News from my desk Wednesday February 20, 2013 @ 6PM AEST

Melco Crown Plans Share Sale
MANILA, Philippines (February 19, 2013) -- The Philippine unit of Macau casino company Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd (6883.HK) said on Tuesday it plans to sell up to 1 billion shares as it prepares to develop a $1 billion casino-resort project with local partner Belle Corp. (BEL.PS),

Taiwan Selected INTRALOT to Be the New Sports Betting Contractor
ATHENS, Greece (February 19, 2013) --Taiwan's Sports Affairs Council had selected INTRALOT and its partners (ADATA Technology and ChinaTrust Commercial Bank) will be the new sports betting contractors for 10 years beginning from January 1, 2014, IBG Research Department said.........

Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation announces own probe into Melbourne
PERTH, Western Australia (February 20, 2013) -- Melbourne Football Club faces a new investigation into tanking claims after the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation announced last night it was conducting its own probe into the scandal.

Auditor General Clears Government of Any Wrong Doing in Sky City Deal, but Criticises Process as Being Heavily Flawed
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (February 19, 2013) -- The government's decision to go ahead with a deal offering land and regulatory concessions to SkyCity Entertainment Group for a $350 million convention centre was tainted by sloppy processes, though the final sign-off was probably all right, according to the auditor-general's probe..

Lawsuit Filed to Stop Operations of Gaming Machines
Gambling Hall Also Closed and Machines Confiscated by Attorney General's Office
SHORTER, Alabama (February 19, 2013) -- WSFA News has confirmed state troopers are at VictoryLand in Shorter, Alabama - assisting the Attorney General's office. The facility is closed.

Governor Calls for Lottery Advertising Costs to be Cut, Funds to go Towards Information Technology for Schools
RALEIGH, North Carolina (February 19, 2013) -- Governor Pat McCrory told lawmakers that North Carolina should reallocate how it spends money raised by the state lottery, saying it should be better focused on education.

Maltco Lotteries Ltd. Receives GLI Approval
MALTA (February 19, 2013) -- MALTCO Lotteries Ltd, a subsidiary of INTRALOT Group in Malta, has received approval by the Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) following a thorough evaluation of its Lottery System, including the new LOTOSTM O/S platform, the PHOTON Terminals, its Games, as well as the System associated procedures. The evaluation took place after a significant €5 million investment on technology made by MALTCO LOTTERIES following the 10-year licence awarded to the company in June 2012 for the operation of the National Lottery of Malta.

Media Attention on Hainan Casino Results in Closer Scrutiny by Authorities and Bar Closure
HAINAN, China (February 19, 2013) - A company in Sanya, Hainan Province, which drew worldwide attention from investors after it was reported to be running a cashless casino, the first of its kind in China, denied the claims on Tuesday, saying that it was just an ordinary bar.


Annual Record for Visitation to Macau
MACAU, SAR (February 19, 2013) -- Macau welcomed a total of 9.1 million visitors coming to the city on package tours, up by 21.0 percent year-on-year, data released today by the Statistics and Census Service shows.

Motion to Block Wynn Resorts Ltd Meeting Dismissed
MACAU, SAR (February 19, 2013) -- A U.S. federal judge dismissed on Friday a motion filed by Japanese businessman Kazuo Okada to block a Wynn Resorts Ltd's special meeting on February 22, at which shareholders will vote on a proposal to remove Mr Okada from the board of directors,

Strong CNY Visitation Good For Casinos: Credit Suisse
MACAU, SAR (February 19, 2013) -- Macau's robust visitation during the Lunar New Year holidays is expected to have a positive impact on February's gross gaming revenue, Credit Suisse says. According to reports from Macau Business, the investment bank expects February to post a 10-percent increase in casino revenue, to around MOP26.7 billion (US$3.3 billion).

Union Gaming sees possible VIP surge after CNY
MACAU, SAR (February 17, 2013) -- Union Gaming analyst Grant Govertsen says that Macau's VIP gaming market could post a surge after the Lunar New Year holidays are over. "You might see a dynamic where starting next week … you might see a continued level of strength on the heels of VIP and premium guys who might have stayed away due to the big crowds,"

New Transportation Minister Backs 'Cross-Strait Gaming Zone'
TAIPEI, Taiwan (February 18, 2013) - Transportation Minister Yeh Kuang-shih on Monday backed the idea of a special cross-Taiwan strait gaming zone in support of a casino resort on Matsu but stressed that some problems still had to be resolved

New Taipei not Against Entertainment Zone Idea: Mayor
TAIPEI, Taiwan (February 18, 2013) - New Taipei "would not reject" the idea of setting up an entertainment complex in the city based on the Las Vegas model if all conditions could be met, the city's mayor, Eric Li-luan Chu, said Monday

Illegal Betting, Match Fixing and Corruption to be addressed at Interpol Conference
SYDNEY, Australia (February 19, 2013) -- Australian soccer's fight against match-fixing and corruption will be stepped up at an Interpol conference in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

Korea's Seven Luck Increases Marketing towards China's VIP Gamblers
SEOUL, Korea (February 18, 2013) -- South Korea's Grand Korea Leisure is ramping up its marketing to Chinese gamblers.

Gambling Law Tested in Uncharted Territory
SYDNEY, Australia (February 19, 2013) -- Online gambling giant Sportsbet should be able to buck Victorian laws and offer hundreds of dollars in incentives to induce people to join its site, a court has heard .........

Holland Casino Looking for a Strong Growth Market
NETHERLANDS (February 18, 2013) -- Holland Casino intends to offer in 2014, online gambling in the form of Bingo and Poker. The state expects the government this year to be presented with a bill that will make this possible.

Action against The "Belgian Gaming Commission" (BGC) Dismissed
BRUSSELS, Belgium (February 18, 2013) -- BetClic Everest Group owned providers of "bet-at-home" have failed in a lawsuit against the Belgium Gaming Commission. The action against the "Belgian Gaming Commission" (BGC) was dismissed.

Report into SkyCity Deal To Be Released Today
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (February 19, 2013) -- The long awaited Auditor General's report into how the Government chose SkyCity to build a convention centre in Auckland is due for release today.

Switzerland to End its Ineffectual Ban on Online Gaming
Swiss government looks to liberalize its online gambling laws; consultation will begin in second half of 2013
ZURICH, Switzerland (February 18, 2013) -- Switzerland has announced a plan to introduce laws to regulate online gaming. New laws will be drafted by the Department of Justice and Police in cooperation with the representatives of each Swiss Canton, The Federal Council announced last week.

Bill To Examine Feasibility and Economic Impact Of Allowing Casino Gambling In Shelby County
MEMPHIS, Tennessee (February 18, 2013) -- Memphis lawmakers are asking for a state legislative committee to examine the feasibility and economic impact of allowing casino gambling in Shelby County.

Prime Minister Confident Government will be cleared in Convention report
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (February 19, 2013) -- Prime Minister John Key is confident a report by the Auditor-General's office will clear the way for the Government to negotiate a deal with Sky City Casino to build an international convention centre in Auckland.

Betsson Signs License Deal With 3D Games Specialist Sheriff Gaming
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (February 18, 2013) -- Sheriff Gaming has today announced that Betsson will be the next Quickfire licensee to integrate its popular slot games, "The Amsterdam Master Plan" and "Dr Magoo" in to its games portfolio with the intention of delivering a full suite of innovative 3D games over the coming months.

INSPIRED Closes In On Launch of Virtual Sports In Italy Inspired welcomes the commencement of the AAMS process to certify its world leading Virtual Sports platform in Italy
LONDON, UK (February 18, 2013) -- Inspired Gaming Group, the supplier of the world's most advanced virtual sports products, today welcomes the commencement of the virtual sports homologation process in Italy as announced by AAMS on 15 February. Inspired has already signed virtual sports license deals with six major Italian operators: SNAI, Sisal, Eurobet, INTRALOT, Cogetech, and Lottomatica representing circa 90% of the Italy betting market. Further online and retail licenses will be announced soon.

MPN, Formerly the Microgaming Poker Network, Bad Beat Jackpot Reaches All-Time High Of €793,000; Revamped Jackpot On The Way
ISLE OF MAN (February 18, 2013) -- It's all change for the Bad Beat Jackpot on the MPN (www.thempn.eu), but not before one player walks away from the tables with a mind melting, monolithic mound of moolah!

Paddy Power plc Preliminary Results Analyst Presentation
DUBLIN, Ireland (February 18, 2013) -- Paddy Power plc will present preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2012 to analysts at 9:00am on Tuesday 5 March 2013 at the Merrion Hotel, Upper Merrion St,

Casinos Increasingly Looking Towards Electronic Gambling products to Boost Profits
LAS VEGAS (February 18, 2013) -- Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts International (MGM) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN), the world's three largest casino companies, are all expecting new electronic gambling products to boost profits.