I can’t imagine what it’s currently like for iPhone sufferers playing online poker on their phones, but it could be akin to watching sport by a dodgy online stream only to miss the key moments due to it skipping.

Apple’s latest press conference will be like hearing the entire Justin Bieber catalogue for many iPhone owners then (especially ones who gamble) as their were no firm guarantees that they would fix the signal problems. You get a nice piece of plastic round your phone for free. No-one’s seen the plastic yet, so I wonder if they’re just going to distribute a load of condoms? Branded with Apple of course. Read more.

Business News

All of those detentions, most of them the ignominious afterschool ones, must have done in the trick in Italy. The country’s online gambling regulator, and childishly behaved, Amminstrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS) is finally agreeing to work with the European Commission on Italian Gambling Laws.

It all came about when AAMS wouldn’t file the correct documentation with the EC, which they’ve now done, and it’s expected that the laws may be implemented by December. This all comes after litigation was sought by Microgame who thought the government were deliberately delaying everything, when all they were doing was being rather disobedient. Bring back corporal punishment I say, would never have happened in the first place if a bit of discipline were in place. Read more.

Legal News

Not wanting to rest on their laurels for long enough to get caught in a rain shower, The Weather Lottery (TWL) have announced a tie up with a fourth football club. Leicester City will benefit from a full range of online gaming and lottery services under TWL’s FC Betz.com brand, in addition to the Leicester City Lottery being run under the companies FC Lotto brand.

This comes as FC Betz.com is considering plans to relocate their operations to the Isle of Man. Obviously started to become rather red-faced at the caliber of teams they’ve been chosing to partner up with. Read more.

Business News

Marlon King became the latest high-profile footballer to be jailed last October, when he was found guilty of sexual assault and affray, but he was released yesterday without so much as a boyfriend in tow after only nine months in the clink.

Of course this isn’t the first time that a footballer has found themselves incarcerated at Her Majesty’s pleasure, so here’s a list of some of those lucky geezers to have had a free abode for a few months:

Joey Barton

Where do you start with this little scoundrel? To be fair to the law they gave him more chances than you’d give your ex-wife, and he has a charge sheet to well and truly be proud of. It includes a prison term of six months for affray and common assault, which he served 77 days, for an incident outside a McDonalds in 2008 – must have been something in the Big Mac. He has also assaulted two teammates, including Ousemane Dabo, who he left bloodied and unconscious. Barton somehow still, despite these convictions, plays in the Premier League with Newcastle United, and you can’t help but speculate as to who’s next? Ultimate face-off between him and Andy Carroll to watch out for in the coming season.

Nutcase rating: 4.5/5

Stig Tofting

It’s the fearsome central midfielder that you’d always like your club to sign and when they do you’re delighted. That is until they wind up in jail. Bolton signed Tofting in 2002 and by summer 2003 he was already languishing back home following an quarrel in ‘Café Ketchup’ in Copenhagen. The café owner saw just that, as Tofting head-butted him after the owner had teased him about his height, and asked him who Bolton were. Needless to say he wasn’t best pleased, and got four months in jail for it.

Nutcase rating: 3/5

Duncan Ferguson

You were lucky if you went up for a header with ‘Big Dunc’ and didn’t come down with a bloodied nose. Just imagine Alan Shearer, without as many goals, and with more height and elbows. That’ll be the Scot. Ferguson holds the distinction of being one of the only players to have been convicted for an offence whilst playing. His 1994 conviction for an altercation with defender John McStay (not so much an altercation as Dunc headbutted him) landed him with a three-month prison stay, after which he refused to represent the national team again.

Nutcase rating: 4/5

Gary Charles

Good as gold during his career – probably best known for being in the wrong place at the wrong time when Gazza decided he didn’t fancy Rome after all – but the ball well and truly dropped when his career ended. When a woman attempted to bant with the ex-Derby and Nottm Forest man, that he wasn’t good enough to play Man Utd he proceeded to give her a right old fashioned kicking and has since been reprimanded twice for a number of drink-related offences. He even cut off his electronic tag as he fancied a bit of a knees-up on the Costa del Sol. What are you playing at Gary?! Should have just become a pundit my man!

Nutcase rating: 2.5/5

Edmundo

Edmundo Alves de Souza Neto embodied everything you dreamed of being if you were a footballer. Brazilian international, scored bucket loads of goals, and had the party lifestyle to go with. At one point the Brazilian head-case pissed off animal welfare groups by having an entire circus perform in his back garden, followed by the infamous picture of him having a beer with his chimpanzee. He also has a record of one season receiving seven red cards, but the worst telling off he ever got from the law was a four-and-a-half year jail sentence which he appealed down to a seven-day suspended sentence. Maybe he got the judge drunk like he did with the chimp?

Nutcase rating: 5/5

Sports News

Waheyyyy!

For the first time in four years beer sales have increased in like-for-like sales compared to the same quarter last year. The increase is in large part down to the World Cup being staged this summer, and shows just how important the tournament is to the UK economy, and world economy, following earlier news that it has already helped out the gambling industry here and here.

Basically Mr Cameron you need to do all you can to help out the England Football Team ahead of major tournaments. Instead of sanctioning cycle schemes in London give the FA all the money, and when we win the pubs, clubs, bookies, well…everyone will be thanking you. I’ll drink to that! Read more.

Lifestyle News

Microgaming has declared that Samvo Group have become the latest company to join their burgeoning poker network empire. The tie up will see Samvo use Microgaming’s poker software on it’s worldwide network, and founder Frank Chan said: We have looked long and hard for a software provider that can complement us throughout the world and Microgaming fits the bill in terms of security, player integrity and quality of games.”

Microgaming’s slogan is ‘We Are in the Game.’ They must be doing something remarkable ‘in the game’ to be attracting the amount of partners they now have on board. Read more.

Poker News

You’ve all been in the situation. Go out with the boys to celebrate and the beer tells you that you’re still the Casanova with the ladies and, even though the wife’s at home with the three kids, you try for a dance with a couple of girls, only to be spurned, so you walk back to your mates, tail between your legs and all that, right? That would be if you weren’t Marlon King – he just goes Mike Tyson on their ass.

King has been released from prison on early license though, after serving nine months and this will be music to the ears of football clubs everywhere. He’s available on a free transfer, and unless women start to take part in men’s football his disciplinary record will be squeaky clean. Too soon to speculate on his first red card of the new season? On the pitch or from the wife? Read more.

Sports News

Problems that have besieged the iPhone don’t seem to be bothering anyone in the mobile gambling industry, as another company has released an app for the device synonymous with the…pretty much anyone in the world today.

William Hill hasn’t released one or two apps, it’s gone for three with each one offering a different service to their customers. The ‘William Hill Tool Bar’ provides live audio commentaries, enable live in-play betting, and has the latest sports headlines, ‘William Hill Football Calendar 2010’ syncs with Outlook to provide football info to users, and ‘William Hill Radio’ provides insight into the world of racing through all manner of different mediums. After taking telebetting abroad, Will must have had a bad experience in one of his shops or something. He’s avoiding them like the plague. Read more.

Business News

Game developer Playdom was only just acquired by Disney this week, but it’s already announced a partnership with Harrah’s Interactive to launch a World Series Of Poker-branded game on Facebook and other social networks. The game will essentially be Playdom’s existing Poker Palace game wearing a shiny new WSOP suit, but the developers are planning to incorporate lots of new promotions, sweepstakes and assorted bells and whistles. Seems that ‘hi ho it’s off to work we go’ Disney mentality is already in effect. Read more.

Poker News

Check out Calvin Ayre, Rebecca Liggero and APCW host J Todd as they spend the day partying on a yacht and drinking ‘Ceasars’!

Don’t miss the boob action at the end!

Lifestyle News

Recently let go Sands China CEO Steve Jacobs was no fan of middlemen, specifically the junket operators that Macau casinos rely on to bring in high rollers. Under Jacobs, Sands went the direct marketing route, which earned them praise from analysts and an improved bottom line. But with Jacobs out and acting chief exec Mike Leven in, the company is doing a rethink on the long term repercussions of such an anti-junket stance. Industry estimates put the number of junket operators at 75, with the top five accounting for 80% of the VIP market. Here, puss, puss, puss… Read more.

Casino News

Comic Timing Cartoons

Dictators really hate losing. It goes all the way back to 1936 when Hitler stormed out of the Olympic stadium after a really fast black guy named Jesse Owens proved a better sprinter than all those blond, blue-eyed Aryan guys. More recently, Kim Jong Il gave his North Korea’s national football team a public dressing down after they failed to bring home the World Cup trophy.

Now Zimbabwe (ruled by octogenarian despot Robert Mugabe) has accused their top footie exec Henrietta Rushwaya of corruption and match-fixing after the national team failed to score a goal in two matches during an Asian tour last year. If she’s found guilty, we hope they give her an appropriate punishment – like forcing her to continue living in Zimbabwe. Read more.

Sports News

Given the uncertainties surrounding the future of the HR2267 legislation, it’s not surprising that everyone is piling hypotheticals on top of hypotheticals in order to see what they want/hope to see. In game developer Zynga’s eyes, the legislation represents the possibility of turning its 28M Texas Hold ‘Em players on Facebook into real-money poker people. Of course, that would require the cooperation of Facebook, which is about as likely as founder Mark Zuckerberg greasing himself up to compete in the next Mr. Olympia bodybuilding competition, but hey, it’s all hypothetical, right? Read more.

Poker News

I don’t think NFL fans are fully appreciating what the Cincinnati Bengals have created. Let me repeat, Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson Ochocinco are going to be on the same team. Doe anyone understand how big of a circus this could potentially be? I don’t think we do. You see, iron sharpens iron and men sharpen men and well sideshows, they team up to form gongshows, so yeah, please believe I’m getting my popcorn ready to watch the Bengals all year long.

Both of these players are never at a loss for words. And both of these players have done something quite unique with their personas. With the amount of press attention, controversy and practical joking both Owens and Ocho have done, they become their own entities off the field. You can be sure that when Owens is done playing football he’ll have gigs on some sort of reality television show much like he has in the past. And Ocho, well, everybody loves Ocho, I’m a little surprised that he didn’t win Dancing with the Stars, actually I’m a little pissed, I had a c-note riding on him.

The point is, the world doesn’t love these guys because they are hard working athletes that just shut up and play football and win all the time, hell no, they’re loved because their personalities are larger than life. So, you put these two together and we’re likely to see NFL clowning on whole new level, at least I’m hoping so. Here’s a little reminder of just how far Owens and Ocho have taking clowning in the past, just in case you forgot.

Owens Celebrates In the Cowboys Star

The game became about T.O. and to be honest, it made it kind of awesome especially the second time he tried for the star.

What can you really say about Chad Ochocinco that he hasn’t already said about himself? The answer is nothing, here are some of Ocho’s finer moments.

Best of Ochocinco

I can’t wait for the Owens & Ocho show, with this possibly being T.O.’s last season, I don’t want to miss any of his antics now that he’s got Ocho by his side encouraging it. Carson Palmer might become the next posterboy for Tylenol Extra Strength Headache relief, I certainly don’t envy him in that huddle!

They’ve curbed end zone celebrations now, but back in the day of clown, TO and Ocho were the best in the business.

NFL’s TOP TEN NFL CELEBRATIONS

Sports News

Wynn Resorts Ltd. has reported doubling its profits in the second quarter of 2010 over the same period last year, echoing positive results stated yesterday by Sands China and Melco Crown. The good news is largely down to the fact that Wynn opened Encore Macau, its second casino property in the Asian money factory, in April of this year. Double the casinos, double the profits… Does this mean shareholders can expect triple the profits when its Cotai resort eventually opens to the public? You’re setting a dangerous precedent here, Steve… Read more.

Casino News

Bettors should keep an eye on Jeremy Tyler, he might end up making noise in the NBA one day very soon. But we would rather him be making noise for college basketball right now wouldn’t we? What’s wrong with these kids, you’re a 6-11 beast with hands, relax, go to college, sleep with some hot cheerleaders, don’t worry you’re going to the league!

Everybody talks about Brandon Jennings, but it was Jeremy Tyler who was the first American born player, who actually left high-school early to go play professionally overseas. It was probably a bad idea and Tyler is now just another highschool phenom who decided to forego college basketball to play pro and is now on the verge of being forgotten. Read more.

It’s a bit of a risky call for many young North American basketball prospects to skip college and head straight to professional basketball overseas or in some foreign country. But since the NBA raised it’s age eligibility, we’ve seen more and young athletes having electing to try their luck in the professional ranks outside North America. I say it’s risky because going to college and moving to a completely different country are apples and oranges. For a 19 year old kid, being in a different country and essentially a different world can be a huge challenge. Now NBA star, Brandon Jennings found that out the hard way, and he actually tried to warn others to be wary of following in his footsteps. Read more.

Jennings was able to persevere through the culture shock from being away from, although he was lucky enough to have his family with him. Kids these days have to ask themselves if they truly know what they are getting themselves into and most of these young American ballers don’t, they just want to play ball. The next thing they know, they’ve ended up in a foreign world where nothing makes sense to them and they can’t even concentrate on ball, as the saying goes, “You’re a long way away from Kansas kid”.

To me, the worst part of this trend is how it hurts college basketball. I don’t want to see more and more talented young players heading overseas, I want to see them in Duke, North Carolina and Michigan State uniforms winning and losing championships and playing in Final Fours, and I know I’m not the only one.

But for the kid that goes overseas or plays in some other professional market, surviving the year will pay dividends. We saw how mature Brandon Jennings’ game was as a rookie, he credited that to playing with other men and constantly practicing and competing against other pros. Even though Brandon Jennings did not put up numbers overseas, the knowledge he brought back with him allowed him to put up huge rookie numbers in the NBA.

Sports News

When you hear an NBA player has died in Memphis, you might shrug it off, it wouldn’t surprise you that yet another player has killed his career with the Grizzlies franchise, but this time it’s far more serious than what happens on the hardwood. Former NBA player Lorenzen Wright has been found dead in Memphis, killed by a gunshot wound. Read more.

Entertainment News

There’s been lots of cheering from gamblers ever since the House Financial Services Committee approved the Barney Frank-sponsored online gambling bill. The folks at PokerStars are also cheering, despite an amendment to the bill that would disqualify participation from sites that continued to take American customers post-UIGEA, like, er, PokerStars. However, PokerStars’ lawyers don’t think that specific wording applies in their case. So is PokerStars splitting legal hairs here, or employing some lame attempt at Jedi mind tricks? “These aren’t the poker sites you’re looking for. They can go about their business.” Yeah, good luck with that. Read more.

Legal News

In the wake of the Bwin/PartyGaming merger news, there’s a PDF up on their site that’s being used to sell skeptical shareholders on the (theoretical) benefits of the deal, and it’s an interesting read. For instance, listed prominently on their ‘roadmap’ is the plan to “further consolidate the online gaming sector through M&A.” In other words, the new fat kid on the block intends on becoming even fatter. (Could a PartyPastry offshoot be far off? Perhaps a fluffy golden cream-filled concoction called Bwinkies?)

The talk is not all about gorging and growing — one area in which the behemoth will be getting smaller is its roster of key staff members, as the merger is expected to result in a combined cull of some €30-40M off their payroll. That’s a lot of talented people suddenly on the dole and private companies like Bodog Europe expect to take full advantage by snapping up (a) staff who have been cut loose, and (b) those who rightly fear they will be made redundant in the next big merger, regardless of how many years of service they’ve devoted to their present employer.

In short, we stand by our earlier prediction that the people most likely to welcome this news will not be Bwin or Party shareholders, but their competitors in the online gambling marketplace. The fusion of the two entities into a whole removes one significant competitor from the arena, and dumps a lot of disgruntled ex-soldiers onto the city streets to search for another army who better appreciates their talents (and the trade secrets they might also bring with them). Not to mention that for the next year or so, senior execs at this new company will be so distracted with changing the letterhead and issuing new business cards and figuring out who gets the corner offices that they’re not likely to be bothered with pesky shit such as product innovation and the like. But hey, onward and outward, right?

Business News

Who’d have thought at the beginning of last season that come 29th July 2010, Liverpool would be the first English side to be kicking off the new season in the Europa League.

Of course soccer purists could have told you that the loss of Xabi Alonso, and no adequate replacement being sourced, would have dire consequences for the runners-up of the season before, but Rafa being Rafa wouldn’t listen.

Fast-forward to this summer and they welcome Woy Hodgson, who takes charge of his first competitive game tonight. Although from the outset, it seems like the first test at Trent Bridge would be much more his cup of tea than a Europa League qualifying tie in Macedonia for the right to be taking part in the tournament proper come the back end of August.

But what does the current season have in store for the storied club from Merseyside, and ultimately what do fans of the Merseysiders want besides their giro?

For a start, as Joe Cole was so quick to point out, there’s that magical atmosphere they possess up at Anfield. The same magic that has seen them pick up how many Premier League titles? As many as Scunthorpe. (for the uneducated observer that would be none) So besides the intimidation of that ground, what else could the fans possibly want?

Brings us to the next point of contention for Reds’ fans: the yankee doodle chairmen, George Gillett and Tom Hicks. Much like rivals Man Utd they’ve been saddled with mountains of debt and simply don’t have as much clout to clear it. Yes, they could sell Fernando Torres, but the losses in the long run would simply not be worth it. As much as David N’gog and Dirk Kuyt try, you can’t see them creating anything on the scale of El Nino. What can the fans do to oust the chairman besides peaceful protesting though?

How about, as they regularly attend games, the fans tar and feather them. Seen quite regularly on shows featuring Johnny Knoxville over in the states, I’m sure he’d come over and do it himself if the promise of publicity was there. It would be even funnier if you got nicer than nice Woy to have a go. If you can’t get tar into the ground, just pay some kids to steal their car stereos whilst the cars are parked up. The police aren’t likely to take much notice to be honest.

But where can the Liverpudlians expect to find their club languishing come the end of the season?

The top five does look well and truly out of the question. Chelsea, Man Utd, and Arsenal look safe as houses in the top four, Tottenham, however, look about as safe as a Liverpool star’s mansion, whilst they’re on a European away date. Some are saying that Man City could win the league, so the best the scousers can really hope for is sixth. It would only take Torres and Stevie G being fit for all 38 games for them to make a top four challenge though. They’re that good.

Although if Torres leaves, Gerrard gets injured, and Woy decides that Dickson Etuhu and Bobby Zamora might be the best solution to this they could be in for a long season. What are those relegation odds for Liverpool then?

Hold on to your hats, folks. It’s time for the gossipping to stop and the consolidation to begin. Bwin and PartyGaming have finally agreed to merge and create what will be largest listed egaming company in the world. The Austrian firm will own the lion’s share of the new company with 51.64% of the business, while PartyGaming will take up the remaining 48.36% of the behemoth. Read more.

Allelujah. Yesterday, the House Financial Services Committee approved Barney Frank’s HR2267 bill that would effectively legalise and regulate non-sports gambling, by 41 votes to 22 and overturn the UIGEA which merely drove web-based casinos offshore.

The bill is far from becoming law, but it suggests that Congress is waking up to the notion that they might as well tax and regulate an activity that is taking place whether they like it or not. Read more.

Most pre-season football friendlies are as dull as watching England. About 12 people turn up to watch, nobody cares about the result, and none of the players want to get hurt.

Weirdly, though, sometimes they do get hurt, like when a ding-dong breaks out between sides from neighbouring islands. In fact it’s amazing that three of the footballing fracas listed below were in friendly matches.

Top 10 football punch-ups

1. Great brawl of China (February 2007)
QPR assistant boss Richard Hill was banned from football for three months and the club fined £40,000 following this unfriendy with the China Olympic team. You get the feeling that the Chinese ended up worse off, though, and not just Zheng Tao, who was taken to hospital with a broken jaw. Seven players were sent home to do the walk of shame.

2. Dyer consequences (April 2005)
On-field football fights are not always just confined to the opposition, as highlighted here when the war of words between Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer escalated into fisticuffs over whose turn it was to get the drinks in.

3. Batty boy battle (November 1995)
Another embarrassing set-two between so-called team-mates took place after just four minutes of a Champions League match against Spartak Moscow, with Graeme Le Saux getting on the wrong side of David Batty over who was marking who. In the end I think it was Le Saux who marked Batty.

4. Inter-national incident (March 2007)
There was a time when Inter Milan couldn’t anywhere near the Champions League final, for love nor money, nor punch-up. In truth it was Valencia who most disgraced themselves at the end of this knockout match, although Inter’s inability to catch David Navarro gives a good indication as to why they lost the match.

5. The battle of Old Trafford (October 1990)
Often identified as the match where the intense rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal originated, this 21-man brawl began after Arsenal’s Nigel Winterburn lunged at Denis Irwin, then everyone lunged at everyone else, apart from David Seaman, who remained in his penalty area stroking his moustache and looking bored. Manchester United lost one point, whilst Arsenal were docked two – but George Graham’s team still went on to win the title.

6. Mary Poppins in-step in time (April 1998)
For some reason Alan Shearer was known as Mary Poppins by Newcastle’s directors but I don’t ever remember Julie Andrews kicking anyone in the face while they were lying on the ground defenceless. Had he been sent off, Shearer would have been suspended FA Cup final but somehow he got away with it. Maybe he cast a spell on the referee and the Football Association. Oh, so that’s why they called him Mary Poppins.

7. Freddie and Olof’s lover’s tiff (June 2002)
Ljungberg and Mellberg were two of the best-looking players in the game; unfortunately, though they weren’t the best of friends. Perhaps jealous of Freddie’s gay following, Mellberg took out the Arsenal player (not in that sense) during a World Cup training session and Ljungberg reacted. To be honest, I think they quite enjoyed the Greco-Roman man-grappling.

8. Not so Keane on Haaland (April 2001)
Anyone who was in any doubt about Roy Keane’s volcanic temperament were soon put right after this incident. Unfortunately, Haaland’s knee wasn’t. The Irishman had been stewing about Haaland’s reaction to Keane’s injury in a previous Manchester derby, when he wrongly accused him of diving while he was writhing around on the ground. Keane not only exacted retribution with a horrendous career-ending knee-capping on the City midfielder, but then rubbed the salt in afterwards. ‘I’d waited long enough,’ he wrote in his book. ‘I fucking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). “Take that you cunt. And don’t ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries”.’ Nice chap.

9. Kung-Fu Cantona (January 1995)
Cantona was cut from the same cloth as Keane. Not quite as consistently violent but capable nonetheless of snapping if the wrong buttons were pressed, as one Crystal Palace yob discovered to his cost by screaming abuse at the red-carded Frenchman. Cue Kung-Fu Cantona, an eight-month ban and a speech about seagulls and trawlers.

10. Craig Bellamy and John Aarne Riise (February, 2007)
On a pre-season training camp in Portugal, Aarne Riise irked his Liverpool team-mate by refusing to take the stage during a karaoke night. Bellamy did what any other right-minded team-mate would do and burst into his hotel room to attack him with a golf-club. In fairness, though, the bonding worked – at least it did for Bellamy – who scored in the next game against Barcelona and celebrated with a golf swing celebration.

It’s nice to see that the powers that be within football’s club hierarchy are paying heed to their learned friends at Calvinayre.com.

After tipping Roy Hodgson to take over from Liverpool before the end of last season, Dan Taylor called it right again a week ago, when tipping Mark Hughes for the Bodog-sponsored Fulham job.

Not only will this appointment, when confirmed, make Fulham fans happy, but anyone who followed the advice by backing him at 10/1 will be feeling pretty flush right now too. Read more.