Interview with the Wizard of Odds

Would you like to know when to call and when to fold in Texas Hold'em? Do you want to play basic strategy at Blackjack but you can no longer keep track of all the rules which effect the game odds? Here we go with our special interview with Michael Shackleford, a.k.a. the Wizard of Odds.

Let's start delivering immediately some of what we promised. This is the Blackjack basic strategy, according to the Wizard:


He uses both combinatorial pure math and random simulations to study blackjack. His basic strategies are the product of a combinatorial program he developed. Expected returns for specific sets of rules are usually the product of random simulation.

Back to the man behind the Wizard, Michael lived in Orange County, studied at the University of California - Santa Barbara and the move to Baltimore. His interest in gaming math convinced him to move to Nevada. After evaluating between Reno and our Vegas, he decided to move here. He is gaming consultant for online operators and casino games developers.

In Spring, as professor of Gaming Math at UNLV, he gives courses about the mathematical rules which govern games of chance. As you may imagine, the topic is hot in Vegas, so if you like to get the Math knowledge necessary to play effectively at casino games, remember to check http://www.unlv.edu/ in November and December, to see how to enroll. You can decide to take classes without enrolling for a degree.

His favorite game is blackjack, always for practical reasons: you can beat the house playing BJ, you can't do that playing slots. Videopoker was another of his top games, but now he is dedicating less time to get a royal flush. He suggests to play Kacjs or Better, Deuces Wild and Double Bonus.

If you like videopoker as I do, this is a "basic strategy" for jacks or better video poker. Using the strategy on a full pay machine will result in an expected return of 99.46%. Compared to the optimal strategy return of 99.54%, mistakes in the simple strategy will cost 0.08%, or one total bet every 1178 hands. To use the strategy look up all viable ways to play an initial hand on the following list and elect that which is highest on the list. A "high card" means a jack or higher.

Full house or better
4 to a royal flush
Straight, three of a kind, or flush
4 to a straight flush
Two pair
High pair
3 to a royal flush
4 to a flush
Low pair
4 to an outside straight
2 suited high cards
3 to a straight flush
2 unsuited high cards (if more than 2 pick then pick lowest 2)
Suited 10/J, 10/Q, or 10/K
One high card
Discard everything

He advises people to keep updated about games rules and payouts. The casino which was good yesterday, can be no longer good today. Any change in rules can have a huge impact on the outcome and expected profitability. Also, keep both eyes on the pay table, never play for less than the best you can get!

Mike is positive about the future of Vegas. There are cities which are performing decently without having extensive legalized gaming, Vegas will do much better with its skills in the gaming entertainment business! He said to be very happy to live in Vegas, both for personal and business success.

He recently started getting seriously interested about poker. For him, math plays a huge role in the game and experts are often giving too much attention to players' tells. Personally, I think a mix of both is optimal, but anyway if you play according to math, you have good chances to pay a low price for your gaming entertainment. If you keep rising 3/2 unsuited, well, it's likely you'll make the pot for the benefit of someone else :-)

His latest achievement is a table whish ranks the initial two cards in Texas Hold'em. Tables are indicated for both 2-player and 10-player games. In all cases it is assumed that all players stay in until the end.

The Wizard also likes sports betting. He has no quick advice about this, but he keeps monitoring games statistics to see where and whom it is better to bet.

Michael is a very rational player. I imagine it is expensive to play against him, but at the same time if you play according to mathematical principles, there is plenty to learn from him. His website http://wizardofodds.com/, where you find all the tables we talked about plus several more gaming analysis, is a very objective gaming resource, excellent for players at all levels, from beginners to highly experienced.

If you are still playing Martingale at roulette and splitting 10s at Blackjack, I strongly suggest you http://wizardofodds.com/. This advice is going to be worth several good $ for you!

McCarran eyes future, winks at Southwest's planned red-eyes

By Richard N. Velotta, Las Vegas Sun

McCarran International Airport officials say they would have no problem accommodating late-night flights by Southwest Airlines if the company chooses to implement a red-eye schedule.

The Dallas-based carrier, McCarran's busiest, confirmed Wednesday that it is considering adding late-night flights between Las Vegas and several destinations east of the Mississippi River.

Southwest currently doesn't have many late operations because it has focused on other opportunities, company officials said. Chief Executive Gary Kelly said Tuesday at a New York conference sponsored by Citigroup Smith Barney that because Southwest has added so many East Coast destinations since 1996 that it now makes sense for the airline to consider late-night options.

Randy Walker, director of the Clark County Department of Aviation, said McCarran would be able to accommodate the additional night flying if Southwest wants it.

"Many people don't realize that one of the busiest times of the day for us is between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m.," Walker said. "Southwest would have to work out the logistics, but of their 19 gates, eight don't have a plane parked overnight. There's also five parking spaces (for overnighted aircraft) on the east side of the C gates, so they could easily get up to a dozen more operations."

Walker said several airlines have red-eye flights to and from Las Vegas.

Between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., most days, America West and its America West Express commuter partner have 51 flights -- 47 percent of their operations. Southwest has 15 flights, or 8 percent of its total, during those hours.

In addition, Delta offers five late-night flights, Northwest has four, Continental, American and US Airways have three each, Alaska and Ted have two each and JetBlue, Spirit and AirTran each have one.

Walker said Southwest can operate its ticket counters at whatever hours it chooses. The only operational adjustments McCarran would have to make is whether to order certain food and beverage retail operations in the concourse to remain open later hours.

Officials with Tempe, Ariz.-based America West had no comment on Southwest's plans, since the airline hasn't announced any specific schedule.

America West has developed a "bank hubbing" operation at McCarran in the late-night hours. Walker explained that means that the airline arranges its schedule to bring a large number of planes into Las Vegas within a span of about an hour so that arriving passengers can transfer to planes heading for other destinations. Walker said the airline has two distinct late-night banks in place at McCarran to move traffic throughout the company's route system.

Robert Mann, an analyst with R.W. Mann & Associates, Port Washington, N.Y., said Southwest's possible entry into the late-night arena and other recently announced moves "appear to be opportunistic shots across the bows of the other low-fare carriers."

Mann noted that Southwest's push to develop more flights at Chicago's Midway Airport is a clear poke at the AirTran Airways, which is vying with Southwest to take over gates being abandoned by bankrupt ATA Airlines.

"The late-night flights are pretty well aimed at America West," Mann said. "For a decade or more, America West has pretty much had a monopoly on nighttime Las Vegas service.

"Historically, Southwest has not done a lot of night flying because they do their maintenance overnight," he said. "They're obviously considering whether night flying would degrade their product."

Mann said America West, which is now marketing itself as the nation's No. 2 low-cost air carrier, would defend its turf with its wholesalers and its America West Vacations packaging product.

"America West clearly has the better stable of wholesalers," Mann said. "America West Vacations has been the No. 1 operator in the Las Vegas market, so they have a pretty good head start with brand loyalty.

"But you can't count out Shamu, the Killer Whale, out of any food fight," he said.

Three of Southwest's planes are painted like killer whales, a tribute to the company's partnership with Sea World theme parks.

Golden Nugget owners eye expansion plans

By Liz Benston from www.lasvegassun.com

The owners of the Golden Nugget casino in downtown Las Vegas are exploring how to expand the west side of the property across First Street and have locked up some land across First Street over the past several months for potential development.

But executives say they have not finalized any expansion plans and are merely being fiscally prudent given increasing demand for downtown real estate.

Poster Financial Group Inc. purchased land occupied by the former Leroy's Race and Sports Book and some vacant land next door. The vacant land, the most recent purchase, closed in late August for $1.6 million.

Expanding the property into First Street would be complicated because the street is city-owned and is leased by the Fremont Street Experience mall and lightshow, which also operates a bandstand there.

"We don't know yet what we're going to do because we don't know whether we can (expand)," Poster Financial Chief Executive Officer Tim Poster said today. "It's a complicated legal issue as to whether it's possible to do."

A knowledgable source told the Sun that the Golden Nugget wants to move some of its nongaming operations into a new three-story structure the Golden Nugget would build west of the property. The source said the move would enable the casino to add about 12,000 to 15,000 square feet of additional gaming space.

Golden Nugget owners claim their 1,277 slot machines win more per day, on average, than those of any other casino in the state. On Wednesday, a property executive said the casino's average slot won 6 percent more in the third quarter than a year ago.

The Fremont Street Experience is considering moving the bandstand so the Golden Nugget could expand westward, though plans haven't yet been determined, Fremont Street Experience Chief Executive Joe Schillaci said.

City officials could not be reached for comment by press time today about whether the Golden Nugget would be able to get the city-owned street vacated.

During a conference call to discuss the company's third quarter earnings Wednesday, Poster said the company is transforming the Golden Nugget into a hip hangout that is luring more gamblers from the Strip.

"Demand for our Las Vegas property is greater than what our facility can supply," Poster said. "We understand that what we have to do is maximize our investment."

The company is considering acquisitions as well as "cooperative developments" with partners, he said.

Third quarter losses widened at Poster Financial as the company spent more on marketing, promotions and complementaries to lure new and repeat gamblers to the Golden Nugget.

Gamblers also were luckier than usual at the tables, though table game bets were up 79 percent from a year ago, executives said. If the casino would have won its typical percentage of bets from players, earnings would have been in line with last year's, they said.

The company reported a net loss of $8.7 million in the third quarter compared with net loss of $860,000 in the third quarter of 2003.

Revenue rose 7 percent to $60.9 million, but cash flow fell because of a lower percentage of bets collected from players at the Golden Nugget, officials said. Poster Financial reported a negative cash flow of $300,000 in the quarter compared with positive cash flow of $6.7 million the same quarter of last year.

Hotel revenue as well as food and beverage revenue were up in the quarter, the company said. The average occupancy rate was relatively flat at 96.5 percent, those hotel rates rose significantly, executives said.

Poster said the company expects marketing programs -- such as a $1 million ad campaign called "What's Cool" -- will pay off in the long haul.

The Golden Nugget held 35 special events during the third quarter, including 14 slot tournaments and six table game tournaments, Poster said. The property also is hosting singer Tony Bennett over the next two years for performances and promotional events, he said. "The Casino" reality show, which wrapped up 13 episodes on the Fox network, also has generated significant traffic at the property, he added.

"We estimate that several hundred people come to the Las Vegas property each day to catch a glimpse of what they saw on prime time television," Poster said. "We are confident that the vast majority of those people had an experience here at the Nugget that they want to repeat."

The news comes as Poster Financial Wednesday announced plans to sell its sister casino in Laughlin to Barrick Gaming Corp., owner of several downtown casinos.

Poster said his company had received several "unsolicited and attractive" offers over the past few months to purchase the Golden Nugget in Laughlin and decided to sell it for $31 million after determining that the future rate of return at the Las Vegas property would be higher.

The company expects to use some proceeds from the sale to pay down debt, he said.

UNLV player suspended for hit during Wyoming game

From www.lasvegassun.com


UNLV cornerback Ruschard Dodd-Masters was suspended for one game by the Mountain West Conference for punching a Wyoming player.

MWC commissioner Craig Thompson called the hit a "potentially dangerous nonfootball act that clearly fell under the definition of 'physical abuse.'" Wyoming wide receiver Josh Barge was hit in the throat. He missed several plays but returned to the game.

Dodd-Masters will miss Saturday's game when UNLV (2-7, 1-4) plays at Colorado State (3-6, 2-3).

The hit came near the end of a play in the third quarter of Wyoming's 53-45 triple-overtime road victory last Saturday. UNLV was assessed a 15-yard penalty.

arren Romeo is a magician who sings. Either that, or he's a singer who performs magic. I haven't quite decided yet.

It's going to become an evergreen for gossip.

It's splitsville in Sin City. Hotel heiress Nicky Hilton and New York businessman Todd Andrew Meister have officially ended their brief marriage.

A Las Vegas judge on Tuesday granted the newlyweds an annulment, according to a joint statement issued by the couple's representatives.

"Both parties have ended the marriage amicably, and they remain good friends," the statement said.

Hilton, 21, married Meister, 33, at the Las Vegas Wedding Chapel on Aug. 15.

It's not clear when the pair filed the annulment paperwork in Clark County Family Court. A court spokesman said a case under the name of Todd Meister was filed Monday but the judge sealed it.

Hilton, younger sister of "The Simple Life" star Paris Hilton, has dabbled in acting, appearing in "Wishman" in 1991 and presenting at MTV award shows.

Siegfried & Roy protege blends music, magic

From www.sunherald.com

Darren Romeo is a magician who sings. Either that, or he's a singer who performs magic. I haven't quite decided yet.

But the good news for local audiences is, he's apparently pretty good at both.

Romeo, who's billed as a protege of the godfathers of magic, Siegfried (Fischbacher) & Roy (Horn), opened the show here last week, launching a monthlong run at the Beau Rivage.

The evening was obviously a special one for the magician/singer, a native of Long Island who cut his (magic) teeth as a kid working birthday parties out of his father's Oldsmobile. Not only were his parents on hand, but so was Siegfried himself, preening like a proud papa whose hatchling is making his own way in the world.

"When I met Darren, I realized there is something about him. He had the contact with the audience, the magic and the singing," Siegfried said at a brief ceremony after the show, marking the fact that Romeo was recently announced winner of the Magic Castle Magician of the Year award. "I'm very honored to be here, and very happy. And love from Roy." He added that Roy is equally proud of their protege.

(Roy Horn is currently recovering from a tiger attack that occurred during a magic performance in Las Vegas more than a year ago.)

"Siegfried and Roy Presents Darren Romeo - The Voice of Magic" is a roughly 90-minute show that runs through Dec. 5. And as Romeo readily admits at the beginning, the evening is "a musical journey as much as a magical one."

The "journey" takes the form of numerous musical productions - ranging from a "Phantom of the Opera" selection to impressions of Justin Timberlake and Stevie Wonder, among others - usually performed in the midst of a magic trick.

The show is worth the $19.95 sticker price, though people not fond of musicals may find themselves frustrated at times.

Romeo, after all, a performer named after Bobby Darren, was raised a stone's throw from the Great White Way. (At the age of 18, Romeo joined the cast of the long-running Broadway musical "The Fantasticks.")

"I was, of course, very influenced by Broadway," the performer told the audience, adding that he'd written a musical he hoped to share with them one day.

Romeo, who is apparently easy on the eyes, was an especially big hit with the female members of the audience. And we all know how shallow some people are about superficial aspects such as physical beauty, don't we guys?

Though the show was unevenly paced at times, Romeo, who really does have an impressive voice, was at his best when he was loose and easy, cracking jokes and trading banter with audience members, for instance: "You're 5? I was 5 when I was your age."

But nevermind the ramblings of a pesky pop culture reporter who wouldn't know a magic trick if it bit him on the ankle. How does Romeo himself describe the show?

"It's really difficult (to explain), because when you say singing magician, it sounds kind of crazy. It sounds a little cheesy. I think the best way to describe it is, it's Broadway meets Las Vegas which meets magic. And we know that magic is universal, and music is universal.

"We've always known that music is the universal language. Magic is kind of ooh and ahh, when music is emotional. If you can find lyrics that motivate the magic, it makes a longer impression," he said.

OK, so neither Romeo nor myself can adequately describe the show. But if you're looking for an evening out, and you're not adverse to Broadway tunes along with your magic, you may want to check out the show. The audience loved it.

Vegas lawyer facing federal charges for forging judge's signature

ooopppppssss :-)

A Las Vegas attorney who is the son of a prominent developer is facing federal charges that he forged a federal judge's signature on court documents to mislead a client and avoid malpractice charges.

Lawrence J Davidson has also been suspended from practicing law because of allegations he misappropriated $350,000 in client settlement funds.

Davidson is the son of Don Davidson, vice president of Triple Five Development and a member of the Las Vegas Housing Authority.

According to the Nevada Bar's petition for suspension, Lawrence Davidson concocted fraudulent documents to make a client believe he had won a medical malpractice case when, in fact, he had neglected to follow the proper conditions for filing such a case.

The petition also says Davidson fabricated a default judgment for his client for 1.5 million dollars, signing the judge's name.

Veteran Ward ready to cap amazing Supermoto comeback

From www.usatoday.com

By Mark Pak, USA TODAY
Jeff Ward will attempt to add to his diverse résumé this weekend in the AMA Supermoto Championship finale at Bally's Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
The veteran rider sits atop the points standings entering the AMA Red Bull Supermoto A-Go-Go and needs only to finish fourth to score his eighth career AMA Pro Racing title and first since 1990.

"I've got to run like I've been running, do what I've been doing," Ward says. "I have to be smooth and precise and not take chances."

Supermoto features a mix of motocross, flat-track and road-race elements. The mile-long track at the championship final will add the first over/under tabletop jump to be used in an AMA Supermoto event.

"I'm 43 years old. I'm not a spring chicken," Ward says. "I've raced for 14 years professionally, so I'm used to taking risks."

Ward has compiled more than 70 career wins in motocross and supercross racing and racked up seven AMA championships from 1984-90.

He retired from motorcycle competition in 1992 to try open-wheel auto racing.

After competing in the Indy Lights series from 1992-96, Ward joined the IRL and was named rookie of the year in 1997. He finished second in the Indianapolis 500 in 1999 and got his first win in 2002 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Ward made his comeback to motorcycle racing last year and competed in the inaugural AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship season, winning three of six races and finishing third in the Las Vegas final event.

"(A championship) would rank up there," Ward says. "My first title is the biggest, but it's right there."

Las Vegas is Top 10 Destination Of 2004

Do we really need a survey to know it? :-)

GoldenTravelGuides.com, one of the fastest-growing travel companies in the country, today announced its top 10 destinations for 2004. The number-one destination for the year was Las Vegas, followed by Orlando, Fla., with the third most visited destination being New York.

As of the third quarter of 2004, GoldenTravelGuides.com reserved travel in more than 70 top destination cities or regions across the United States. After statistical review and analysis of a combination of customer comments and their reservations made for 2004, GoldenTravelGuides.com lists the following as the top 10 most popular destinations:

1. Las Vegas
2. Orlando, Fla.
3. New York
4. San Francisco
5. Miami (Tie)
5. Ft. Myers/Naples, Fla. (Tie)
6. Phoenix
7. New Orleans
8. Reno/Tahoe, Nevada (Tie)
9. Atlantic City, N.J.
10. Key West, Fla.

Las Vegas, also known as "Sin City," and New York, "The Big Apple," historically take turns sharing the top two slots, according to company representatives. Phoenix, Atlantic City, N.J., and Key West, Fla., are all newcomers to the top-ten list this year. Fla. is always a popular destination with four of the state's most popular tourist destinations making this year's list.

About GoldenTravelGuides.com
GoldenTravelGuides.com is a leading provider of discount hotel, resort, bed and breakfast, and cruise accommodations at the most popular destinations across the globe. The company services its customers through more than 70 "Best of" City Guides and its complimentary reservation call center. GoldenTravelGuides arranges travel for groups, leisure, and business travelers at more than 40,000 hotels across the world. The company also specializes in providing accommodations for sold-out periods, tickets for sporting events, theater, and auto racing events in the cities and destinations they serve.

Headquartered at 366 North Courtland Street, Suite B in East Stroudsburg, in the Pocono Mountains of Pa., GoldenTravelGuides, a subsidiary of Golden Interests Inc., is the largest leisure travel agency in Pa. and one of the largest in the Northeastern United States.

GoldenTravelGuides is a member of the NEPA CVB, the Pocono Mountains (Pa.) Chamber of Commerce, the Naples (Fla.) Chamber of Commerce, the Sullivan County (N.Y.) Chamber of Commerce, the Atlantic City (NJ) Chamber of Commerce, the Pike County (Pa.) Chamber of Commerce, and the Key West (Fla.) Chamber of Commerce. GoldenTravelGuides publishes almost 70 Internet-based guides to the "best of"
destinations like New York, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and the Poconos.

Andrea Bocelli with the Las Vegas Philharmonic

Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino proudly welcomes Andrea Bocelli and the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra to the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday, November 13 at 9:00 pm. Tickets: $315, $210, $105, $52.50 (tax included).

From www.digitalcity.com
He may stand motionless throughout his performance, but the man many refer to as "the fourth tenor" doesn't need pyrotechnics or dance numbers to move his audiences. His powerful voice (which has gained him enormous crossover success) is all that's needed for a heartfelt night of operatic virtuosity.

The Man: The Tuscany-born Bocelli (who lost his sight when he was 12) used to be a public defender by day, piano bar singer by night until he got his first break in 1992 by successfully performing the song 'Miserere' (which he eventually recorded with Pavarotti) at an audition.

The Songs: Expanding the boundaries of opera, Bocelli mixes things up between operatic melodies, Italian love songs and pop. You'll hear favorites like 'Vivo Por Ella,' 'Return to Sorrento,' 'Time to Say Goodbye' and 'Con Te Partiro.'

They Whacked Kenny: During an episode of the HBO series, 'The Sopranos,' 'Con Te Partiro' was played in the background when Carmela Soprano contemplated having an affair. And the indecipherable (and ever dying) Kenny McCormick from Comedy Central's 'South Park' sang the song during his brief interest in opera. -- Tony Jenkins

From www.andreabocelli.org
I was born September 22, 1958, in Lajatico, in the Toscan countryside near Volterra. The region's traditions, as well as my parents' influence have taught me never to accept life's difficulties in a passive way, but rather to draw strength from them.

As far as I can remember, no moments in my life have gone by without being filled with passion for music. Italy's greatest tenors, such as Del Monaco, Gigli, and especially Corelli, have always inspired great admiration and enthusiasm in me since I was just a boy. In love with opera, the dream and ambition of my whole life is to become a great tenor.

Despite the fact that I live in a fast-paced world, I live my life with a calm vision: I enjoy life's simple pleasures and face every challenge with passion. I try to always be optimistic by interpreting the real meaning of a quotation from the French novelist Antoine de Saint-Exupery: "You see clearly only through your heart. The essential is invisible to your eyes".

Online poker ace scores £4,500 - per week

You may guess this article is not from Vegas :-) but she is coming here to get married. From www.theregister.co.uk by Lester Haines

A Belfast maths graduate who rejected the offer of a £40,000-a-year banking job in favour of professional online gambling is on course to hit a £234,000 jackpot by December, the Sun reports.

Lee-Anne Smyth, 25, currently walks away with a cool £4,500 a week from Ladbrokespoker.com, and told the UK tabloid: "Who needs a proper job when I can make what most people earn in a month in a couple of hours?" Smyth - who graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast with a 2.2 honours degree in pure and applied mathematics - claims that "hours spent solving algebraic equations sharpened my poker brain."

They clearly did, since the young card sharp has already paid for her £150,000 house outright and owns a new £15,000 motor - bought for cash, naturally.

Smyth is expecting her first child and will shortly wed 26-year-old squeeze Paul Cranstom in, you guessed it, Las Vegas.

WTO rules against US gambling laws

Not surprised about this...

From www.theregister.co.uk by John Leyden
US laws banning cross-border gambling break international trade rules, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled yesterday.

The judgement in favour of the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, home to many online casinos, puts free trade rules on collision course with US state and federal laws. US authorities have vowed to appeal the decision. If that fails they might even change the basis of their membership of the World Trade Organisation, the BBC reports.

A three-person WTO panel decided that US federal (such as the Wire Wager Act) and state laws breached the general agreement on trade and services (GATS), international rules that came into effect in 1994. Antigua and Barbuda argued that US laws prohibiting the use of US-issued credit cards or cheques to settle gambling debts threatened the job of 3,000 workers (five per cent of its 68,000 population) that made their living from internet gambling. Antigua and Barbuda officials said they had tried and failed to negotiate a settlement with their US counterparts without success on five separate occasions.

But US officials said its prohibition on offshore gambling helped prevent money laundering and protected vulnerable members of society against gambling (such as preventing kids using their parents' credit cards to gamble). These moral arguments held little sway with the WTO, much to the disappointment of US representatives. US trade representative spokesman Richard Mills described the panel's report as "deeply flawed".

The argument is far from academic. In August 2000, US citizen Jay Cohen was sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined $5,000 for breaches of the Wire Wager Act in marketing an offshore sports betting company he'd set up in Antigua to fellow Americans.

Estimates of the size of the online gambling market vary. Merrill Lynch, for instance, estimates the industry recorded a turnover of $6.3bn last year. This will rise to $86bn in 2005, it forecasts.


The report from BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk
US laws prohibiting cross-border gambling break trade rules, the World Trade Organisation says.
The WTO case was brought by the Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda, host to many of the online casinos whose use is illegal in the US.

The ruling confirms a preliminary judgement issued in March.

But the US said it will appeal and - as a last resort - could activate its right to change the deal under which it joined the WTO in the first place.

"This panel report is deeply flawed," said a spokesman for US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick.

An appellate panel will now consider the appeal over the next few months.

'David and Goliath'

The ruling, written by a three-person panel, says the US law effectively breaches a 1994 global deal which liberalises trade in services.

Antigua and Barbuda, whose population is just 67,000, says it gets as many as 3,000 jobs from internet gambling.

The business has helped it weather the downturn in tourism.

The US law - which forbids paying for betting by means of US-issued credit cards or cheques - is endangering its economy, it said.

In a statement, the islands' government said it had won a "David and Goliath" fight, and insisted it had tried to reach a negotiated settlement only to be rebuffed five times.

It also quoted a survey suggesting the US was home to half the worldwide online gambling market.

'Shocking and troubling'

But the US says the ban, based on a 1961 federal law originally designed to cover telephone bets, is designed to protect against both money laundering and the exposure of vulnerable sections of society to gambling.

One often-cited example is stopping children from running up gambling bills on their parents' credit cards.

The WTO panel had turned down a request by the US to use a "public morals clause" in WTO rules to keep the ban, one trade official told Reuters.

The rebuff was "shocking and troubling", he said.

Antigua and Barbuda, however, represent just a small part of the world's online gaming.

The Government Accountability Office, until recently known as the General Accounting Office, has estimated that there are more than 1,800 internet gambling operations.


RELATED ARTICLES on www.theregister.co.uk

US online gambling ban may be illegal

The World Trade Organisation has ruled against US government restrictions on online gambling.

Antigua and Barbuda said US restrictions on gambling were contrary to the general agreement on trade and services (GATS). Antigua, with a population of 68 000, handles a quarter of the worldwide online bets, according to Bloomberg. More than $6bn is bet online every year.

ruling is an interim judgement and the final report will not be issued until May. The US is expected to appeal but any ruling would be binding, according to the Financial Times. The US need hardly worry about sanctions from a tiny Caribbean island, but ignoring the ruling would increase perceptions that it picks and chooses which international laws to obey.

Antigua's ambassador to the WTO told the FT that three years ago there were 119 internet gambling companies employing 5,000. Since the US crackdown this has shrunk to 30 companies employing just 1,000.

Nigel Payne, chief executive of sportingbet, told the paper: "Potentially this is a very exciting development for Sportingbet and the online gambling industry. But we need to see the actual report before we start celebrating."


AND, if you need some more proof about the economic benefits of gaming...
Sex and gambling drive mobile content sales
Gambling services and adult content delivered via mobile phones could generate combined revenues of $6.5 billion by 2006, according to two new studies.

The projected growth in these new mobile content industries, however, will only take place if "the right operating conditions" are set by industry and regulators, said UK-based consultancy Juniper Research.

common hurdle facing the gambling and adult content industries is how to verify age over mobile phones," said Juniper senior analyst Paul Skeldon, author of the reports. "There is a lot of talk about this at the moment and very little agreement on how to go about it....Mobile operators are attempting to sort the issues out amongst themselves. They don't want the governments to get involved and jeopardise the market potential," he told ElectricNews.Net.

The entire global gambling market has been valued by analysts at about $1 trillion. Buoyed by successes with e-gambling, the industry is looking to the mobile device market as the next major horizon, according to the Mobile Gambling report. "Regulated lotteries and betting services will be the big winners. These are mass-market forms of gambling that are simple to do and people like them," said Skeldon.

A second Juniper study found that adult content will generate around $790 million in revenues by 2006, with $420 million derived from video content, $253 million from images and $118 million from text-based services. Despite large amounts of adult-type content being exchanged by peers via text and camera phones, the researchers believe that content generating revenue will remain relatively low in this sector.

Safety, security and child protection must be the number one priority, and "getting these issues right will lay the foundations for future growth," according to Juniper. The Mobile Adult Content Report recommends that trustworthy and reliable two-way payment systems must be in place alongside industry self-regulation safeguards against unsolicited content.

The public's perception of operators' and service providers' brands will need to be managed very carefully, with a distancing between the content provider and operator, warned the researchers.

What's hot in Vegas

From www.lasvegasmercury.com by James P. Reza

Of the myriad rewards to visiting downtown Las Vegas during First Friday festivities, one of our favorites would be witnessing local public defender/judge/poet Dayvid Figler go random at Dino's (382-3894) with an off-the-cuff spoken word accompaniment to the groovy instrumental sounds of the recently reunited pub band, the Nines. The place was packed with old-school scenesters (remember them?) who pounded tables, screamed obscenities and generally had a rowdy good time as the Nines barreled through a set of favorites, promising to return Nov. 25 at the Double Down Saloon (791-5775) as part of the Double-D's anniversary weekend celebration.

The next evening, we traded Jet haircuts and indie chix for babes in Bebe as we patrolled the Hard Rock Hotel, desperately searching for the reportedly grumpy duo of Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. Along with a cadre of pals, the two checked out the raucous stage antics common at Beacher's Comedy Madhouse, which just ended its 2004 season at the Rock with a celeb-stuffed audience. The party also celebrated Lachey's birthday in a private area at Simon Kitchen & Bar decorated, we are told, with stuffed teddy bears. Mmmkay. Dude, I totally gave up teddy bears when I started collecting 98¼ action figures.


Boys in 'da decades

Ah, the 1990s. They were a zoot suit riot, weren't they? Cool cats and beautiful babies swirling though a martini dream, doing the Lindy Hop and partying at the Hard Rock pool. In the 21st century, swing nights are swingers nights, kids can't dance and beer is back. Despite the changes, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy hasn't hung up its fedoras, remaining one of the few retro-swing bands still slapping the bass (if you know what we mean). The band is joined by Waxapples Thursday at the House of Blues (Nov. 11; 632-7600).

Ah, the 1980s. Punk grips America, and Southern California steals the New York thunder with dozens--nay, hundreds!--of beach teens slinging a trio of chords and a truckload of attitude. Sure, most kids today are enamored of the hard knock life of hip hop, but with both Green Day and Bad Religion releasing new politically charged albums, and both bands visiting the Hard Rock's Joint (Green Day arrives in December), punk may yet not be dead. Again. See Bad Religion Thursday (Nov. 11; 693-5000).

Ah, the 1970s. Oh, forget it. With very few exceptions--George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic among 'em--the 1970s were a morass of ass. Thankfully, George was around to turn this mother out. We saw him jam at Lollapalooza at the Sam Boyd Stadium, and while the rest of us were dying of heat stroke in cutoffs and tie-dye, George rocked the stage in full Clinton garb. This time around, he's at Rain at the Palms on Sunday (Nov. 14; 942-7777).


You go, girls

Welcome to paragraph six, a testosterone-free zone that's a much kinder, gentler Go than the previous five paragraphs, brought to you by old-school R&B balladeer Etta James. As manly as things can get here at Mercury headquarters, one way to get everyone's eyes all misty (other than fumigating the ancient post office we claimed as an office) is to drop the needle on "At Last." Ah, see that? You're smiling too. The velvet voice of Etta James will stroke your ears at the Hilton Theater Friday and Saturday (Nov. 12-13; 732-5111).

We have to admit that as much as we'd love to, we cannot get involved in the Internet chat room flame wars discussing whether Avril Lavigne is a cheap, mass-market sell-out or a genuine rock 'n' roll wild child. Such ridiculous, empty crap debases her as an artist and ultimately distracts us from what's really important: Her cover shoot for Maxim! Crap. Here comes that testosterone again. Anyway, Avril tours in support of her second release, Under My Skin, and appears at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center Tuesday (Nov. 16; 739-3267).


DJ, hangman

True, Morrissey penned a Smiths song ("Panic") that implored us to "hang the DJ," but surely he couldn't have intended that to apply to legendary acid jazz/house DJ Mark Farina, could he? After all, Farina--a founding father of the San Frandisco house music scene--essentially invented "mushroom jazz," a downtempo form of house that would go on to define an entire electronica movement. And Morrissey, the spokesman for a generation (or three) of disaffected youth, was aiming those lyrics at pop music radio announcers, wasn't he? Well, as much as we'd like to arrange a celebrity grudge match involving hair products, the two already have previous Saturday engagements: Farina at Ice Las Vegas (Nov. 13; 699-5528) and Morrissey at the Hard Rock Joint (Nov. 13; 693-5000).


Bittersweet symphony

And finally, there are bound to be some cranky Volvo drivers gritting their teeth in Vegas this weekend, as two major symphonic performances have been booked to overlap--a serious scheduling faux pas for the relatively shallow Southern Nevada audience for such things. In one corner stands the Goliath of pop-opera singer Andrea Bocelli (the Bellagio commercial, remember?) backed by the Las Vegas Philharmonic at the Mandalay Bay Events Center (Nov. 13; 632-7777). In the other stands UNLV's David: the 95-member Warsaw Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra of Poland performing at the Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall (Nov. 13; 895-2787). Seriously, what's a classical music lover supposed to do, move to Portland?