In spite of the announcements made by Harrah’s Entertainment a few months ago about the development of a $1.2 billion casino in Slovenia, the company has decided to withdraw from the project. A spokesperson for Harrah’s said the decision was made because they were unable to reach an agreement concerning a management contract.

“It was really coming to an agreement on how we could have management strength and they could have ownership control,” Jan Jones, Harrah’s senior vice president of communications and government relations explained.

Luck seems to be smiling at the English supermodel Kate Moss, who was seen stepping out of a London casino carrying a package containing an important wad of money, estimated in 50,000 pounds (approximately U$S 100,000) on her hand, after winning on roulette.

The 34 year old model was seen coming out of Aspinalis casino in Mayfair, carrying an envelope with a wad of money, where she was photographed by the main tabloids of England, who estimated the prize contained in the envelope.

Casinos Austria International announced its plans to cross the oceans during 2008 in two spectacular ships: the Regent’s Seven Seas Voyager and the Silversea’s Silver Shadow. The cruises will navigate through the Panama Canal and the Mexican Riviera, following a route that will lead passengers to tropical hideaways in Hawaii.

In only 110 days, the Silver Shadow will visit 26 countries and 52 harbors, including the mysterious islands of the Pacific, the amazing desserts in Egypt and the millenary Far East. On the other hand, the Seven Seas Voyager will visit 26 countries and make stops in 51 ports.

TransSend and Intercash, two companies dedicated to provide payment solutions, have announced this week that they will launch a prepaid card that will provide important benefits for gambling operators as well as for gamblers and that could be used to place bets at the casinos which operate in the Old Continent.

The card, which is a MasterCard product, will allow its users to take away money from a million of ATMs around the world, make payments in more than 24 million authorized points or use it to make online transactions.

In the middle of a great debate and controversy regarding the possibility of building casinos in England and therefore increasing the gambling offer in the country, it was announced this week that the English government would finally be willing to give the green light and permit the construction of big gambling centers.

Gordon Brown, England’s Prime Minister, has always showed interest in reaching a solution to the conflict over the advantages and disadvantages that the construction of gambling centers will carry.

This week Holland Casino received the international award “Socially Responsible Operator of the Year” granted by the gaming industry. Johan van Kastel, Security and Risk Control Vice President, attended the Gaming Awards 2008 celebrated in London on behalf of the casino.

“We are very proud to receive this international acknowledgment,” Holland Casino’s spokesman Dick Flink said. “Holland Casino has adopted the Responsible Gaming Policy as part of its strategy, with the aim to put the organization ‘in the center of society’, visible to the whole world.”

An international conference of online gambling operators at a top Las Vegas hotel has been hurriedly cancelled amid fears that the FBI could be about to widen its crackdown on the US industry, estimated to be worth more than £3bn.

Meanwhile, there is growing frustration among online gambling operators listed on the London stock market about what one senior industry source said was the "loose language" emanating from the US department of justice concerning the legality of poker and casino websites taking bets from American punters.

As published by PeterBoroughToday.com: There were renewed calls for Peterborough's casino plans to be scrapped after a pensioner built up £20,000 in gambling debts in just three months.

City MP Stewart Jackson is a strong opponent of the plans and fears it will result in people getting into debt. His views are backed by Canon Bruce Ruddock of Peterborough Cathedral who has argued that the young and vulnerable will be drawn to gambling if a casino is built on their doorstep.

As published by Canadian Press: “Shares in Canadian online gambling companies fell Tuesday amid fears that a U.S. crackdown on Internet gaming may spread and affect revenue from firms doing business south of the border.”

Shares in software firm CryptoLogic Inc. (TSX:CRY) tumbled $2.69, or 10.8 per cent, to close at $22.19 on the Toronto Stock Exchange, while Fun Technologies Inc. (TSX:FUN), an online gambling firm, was down five cents at $5.35.

From January to May, bets increased 25,5% in gambling parlors and casinos compared to the same period of time in 2005. A total of $61,872 millions were spent on bets.

Bets in Racing tracks increased 17,7% ($2,153 millions), Lottery showed an increase of 7,9% ($29,296 millions). The General Accounting of the Republic collected the data.