker News Media.
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Casino News Media.net
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Global Gaming Directory.net
Seven (unlucky) students, from Western Cape College’s Aurukun campus, were nabbed while betting cash on the card game and were punished on Wednesday. It is not known who won the game or who was leading at the time of the bust, nor the pot at stake.
Education leaders have been especially critical of the sanction, saying such a punishment should only be used out for bullying and violent offences.
Media Man thinks it may be a different case if the students had wagged school, hit the "local" (pub - hotel) and were playing the pokies! Let us not forget that playing cards also requires skill and usage of the brain.
The move could have far reaching consequences for the parents who receive welfare payments under the Cape York Welfare Reform program.
Under the CYWR program, if a student is absent from school three times in a term without a reasonable excuse payments can be docked.
It is unknown how long the students will be banned from school.
Opposition education spokesman Bruce Flegg said the punishment didn’t fit the crime and believed the focus should have been on "rehabilitating" the card loving students.
"I would prefer to see such a punishment used for bullying and violence," he said.
"I wonder how letting kids miss out on school is a good thing. It’s a victimless crime, I would’ve thought some sort of guidance would’ve be an appropriate thing."
Child psychologist Frances Quirk said while the school needed to prove "gambling" was not acceptable, she questioned the merit in suspending them.
"Schools handing out suspensions on its own is not likely to be a deterrent," she said.
"I’d prefer to see intervention and discussion with the children, asking them if they know gambling is risky and if they’re doing other risky things. There’s better outcomes for children if you sit them down and look at how you can change the activities they’re engaging in."
An Education Queensland spokesman confirmed the students had been suspended.
"Seven students have been suspended from the Western Cape College’s Aurukun campus," he said.
Media Man says the harsh punishment has resulted in this matter becoming a local, national and now, international news story.
Readers minds might flick back to Betfair babe, Annette Obrestad, who goes under the nickname, "Annette_15". Betfair was warned by the UK advertising authority (Advertising Standards Authority) that such campaigns, tags and tactics et al going in the public domain may potentially encourage underage gambling, poker engagement and the like.
Poker is almost universally recognised as primarily a game of skill, as ruled in court rooms around the world. In fact recently as reported in Gambling911, Lithuania ruled that poker is in fact a sport.
Media Man is currently investigating if TNA pro wrestler Kevin "Big Sexy" Nash, formally known as "Vinnie Vegas", is or was a formidable poker player. Many celebrities present themselves as very poker and casino savvy, but few actually are.
Poker and gambling news remains red hot in the Asia Pacific - Australian region, as two days ago revelations surfaced in The Australian newspaper that cricket great Shane Warne is fronting an "illegal" (in Australia) poker brand (888) and that an Australian government "probe" was on the way. Some legal aspects of poker, gaming and igaming were also covered this past Wednesday at iGaming Business Down Under conducted at Sydney's Star City Casino. Media Man filmed some of the event and had more than one legal eagle in attendance.
Casino News Media and Media Man Online Poker Room of the Month: PartyPoker, WPTPoker and PokerStars (a 3 way tie!) PKR Poker, the 3D poker room was runner up.
Readers, ladies and gentlemen, young (not too young) and old, thank you for your loyalty and patronage. We, Media Man (and Google News) appreciate it, and that's no bluff. Keep it legal, and keep it fun. As rock icon Alice Cooper screams, Schools Out!
*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 also run a poker news website portal Poker News Media.
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Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Australia's Crown Casino To Get $212 Million Revamp Creating Jobs, by Greg Tingle - 26th March 2010
Crown Casino, iconic Australian tourism icon, is to receive a revamp that will keep the demanding high rollers happy, and at the same time create hundreds more jobs.
Crown's most upmarket (and most expensive) area is to get a $212 million facelift to satisfy up whales, dolphins and the high roller type client who often prefer more luxurious casinos overseas. Good thing Mr James Packer also has the City Of Dreams in Macau, which is also on a roll at the moment.
The Mahogany Room upgrade will include 11 new private gaming salons installed and the Crown villas will also be refurbished to match standards found anywhere in the world.
A G5 Gulfstream jet, customized for casino high rollers, will be added to the casino's two existing jets at the cost of a cool $30 million.
Crown CEO David Courtney told the press that the casino planned to introduce an extra 26 tables in the new gaming club and expand the world famous Mahogany Room by 50 per cent.
Thirty-five new tables have already been introduced on the ground level game floor as part of the 150 extra tables granted by the Victorian Government in its agreement with Crown's king of the castle, James Packer.
Four new private gaming suites will allow individual high rollers to gamble by themselves, have their own massage and dining rooms and be waited on by butlers. It's all very much like the James Bond type of thing, but for real, for the elite who can afford such luxury.
Mr Courtney said the upgrade was necessary to help attract international gamblers from other, more modern and luxurious casinos in Asia.
"The competition for high-end gaming customers is intense. We need to make these investments. This is a continuation of our three or four-year program to upgrade. The timing is important to upgrade our rooms and facilities."
The upgrade follows amendments to the Crown licence, negotiated with the Government and ratified by Parliament last year. The business deal allows more gaming tables and a higher tax on gaming machines.
Anti-gambling activist Tim Costello attacked the project with remarks such as "Crown gets whatever it wants. It has extraordinary power."
The presidential suite on level 39, which has housed high-profile figures such as former U.S president Bill Clinton, Pavarotti, Barbra Streisand Katie Holmes, and Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible, Top Gun) will move to level 38 and take up the entire floor.
At the same time Crown is looking into who to best adapt to the online gaming world. The company enjoyed some success last year with referrals from online poker brand, PartyPoker, a PartyGaming offering, for their Aussie Millions Poker Championship.
Media Man has suggested the addition of a Kerry Packer, Ned Kelly and Underbelly themed games to be incorporated into Crown's overall online-offline strategy, citing that punters want to see more slots than existing Cleopatra, Black Rhino, Big Red, Wheel Of Fortune and the like.
Crown Casino is also pro actively involved with movement, GenerationOne, an initiative to help created upwards of 50,000 jobs for Indigenous Australia. Thus far Packer's created 200, mining magnate mate, Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest with 2000, NSW government committing over 2000, and Media Man earmarking 2 part time positions. Speaking at the iGaming Business conference at Sydney's Star City, Media Man advised that employment for people has to come from somewhere, and that casinos and the gaming industry do enjoy significant resources, some of which go a long way to providing sustainable employment, tied in with the travel and tourism sector.
The casino rooms revamp project is on track to be completed in the first half of 2012.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Crown's most upmarket (and most expensive) area is to get a $212 million facelift to satisfy up whales, dolphins and the high roller type client who often prefer more luxurious casinos overseas. Good thing Mr James Packer also has the City Of Dreams in Macau, which is also on a roll at the moment.
The Mahogany Room upgrade will include 11 new private gaming salons installed and the Crown villas will also be refurbished to match standards found anywhere in the world.
A G5 Gulfstream jet, customized for casino high rollers, will be added to the casino's two existing jets at the cost of a cool $30 million.
Crown CEO David Courtney told the press that the casino planned to introduce an extra 26 tables in the new gaming club and expand the world famous Mahogany Room by 50 per cent.
Thirty-five new tables have already been introduced on the ground level game floor as part of the 150 extra tables granted by the Victorian Government in its agreement with Crown's king of the castle, James Packer.
Four new private gaming suites will allow individual high rollers to gamble by themselves, have their own massage and dining rooms and be waited on by butlers. It's all very much like the James Bond type of thing, but for real, for the elite who can afford such luxury.
Mr Courtney said the upgrade was necessary to help attract international gamblers from other, more modern and luxurious casinos in Asia.
"The competition for high-end gaming customers is intense. We need to make these investments. This is a continuation of our three or four-year program to upgrade. The timing is important to upgrade our rooms and facilities."
The upgrade follows amendments to the Crown licence, negotiated with the Government and ratified by Parliament last year. The business deal allows more gaming tables and a higher tax on gaming machines.
Anti-gambling activist Tim Costello attacked the project with remarks such as "Crown gets whatever it wants. It has extraordinary power."
The presidential suite on level 39, which has housed high-profile figures such as former U.S president Bill Clinton, Pavarotti, Barbra Streisand Katie Holmes, and Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible, Top Gun) will move to level 38 and take up the entire floor.
At the same time Crown is looking into who to best adapt to the online gaming world. The company enjoyed some success last year with referrals from online poker brand, PartyPoker, a PartyGaming offering, for their Aussie Millions Poker Championship.
Media Man has suggested the addition of a Kerry Packer, Ned Kelly and Underbelly themed games to be incorporated into Crown's overall online-offline strategy, citing that punters want to see more slots than existing Cleopatra, Black Rhino, Big Red, Wheel Of Fortune and the like.
Crown Casino is also pro actively involved with movement, GenerationOne, an initiative to help created upwards of 50,000 jobs for Indigenous Australia. Thus far Packer's created 200, mining magnate mate, Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest with 2000, NSW government committing over 2000, and Media Man earmarking 2 part time positions. Speaking at the iGaming Business conference at Sydney's Star City, Media Man advised that employment for people has to come from somewhere, and that casinos and the gaming industry do enjoy significant resources, some of which go a long way to providing sustainable employment, tied in with the travel and tourism sector.
The casino rooms revamp project is on track to be completed in the first half of 2012.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man
Casino News Media
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Global Gaming Directory.net
25 March 2010
PartyCasino News: PartyCasino and WPT Casino Get New Online Slot Games: Rubiks Slot, Slotbox, Sands Of Fortune, Beat the Bank and more - March 2010
PartyCasino.com and WPTCasino.com, both owned and operated by PartyGaming, have just released some great new online slot games.
New players can get up to $500 bonus.
Play for free or play for money. Multi language and multi currency. The casinos offer the exclusive PartyGaming PartyPoints rewards system providing players with world class rewards and bonuses.
Rubiks Slot
Rubiks game is a fixed odds game based on the popular Rubik’s Cube® Puzzle. The player selects the stake and then presses the Play button and gets wins based on how many lines and/or sides get completed on the 3 visible sides after the cube is automatically rotated several times. All wins are paid as per the paytable. Rubik's game also introduces Free Plays. Free Plays is triggered when all six letters in the Rubik's logo are highlighted, in which the player is awarded free plays and extra cubes.
Slotbox
Line up a fortune in Slotblox. Take a classic, line-building puzzle game, remove the stress and add plenty of chances to win lots of cash. That’s Slotblox.
Slotblox couldn’t be simpler. When you start playing different shaped blocks fall down the screen into your game grid. Don’t worry about controlling the blocks, the game does that for you.
You can build your way to big money when these blocks create cash-winning lines. Winning lines then disappear, creating more space in the grid and giving your further chances to win.
Get a winning line with the special ‘magic’ blocks and you’ll trigger the free plays feature where’s there’s double money to be won.
See if a fortune’s about to fall your way.
Sands Of Fortune
Sands of Fortune is a five-reel, nine-paylines slot game with a bonus feature game that gives you the chance to win extra prizes. Random number of picks of up to 5 is awarded. You get to select any 1 door in each pick to reveal a prize. 3 or more BONUS symbols appear anywhere in view triggers the bonus feature.
Beat the Bank
Beat the bank is a five-reel, twenty-paylines slot game with a 'free game' and a ‘Beat The Bank’ feature. The Free Games Feature is triggered when Thief appears any where on reels 2, 3 and 4 at the same time. 15 free games are awarded, during which all prizes are tripled, except for Beat The Bank feature win, even though it is triggered during Free Spins. The feature can be retriggered when Thief appears any where on reels 2, 3 and 4 at the same time. The Beat The Bank Feature is awarded when 3 or more Scattered Safe occur anywhere.
Thief appears on Reels 2, 3 and 4 only and substitutes for all other symbols except Scattered Safe.
PartyCasino.com is a multi time Casino News Media - Media Man - Global Gaming Directory Online Casino Of The Month winner and WPTCasino.com is a Casino News Media - Media Man - Global Gaming Directory Online Casino finalist.
PartyGaming is widely regarded as the world's leading igaming company. They are listed on the London Stock Exchange and were established in 1997.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
WPTCasino.com
New players can get up to $500 bonus.
Play for free or play for money. Multi language and multi currency. The casinos offer the exclusive PartyGaming PartyPoints rewards system providing players with world class rewards and bonuses.
Rubiks Slot
Rubiks game is a fixed odds game based on the popular Rubik’s Cube® Puzzle. The player selects the stake and then presses the Play button and gets wins based on how many lines and/or sides get completed on the 3 visible sides after the cube is automatically rotated several times. All wins are paid as per the paytable. Rubik's game also introduces Free Plays. Free Plays is triggered when all six letters in the Rubik's logo are highlighted, in which the player is awarded free plays and extra cubes.
Slotbox
Line up a fortune in Slotblox. Take a classic, line-building puzzle game, remove the stress and add plenty of chances to win lots of cash. That’s Slotblox.
Slotblox couldn’t be simpler. When you start playing different shaped blocks fall down the screen into your game grid. Don’t worry about controlling the blocks, the game does that for you.
You can build your way to big money when these blocks create cash-winning lines. Winning lines then disappear, creating more space in the grid and giving your further chances to win.
Get a winning line with the special ‘magic’ blocks and you’ll trigger the free plays feature where’s there’s double money to be won.
See if a fortune’s about to fall your way.
Sands Of Fortune
Sands of Fortune is a five-reel, nine-paylines slot game with a bonus feature game that gives you the chance to win extra prizes. Random number of picks of up to 5 is awarded. You get to select any 1 door in each pick to reveal a prize. 3 or more BONUS symbols appear anywhere in view triggers the bonus feature.
Beat the Bank
Beat the bank is a five-reel, twenty-paylines slot game with a 'free game' and a ‘Beat The Bank’ feature. The Free Games Feature is triggered when Thief appears any where on reels 2, 3 and 4 at the same time. 15 free games are awarded, during which all prizes are tripled, except for Beat The Bank feature win, even though it is triggered during Free Spins. The feature can be retriggered when Thief appears any where on reels 2, 3 and 4 at the same time. The Beat The Bank Feature is awarded when 3 or more Scattered Safe occur anywhere.
Thief appears on Reels 2, 3 and 4 only and substitutes for all other symbols except Scattered Safe.
PartyCasino.com is a multi time Casino News Media - Media Man - Global Gaming Directory Online Casino Of The Month winner and WPTCasino.com is a Casino News Media - Media Man - Global Gaming Directory Online Casino finalist.
PartyGaming is widely regarded as the world's leading igaming company. They are listed on the London Stock Exchange and were established in 1997.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
WPTCasino.com
24 March 2010
Media, Gaming And Corporate Giants Speak Out Against Aussie Internet Filter, by Greg Tingle - 24th March 2010
Not to anyone's real surprise, many tech giants and major Australian and global brands are starting to speak out loudly against the Australia's government's proposed internet filter, censorship, and blacklist on the side.
It's apparent that this Labor government initiative is already costing Australia further international damage and even embarrassment.
It needs to be noted that many of the world's leading entertainment and technology brands are moving into gaming and igaming, both with games of skill and games of chance. These brands that are pro active in the igaming space include but are not limited to Google, Yahoo, Marvel Entertainment, DC Comics, Sony Pictures, FremantleMedia, Sega, Infinity Ward, Paramount Pictures, and you get the idea.
Hollywood and Aussiewood is promoting entertainment themed games whist at the same time the Labor government is bringing in an internet filter.
Many journalists and analysts are asking some tough questions of the government, many of which are yet to be answered.
Media Man wants to know what does policy being at "arms length" from the government really mean, and how do Australians know it won't be open to corruption?
The Rudd government has gone on public record that they don't like pokies, gambling or porn, so how does a punter know that a government appointed rep won't let their personal beliefs sway their decision on whether a gaming or igaming company gets a red or green light?
The internet affiliate industry is keenly watching the situation as many media companies like Media Man participate in dozens of affiliate programs, some of which cover gaming - gambling - igaming, some don't. Virgin Games has gone on record with the term "grey area", and who decides what is "grey"? Probably lawyers who will get to make up policy and law as they go along. The poor judges and juries who are going to likely get dragged into the legal complications.
We foresee company and website owners shopping around for web hosts who will provide ISP services to those who don't want to be dictated to by the Australian government, following in the footsteps of China, Iran and Iraq. This could provide and excellent opportunity for internet giant, Google, to provide web hosting services for gaming and adult entertainment, even political commentary websites! This will help fill the void for Google, as they are pulling out of China as this news goes to press.
Media Man is advising punters (and adult entertainment connoisseurs) to enjoy their "vice" while they can. Play for free or play for money, as in the future they may not be able to play at all! For the record we're totally against kiddy porn, bestiality and pro racist websites. We are pro gaming and igaming (with suitable consumer protection). We're also pro media freedom of the press.
igaming legal and censorship discussion dominated much of the iGaming Business Down Under conference held at Sydney's Star City Casino earlier today. A number of legal eagles were in attendance, including a couple of official legal advisers to us.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company, igaming being just one of dozens of industry verticals covered.
An excellent article by Fairfax Media's Asher Moses below, who has been covering the internet filter and blacklist story for close to 2 years.
Conroy's internet censorship agenda slammed by tech giants, by Asher Moses - 23rd March 2010
Australia's biggest technology companies, communications academics and many lobby groups have delivered a withering critique of the government's plans to censor the internet.
The government today published most of the 174 submissions it received relating to improving the transparency and accountability measures of its internet filtering policy.
Legislation to force ISPs to implement the policy is expected to be introduced within weeks. The filters will block a blacklist of "refused classification" websites for all Australians on a mandatory basis.
Most of the submissions called for full transparency surrounding the operation of the list and for all sites placed on the list by bureaucrats at the Australian Communications and Media Authority first to be examined by the Classification Board.
They supported a regular review of the list by an independent expert and the ability for blacklisted sites to appeal.
But many reiterated their concerns that the policy is fundamentally unsound and would do little to make the internet a safer place for children. Many said the scope of blocked content was too broad and would render legitimate sites inaccessible, while the process of adding sites to the blacklist could be subject to abuse by bureaucrats and politicians.
Google, which today officially stopped censoring search results in China, said it had held discussions with users and parents around Australia and "the strong view from parents was that the government's proposal goes too far and would take away their freedom of choice around what information they and their children can access".
Google also said implementing mandatory filtering across Australia's millions of internet users could "negatively impact user access speeds", while filtering material from high-volume sites such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter "appears not to be technologically possible as it would have such a serious impact on internet access".
"We have a number of other concerns, including that filtering may give a false sense of security to parents, it could damage Australia's international reputation and it can be easily circumvented," Google wrote.
The search giant said it was preferable instead to focus on improving education around cyber safety and providing tools that people could install on their home computers to block unwanted content.
Many of Google's concerns are mirrored by many of the other submissions by academics, technology companies, industry groups, lobby groups and ISPs.
Microsoft demanded protection against "arbitrary executive decision making" surrounding content added to the list and noted the potential for banned material to be loaded on to a site without the sanction of the owner of that site.
Yahoo and Google's submissions, along with many others, expressed concerns that the scope of content to be filtered was too broad.
"Yahoo are entirely supportive of any effort to make the internet a safer place for children, however mandatory filtering of all RC material could block content with a strong social, political and/or educational value," Yahoo's submission read.
It listed some examples of innocuous sites that could be blocked including:
- Safe injecting and other harm minimisation websites.
- Euthanasia discussion forums.
- A video on creating graffiti art.
- Anti-abortion websites.
- Gay and lesbian forums that discuss sexual experiences.
- Explorations of the geo-political causes of terrorism where specific terrorist organisations and propaganda are cited as reference material.
Yahoo also pointed to a recent paper that provided "several examples where knee jerk regulatory reactions to 'controversial' content have been entirely out of step with broader public opinion".
The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations fears sites that are valuable to sexual health promotion might be placed on the blacklist.
"Social research has shown that information, 'chat' and even pornographic sites play an important role in providing information about sexuality and sexual health, particularly for men who have sex with men and same-sex attracted young people," it wrote.
Mark McLelland, an associate professor in the sociology program at the University of Wollongong, said the filters could block access to an entire genre of niche but popular Japanese animated fiction.
Even the Australian Christian Lobby, one of the biggest supporters of the internet filtering plan, said inadvertently adding innocuous content to the blacklist would "undermine the entire policy".
Telstra fears the blacklist of banned sites could be leaked - as has already occurred last year - and "could be used as a directory of harmful content, which would therefore become more easily available to users that are able to circumvent the ISP filter or who are located overseas".
Colin Jacobs, spokesman for online users' lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia, said it was clear from the submissions that the vast majority have a difficult time stomaching the filter at all.
"Many of the submissions stated flat out that the filter was not needed," he said.
"Most of the rest held their noses and tried to come up with a way this inherently secret process could be made more transparent." (Credit: Fairfax Media)
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Media Man International
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
It's apparent that this Labor government initiative is already costing Australia further international damage and even embarrassment.
It needs to be noted that many of the world's leading entertainment and technology brands are moving into gaming and igaming, both with games of skill and games of chance. These brands that are pro active in the igaming space include but are not limited to Google, Yahoo, Marvel Entertainment, DC Comics, Sony Pictures, FremantleMedia, Sega, Infinity Ward, Paramount Pictures, and you get the idea.
Hollywood and Aussiewood is promoting entertainment themed games whist at the same time the Labor government is bringing in an internet filter.
Many journalists and analysts are asking some tough questions of the government, many of which are yet to be answered.
Media Man wants to know what does policy being at "arms length" from the government really mean, and how do Australians know it won't be open to corruption?
The Rudd government has gone on public record that they don't like pokies, gambling or porn, so how does a punter know that a government appointed rep won't let their personal beliefs sway their decision on whether a gaming or igaming company gets a red or green light?
The internet affiliate industry is keenly watching the situation as many media companies like Media Man participate in dozens of affiliate programs, some of which cover gaming - gambling - igaming, some don't. Virgin Games has gone on record with the term "grey area", and who decides what is "grey"? Probably lawyers who will get to make up policy and law as they go along. The poor judges and juries who are going to likely get dragged into the legal complications.
We foresee company and website owners shopping around for web hosts who will provide ISP services to those who don't want to be dictated to by the Australian government, following in the footsteps of China, Iran and Iraq. This could provide and excellent opportunity for internet giant, Google, to provide web hosting services for gaming and adult entertainment, even political commentary websites! This will help fill the void for Google, as they are pulling out of China as this news goes to press.
Media Man is advising punters (and adult entertainment connoisseurs) to enjoy their "vice" while they can. Play for free or play for money, as in the future they may not be able to play at all! For the record we're totally against kiddy porn, bestiality and pro racist websites. We are pro gaming and igaming (with suitable consumer protection). We're also pro media freedom of the press.
igaming legal and censorship discussion dominated much of the iGaming Business Down Under conference held at Sydney's Star City Casino earlier today. A number of legal eagles were in attendance, including a couple of official legal advisers to us.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company, igaming being just one of dozens of industry verticals covered.
An excellent article by Fairfax Media's Asher Moses below, who has been covering the internet filter and blacklist story for close to 2 years.
Conroy's internet censorship agenda slammed by tech giants, by Asher Moses - 23rd March 2010
Australia's biggest technology companies, communications academics and many lobby groups have delivered a withering critique of the government's plans to censor the internet.
The government today published most of the 174 submissions it received relating to improving the transparency and accountability measures of its internet filtering policy.
Legislation to force ISPs to implement the policy is expected to be introduced within weeks. The filters will block a blacklist of "refused classification" websites for all Australians on a mandatory basis.
Most of the submissions called for full transparency surrounding the operation of the list and for all sites placed on the list by bureaucrats at the Australian Communications and Media Authority first to be examined by the Classification Board.
They supported a regular review of the list by an independent expert and the ability for blacklisted sites to appeal.
But many reiterated their concerns that the policy is fundamentally unsound and would do little to make the internet a safer place for children. Many said the scope of blocked content was too broad and would render legitimate sites inaccessible, while the process of adding sites to the blacklist could be subject to abuse by bureaucrats and politicians.
Google, which today officially stopped censoring search results in China, said it had held discussions with users and parents around Australia and "the strong view from parents was that the government's proposal goes too far and would take away their freedom of choice around what information they and their children can access".
Google also said implementing mandatory filtering across Australia's millions of internet users could "negatively impact user access speeds", while filtering material from high-volume sites such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter "appears not to be technologically possible as it would have such a serious impact on internet access".
"We have a number of other concerns, including that filtering may give a false sense of security to parents, it could damage Australia's international reputation and it can be easily circumvented," Google wrote.
The search giant said it was preferable instead to focus on improving education around cyber safety and providing tools that people could install on their home computers to block unwanted content.
Many of Google's concerns are mirrored by many of the other submissions by academics, technology companies, industry groups, lobby groups and ISPs.
Microsoft demanded protection against "arbitrary executive decision making" surrounding content added to the list and noted the potential for banned material to be loaded on to a site without the sanction of the owner of that site.
Yahoo and Google's submissions, along with many others, expressed concerns that the scope of content to be filtered was too broad.
"Yahoo are entirely supportive of any effort to make the internet a safer place for children, however mandatory filtering of all RC material could block content with a strong social, political and/or educational value," Yahoo's submission read.
It listed some examples of innocuous sites that could be blocked including:
- Safe injecting and other harm minimisation websites.
- Euthanasia discussion forums.
- A video on creating graffiti art.
- Anti-abortion websites.
- Gay and lesbian forums that discuss sexual experiences.
- Explorations of the geo-political causes of terrorism where specific terrorist organisations and propaganda are cited as reference material.
Yahoo also pointed to a recent paper that provided "several examples where knee jerk regulatory reactions to 'controversial' content have been entirely out of step with broader public opinion".
The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations fears sites that are valuable to sexual health promotion might be placed on the blacklist.
"Social research has shown that information, 'chat' and even pornographic sites play an important role in providing information about sexuality and sexual health, particularly for men who have sex with men and same-sex attracted young people," it wrote.
Mark McLelland, an associate professor in the sociology program at the University of Wollongong, said the filters could block access to an entire genre of niche but popular Japanese animated fiction.
Even the Australian Christian Lobby, one of the biggest supporters of the internet filtering plan, said inadvertently adding innocuous content to the blacklist would "undermine the entire policy".
Telstra fears the blacklist of banned sites could be leaked - as has already occurred last year - and "could be used as a directory of harmful content, which would therefore become more easily available to users that are able to circumvent the ISP filter or who are located overseas".
Colin Jacobs, spokesman for online users' lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia, said it was clear from the submissions that the vast majority have a difficult time stomaching the filter at all.
"Many of the submissions stated flat out that the filter was not needed," he said.
"Most of the rest held their noses and tried to come up with a way this inherently secret process could be made more transparent." (Credit: Fairfax Media)
Website Network
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Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
23 March 2010
PartyCasino News: Avatar type technology and innovation at PartyGaming's PartyCasino, by Greg Tingle - March 2010
Avatar type technology and innovation at PartyGaming's PartyCasino; More out of this world game experiences at PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com
PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com, established since 1997, is widely acknowledged as the world's biggest and best online casino... a big claim, we know.
Evidence... hundreds of games... slots, table games, skill games, poker and more.
Exclusive Hollywood blockbusters... Rambo, Saturday Night Fever, Sinatra, Tarzan, High Noon, Top Gun, Resident Evil, The Naked Gun, Mission: Impossible.
Classic slots like Cleopatra, Monopoly, Cluedo, Wheel Of Fortune...
Marvel super hero fans? Don't just watch the movies, play the games! The Incredible Hulk, Thor, The Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. Excelsior!
Rewards... PartyGaming's PartyPoints and Palladium Lounge
Trust and credibility... listed on the London Stock Exchange and winner of numerous igaming and business awards and commendations including eGaming Review "Operator Of The Year" and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month"
Easy for players... multi currency and multi language, and PartyCasino is available for most European, Canadian, South African, South American and Australian customers. Go Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!
PartyGaming also own and operate the world famous World Poker Tour, a claim only one igaming operator can make... that's PartyGaming. Check out WPTCasino.com and WPTPoker.com
Play for free or play for money. Feel the excitement at PartyCasino.com
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyBets.com
PartyGaming
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyCasino.com Marvel Slots
Website Network
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Party Casino News
Marvel Slots Online
Virtual Worlds Media
Casino News Media
Media Man
Australian Casinos
Media Man Casino
PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com, established since 1997, is widely acknowledged as the world's biggest and best online casino... a big claim, we know.
Evidence... hundreds of games... slots, table games, skill games, poker and more.
Exclusive Hollywood blockbusters... Rambo, Saturday Night Fever, Sinatra, Tarzan, High Noon, Top Gun, Resident Evil, The Naked Gun, Mission: Impossible.
Classic slots like Cleopatra, Monopoly, Cluedo, Wheel Of Fortune...
Marvel super hero fans? Don't just watch the movies, play the games! The Incredible Hulk, Thor, The Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. Excelsior!
Rewards... PartyGaming's PartyPoints and Palladium Lounge
Trust and credibility... listed on the London Stock Exchange and winner of numerous igaming and business awards and commendations including eGaming Review "Operator Of The Year" and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month"
Easy for players... multi currency and multi language, and PartyCasino is available for most European, Canadian, South African, South American and Australian customers. Go Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!
PartyGaming also own and operate the world famous World Poker Tour, a claim only one igaming operator can make... that's PartyGaming. Check out WPTCasino.com and WPTPoker.com
Play for free or play for money. Feel the excitement at PartyCasino.com
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyBets.com
PartyGaming
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyCasino.com Marvel Slots
Website Network
Global Gaming Directory
Global Gaming Directory.net
Party Casino News
Marvel Slots Online
Virtual Worlds Media
Casino News Media
Media Man
Australian Casinos
Media Man Casino
Casinos VS Online Casinos: Racist Or Not - US - Macau - Australia Connection
There's a lot of talk about land based casinos VS their counterparts, online casinos.
Of late some of this talk not only relates to the features, benefits, advantages (not to mention the risks), but also potential racism, which some argue falls into the protectionism realm, and it's this element which has seen some national and international legal action in recent years, much of which has been covered by numerous media outlets including Media Man and Gambling911.
Let's first take a look at the landscape of Casinos VS Online Casinos
Casino Online Casino
Must attend in person Patrons / customers can access from most countries
Guards and bouncer security Online security checks and no plastic handcuffs required
Limited hours of business Open 24 hours, 7 days a week, around the clock usually
Food, drinks, bar Eating and drinking arrangements controlled by self
Betting limits (potential) Betting limits imposed by casino, self or both
1000s or 1000s of games 300 games is usually the maximum range
Human interaction Limited human interaction
Travelling expenses No travelling expenses
Lucky money and bonuses Welcome bonuses often offered by Casino
Licensed in city / state Licensed often offshore, be it Gibraltar, Malta, Virgin Islands etc
So readers and punters, as you can see via the basic comparison, there's pros and cons between land based casinos and online casinos. In any event, we recommend that you set your limit and stick to it, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun.
A few observations...
Land based casinos that has failed to adequatly adapt to the online landscape have generally struggled to maintain the cashflow and profitability they once enjoyed. Many land based casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City are suffering. Harrah's Entertainment has adapted in recent years, as has Australia's Crown Casino, Burswood Casino and Star City Casino, to a certain extent. Some 3 years ago Australia's Lasseters Casino closed its online casino arm.
MGM - USA - Macau Situation Update
New Jersey casino regulators said Wednesday that they have evidence Stanley Ho, the Asian casino magnate, has extensive ties to organized crime in China.
Their suspicions led MGM Mirage to agree last week to sell its half of Atlantic City's top casino — rather than abandon the lucrative Chinese market, where it has a joint venture with Ho's daughter.
Considered the father of modern gambling in China, Ho lets criminal gangs "operate and thrive" inside his casinos, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement said in a report issued to the casino last May and made public Wednesday. The division found that Pansy Ho, his daughter, is dependent on him and his money and remains under his influence.
Media Man questions Where's the evidence? Ho's are good enough for MGM but not good enough for United States government... interesting situation. At time of publication Google continues to withdraw from China and its Google results are now uncensored.
On the situation Macau Daily Times journalist and media commentator, Rogério Beltrão Coelho, had this to say...
New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement recently released a report stating that it was concerned with the ‘unsuitable’ companions of some of the US gaming operators it regulates.
In short, it recommends – or demands – that MGM should steer well away from Pansy Ho, because “Dad” Stanley makes life easy for triad operations in the casinos that he runs. It argues that its evidence is “conclusive” and adds that as in Aesop’s fable “The Wolf and the Lamb” that…if you’re not guilty, your father is.
Obviously I am not the right one to assess here who’s right or wrong. I wouldn’t even know if Stanley Ho’s prompt denial is strong enough to wipe out allegations.
In democracy – a word so dear to the US theorists – anyone is presumed innocent until proven otherwise, and that is done in courts.
What seems odd is the fact that this issue was made public and escalated to such a huge scale precisely when the aging gaming tycoon was visibly weakened by an accident he suffered last year – At a time when estimates and forecasts point to the fact that Stanley Ho’s casinos are still leading the list of gaming revenues…
Of course this reasoning is far from judging here a hidden sense of opportunity in all this. (As usually happens to former leading politicians when ousted or sidelined). It might be a coincidence.
Let’s make it clear. I am not enlisted by Stanley Ho to make his defense. Nor have I ever been the least inclined to try my hand, or even go near the “green velvet”. But I cannot help but sympathize with the magnate.
It might be because I’ve been here for over 30 years and with a mind trained for data and facts, I cannot wipe from my records his contribution to the development of Macau while he kept the gaming monopoly. No doubt a kind of development not immune to all the negative side effects that gaming trails, but even so, a more serene development.
At levels considered modest by today’s standards and then just enough, for instance, to allow young newly-weds to invest and buy a home. Gambling911 advises more from our Macau friend on the official Macau Daily Times website ... subscribe for your copy today!
Australia - Racist Or Not Racist?
Media Man is pleased that numerous Australian billionaires, millionaires and celebrities are certainly not racist. Nor are we for that matter. Mining magnate, Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest and mates including Aussie casino king, James Packer or Crown, rounded up the troops and recently launched GenerationOne, a movement to help get Indigenous Australia back to work. Packer, Forrest and many leading Australian business people and a swag of celebrities have pledged to support the project and to employ our indigenous friends. Forrest advises it's not charity. They need to be correctly trained and qualified. Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd attended and spoke at the launch, as did NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally, who has already has 2229 jobs earmarked for indigenous people, Packer has approx 100, "Twiggy" with multiple thousands, and Media Man has put aside 2 contract jobs for locals. The ultimate goal is for 50,000 jobs to be created. It's more paperwork, but the end result is worth it. We agree with "Twiggy"... the more you get to know Aboriginal people you more you get to love them.
Side note... last month we reported on land based casino patron, Beth Price, being refused entry to a casino. Bess is an Indigenous Australian. The casino in question maintains Bess is a drunk and Bess is sticking to the story that the casino is racist. It's the good old case of their being two sides of the story. Readers, you be the judge. We here have a multi cultural policy and embrace and respect culture from all fair minded nations.
The late mail
Tonight Star City Casino, Sydney, Australia, welcomes iGaming Business Down Under guests for networking and drinks. The official event starts tomorrow (Wednesday) at 11.30. Media Man will be attending and conducting interviews and investigating via video camera, complete with legal eagle mate and security in tow. Affiliates get to attend for free, which we think is an excellent idea. 200 plus people are expected through the gates and we will be reporting on the good, bad and ugly at the event over the next few days.
Websites of the Month
PartyGaming's PartyCasino (no U.S players but accepts Canadians and Australians)
Virgin's Virgin Casino (no U.S or Australian players)
BetUS (accepts Americans, Canadians, Australians and many other regions
Captain Cooks Casino (accepts Australians and Canadians, but "grey area" on Americans.
MediaManCasino.com offers a handy and frequently updated World Casino Directory area to help get correct country access information to potential players.
Media Man and Gambling911 only list the most trusted and ethical casinos and online casinos. If you need further clarification on a casino ask us, or refer to other resources like GPWA, CAP, eGaming Review, CasinoMeister or Affiliate Guard Dog. If an online casino is not listed at either Gambling911 or on the Media Man network, there's quite likely a good reason.
*we don't know if those who reside in China / Macau can access the above websites, such is the nature of internet censorship, a matter deeply concerning to most Americans, Canadians and Australians. *The Australian internet filter has been delayed until sometime after July this year. Opposition political party, Liberal, headed up by Tony "The Bruiser" Abbott has already gone on the record that they have serious concerns about the proposed filter and internet censorship.
Until next time, enjoy your (hopefully) unfiltered and uncensored internet, have fun gaming, good punting. Party hard and play harder. Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi, USA USA, CAN, 777, 888, Oi Oi Oi.
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Of late some of this talk not only relates to the features, benefits, advantages (not to mention the risks), but also potential racism, which some argue falls into the protectionism realm, and it's this element which has seen some national and international legal action in recent years, much of which has been covered by numerous media outlets including Media Man and Gambling911.
Let's first take a look at the landscape of Casinos VS Online Casinos
Casino Online Casino
Must attend in person Patrons / customers can access from most countries
Guards and bouncer security Online security checks and no plastic handcuffs required
Limited hours of business Open 24 hours, 7 days a week, around the clock usually
Food, drinks, bar Eating and drinking arrangements controlled by self
Betting limits (potential) Betting limits imposed by casino, self or both
1000s or 1000s of games 300 games is usually the maximum range
Human interaction Limited human interaction
Travelling expenses No travelling expenses
Lucky money and bonuses Welcome bonuses often offered by Casino
Licensed in city / state Licensed often offshore, be it Gibraltar, Malta, Virgin Islands etc
So readers and punters, as you can see via the basic comparison, there's pros and cons between land based casinos and online casinos. In any event, we recommend that you set your limit and stick to it, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun.
A few observations...
Land based casinos that has failed to adequatly adapt to the online landscape have generally struggled to maintain the cashflow and profitability they once enjoyed. Many land based casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City are suffering. Harrah's Entertainment has adapted in recent years, as has Australia's Crown Casino, Burswood Casino and Star City Casino, to a certain extent. Some 3 years ago Australia's Lasseters Casino closed its online casino arm.
MGM - USA - Macau Situation Update
New Jersey casino regulators said Wednesday that they have evidence Stanley Ho, the Asian casino magnate, has extensive ties to organized crime in China.
Their suspicions led MGM Mirage to agree last week to sell its half of Atlantic City's top casino — rather than abandon the lucrative Chinese market, where it has a joint venture with Ho's daughter.
Considered the father of modern gambling in China, Ho lets criminal gangs "operate and thrive" inside his casinos, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement said in a report issued to the casino last May and made public Wednesday. The division found that Pansy Ho, his daughter, is dependent on him and his money and remains under his influence.
Media Man questions Where's the evidence? Ho's are good enough for MGM but not good enough for United States government... interesting situation. At time of publication Google continues to withdraw from China and its Google results are now uncensored.
On the situation Macau Daily Times journalist and media commentator, Rogério Beltrão Coelho, had this to say...
New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement recently released a report stating that it was concerned with the ‘unsuitable’ companions of some of the US gaming operators it regulates.
In short, it recommends – or demands – that MGM should steer well away from Pansy Ho, because “Dad” Stanley makes life easy for triad operations in the casinos that he runs. It argues that its evidence is “conclusive” and adds that as in Aesop’s fable “The Wolf and the Lamb” that…if you’re not guilty, your father is.
Obviously I am not the right one to assess here who’s right or wrong. I wouldn’t even know if Stanley Ho’s prompt denial is strong enough to wipe out allegations.
In democracy – a word so dear to the US theorists – anyone is presumed innocent until proven otherwise, and that is done in courts.
What seems odd is the fact that this issue was made public and escalated to such a huge scale precisely when the aging gaming tycoon was visibly weakened by an accident he suffered last year – At a time when estimates and forecasts point to the fact that Stanley Ho’s casinos are still leading the list of gaming revenues…
Of course this reasoning is far from judging here a hidden sense of opportunity in all this. (As usually happens to former leading politicians when ousted or sidelined). It might be a coincidence.
Let’s make it clear. I am not enlisted by Stanley Ho to make his defense. Nor have I ever been the least inclined to try my hand, or even go near the “green velvet”. But I cannot help but sympathize with the magnate.
It might be because I’ve been here for over 30 years and with a mind trained for data and facts, I cannot wipe from my records his contribution to the development of Macau while he kept the gaming monopoly. No doubt a kind of development not immune to all the negative side effects that gaming trails, but even so, a more serene development.
At levels considered modest by today’s standards and then just enough, for instance, to allow young newly-weds to invest and buy a home. Gambling911 advises more from our Macau friend on the official Macau Daily Times website ... subscribe for your copy today!
Australia - Racist Or Not Racist?
Media Man is pleased that numerous Australian billionaires, millionaires and celebrities are certainly not racist. Nor are we for that matter. Mining magnate, Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest and mates including Aussie casino king, James Packer or Crown, rounded up the troops and recently launched GenerationOne, a movement to help get Indigenous Australia back to work. Packer, Forrest and many leading Australian business people and a swag of celebrities have pledged to support the project and to employ our indigenous friends. Forrest advises it's not charity. They need to be correctly trained and qualified. Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd attended and spoke at the launch, as did NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally, who has already has 2229 jobs earmarked for indigenous people, Packer has approx 100, "Twiggy" with multiple thousands, and Media Man has put aside 2 contract jobs for locals. The ultimate goal is for 50,000 jobs to be created. It's more paperwork, but the end result is worth it. We agree with "Twiggy"... the more you get to know Aboriginal people you more you get to love them.
Side note... last month we reported on land based casino patron, Beth Price, being refused entry to a casino. Bess is an Indigenous Australian. The casino in question maintains Bess is a drunk and Bess is sticking to the story that the casino is racist. It's the good old case of their being two sides of the story. Readers, you be the judge. We here have a multi cultural policy and embrace and respect culture from all fair minded nations.
The late mail
Tonight Star City Casino, Sydney, Australia, welcomes iGaming Business Down Under guests for networking and drinks. The official event starts tomorrow (Wednesday) at 11.30. Media Man will be attending and conducting interviews and investigating via video camera, complete with legal eagle mate and security in tow. Affiliates get to attend for free, which we think is an excellent idea. 200 plus people are expected through the gates and we will be reporting on the good, bad and ugly at the event over the next few days.
Websites of the Month
PartyGaming's PartyCasino (no U.S players but accepts Canadians and Australians)
Virgin's Virgin Casino (no U.S or Australian players)
BetUS (accepts Americans, Canadians, Australians and many other regions
Captain Cooks Casino (accepts Australians and Canadians, but "grey area" on Americans.
MediaManCasino.com offers a handy and frequently updated World Casino Directory area to help get correct country access information to potential players.
Media Man and Gambling911 only list the most trusted and ethical casinos and online casinos. If you need further clarification on a casino ask us, or refer to other resources like GPWA, CAP, eGaming Review, CasinoMeister or Affiliate Guard Dog. If an online casino is not listed at either Gambling911 or on the Media Man network, there's quite likely a good reason.
*we don't know if those who reside in China / Macau can access the above websites, such is the nature of internet censorship, a matter deeply concerning to most Americans, Canadians and Australians. *The Australian internet filter has been delayed until sometime after July this year. Opposition political party, Liberal, headed up by Tony "The Bruiser" Abbott has already gone on the record that they have serious concerns about the proposed filter and internet censorship.
Until next time, enjoy your (hopefully) unfiltered and uncensored internet, have fun gaming, good punting. Party hard and play harder. Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi, USA USA, CAN, 777, 888, Oi Oi Oi.
Website Network
Casino News Media
Casino News Media.net
Casino Travel Media
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Global Gaming Directory.net
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Aussie Online Casino
Poker News Media
American Gaming News
American Casino News
Property News Media
Hollywood Slot Games
Classic Casino Games
Classic Slots Online
Marvel Slot Online
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Super Heroes Casino
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Casino News Media
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SEO, Search Engines, Hunt Machine on the web and more; Gonzo news for business
SEO, Search Engines, Hunt Machine on the web and more; Gonzo news for business
SEO or Hunt Machine Optimisation is the process of perfecting the website’s visibility to have applicable quests on hunt machines. More visibility in hunt results makes the point attract the attention of the druggies.
Search Machines similar as Google, Yahoo, Bing use technology to bottleneck on the web on different spots. They collect information about each point and also put them in an indicator. Further, the algorithm analyses the runners in the indicator grounded upon numerous different factors to determine the applicable spots that appear in a hunt result. The ranking factors for seo toronto can be keywords, unique content, applicable length of content, image attributes, etc. Optimizing the point with SEO factors can grease crawling and indexing and help the point rank advanced in hunt results. Unlike paid hunt advertisements, organic rankings on point can’t be achieved on hunt machines. thus, it becomes important to optimize websites to rank advanced in hunt results.
When it comes to Statistics, The first five Google quests on the first runner account for 67.60, while only 0.78 of Google quest click on the alternate runner. 70 of the marketers consider SEO more effective than PPC for generating deals. 51 of shoppers surveyed say they use Google to probe a purchase they plan to make online. These are a many statistics to punctuate the significance of SEO in 2021.
An effective SEO strategy can help the runner rank advanced and reach the right followership and increase website business when it comes to businesses. It can also help in getting transformations. Readout why SEO is important for businesses in 2021.
1. Increases visibility of a website
SEO, when done right, can help businesses increase their visibility on the website. It’s the direct motorist of bettered visibility and prints in the hunt results. Using the right keywords, adding backlinks from high sphere authority websites, optimizing metadata on the point, and participating unique content are among the many factors that can help the point increase visibility. SEO facilitates crawling and indexing, which helps in adding the visibility of a website.
2. Increases website business
Organic hunt is pivotal to a business. Search Machines contribute to a business’s visibility, and SEO can help druggies land to the point. SEO builds an online presence, increases website business, and helps the business to grow. The advanced the website ranks, the further business the business shall admit. The first Google hunt result has a28.5 click- through rate which falls down to2.5 for the tenth hunt result.
3. Enhances stoner trust on website
SEO establishes the authority of content on the hunt machine by admitting parameters like unique content, quality backlinks, advanced runner ranking, and stoner geste, which enhances stoner trust in the website. spots that are listed on the hunt machine are considered believable than the runners that are n’t. Quality SEO helps establish business credibility, gives exposure, and enhances its character.
4. This leads to a better consumer experience of the website.
SEO can help in perfecting the consumer experience and furnishing quality content to the consumers. It makes the content dependable through quality backlinks and the right keywords. SEO helps search machines in relating the right spots that are helpful to the stoner. Website speed is another criterion that plays an important part. A slow website will have a high brio and tends to distort the stoner experience.
5. Search Machines aren’t perfect, and if you do n’t take applicable way, your website will be ranked lower.
Hunt Machines need or, as we call, colorful conditions to identify point applicability. SEO enables the hunt machine to effectively judge its applicability and show the same in the hunt results. The better these conditions are satisfied, the advanced the runner ranks, which can help the business get website business, make credibility, and lead to transformations.
6. High website business would lead to advanced transformations.
Transformations can be appertained to the asked thing the point or business has. That can be enabling deals, subscribing to a service, adding readership, etc. Quality SEO promotes high website business which in turn leads to advanced transformations. High-engaging websites are bound to get a better conversion as they can gather maximum eyeballs.
Conclusion
SEO has come a critical element to the online success of businesses. Businesses who want to make sure of their strong online presence need to invest in SEO.
Pop Culture Flashback
Entertainment news, WWE, Hollywood, Australia, Sin City, Las Vegas, gaming and more...
What an exciting time for entertainment, movies, gaming and wrestling fans. WWE new angles and storylines, plus Main Event hits Australian TV
We've also got Hollywood box office reports, pro wrestling scoops, celebrity news and lots more. The Media Man agency with the latest...
James Bond new documentary...
The highs and lows of the James Bond film franchise have been brought into the spotlight with the release of a new documentary. 'Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007' charts the story behind the movie franchise and has been launched to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the films. Director Steven Riley told Reuters he was pleased the producers let him delve into the story behind the stories. 'I wanted to tell a real truthful history of the franchise, so I had requested that we could tackle some of the tricky areas, some of the hard luck story of Bond and they were thankfully very open about that,' he said. 'There were many obstacles in the way, there were changing times to cope with changing generations, tastes, there were changing relations - well personal struggles and personal relationship failures and really how did the films survive despite those obstacles in the way was something I really wanted to get to the root of.' Riley said. The documentary interviews five of the six official bond actors with the original Bond, Sean Connery, a noticeable absence after turning down interview requests. Former Bond girls mingled with the biggest names in James Bond at the premier screening in London earlier this week. Among the guests were the children of the pioneering producers of the film franchise Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. 'Well you know it's our baby and we feel very very protective over the Bond franchise, it's something our father started over 50 years ago and he had great passion for it and we have just been carrying the flame.' Cubby's daughter Barbara Broccoli told Reuters. 'Everything or Nothing' was released in theatres on Friday October 5, branded 'Global James Bond Day'.
Adele's Bond theme tops iTunes...
Adele's theme for the new Bond film Skyfall has shot to the top of the iTunes chart within hours of its release today. The track is hotly tipped to become the first 007 theme to make it to number one in the official chart when it is announced on Sunday. The song - also called Skyfall is her first new material since her career exploded following the success of second album 21 early last year.
The Rock on: Dwayne Johnson’s new competition series, The Hero; U.S auditions...
Adele's Bond theme tops iTunes...
Adele's theme for the new Bond film Skyfall has shot to the top of the iTunes chart within hours of its release today. The track is hotly tipped to become the first 007 theme to make it to number one in the official chart when it is announced on Sunday. The song - also called Skyfall is her first new material since her career exploded following the success of second album 21 early last year.
The Rock on: Dwayne Johnson’s new competition series, The Hero; U.S auditions...
Arnie admits cheating with Stallone's ex-wife...
Arnold Schwarzenegger had an affair with Brigitte Nielsen shortly before she wed Sylvester Stallone. The philandering actor has revealed he had a steamy fling with the actress - who was once married to his good pal Sylvester - during the early years of his relationship with now ex-wife Maria Shriver. Arnold has confessed to having an affair with the Danish actress while he was dating Maria in his new autobiography, according to US gossip website TMZ. He wrote that he and Brigitte became close while filming 'Red Sonja' together in 1985; the same year she married Sylvester. The 'Terminator' film star's admission comes more than a year after Brigitte originally blew the whistle on their "outrageous affair" in her own memoir 'You Only Get One Life', in which she claimed she didn't know he was living with Maria at the time. Maria is said to be furious with the actor for doing an interview about her reaction to his new book on '60 Minutes' because she did not receive an advance copy of his tell-all and was not contacted by the show to give her own reaction before their interview. He has also reportedly told Maria that she should not expect a share of the profits from his autobiography, 'Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story', even though much of the book is about their relationship. Arnold recently admitted his affair was the "stupidest thing" he ever did in his marriage. He said: "I think it was the stupidest thing I've done in the whole relationship. It was terrible. I inflicted tremendous pain on Maria and unbelievable pain on the kids."
WWE Studios 'The Day' positive movie reviews...
"The Day" hit theaters this week and the positive reviews are in on WWE Studios and Anchor Bay Films' chilling horror film about a day in the lives of a group of people living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Variety by Marc Graser
" 'The Day' is one of the most effective horror movies made in years, successfully delivering a feeling of dread that so many films in the genre lack these days, along with a unique story and captivating characters. Douglas Aarniokoski doesn’t take the easy out in his direction and never relies on camp or amps up the gore quotient to thrill audiences. He’s an impressive filmmaker who is worth keeping an eye on."
HollywoodLife.com by Russ Weakland
"WWE Studios and Anchor Bay Films have always delivered films all over the spectrum and with 'The Day' they continue to entertain us with a story of humanity torn by war, destroying civilizations and most of all life on earth, which makes those that are the survivors realize they must do whatever it takes to stay alive." ...
"So if you want to go out and see a film that will make you think and give you some jumps and chills 'The Day' is your movie. You will not be disappointed!"
The Los Angeles Times by Mark Olsen
"Luke Passmore's screenplay is stingy with his explanations about who these people are or how the world came to be in this state, and that turns out to be one of the film's greatest strengths." ...
"As Mary, the most recent enlistee to the tribe, [Ashley] Bell has a secretive reserve and steely resolve."
The Rock 'foils would-be burglars in London'...
The Rock has apparently foiled an attempted burglary in London.
The actor - also known as Dwayne Johnson - was working on his new movie Fast and Furious 6 in Hackney when he spotted the group of would-be thieves as they attempted to break into vans.
Johnson, who was dressed as an FBI agent for filming, was said to have abandoned a fight scene mid-take in order to confront the group.
"It was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand," an insider recalled to The Sun. "All of a sudden, there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was about to mow them down. The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and left the crew in peace.
"It was like the Only Fools [and Horses] 'Batman' sequence - they must have thought they were in the middle of a real-life action movie."
The source also quipped that the crew have suggested that actor - wrestler Johnson should be single-handedly responsible for security on the Fast and Furious 6 set.
The source said: “It was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand. All of a sudden there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was about to mow them down. The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and left the crew in peace.
“It was like the Only Fools Batman sequence — they must have thought they were in the middle of a real-life action movie.
“Now the crew are joking that they should drop security and just have The Rock do it.”
Dwayne Johnson wards off burglars...
London - Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson scared off a gang of would-be thieves on the set of his latest film.
The 40-year-old actor spotted a group of youths breaking into a warehouse in Hackney, East London while filming The Fast and the Furious 6 and stormed off the set mid-scene - dressed in full FBI agent costume - to chase the burglars away.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "It was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand.
Quick thinking
"All of a sudden there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was about to mow them down.
"The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and left the crew in peace. They must have thought they were in the middle of a real-life action movie.
"Now the crew are joking that they should drop security and just have The Rock do it."
The former wrestler managed to prevent the theft of expensive equipment thanks to his quick thinking and his impressive 6'5" frame.
The Fast and the Furious 6 also stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and singer Rihanna, who is set to play a villain in the popular film franchise.
Box Office results for new WWE movie...
WWE Studios's latest movie, "The Day," drew an estimated $10,100 in its first full weekend in theaters. The movie, which was shown in 12 theaters, ranked 52 out of 54 movies tracked over the weekend, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. (Pro Wrestling Torch) - U.S news report
No Holds Barred star facing prison time...
Tommy "Tiny" Lister, who was back in the spotlight this summer when WWE re-released "No Holds Barred" on DVD, faces up to five years of prison time for alleged mortgage fraud. Lister, who played Zeus in the WWE movie, pled guilty to "conspiring to commit mortgage fraud" in federal court on Friday, according to a TMZ report.
According to the plea agreement, Lister and other individuals conspired to obtain mortgages worth $5.7 million, costing lenders $2.6 million. Lister was also accused of defrauding lenders of another $1.1 million. Lister is due back in court in September for sentencing, which could be up to five years in federal prison.
David Otunga talks WWE and movies...
WWE wrestler David Otunga said in a recent interview that he hopes to eventually advance to the top of the card in WWE. "I am very goal oriented and want to see my character go to the top. I am hoping to have the creative freedom to do that and let it pan out the way I would like. It’s exciting for sure and hopefully in the next few weeks my character continues to grow," Otunga told ChicagoNow.com promoting Monday's Raw.
Otunga also discussed his recent movie role for WWE Studios's "The Hive." Otunga said, "The film was unbelievably fun because it came to me second nature. With the WWE, the acting classes, and the improv I do it was very easy to blend in. The only major difference was me having to shave. I haven’t shaved in many, many years but it had to be done and it helped me get into character."
WWE Interested In Lingerie Football Star...
The WWE NXT website has added a profile for Summer Rae and in that profile they acknowledge her past career with the Lingerie Football League. On a related note, WWE apparently has interest in another LFL star - Zipporah Chase.
NWA documentary news...
Charleston Post & Courier columnist Mike Mooneyham's Sunday column features a review of a new NWA documentary, "History and Tradition: The Story of the National Wrestling Alliance," which focuses heavily on the history and prestige of the NWA World Title. The story also reviews the current state of the NWA, which is being re-organized by R. Bruce Tharpe after buying the rights to the organization. Included are quotes from PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell on the history of and state of the NWA and his view on whether the organization has a place in today's wrestling era.
WWE News: Jericho details WWE's lack of long-term planning & day-of-TV-changes in interview on his 2012 WWE run...
In an interview with the Busted Open satellite radio show, Chris Jericho highlighted WWE's lack of long-term planning and changes on the day of TV tapings, which has been exacerbated by Raw shifting to three hours, in a review of his 2012 WWE run.
Notably, Jericho said he did not find out about his "Contract vs. Contract" send-off match against Dolph Ziggler on the August 20 Raw the night after Summerslam until ten minutes before Raw started.
"I didn’t know until the day I showed up, actually ten minutes before Raw started in Fresno that we were doing this contract vs. contract thing. So, I didn’t even know this was going to happen. I just figured I would have a match with Dolph and that would be the end of it," Jericho said.
"So, people who think that there is some long, drawn-out, plan, it really wasn’t. It was about ten minutes before the show started and I was like 'Oh, we are doing a contract vs contract thing? Oh okay.' So there you go, a little special behind the scenes look."
Jericho also said WWE did not have a plan for his feud with Dolph Ziggler when it started after the Money in the Bank PPV in July. Jericho said he pressed for a back-story to their feud before their strong opening promo.
"I couldn’t wait to work with Dolph but I needed a story. What’s the story? They said, 'we will think of one later.' I said, 'I don’t like that.' I need to think of one now since I have a promo tonight with Dolph. We can't think about this next week," Jericho said.
Jericho added, "That’s when I came up with the concept of everyone was bitching that Jericho never won a match on PPV... I thought it would be real interesting to go with the 'you can’t win the big one' scenario. But sometimes the writers will write 'this old broken down guy who is on the last legs of his career.' I’m like, 'Wait a second, broken down? I’m in the best shape of my life, never been hurt, I’ve never missed a match...' I wanted to focus on the storyline of 'he can’t win the big one.' It gave us a great place to go."
Jericho has said in recent interviews that he wasn't supposed to feud with Ziggler in his send-off program culminating at Summerslam. Jericho expanded on his reaction to being told he wouldn't be feuding with the other candidates, Sheamus and Daniel Bryan.
"Originally I was supposed to feud with Sheamus, and then it was Daniel Bryan. Then the day of Raw, they said I was doing something with Dolph. I was like, 'What happened to Daniel Bryan and Sheamus?' They said it changed and I was fine with it. I’ve been doing this long enough that I roll with the punches," Jericho said.
Regarding future stars on the roster replacing the old guard, Jericho talked about the uphill battle that wrestlers like Ziggler and Miz have in front of them not being having well-rounded wrestling experience outside of WWE. Jericho said, "When that light bulb comes on and they already have ninety percent, but that last ten percent is what makes you a great performer; some guys never figure out that last ten percent and when the guys do, that’s when they become guys you can base companies around and put in main events."
Specifically on whether Ziggler can be a future main-eventer, Jericho said, "Dolph is one of the best guys on the roster, but he is still learning as are a lot of the other guys. People say, 'Oh, Damien Sandow is the next guy or Kofi.' These guys are still learning. In time, I think these guys will be amazing, amazing performers. But, right now they are still on their way up the learning tree. So, yes, I think Dolph is going to be an amazing performer. Yes, I think the Miz is going to be a great performer. Lots of guys are getting into that zone, but they are still learning... It’s a different world out there right now than the way it used to be. There is a lot of great, great performers or potential great performers that are on the way to getting there."
[ FYI: Busted Open with Dave Lagreca and Doug Mortman can be heard from 2:00 to 4:00 EST on Sirius 94, XM 208, and Sportszone 860 on the Internet ] (Pro Wrestling Torch)
Ric Flair Comments On 'Hangover 3' Campaign And His Daughter Working For WWE NXT...
We noted before that fans online are trying to get WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair a cameo appearance in The Hangover 3 movie. Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald spoke with Flair this weekend about the campaign and The Nature Boy is perfectly fine with it.
"Oh man, I love my fans. So cool they started this whole campaign. I could play anything, as long as I'm not the guy getting married."
Flair also says he's proud of his daughter Ashley, who is currently working as Charlotte in WWE NXT. Flair said:
"It's my hope that people see that her accomplishments aren't a result of me. She's worked extremely hard for this. It's a very physically and mentally demanding business, and I really just couldn't be more proud."
You can check out the full article by clicking here.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/01/2980014/hangover-suits-wwe-hall-of-famer.html
Ric Flair going through fourth divorce, waiting for WWE call up...
Details are scarce at the moment, but Dave Meltzer, in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, reported that Ric Flair is currently going through a divorce, his fourth one, with his current wife, Jacqueline Beems. Apparently, Flair is the one who filed for divorce and cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their break up.
The news is unsurprising as less than two months ago Flair was assaulted by Beems at his home, according to a local police report. This wasn't the first such incident during their marriage together, as Beems was arrested for simple assault on February 21st, 2010 after getting into a fight with Flair upon their return to their residence after a night out. They managed to patch things up after that highly publicised and embarrassing affair, but obviously the second fight that required police intervention was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The cause of their second fight together never came out publicly. But Ric Flair still living The Nature Boy lifestyle and their money problems worsening, what with Flair losing his job with TNA, were all likely at least partly to blame. Ric's adultery was at the heart of his divorce with second wife, Beth; while third wife, Tiffany VanDemark, quickly "had enough" of his inability to retire gracefully and lead a more normal lifestyle with her.
Expect a fifth marriage in the not too distant future for Flair, as he obviously has a psychological need to be in a serious relationship at all times, even though he clearly finds it difficult to fully commit to a partner and amend his behaviour to ensure that a marriage lasts the test of time.
Meltzer also had the latest on his status with WWE:
There was talk surfacing of Flair replacing [Vickie] Guerrero with [Dolph] Ziggler but I don't know how serious that is. Plus, even though Flair can legally start with WWE on 9/10, WWE has yet to sign anyone from TNA since the lawsuit was filed.
This may explain why Ziggler is currently in a holding pattern of putting over the likes of Randy Orton and Sheamus on a seemingly weekly basis. WWE may not want to pull the trigger on him cashing in the Money In The Bank briefcase and winning the World Heavyweight Championship until TNA's lawsuit against them for contract tampering has been dealt with and Flair can return to WWE as his manager.
I have mixed feelings on Flair becoming Ziggler's new manager. Though it should help Ziggler to be taken more seriously, there is the risk that he will be overshadowed by Flair and make it more difficult for him to get heel heat. At least being managed by Vickie ensures plenty of boos. Personally, I think Flair would be much better utilised in an onscreen figurehead role - what do you think Cagesiders? (Cageside Seats)
Joss Whedon: 'The Avengers isn't a perfect movie'...
Joss Whedon has claimed that The Avengers isn't "a great movie".
The film has met with critical acclaim and outstanding commercial success, becoming the third highest-grossing film of all time in just a few months, but Whedon, the superhero blockbuster's writer and director, is determined to keep his feet on the ground.
In an interview with Vulture, the 48-year-old claimed that the box office numbers became, ultimately, "meaningless".
He said: "They're large, and you can't really count that high."
Describing what his goals were with The Avengers, he claimed: "I felt like I had a particular mission in making what I felt was a slightly old-fashioned movie, because I grew up wanting to make summer movies and wanting to make superhero movies, and I got to do both at once.
"I felt like summer movies haven't been what I remember them to be, so I felt like I would love to evoke something that's less hip and ironic and more heartfelt and character-driven, and apparently, other people cared about that in a large way."
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator then conceded: "I don't think it's a perfect movie. I don't even think it's a great movie. I think it's a great time, and I'm proud of it, but for me, what was exciting is that people don't go to see a movie that many times unless it's pulling on something from within, unless there's a need there. That's very gratifying."
The film is set to increase its box office even further this weekend, after being re-released in the US to take advantage of the Labour Day holiday.
Whedon will oversee a Marvel-produced SHIELD television show for ABC, before starting work on the Avengers sequel, due for a summer 2015 release.
The Avengers Crosses $1.5 Billion At Worldwide Box Office...
While the re-release of The Avengers at the U.S. box office might have failed to break into the top ten Labor Day weekend movies, it did help The Avengers reach another major milestone. The Avengers has become the third movie in history to cross the $1.5 billion mark at the worldwide box office.
While retaining its number three position on the worldwide box office list, The Avengers took in another estimated $1.7 million over Labor Day weekend, which brought The Avengers U.S. box office total to $619.5 million and The Avengers worldwide box office total to $1.501 billion.
Interestingly enough, The Dark Knight Rises also reached a milestone today, surpassing $1 billion at the worldwide box office, which means that combined The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises have accounted for $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office this year. If you add in The Amazing Spider-Man, which currently sits at number four on the 2012 worldwide box office list with $734.9 million, then the total rises to $3.2 billion. It’s definitely a good time to be in the superhero movie making business.
Jim Carrey joins Kick-Ass 2 cast...
Jim Carrey has been offered the role of Colonel Stars in Jeff Wadlow's superhero comedy, director Jeff Wadlow has strongly hinted.
Director Jeff Wadlow and creator Mark Millar have hinted that the 50-year-old funnyman has landed the coveted role of Colonel Stars in the sequel to 2010's wacky superhero comedy.
Jeff tweeted: "6 days till we start shooting... and we officially have our Colonel. Alrighty f'n then! @ChloeGMoretz @MintzPlasse @donald_faison #kickass2. (sic)"
After Christopher Mintz-Plasse replied asking who his new co-star was going to be, the original comic book's author Mark replied: "Clue - he lives with 200 raccoons and parrots, owns the mask of Loki and named by spielberg as a genius. (sic)"
During Jim's 1994 film 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective', which sees him play the titular character, his alter-ego is a private investigator who specialises in the retrieval of captive animals.
'The Mask' star Jim is reportedly a big fan of the original 'Kick-Ass' film by Matthew Vaughn and was being courted to play the born again Christian superhero, who assembles a motley crew of superheroes to help fight evil.
The sequel will see several new additions to the cast, including 'Scrubs' actor Donald Faison as Doctor Gravity and John Leguizamo as Red Mist's bodyguard, Javier.
The comedy will begin shooting this Friday (07.08.12) and sees Aaron Johnson returning as the lead Kick-Ass, while co-stars Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage are also reprising their roles from the first film.
'Kick-Ass 2' is set for release in June 2013.
Aussie actors Crowe and Jackman at war...
Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman are at war!
According to various news reports, the actors having been fighting like catty tween girls while shooting the new Les Miserables movie.
“They refuse to be in the same room – trying to get them to promote a film together is a nightmare,” a source tells Star magazine.
“They’ve known each other for a decade, but during this shoot, any shred of civility was thrown aside. They can’t stand each other, each calling the other an embarrassment to the profession.
“Russell sneers at Hugh’s musical-theater background. But Hugh says Russell embarrassed his country with his bad reputation in Hollywood.”
Costar Anne Hathaway has tried to mend fences, but the actors won’t budge.
“Producers hope she can convince them to come to a truce, but it’s not looking very promising,” said the source.
Idea of the moment: Crowe VS Jackman at WWE WrestleMania (Jackman is a known massive WWE fan and has participated in a physical WWE angle in the past, so here's hoping).
Howzat: Kerry Packer's war on cricket may be missing Dennis Lillee...
Many in media and sports circles are now buzzing that the true founding father of one-day cricket was not Kerry Packer but Dennis Lillee - yet the TV smash Howzat! whitewashes him from history, one of the original World Series directors has revealed.
In an rocket on Channel 9's ratings blockbuster, World Series Cricket director Austin Robertson - who also featured as a character in the mini-series - said Australians should thank Lillee for creating the one-day game.
In response, the show's producers launched a broadside of their own, claiming they asked Lillee to contribute but the bowling superstar refused to because he wouldn't get any money.
Mr Robertson, who worked closely with the former Nine king and the rebel team, also defended "the Big Fella" and said he was not the bully he was portrayed to be. Nor was the late batting star David Hookes the simpering and indecisive vacillator depicted in the show.
Mr Robertson said Howzat! was great entertainment and brilliantly produced but riddled with inaccuracies.
"The producers made a nonsense of the way they treated the man really responsible for the whole thing - Dennis Lillee," he said.
"Dennis was visible enough but he is not given the acknowledgement for having the idea in the first place, and his contribution in putting the entire thing together. Other people have put their hands up for having the brainchild of WSC but I am here to say that, without Lillee, it would never have happened at the time.
"Though Packer was determined to get the precious television rights, they would never have been delivered at that time without having the best fast bowler in the world in his corner.
"Curiously, the producers of the show, in the curtain-call of the program, in the segment 'Where are the main players today,' DKL was again overlooked.
"I had to ask myself, why did they do that? It was Lillee who delivered the players and, while it was great to be playing on the Packer team, without Lillee it would have never got off the ground."
Southern Star producer John Edwards, who made the show, hit back at Mr Robertson. He said Lillee boycotted the show and "shut down" Mr Robertson after learning no money was on offer.: "He (Robertson) was invited. There's nothing more to say really. He was mad keen on being involved and Dennis got to him and he was shut down. Dennis wanted money.
"We tried to speak to everybody and not everybody wanted to speak. Some people had grievances and grudges.
"(Writer) Chris Lee tried to involve them as much as as possible in the story and they chose not to be involved."
Mr Robertson confirmed he and Lillee had been approached but declined to take part. He declined to comment further or say whether money was an issue.
Lillee could not be reached but he has consistently refused to comment on Howzat!.
Mr Robertson praised Mr Packer and revealed the media tycoon was not as aggressive as the show portrayed: "The portrayal of Kerry as a constant bully and user of foul language is far from the truth. He could bully. I saw him on many occasions rise up like an out-of-control bull elephant and reduce a grown man to tears. I heard him swear like a storm trooper when out of control. But I never saw him chuck a plate of food.
"I thought Kerry was in the main a humble man, often revealing great compassion, a gentle giant who would talk issues out for hours before making a decision, and then following it through.
"The mini-series gave everybody the impression he was a loud, foul- mouthed bully and we saw precious little of his other side."
Channel 9 declined to comment however sources at the network said they felt the show was spot on in capturing Mr Packer.
Mr Robertson also rejected Howzat!'s portrayal of friend David Hookes, who died after an altercation with a bouncer in Melbourne in 2004.
"David was not a weak, indecisive and nervous character who 'spilled the beans' to The Age's Peter McFarline."
And as for his own portrayal Mr Robertson said: "From birth, and throughout the many years I have enjoyed on the earth I have never had a moustache."
Prince Harry; casino tycoon Steve Wynn and fun and games in Las Vegas and beyond...
As the UK's Daily Mail states it's a rare man who walks away from Las Vegas with nothing to regret.
Prince Harry counts the cost of his escapades in Sin City, he may just be coming to regret the day he ever made the acquaintance of casino tycoon Steve Wynn.
Wynn, the self-proclaimed King of Las Vegas, is the billionaire owner of the five-star Encore Wynn resort, the opulent hotel-casino in whose eight-room, £5,100-a-night suite the prince was photographed playing strip billiards.
Unsubstantiated reports this week have suggested that cocaine was snorted in the suite, and that a known prostitute was among the guests. There are even rumours of a video tape capturing the night's events. So how did the third-in-line to the throne come to meet – even befriend – a septuagenarian gambling mogul?
Steve Wynn, a flamboyant showman with a surgically-enhanced, wrinkle-free face, carefully coiffed hair, a volcanic temper and a trophy wife, is famous for befriending celebrities whose patronage would be good for business.
Last November, 70-year-old Wynn was spotted having dinner with the prince in one of his Vegas steakhouses while the Prince was enjoying a weekend break from an advanced helicopter training course in Arizona.
Waiving the bills of celebrities is common practice in Vegas, and it remains unclear who paid the estimated £30,000 bill for Harry's recent stay. According to Wynn's spokesman, the tab was not picked up by either the tycoon or his hotel.
Is the prince welcome to return? I can't see why not,' the spokesman said.
Wynn is unlikely to be perturbed by Harry's naked shenanigans, but if drugs do turn out to have been involved, he may swiftly seek to distance himself from the events. He may be Las Vegas's most revered casino owner, but he still has his gambling licence and his reputation to think about. It is a reputation that Wynn is eager to protect. He has worked hard to erase the stains of the past.
Today, he is widely credited as the man who single-handedly cleaned up' Vegas and made it into a place in which Wall Street could invest and young families could holiday (if parents don't mind their children collecting the prostitutes' calling cards which litter the pavement).
Yet for all his denials, Wynn, who is worth $2.5 billion, has never shaken off accusations that he was linked for many years to the mobsters who once ruled Las Vegas.
He has weathered successive U.S. investigations over everything from drug-dealing to money-laundering, and has never been found to have committed any wrong-doing.
In Britain, the authorities have proved harder to convince. When he tried to open a casino in London to exploit the influx of rich Arabs in the early Eighties, Scotland Yard denied him a licence. But in the desert city of Las Vegas, he remains a swaggering icon. He has a reputation for being sophisticated' but that's by Vegas standards.
This is a man who bought Impressionist masterpieces only to hang them on the walls of his casinos; who reputedly blew his finger off while playing with a gun given to him by a former Mob hitman, and who boasts that his wife Andrea has the greatest butt in the world'.
Money is no object. In 2005, Wynn sank $2.7 billion into building just one hotel the curved glass and steel Wynn Las Vegas. He then did the same again a few years later with the Encore.
So enamoured is he with the idea of himself as Sin City royalty that he arranged his wedding last year to coincide with that of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Hollywood star Clint Eastwood was best man and lingerie model Caprice a bridesmaid. The reception, held in the ballroom of Wynn's Encore resort, boasted a 500-strong guest list which included Sylvester Stallone, Steven Spielberg, Lionel Richie, Sir Philip Green and Celine Dion.
Each guest left with a five-inch high replica of the tiered wedding cake, but it's unlikely Wynn or his rake-thin new wife enjoyed much of the banquet. Both are vegans, and the youth-obsessed Wynn, who exists on a diet of vitamin pills, liquidised walnuts and the occasional indulgent dribble of olive oil, boasts that he still has a 32in waistline.
After years of hard graft and wheeler-dealing, he has earned the right to behave as he wishes. The son of an East Coast bingo parlour operator and hardened gambler, the brash and handsome Wynn Jnr expanded the family business to Las Vegas with a string of clever investments and ambitious hustling.
In the Seventies and Eighties, when Wynn was building his empire, Las Vegas was full of the mobsters who had originally built its gambling industry.
Some say it was impossible to work in the city and not come into contact with mafiosi, even unwittingly. Others have suggested that, even so, Wynn had an unusually large number of brushes with the Mob.
Wynn himself has vigorously denied any involvement with the Mob, and none of the numerous law enforcement investigations for gambling licences have ever concluded that he worked for or with organised crime.
In 1967, he was with some business associates of noted mobsters on a private yacht cruise on a lake in Nevada when a naked young woman somehow fell over the back of the boat and was chopped almost in half by the propeller blades. Her death prompted an investigation, but everyone on board denied having seen the incident.
And he had trouble with officials in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1986 after investigators discovered mobster Tony Castelbuono, a friend of Wynn, was laundering the profits of heroin trafficking at his gambling tables. Wynn almost lost his gambling licence.
Today, such tales of the Mob are just water under the bridge. Wynn has re-invented himself as the business genius who demolished seedy gambling joints along the Vegas Strip and replaced them with slick hotel-casinos such as the Mirage (the city's first 3,000-bed hotel), the Treasure Island and the Bellagio.
Part of his success has been his ability to turn on the charm with important people. But Wynn is notorious, too, for his temper. In 1991, he reached an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum with the former president of Wynn's Golden Nugget casino, who described Wynn as a womanising, brutal boss.
In allegations made in documents lodged at court, it was said that he would get so angry that his eyes bulged and he started screaming at the top of his lungs and banging his head on the table'. There was no admission of liability by Wynn, who denied the allegations.
His mother Zelma claims his tyrannical behaviour is the result of frustration over his failing eyesight. The tycoon suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive genetic disease which effectively gives him tunnel vision by destroying his ability to see peripheral images. In a dark room, he is completely blind.
His vision may be failing, but for years he was infamous for his roving eye, keeping keys to empty rooms at his various hotels for trysts. He was known to favour his female blackjack croupiers.
All that came to a stop when he met the beautiful Mrs Wynn. Usually described as a British socialite, 48-year-old Andrea was, in fact, born in New York but, as her proud husband likes to stress, was raised in England and France. Tres sophistique.
It all sounds rather less chic when you learn that the family moved to France because her father, a wheeler-dealer named Victor Danenza, fled there in 1976 to escape an FBI fraud investigation.
Before becoming the second Mrs Wynn, Andrea had lived in London with her first husband, Texan banker Robert Hissom, a former polo-playing friend of Prince Charles.
She met Wynn in 2008 in St Tropez, where he keeps a yacht, and the couple began a very public romance. Wynn divorced his long-suffering first wife Elaine, after 46 years of marriage, and wed Andrea last year.
Elaine made around $740 million from the settlement one of the biggest payouts in U.S. divorce history. The costly divorce appears not to have troubled Mr Wynn, who is delighted with his new wife.
It's like God made a woman for me,' he once said, before pointing out the part of his wife he most admired the greatest butt in the world'.
It all goes to show that money can buy you neither taste nor manners. Even Wynn's attempts to acquire a collection of old masterpieces have invited accusastions that he was vulgar and greedily acquisitive.
He has, since the late Nineties, spent hundreds of millions of dollars on paintings by Picasso and Degas, Caravaggio and Titian. He has several times scooped the world's great galleries at auction, only to horrify the art world by hanging his purchases in his casinos.
At 70, he shows no sign of slowing down though controversy continues to dog him. He is embroiled in a three-year court battle with Joe Francis, founder of the soft porn video empire Girls Gone Wild.
In documents lodged at court, Francis claims Wynn threatened in an email that he would kill him over a $2 million gambling debt. Wynn is alleged to have written that he would hit Francis in the back of the head with a shovel'.
Wynn denies the allegations and claims no such email exists.
In Asia, where Wynn now earns 70 per cent of his profits from the gambling mecca of Macau, a resort on the South China Sea, he is embroiled in a battle with a former business partner, Kazuo Okada.
This week, Okada sued Wynn for $140 millino for libel after each accused the other of paying bribes within the Asian gambling industry. No amount of black marble and old masters can hide the sleaziness at the heart of Las Vegas.
It is hard to believe Wynn when he claims he could just as easily have gone into family theme parks if Walt Disney hadn't done it first. Indeed, it seems about as likely as Prince Harry settling for free entry to Sleeping Beauty's Castle rather than a weekend with his colourful acquaintances in Sin City.
One ponders if the prince may be planning to visit in any casino - hotels in the near future, and little doubt that Australia's The Star or Crown Melbourne would love to have him. The smart money say's Prince Harry will no be stepping into any casino in Australia or anywhere else in the near future, perhaps more positive PR appearances will be on the cards however.
The Top 10 best MMA fights of the rest of 2012...
There are plenty of exciting fights to look forward to before 2013. Here’s a look at our top 10 (barring injuries):
10. Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le (UFC on Fuel TV 6, Nov. 10 in Macau)
This one isn’t as much about the fight as it is about the significance of the event – the UFC’s first in China. Neither of these guys is currently in their prime, but they always give crowd-pleasing performances. Le, a native of Vietnam, should have a massive Asian following.
9. Eddie Alvarez vs. Patricky Freire (Bellator 76, Oct. 12 in Windsor, Ontario)
Alvarez might have dropped the Bellator title last year to Michael Chandler, but he’s still one of the top 15 lightweights in the world. This also could be his last Bellator fight with his contract expiring – don’t be surprised if he’s in the UFC in 2013. Explosive knockout artist Freire will be a game opponent.
8. Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson, UFC flyweight title (UFC 152, Sept. 22 in Toronto)
Don’t blink. These are two of the fastest guys in MMA and both challenged for the bantamweight title before the UFC created its flyweight division. This bout will determine the company’s first-ever flyweight champion and these are legitimately the top two guys in the world at 125.
7. Shane Carwin vs. Roy Nelson (TUF 16 finale, Dec. 15 in Las Vegas)
There’s very little chance this one leaves the first round. Carwin and Nelson love to slug it out and after coaching against one another on “The Ultimate Fighter” they probably won’t be too friendly. It’ll be nice to see Carwin, a former heavyweight top contender, back in the cage.
6. Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir (Strikeforce: Mir vs. Cormier, Oct. 27 in TBA)
This might be a Strikeforce fight, but it has UFC implications. Mir, the former UFC heavyweight champion, takes on Strikeforce champ Cormier in somewhat of a crossover matchup. But Cormier will be in the UFC right after this fight courtesy of Strikeforce's heavyweight division being disbanded and a win here puts him on path for a title shot in 2013.
5. BJ Penn vs. Rory MacDonald (UFC on Fox 5, Dec. 8 in Seattle)
The trash talk has already been fun between the two, but things will really heat up when they enter the Octagon. Think of this as something of a passing of the torch fight. Penn, in the twilight of his career, will put up a strong challenge against the young lion, but the multi-faceted MacDonald is nearing superstardom in the welterweight division.
4. Benson Henderson (c) vs. Nate Diaz, UFC lightweight title (UFC on Fox 5, Dec. 8 in Seattle)
This could easily be a Fight of the Year candidate if it goes how it’s supposed to. Neither of these guys gives an inch – both Henderson and Diaz are perpetually moving forward. A win here, against a superior standup fighter in Diaz, would put Henderson’s name among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
3. Jose Aldo (c) vs. Frankie Edgar, UFC featherweight title (UFC 153, Oct. 13 in Rio)
Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Aldo was supposed to defend his title against Erik Koch, but Koch had to pull out with an injury and his loss is the fans’ gain. Edgar was the UFC lightweight champion for more than a year and his last two losses were by the slimmest of margins. Aldo, meanwhile, is a buzzsaw – one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. This is, indeed, a superfight.
2. Georges St. Pierre (c) vs. Carlos Condit, UFC welterweight unification (UFC 154, Nov. 17 in Montreal)
It seems like it’s been forever since St. Pierre has fought. One of the best MMA fighters of all time has not competed in more than a year and a half due to injuries, including a torn ACL. He returns to face red-hot Carlos Condit, who is coming off a win over Nick Diaz in January. St. Pierre, a dominant champ, has never faced anyone with the combination of speed, athleticism and technique that Condit has.
1. Junior dos Santos (c) vs. Cain Velasquez, UFC heavyweight title (UFC 155, Dec. 29 in Las Vegas)
This time, we’ll get the incredible battle of wills that we were promised last year. Velasquez lost his title to dos Santos last November in just over a minute via stunning knockout. To make matters worse, it was the UFC’s first show on Fox and the company took undeserved criticism for the quick, flash KO.
Who knew that dos Santos-Velasquez wouldn’t be a war? This one will make up for it, closing the year on a huge high note – the two best heavyweights in the world trading in the center of the cage. Only one will be standing at the end. (New York Post)
Entertainment, Gaming, Casino and Hollywood News Report: Marvel Entertainment, WWE, Movies, James Bond...
Sony Pictures May Emulate Marvel’s Strategy and Tie ‘Venom’ to ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and Other Films...
Some people including some studio executives scoffed as Marvel Studios began to build a franchise of films that would lead up to The Avengers. The team movie was ambitious, and the result of so much planning that it was easy to suspect may fail. We know now, of course, that The Avengers did anything but fail — it is one of the most financially successful films ever released - currently around 3rd most successful of all time.
That means other studios are now willing to consider emulating Marvel’s strategy. Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment haven’t laid the groundwork for a team film in the same fashion Marvel did, but they’re attempting it with Justice League anyway.
And Sony has the rights to some Marvel characters, notably the Spider-Man and Ghost Rider families. And it seems like the character spin-off Venom, which Chronicle director Josh Trank may make, could be designed to fit in with the new wave of Spider-Man movies that begins with The Amazing Spider-Man. Question is… to build up to what?
Hollywood.com talked to The Amazing Spider-Man producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach, who said Venom is being developed with connectivity in mind.
What I’m trying to say to you without giving anything away is hopefully all these worlds will live together in peace someday…Look for the worlds to make sense with one another.
Avi Arad explained what they’re trying to do with Venom, in basic terms:
It’s an Eddie Brock story. We want to be as close to the comics as possible. Especially in Eddie Brock’s story. But again, pseudo-sceince is becoming science. All these tidbits about webs, artificial webs, is a huge industry now. Spiderwebs have unique qualities that will be huge for communications, fibers, and so forth. So we have taken the approach that we want to make the huge amazing movie about Eddie.
The Brock character was played in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 by Topher Grace, but this will be a new take, presumably with a new actor. Brock will be “a journalist. He had the wrong story, he got in trouble for it, he got fired,” explains Tolmach.
Making the films play nice together makes sense, but now the question will be: can we expect a Ghost Rider reboot that places that character in the same universe? In general, is it reasonable to expect that any Marvel characters held by Sony will get films that are connected in at least some vague way? Sony can’t quite make The Avengers, but it could build up to something like the old Marvel Team-Up comic series.
Spiderman comes to South Korea...
A new face of Spider-man came to Seoul on Thursday (June 14) to premiere Parker's untold story, the latest saga of the Spider-Man franchise.
One of this summer's most eagerly awaited blockbusters, "The Amazing Spider-Man" delves into the origins of teenager Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, and tells of the superhero that the 17-year-old eventually becomes.
The new spider-man, Andrew Garfield, appeared on a news conference stage with a smile, but he was more than serious when he spoke about the new saga of the Spiderman series.
"There is such a long legacy to honour, and to do justice to, and I think our intention was to start from there, and make sure we were doing justice to these timeless mythical characters that Stanley created," said Garfield at the news conference.
Spider-man's latest instalment reboots the modern movie franchise that began with 2002's "Spider-Man", starring Tobey Maguire as the comic book crime fighter.
Over three films, the franchise amassed around 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in ticket sales, and for the fourth movie, its creators decided to take a fresh look at the series, bring in a new director and hire 28-year-old Garfield to replace Maguire, 36.
Talented actor Garfiled advised wearing a Spiderman suit and mask wasn't very easy, but it was also his dream come true.
"No one wants to wear spandex, but Peter has to for many reasons, so yeah, it was a challenge, but of course wearing the suit itself was a dream of mine since I was three years old, so being able to put it on every day," said Garfield.
Emma Stone, 23, who has been linked romantically with Garfield off-screen, portrays Parker's first love interest, Gwen Stacy, in the flick.
She said Gwen is different from Mary Jane Watson from the previous series.
"She's involved in helping Peter save the day as Spiderman of course, and so there are a lot of differences there, she doesn't sit idly by and she doesn't let him being a superhero stop the relationship from continuing or complain about it, she becomes a partner," said Emma Stone.
The movie director Marc Webb, well known in the country for his romantic comedy movie "500 Days of Summer," said the characters and romance made the blockbuster actions more appealing.
"You'll believe in that action more, you'll experience it in a more profound way if you care about the characters, and I think the only way I know how to create that empathy is through finding relatable characters and finding those little tiny moments between, whether it's between Peter and his aunt or uncle, or between Peter and Gwen, obviously romance interests me in cinema," said the film director Marc Webb.
About a thousand of fans gathered to see the new Spiderman and his girlfriend on a red carpet, and a fan couldn't hide his excitement for seeing the hero in person.
"I'd never imagined to actually meeting him like this, so I'm so honoured to see him in person. I got an autograph signed by Andrew Garfield himself.
I love him!!" said South Korean fan Lee Kyung-hoon.
South Korea's popular girl group '2EN1' was also attending the red carpet event to promote the movie.
"The Amazing Spider-Man" opens on June 28 in Seoul.
No official word yet on when the new movie will hit Australian big screens, but it should be around the same time as Korea.
Comics film gives legend respect...
Many people put Marvel creator Stan Lee in the same ranks as Walt Disney and Jim Henson. This is exactly the reason William Lawrence Hess and Nikki Frakes decided to make a documentary about the comic book legend.
“When I met Stan, I began to realize how big the things he created and stories he told were,” Hess says during a recent phone interview. “I’m into history and with Stan, there’s a rich history in what he’s done. You can tell he’s one of the 20th-century creators that people look up to.”
The duo’s result was the documentary “With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story.” The film will screen at 9 tonight at the KiMo Theatre, 420 W. Central.
Lee will introduce the film and then sign autographs during the Albuquerque Comic Expo, which runs today through Sunday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The documentary took nearly four years to complete. Hess says production began at Comic Con in San Diego in July 2006.
“We shot about 40 hours of footage right before that,” he explains. “When the project was over, we had 480 hours of footage that we managed to fit into an hour and a half documentary.”
Hess says the editing was tiring, but what softened the blow of cutting so much content out was the ability to make bonus footage.
“Nikki worked really close with the editor in carving it down,” he says. “It was a big process to go through, but it worked out in our favor.”
Frakes says it was important to show the man behind the mask.
“He invited us into his house and we got to see what he’s like with his wife,” she says. “It was important that we captured that and tell the story of how he came to be this icon in the comic industry.”
The duo led a team that searched archives and interviewed people associated with Lee. One of the prized interviews was with “Captain America” co-creator Joe Simon, who died in December 2011.
“Joe was basically Stan’s boss six decades ago,” he says. “We wanted to get inside the inner workings of the comic book industry. There were plenty of heavy hitters that came along in the ’40s. This was a huge interview for us.”
Yet for both filmmakers, comics weren’t the first thing they read. Frakes didn’t read them, but says when she learned more about Lee’s story, she wanted to help tell it.
“A lot of people think that he’s an overnight success,” she says. “He’s overcome a lot in his life and managed to become this cultural icon. He’s worked hard to get to his status.”
Hess, who grew up in New Orleans, was introduced to “X-Men” comics and later the Saturday morning comics that Lee participated in.
“I can still hear him saying ‘Stay Tuned Because We’ll be Knee Deep in Danger’ before the commercial break,” he says. “I appreciate that he’s been able to make an impact like that on me.”
'Black Panther' movie rumour: Marvel Studios...
Entertainment Weekly’s inside sources at Marvel Studios advise the news report is no true, however studio representatives declined to comment on the hot rumour.
A news report from the movie website Latino Review by writer El Mayimbe stated Marvel Studios has committed to making one of its next projects a picture based on Black Panther, the leader of the fictional African nation and the character widely regarded as the first major black superhero.
Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney did not immediately comment on the rumor, which has circulated far and wide, causing a buz among comic book movie fans. But now inside sources at Marvel have told EW that it’s simply not true that Black Panther will be one of their next films.
Black Panther is not just a cool codename, it’s the title bestowed on the Wakandan king. In the comics, T’Challa, a Wakandan prince and warrior, passed the trials necessary to ascend to his nation’s throne, thus earning the mantle of Black Panther. Coincidentally, he also fell in love with Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. the weather-controlling Storm from X-Men, during his journeys, but don’t expect her to show up in any Marvel Studios film about him. She remains a part of X-Men mythology still owned by 20th Century Fox.
Black Panther first appeared in a 1966 issue of Fantastic Four, and the name only coincidentally mirrors that of the militant civil rights political party, created that same year. (He also fought as part of The Avengers, which could factor into any sequel for that blockbuster.)
If the look of the character recalls DC Comics’ Batman, the two characters actually have similarities beyond the costume. T’Challa’s superhuman powers are his acute senses of perception and strength, but he is also a brilliant scientist, and as heir to the throne of Wakanda he is every bit as wealthy as Bruce Wayne.
Wakanda was the site of an ancient meteor crash which scattered the element vibranium throughout the land. That fictional element, of course, is one of the rarest and strongest minerals on earth, and is used in the creation of Captain America’s shield. Black Panther’s prime nemesis is Ulysses Klaw, a physicist who murders T’Challa’s father to gain access to the precious vibranium deposits, which he uses to craft a weapon that can create solid objects out of sound waves.
Being the first mainstream black superhero, there were also political elements to Black Panther’s story. In the mid-1970s, comic book story arcs sent him to the American South, where he clashed with the Ku Klux Klan. Black Panther also ventured into an Apartheid-ruled South Africa depicted in the guise of a Marvel nation called Rudyarda.
The Black Panther script was revealed last January, with documentarian Mark Bailey (The Fence, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, and Pandemic: Facing AIDS) crafting the story — an unusual choice, but not if Marvel would like to add a dose of social commentary to the action hero’s story.
If Latino Review’s report proves to be true, the next big questions are who would star and who would direct.
In breaking the scoop, Mayimbe proposed Nate Parker, who got high marks from critics for Red Tails (even if the movie itself did not) and garnered lots of praise at Sundance for a powerful turn opposite Richard Gere in the Wall Street thriller Arbitrage.
Parker’s a solid choice, but The Wire‘s Idris Elba would also supply endless intensity for the character. Chiwetel Ejiofor has the kick-ass-professor vibe down, and Anthony Mackie, although a little slim physically, could build some muscle for the role. If we’re talking pure star power and charisma, Jamie Foxx could be a good choice, and will be riding high after Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained debuts this year.
Marvel Entertainment movie fans.. if the rumour turns out to be true it sure will be excelsior!
Pro Wrestling News...
The debut of Steve Austin’s Redneck Island on CMT (in the U.S) this past Saturday scored a 0.42 rating with 665,000 viewers. It was the highest rated show for the day. Austin wrote the following about the show last night:
“It’s a damn crying shame that Canada, Australia, England, and other great countries cannot get CMT Redneck Island. A damn shame. Spreading Redneck Island around the globe is my newest task. Yes…To provide quality entertainment and content across the globe. #CMT #BSR”
- Despite what WWE says in the lawsuit from TNA, most people within WWE believe that "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair will return to the company as soon as he is legally able to and that WWE officials would love to have him back at the 1,000th RAW in July.
Wrestling companies square off in Nashville, USA court...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawyers for World Wrestling Entertainment have told a Nashville judge the company has not and will not use confidential information from rival Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
The pledge came during a hearing last week over a lawsuit TNA filed last month against pro wrestling giant - WWE, claiming WWE had obtained secret contract details in an attempt to poach TNA's wrestlers.
Attorneys for WWE told Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle that the company has not contacted any of TNA's contracted personnel. The attorneys also said WWE has returned the only copies of the confidential information to TNA.
Lyle dissolved a May 24 temporary restraining order against WWE that had prohibited it from using the information to solicit TNA wrestlers, but she made no ruling on the merits of the case. Another hearing will be July 12.
TNA, based in Nashville, claimed in the suit that WWE apparently had already tried to hire away veteran wrestler Ric Flair. According to the court record, WWE lawyers said the company "has no intention of doing so."
TNA alleged that one of its former employees, Brian Wittenstein, went to work for WWE and provided his new employer with contract details. WWE said he was fired when he gave them the information.
A TNA suit against Wittenstein is still pending.
Jerry McDevitt, an attorney for Connecticut-based WWE, said Tuesday the company will file clarifying details with the court. He said the latest order "speaks for itself."
Dixie Carter, president of TNA, said in a statement Tuesday that the company "will vigorously protect TNA and its brand from damage at the hands of any and all sources, no matter who is involved." TNA was founded by wrestler Jeff Jarrett.
WWE Legal Letter To TNA Legal Counsel...
WWE Attorney Jerry McDevitt recently sent a letter to TNA legal counsel Erika Blonquist. The letter was filed with the court last week and can be read below:
First, and as I advised you orally on the phone during our recent conference call, WWE has not solicited Ric Flair to leave TNA and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has made no offer to Flair and has no intention of doing so.
Second, as I also advised you, WWE has not solicited any other current TNA talent to repudiate their contracts and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has no interest in current TNA talent.
The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK To Air On FX...
TUF: Australia vs. UK broadcasts on FX in Australia this fall
"The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K." will air on FX in Australia in the fall as the latest installment of the reality series from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC officials announced the news yesterday.
Tryouts for the upcoming season of "TUF" are currently underway, featuring fighters from both Australia and England. The coaches for the season have not yet been named, though an official announcement is expected soon.
"We're excited to be part of the FX family in Australia," UFC managing director for international development Marshall Zelaznik stated. "When the first series of 'The Ulimate Fighter' debuted in the United States seven years ago, it brought in millions of new fans who tuned in each and every week to watch their favorite fighters. I have no doubt that 'The Smashes' will do the same in Australia."
"The Smashes" is the title given to this season, referencing a cricket rivalry ("The Ashes") between the two countries.
While the season will air in Australia, no plans have been announced for those hoping to view in the U.S. Fans could watch "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" online earlier this year as it was taping in Brazil, but the season did not broadcast on national television until FUEL TV began airing episodes just recently.
Are you ready? Are you ready? Let's get it on!
KA By Cirque du Soleil And Marvel Entertainment Bring Epic Story From Stage To Page With All-New Comic Book; KA #1 Released to Fans at Comic-Con International in San Diego 2012...
LAS VEGAS, June 13, 2012 - KA by Cirque du Soleil, the spectacular production at MGM Grand Las Vegas, and Marvel Custom Solutions team up to tell the story of this acclaimed live production through an all-new, collectible comic book. KA #1 will debut at the Marvel booth (#2329) during Comic Con International in San Diego, July 12 – 15, 2012.
"To see our live KA performances transform from the theatre to ink on pages in a comic book is an incredible opportunity for our entire team," said Marie-Helene Gagnon, Artistic Director of KA. "By aligning ourselves with the premier brand of comic book creators, we have produced an illustration of KA that depicts the story very vividly and stays true to the plot. Marvel and its team of creators have been great to collaborate with and have embraced the story of KA and the expectations of Cirque du Soleil."
"Marvel's proud to bring the exciting, out of this world action and adventure of KA to life in this all new comic book," said Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief, Marvel Worldwide, Inc. "This is a great comic for fans of all ages, whether they're long-time fans of Marvel, KA or new to both exciting brands of storytelling."
KA fans attending Comic Con International can take home the heroic journey of Imperial Twins separated by war who encounter adventure and peril at every turn on their quest to reunite their kingdom.
"What's more jaw-dropping, the majesty of the Imperial Court...the dynamic dance of their martial arts display...the overwhelming might of the invading archer army...the desperate fight for survival in the storm-tossed seas...or the tantalizing glimpses at the future threats that await the Twins?" said Marvel Editor Bill Rosemann. "Readers can decide for themselves when they feast their eyes on the all-out spectacle that writer Bryan J.L. Glass, artist Wellinton Alves and cover artist Michael Del Mundo have crafted in this world premiere debut issue."
KA #1 will be distributed at Comic Con International in San Diego at the Marvel booth in July. A limited amount of books also will be available at comic book stores in select markets. In addition to the print copy of the comic book, fans will be able to access the KA customized comic book by utilizing Marvel's cutting-edge digital comics reader.
Fans can get an inside look at the making of the comic book by visiting www.kacomicbook.com. Featuring sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes information, including line art, storyboards and more, this site will serve as a hub for details on the collaboration. Fans will be able to receive information on how to get their own copy of the comic book. On Twitter, fans can tweet about the collaboration to @Cirque and @Marvel using the #KAComicBook hashtag.
About KA:
KA by Cirque du Soleil is a heroic journey of love and conflict set within ever-changing theatrical landscapes that conjure an entire empire on stage. Presented exclusively at MGM Grand Las Vegas, KA unfolds on a colossal, 360-degree rotating stage which forms the backdrop for this cinematic journey of aerial adventure and perpendicular acrobatics. For more information visit www.ka.com. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KA and Tweet us: @Cirque #KA.
About Marvel Entertainment:
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook. SOURCE Cirque du Soleil
Macquarie takes a stake in Echo...
Investment firm Macquarie Group has bought a five per cent stake in casinos operator Echo Entertainment Group.
Echo said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday that Macquarie had become a substantial shareholder in Echo on June 7, having acquired about 35.1 million shares, or about 5.1 per cent of Echo.
Echo announced on Tuesday that it proposed to undertake a capital raising - the amount of which was undisclosed - and its shares are currently in a trading halt.
The company last week lost its chairman John Story after Crown's James Packer launched a public campaign against him.
Crown is Echo's largest shareholder, with a 10 per cent stake.
Echo owns The Star casino in Sydney, the Jupiters casinos on the Gold Coast and in Townsville, and Treasury casino in Brisbane.
Shares in Echo last traded at $4.49 before going into a halt.
Crown Undecided on Support for Echo Capital Raising...
Crown Ltd. (CWN), the casino operator controlled by billionaire James Packer, hasn’t decided whether it will buy new stock in a planned capital raising by Echo Entertainment Group Ltd. (EGP)
Echo, based in Brisbane, will seek to raise between A$400 million ($399 million) and A$500 million in a rights offering being managed by UBS AG and Macquarie Group Ltd., according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The details may be announced as early as tomorrow, the person said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.
Crown, which owns 10 percent of Echo, will wait for details of the share sale, Chief Financial Officer Ken Barton said by telephone from Melbourne today.
Packer agreed to cease a campaign against Echo after Chairman John Story stepped down June 8, Acting Chairman John O’Neill said yesterday. Crown is seeking regulatory approval to increase its holding in the operator of the only casino in Sydney above the current 10 percent limit as Genting Singapore Plc (GENS) built a stake of 4.9 percent.
“We’ll wait to see what they’re proposing,” Barton said.
Trading in Echo shares was halted yesterday, ahead of the capital raising. Spokeswomen for UBS and Macquarie in Sydney declined to comment.
Brad Schmitt, a Sydney-based spokesman for Echo, declined to comment on the fundraising plan in an e-mailed statement. The Australian Financial Review reported that Echo is planning to raise A$400 million earlier today, without saying where it got the information.
Genting’s stake may make it harder for Crown to take control of Echo and increases the chances of a bidding war, according to Gary Pinge, Macquarie Group Ltd.’s regional head of gaming and consumer research. Though a joint bid by the two companies is possible, Crown won’t want to see Genting “entering its backyard,” he said.
Story resigned after Crown, which owns casinos in Melbourne and Perth, called a meeting to vote on his removal and ran advertisements in local newspapers criticizing the company’s “underperformance” under his leadership. Packer has now withdrawn his request for a shareholder meeting.
Echo owns the Star in Sydney as well as three casinos in the state of Queensland.
Hot Body of 2012...
ELLE MACPHERSON
Admit it: 48 never looked this good! The Aussie model, known around the world as "The Body," ignited bikini envy from a whole new generation of beachgoers when she flaunted her fit form in the pages of PEOPLE. "I do get jitters," says Macpherson of donning a two-piece 20-plus years after gracing four Sports Illustrated covers. "I was comfortable [at the shoot]. But I had to get my self-conscious 'maybe I don't look my best' head out of the way and go with, 'Let's celebrate where I'm at.'"
James Bond turns 50...
James Bond turns 50 this year but you'd never know it by looking at him. Despite hundreds of skirmishes with the world's scariest villains, not to mention a diet heavy on shaken-not-stirred martinis, the man in the Aston Martin still cuts a dashing figure.
In October, it will have been five decades since 007 -- in the form of Sean Connery -- first sauntered onto movie screens in "Dr. No." And he's still going strong. The Bond movies are not only the longest continuously running series in cinema history but also the most successful, with more than $5 billion in box-office receipts. Take that, George Lucas.
Daniel Craig, the sixth actor to play the world-saving spy, will step into Bond's shoes once again on Oct. 26 with "Skyfall," the 23rd film in the series. Also this October, MGM will celebrate 007's birthday with a 22-disc Blu-ray set that finally makes all of the movies available in high definition.
The movies, which will be presented in 35 mm prints, include "Goldfinger" (June 17), "GoldenEye" (June 26), "The Spy Who Loved Me" (July 2), "Dr. No" (July 10), "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (July 16), "Live and Let Die" (July 24) and "From Russia With Love" (July 30).
The Bond film franchise began in 1962 with "Dr. No." It was not only a worldwide smash but also turned out to be a big influence on popular culture. Think "The Man From U.N.C.L.E," "Our Man Flint," "Get Smart" and "Mission: Impossible."
So where did the idea come from? Ian Fleming, of course. A former journalist and British Naval intelligence officer, he conceived of the book series in 1952 while vacationing in Jamaica in a holiday home he called Goldeneye.
James Bond made his first appearance in "Casino Royale," which was published in 1953. Thirteen more Bond books by Fleming followed.
Since the release of "Dr. No," we have never gone more than five or six years without a new Bond flick. Connery played him five times 1962-1967 and then again in 1971 and 1983. In between, there was a one-off appearance by George Lazenby. In 1973, Roger Moore took over for seven outings.
Next came Timothy Dalton for two films beginning in 1987. Pierce Brosnan got the job in 1995 for four features. The latest Bond is Craig, who has played him in series re-boot "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace" and the upcoming "Skyfall."
Did we mention that Bond also enjoys a good game of poker and baccarat and often the stakes have been life or death. Would you like to play with Bond? That's what we thought.
Sony Pictures May Emulate Marvel’s Strategy and Tie ‘Venom’ to ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and Other Films...
Some people including some studio executives scoffed as Marvel Studios began to build a franchise of films that would lead up to The Avengers. The team movie was ambitious, and the result of so much planning that it was easy to suspect may fail. We know now, of course, that The Avengers did anything but fail — it is one of the most financially successful films ever released - currently around 3rd most successful of all time.
That means other studios are now willing to consider emulating Marvel’s strategy. Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment haven’t laid the groundwork for a team film in the same fashion Marvel did, but they’re attempting it with Justice League anyway.
And Sony has the rights to some Marvel characters, notably the Spider-Man and Ghost Rider families. And it seems like the character spin-off Venom, which Chronicle director Josh Trank may make, could be designed to fit in with the new wave of Spider-Man movies that begins with The Amazing Spider-Man. Question is… to build up to what?
Hollywood.com talked to The Amazing Spider-Man producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach, who said Venom is being developed with connectivity in mind.
What I’m trying to say to you without giving anything away is hopefully all these worlds will live together in peace someday…Look for the worlds to make sense with one another.
Avi Arad explained what they’re trying to do with Venom, in basic terms:
It’s an Eddie Brock story. We want to be as close to the comics as possible. Especially in Eddie Brock’s story. But again, pseudo-sceince is becoming science. All these tidbits about webs, artificial webs, is a huge industry now. Spiderwebs have unique qualities that will be huge for communications, fibers, and so forth. So we have taken the approach that we want to make the huge amazing movie about Eddie.
The Brock character was played in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 by Topher Grace, but this will be a new take, presumably with a new actor. Brock will be “a journalist. He had the wrong story, he got in trouble for it, he got fired,” explains Tolmach.
Making the films play nice together makes sense, but now the question will be: can we expect a Ghost Rider reboot that places that character in the same universe? In general, is it reasonable to expect that any Marvel characters held by Sony will get films that are connected in at least some vague way? Sony can’t quite make The Avengers, but it could build up to something like the old Marvel Team-Up comic series.
Spiderman comes to South Korea...
A new face of Spider-man came to Seoul on Thursday (June 14) to premiere Parker's untold story, the latest saga of the Spider-Man franchise.
One of this summer's most eagerly awaited blockbusters, "The Amazing Spider-Man" delves into the origins of teenager Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, and tells of the superhero that the 17-year-old eventually becomes.
The new spider-man, Andrew Garfield, appeared on a news conference stage with a smile, but he was more than serious when he spoke about the new saga of the Spiderman series.
"There is such a long legacy to honour, and to do justice to, and I think our intention was to start from there, and make sure we were doing justice to these timeless mythical characters that Stanley created," said Garfield at the news conference.
Spider-man's latest instalment reboots the modern movie franchise that began with 2002's "Spider-Man", starring Tobey Maguire as the comic book crime fighter.
Over three films, the franchise amassed around 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in ticket sales, and for the fourth movie, its creators decided to take a fresh look at the series, bring in a new director and hire 28-year-old Garfield to replace Maguire, 36.
Talented actor Garfiled advised wearing a Spiderman suit and mask wasn't very easy, but it was also his dream come true.
"No one wants to wear spandex, but Peter has to for many reasons, so yeah, it was a challenge, but of course wearing the suit itself was a dream of mine since I was three years old, so being able to put it on every day," said Garfield.
Emma Stone, 23, who has been linked romantically with Garfield off-screen, portrays Parker's first love interest, Gwen Stacy, in the flick.
She said Gwen is different from Mary Jane Watson from the previous series.
"She's involved in helping Peter save the day as Spiderman of course, and so there are a lot of differences there, she doesn't sit idly by and she doesn't let him being a superhero stop the relationship from continuing or complain about it, she becomes a partner," said Emma Stone.
The movie director Marc Webb, well known in the country for his romantic comedy movie "500 Days of Summer," said the characters and romance made the blockbuster actions more appealing.
"You'll believe in that action more, you'll experience it in a more profound way if you care about the characters, and I think the only way I know how to create that empathy is through finding relatable characters and finding those little tiny moments between, whether it's between Peter and his aunt or uncle, or between Peter and Gwen, obviously romance interests me in cinema," said the film director Marc Webb.
About a thousand of fans gathered to see the new Spiderman and his girlfriend on a red carpet, and a fan couldn't hide his excitement for seeing the hero in person.
"I'd never imagined to actually meeting him like this, so I'm so honoured to see him in person. I got an autograph signed by Andrew Garfield himself.
I love him!!" said South Korean fan Lee Kyung-hoon.
South Korea's popular girl group '2EN1' was also attending the red carpet event to promote the movie.
"The Amazing Spider-Man" opens on June 28 in Seoul.
No official word yet on when the new movie will hit Australian big screens, but it should be around the same time as Korea.
Comics film gives legend respect...
Many people put Marvel creator Stan Lee in the same ranks as Walt Disney and Jim Henson. This is exactly the reason William Lawrence Hess and Nikki Frakes decided to make a documentary about the comic book legend.
“When I met Stan, I began to realize how big the things he created and stories he told were,” Hess says during a recent phone interview. “I’m into history and with Stan, there’s a rich history in what he’s done. You can tell he’s one of the 20th-century creators that people look up to.”
The duo’s result was the documentary “With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story.” The film will screen at 9 tonight at the KiMo Theatre, 420 W. Central.
Lee will introduce the film and then sign autographs during the Albuquerque Comic Expo, which runs today through Sunday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The documentary took nearly four years to complete. Hess says production began at Comic Con in San Diego in July 2006.
“We shot about 40 hours of footage right before that,” he explains. “When the project was over, we had 480 hours of footage that we managed to fit into an hour and a half documentary.”
Hess says the editing was tiring, but what softened the blow of cutting so much content out was the ability to make bonus footage.
“Nikki worked really close with the editor in carving it down,” he says. “It was a big process to go through, but it worked out in our favor.”
Frakes says it was important to show the man behind the mask.
“He invited us into his house and we got to see what he’s like with his wife,” she says. “It was important that we captured that and tell the story of how he came to be this icon in the comic industry.”
The duo led a team that searched archives and interviewed people associated with Lee. One of the prized interviews was with “Captain America” co-creator Joe Simon, who died in December 2011.
“Joe was basically Stan’s boss six decades ago,” he says. “We wanted to get inside the inner workings of the comic book industry. There were plenty of heavy hitters that came along in the ’40s. This was a huge interview for us.”
Yet for both filmmakers, comics weren’t the first thing they read. Frakes didn’t read them, but says when she learned more about Lee’s story, she wanted to help tell it.
“A lot of people think that he’s an overnight success,” she says. “He’s overcome a lot in his life and managed to become this cultural icon. He’s worked hard to get to his status.”
Hess, who grew up in New Orleans, was introduced to “X-Men” comics and later the Saturday morning comics that Lee participated in.
“I can still hear him saying ‘Stay Tuned Because We’ll be Knee Deep in Danger’ before the commercial break,” he says. “I appreciate that he’s been able to make an impact like that on me.”
'Black Panther' movie rumour: Marvel Studios...
Entertainment Weekly’s inside sources at Marvel Studios advise the news report is no true, however studio representatives declined to comment on the hot rumour.
A news report from the movie website Latino Review by writer El Mayimbe stated Marvel Studios has committed to making one of its next projects a picture based on Black Panther, the leader of the fictional African nation and the character widely regarded as the first major black superhero.
Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney did not immediately comment on the rumor, which has circulated far and wide, causing a buz among comic book movie fans. But now inside sources at Marvel have told EW that it’s simply not true that Black Panther will be one of their next films.
Black Panther is not just a cool codename, it’s the title bestowed on the Wakandan king. In the comics, T’Challa, a Wakandan prince and warrior, passed the trials necessary to ascend to his nation’s throne, thus earning the mantle of Black Panther. Coincidentally, he also fell in love with Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. the weather-controlling Storm from X-Men, during his journeys, but don’t expect her to show up in any Marvel Studios film about him. She remains a part of X-Men mythology still owned by 20th Century Fox.
Black Panther first appeared in a 1966 issue of Fantastic Four, and the name only coincidentally mirrors that of the militant civil rights political party, created that same year. (He also fought as part of The Avengers, which could factor into any sequel for that blockbuster.)
If the look of the character recalls DC Comics’ Batman, the two characters actually have similarities beyond the costume. T’Challa’s superhuman powers are his acute senses of perception and strength, but he is also a brilliant scientist, and as heir to the throne of Wakanda he is every bit as wealthy as Bruce Wayne.
Wakanda was the site of an ancient meteor crash which scattered the element vibranium throughout the land. That fictional element, of course, is one of the rarest and strongest minerals on earth, and is used in the creation of Captain America’s shield. Black Panther’s prime nemesis is Ulysses Klaw, a physicist who murders T’Challa’s father to gain access to the precious vibranium deposits, which he uses to craft a weapon that can create solid objects out of sound waves.
Being the first mainstream black superhero, there were also political elements to Black Panther’s story. In the mid-1970s, comic book story arcs sent him to the American South, where he clashed with the Ku Klux Klan. Black Panther also ventured into an Apartheid-ruled South Africa depicted in the guise of a Marvel nation called Rudyarda.
The Black Panther script was revealed last January, with documentarian Mark Bailey (The Fence, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, and Pandemic: Facing AIDS) crafting the story — an unusual choice, but not if Marvel would like to add a dose of social commentary to the action hero’s story.
If Latino Review’s report proves to be true, the next big questions are who would star and who would direct.
In breaking the scoop, Mayimbe proposed Nate Parker, who got high marks from critics for Red Tails (even if the movie itself did not) and garnered lots of praise at Sundance for a powerful turn opposite Richard Gere in the Wall Street thriller Arbitrage.
Parker’s a solid choice, but The Wire‘s Idris Elba would also supply endless intensity for the character. Chiwetel Ejiofor has the kick-ass-professor vibe down, and Anthony Mackie, although a little slim physically, could build some muscle for the role. If we’re talking pure star power and charisma, Jamie Foxx could be a good choice, and will be riding high after Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained debuts this year.
Marvel Entertainment movie fans.. if the rumour turns out to be true it sure will be excelsior!
Pro Wrestling News...
The debut of Steve Austin’s Redneck Island on CMT (in the U.S) this past Saturday scored a 0.42 rating with 665,000 viewers. It was the highest rated show for the day. Austin wrote the following about the show last night:
“It’s a damn crying shame that Canada, Australia, England, and other great countries cannot get CMT Redneck Island. A damn shame. Spreading Redneck Island around the globe is my newest task. Yes…To provide quality entertainment and content across the globe. #CMT #BSR”
- Despite what WWE says in the lawsuit from TNA, most people within WWE believe that "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair will return to the company as soon as he is legally able to and that WWE officials would love to have him back at the 1,000th RAW in July.
Wrestling companies square off in Nashville, USA court...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawyers for World Wrestling Entertainment have told a Nashville judge the company has not and will not use confidential information from rival Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
The pledge came during a hearing last week over a lawsuit TNA filed last month against pro wrestling giant - WWE, claiming WWE had obtained secret contract details in an attempt to poach TNA's wrestlers.
Attorneys for WWE told Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle that the company has not contacted any of TNA's contracted personnel. The attorneys also said WWE has returned the only copies of the confidential information to TNA.
Lyle dissolved a May 24 temporary restraining order against WWE that had prohibited it from using the information to solicit TNA wrestlers, but she made no ruling on the merits of the case. Another hearing will be July 12.
TNA, based in Nashville, claimed in the suit that WWE apparently had already tried to hire away veteran wrestler Ric Flair. According to the court record, WWE lawyers said the company "has no intention of doing so."
TNA alleged that one of its former employees, Brian Wittenstein, went to work for WWE and provided his new employer with contract details. WWE said he was fired when he gave them the information.
A TNA suit against Wittenstein is still pending.
Jerry McDevitt, an attorney for Connecticut-based WWE, said Tuesday the company will file clarifying details with the court. He said the latest order "speaks for itself."
Dixie Carter, president of TNA, said in a statement Tuesday that the company "will vigorously protect TNA and its brand from damage at the hands of any and all sources, no matter who is involved." TNA was founded by wrestler Jeff Jarrett.
WWE Legal Letter To TNA Legal Counsel...
WWE Attorney Jerry McDevitt recently sent a letter to TNA legal counsel Erika Blonquist. The letter was filed with the court last week and can be read below:
First, and as I advised you orally on the phone during our recent conference call, WWE has not solicited Ric Flair to leave TNA and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has made no offer to Flair and has no intention of doing so.
Second, as I also advised you, WWE has not solicited any other current TNA talent to repudiate their contracts and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has no interest in current TNA talent.
The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK To Air On FX...
TUF: Australia vs. UK broadcasts on FX in Australia this fall
"The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K." will air on FX in Australia in the fall as the latest installment of the reality series from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC officials announced the news yesterday.
Tryouts for the upcoming season of "TUF" are currently underway, featuring fighters from both Australia and England. The coaches for the season have not yet been named, though an official announcement is expected soon.
"We're excited to be part of the FX family in Australia," UFC managing director for international development Marshall Zelaznik stated. "When the first series of 'The Ulimate Fighter' debuted in the United States seven years ago, it brought in millions of new fans who tuned in each and every week to watch their favorite fighters. I have no doubt that 'The Smashes' will do the same in Australia."
"The Smashes" is the title given to this season, referencing a cricket rivalry ("The Ashes") between the two countries.
While the season will air in Australia, no plans have been announced for those hoping to view in the U.S. Fans could watch "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" online earlier this year as it was taping in Brazil, but the season did not broadcast on national television until FUEL TV began airing episodes just recently.
Are you ready? Are you ready? Let's get it on!
KA By Cirque du Soleil And Marvel Entertainment Bring Epic Story From Stage To Page With All-New Comic Book; KA #1 Released to Fans at Comic-Con International in San Diego 2012...
LAS VEGAS, June 13, 2012 - KA by Cirque du Soleil, the spectacular production at MGM Grand Las Vegas, and Marvel Custom Solutions team up to tell the story of this acclaimed live production through an all-new, collectible comic book. KA #1 will debut at the Marvel booth (#2329) during Comic Con International in San Diego, July 12 – 15, 2012.
"To see our live KA performances transform from the theatre to ink on pages in a comic book is an incredible opportunity for our entire team," said Marie-Helene Gagnon, Artistic Director of KA. "By aligning ourselves with the premier brand of comic book creators, we have produced an illustration of KA that depicts the story very vividly and stays true to the plot. Marvel and its team of creators have been great to collaborate with and have embraced the story of KA and the expectations of Cirque du Soleil."
"Marvel's proud to bring the exciting, out of this world action and adventure of KA to life in this all new comic book," said Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief, Marvel Worldwide, Inc. "This is a great comic for fans of all ages, whether they're long-time fans of Marvel, KA or new to both exciting brands of storytelling."
KA fans attending Comic Con International can take home the heroic journey of Imperial Twins separated by war who encounter adventure and peril at every turn on their quest to reunite their kingdom.
"What's more jaw-dropping, the majesty of the Imperial Court...the dynamic dance of their martial arts display...the overwhelming might of the invading archer army...the desperate fight for survival in the storm-tossed seas...or the tantalizing glimpses at the future threats that await the Twins?" said Marvel Editor Bill Rosemann. "Readers can decide for themselves when they feast their eyes on the all-out spectacle that writer Bryan J.L. Glass, artist Wellinton Alves and cover artist Michael Del Mundo have crafted in this world premiere debut issue."
KA #1 will be distributed at Comic Con International in San Diego at the Marvel booth in July. A limited amount of books also will be available at comic book stores in select markets. In addition to the print copy of the comic book, fans will be able to access the KA customized comic book by utilizing Marvel's cutting-edge digital comics reader.
Fans can get an inside look at the making of the comic book by visiting www.kacomicbook.com. Featuring sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes information, including line art, storyboards and more, this site will serve as a hub for details on the collaboration. Fans will be able to receive information on how to get their own copy of the comic book. On Twitter, fans can tweet about the collaboration to @Cirque and @Marvel using the #KAComicBook hashtag.
About KA:
KA by Cirque du Soleil is a heroic journey of love and conflict set within ever-changing theatrical landscapes that conjure an entire empire on stage. Presented exclusively at MGM Grand Las Vegas, KA unfolds on a colossal, 360-degree rotating stage which forms the backdrop for this cinematic journey of aerial adventure and perpendicular acrobatics. For more information visit www.ka.com. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KA and Tweet us: @Cirque #KA.
About Marvel Entertainment:
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook. SOURCE Cirque du Soleil
Macquarie takes a stake in Echo...
Investment firm Macquarie Group has bought a five per cent stake in casinos operator Echo Entertainment Group.
Echo said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday that Macquarie had become a substantial shareholder in Echo on June 7, having acquired about 35.1 million shares, or about 5.1 per cent of Echo.
Echo announced on Tuesday that it proposed to undertake a capital raising - the amount of which was undisclosed - and its shares are currently in a trading halt.
The company last week lost its chairman John Story after Crown's James Packer launched a public campaign against him.
Crown is Echo's largest shareholder, with a 10 per cent stake.
Echo owns The Star casino in Sydney, the Jupiters casinos on the Gold Coast and in Townsville, and Treasury casino in Brisbane.
Shares in Echo last traded at $4.49 before going into a halt.
Crown Undecided on Support for Echo Capital Raising...
Crown Ltd. (CWN), the casino operator controlled by billionaire James Packer, hasn’t decided whether it will buy new stock in a planned capital raising by Echo Entertainment Group Ltd. (EGP)
Echo, based in Brisbane, will seek to raise between A$400 million ($399 million) and A$500 million in a rights offering being managed by UBS AG and Macquarie Group Ltd., according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The details may be announced as early as tomorrow, the person said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.
Crown, which owns 10 percent of Echo, will wait for details of the share sale, Chief Financial Officer Ken Barton said by telephone from Melbourne today.
Packer agreed to cease a campaign against Echo after Chairman John Story stepped down June 8, Acting Chairman John O’Neill said yesterday. Crown is seeking regulatory approval to increase its holding in the operator of the only casino in Sydney above the current 10 percent limit as Genting Singapore Plc (GENS) built a stake of 4.9 percent.
“We’ll wait to see what they’re proposing,” Barton said.
Trading in Echo shares was halted yesterday, ahead of the capital raising. Spokeswomen for UBS and Macquarie in Sydney declined to comment.
Brad Schmitt, a Sydney-based spokesman for Echo, declined to comment on the fundraising plan in an e-mailed statement. The Australian Financial Review reported that Echo is planning to raise A$400 million earlier today, without saying where it got the information.
Genting’s stake may make it harder for Crown to take control of Echo and increases the chances of a bidding war, according to Gary Pinge, Macquarie Group Ltd.’s regional head of gaming and consumer research. Though a joint bid by the two companies is possible, Crown won’t want to see Genting “entering its backyard,” he said.
Story resigned after Crown, which owns casinos in Melbourne and Perth, called a meeting to vote on his removal and ran advertisements in local newspapers criticizing the company’s “underperformance” under his leadership. Packer has now withdrawn his request for a shareholder meeting.
Echo owns the Star in Sydney as well as three casinos in the state of Queensland.
Hot Body of 2012...
ELLE MACPHERSON
Admit it: 48 never looked this good! The Aussie model, known around the world as "The Body," ignited bikini envy from a whole new generation of beachgoers when she flaunted her fit form in the pages of PEOPLE. "I do get jitters," says Macpherson of donning a two-piece 20-plus years after gracing four Sports Illustrated covers. "I was comfortable [at the shoot]. But I had to get my self-conscious 'maybe I don't look my best' head out of the way and go with, 'Let's celebrate where I'm at.'"
James Bond turns 50...
James Bond turns 50 this year but you'd never know it by looking at him. Despite hundreds of skirmishes with the world's scariest villains, not to mention a diet heavy on shaken-not-stirred martinis, the man in the Aston Martin still cuts a dashing figure.
In October, it will have been five decades since 007 -- in the form of Sean Connery -- first sauntered onto movie screens in "Dr. No." And he's still going strong. The Bond movies are not only the longest continuously running series in cinema history but also the most successful, with more than $5 billion in box-office receipts. Take that, George Lucas.
Daniel Craig, the sixth actor to play the world-saving spy, will step into Bond's shoes once again on Oct. 26 with "Skyfall," the 23rd film in the series. Also this October, MGM will celebrate 007's birthday with a 22-disc Blu-ray set that finally makes all of the movies available in high definition.
The movies, which will be presented in 35 mm prints, include "Goldfinger" (June 17), "GoldenEye" (June 26), "The Spy Who Loved Me" (July 2), "Dr. No" (July 10), "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (July 16), "Live and Let Die" (July 24) and "From Russia With Love" (July 30).
The Bond film franchise began in 1962 with "Dr. No." It was not only a worldwide smash but also turned out to be a big influence on popular culture. Think "The Man From U.N.C.L.E," "Our Man Flint," "Get Smart" and "Mission: Impossible."
So where did the idea come from? Ian Fleming, of course. A former journalist and British Naval intelligence officer, he conceived of the book series in 1952 while vacationing in Jamaica in a holiday home he called Goldeneye.
James Bond made his first appearance in "Casino Royale," which was published in 1953. Thirteen more Bond books by Fleming followed.
Since the release of "Dr. No," we have never gone more than five or six years without a new Bond flick. Connery played him five times 1962-1967 and then again in 1971 and 1983. In between, there was a one-off appearance by George Lazenby. In 1973, Roger Moore took over for seven outings.
Next came Timothy Dalton for two films beginning in 1987. Pierce Brosnan got the job in 1995 for four features. The latest Bond is Craig, who has played him in series re-boot "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace" and the upcoming "Skyfall."
Did we mention that Bond also enjoys a good game of poker and baccarat and often the stakes have been life or death. Would you like to play with Bond? That's what we thought.
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