Sunday, January 9, 2011

Australian And New Zealand Gambling And Entertainment News, by Greg Tingle - 9th January 2011

Punters, January continues to shape up as a huge news month for both Australia and our Kiwi friends in New Zealand. Media Man and Gambling911 with another non sheep like report - often imitated, never duplicated, from the Pacific to the Tasman, and all points in between...

Alice Springs - Northern Territory - Clubs, Pubs, Pokie Palaces, Lasseter's Hotel Casino Gets Tough On Violent Drunks...

Alcohol laws designed with the key objective of stop drunken violence dead on Darwin's meet streets, namely Mitchell Street, are being rolled out to Palmerston and Alice Springs. Drunk bastards can by law be banned for 48 hours from the 3nominated areas and will be staring down the loaded gun barrel of a $133 on-the-spot fine, slam bam, thank you mam. There's been 9 bans issued since the Darwin law was introduced on October 1 of last year, Acting Chief Minister Delia Lawrie shared and it was "important to give police the tool to issue on-the-spot fines and bans. It's a preventative measure to stop people who have too much alcohol in their system from carrying on like lunatics." In Palmerston, the ban precinct encompasses a 1km radius around the central business district. Mayor Robert MacLeod supports the ban. "The ones who are causing trouble are the ones that have to watch out," he said. Macleod denied the law would unfairly target itinerants and ban them from parks within Palmerston. "If we sit back and do nothing, it stays the same way...as leaders of the community, you have to make decisions. If we don't try something then why are we here?" The Alice Springs precinct boundary is Wills and Leichhardt Tce, the golf course, Lasseter's Hotel Casino and Stephens Rd to Telegraph Tce. Mayor Damien Ryan is hopeful the strong arm of the law will shift troublemakers out of the town centre. "It's everybody's right to have an evening out without being hassled by others who cause grief," he said. Banned people can enter the designated area to work but not for recreation. The NT Government plans to introduce 48-hour precinct bans in Katherine and Tennant Creek. Yep, we breed in tough in the "top end" of Australia, but mongrel bastards of the drunk variety will not be tolerated thank you.

Promoting Lottery Syndicates; Australian Newsagents Thumps Up On Sin D Catates!...

An insider leaked across the www "We continue to have good success with lottery syndicate sales, even in our small temporary location. The small A5 mini-posters which we have stuck on the pole holding the lottery terminal screens works a treat for us. It is terrific seeing a customer make a purchase and decide on a syndicate ticket as well as the items they brought to the sales counter. It costs nothing to make the A5 poster. In a one hour stint last week I saw four syndicate shares sold specifically because of this promotional placement. We change the syndicates we promote in this location regularly. Syndicates are also promoted at our lottery entry table (workbench) as well as in a display behind the counter." Ed: apparently this is pretty big news in the world of Australian newsagents who delight at selling lottery tickets, so don't blame us is it doesn't turn you on!

Elvis Presley Impersonators Coming Up For King Title At Milwaukee Casino; Australian Look And Act Alikes In The Mix At Casino In Next Round...

Elvis Mania is running wild at America's Milwakee Casino, and yep, Australians from down under at trying their luck to be 'The King'. "Tribute to The King" is the gig at Milwaukee's Potawatomi Bingo Casino. You've got all sorts of Elvis want a bees. The Elvis impersonation comp...always near Elvis Presley's birthdate enjoys a cult-like following. 500 folks fill up the seats for the first round of action. Elvis nuts arrive early to snatch the prime seats of the house. After 4our days of competition in 2010, one of these great pretenders...Matt Joyce of Arkansas...left with the $25,001 grand prize, billed as the largest in the world for this type of competition. Among the judges were three of The Imperials, a group known for backing up Elvis Presley on his albums and tours until 1971. "I don't think enough realize what a wonderful singer Elvis was," says Sherman, a friend of Elvis' who joined The Imperials as lead vocalist after their work with the music icon ended. The event began as a look-alike contest nine years ago, then morphed into much more. Now Elvis fans schedule a week of vacation around the competition, says Rachel Buelow, the theater's entertainment coordinator. Performance videos are part of the contestant screening process. Judges are told to notice and rate the appearance, costume, vocals, choreography and "overall replication of The King." Contestants supply their own background music, props (only guitars and scarves are allowed) and arrive ready to perform because of a lack of changing rooms. Next week's "Tribute to The King" contestants include Elvis impersonators from down under in Australia and the United Kingdom. Preliminary competitions start at noon Tuesday through Thursday and 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Admission is free, but seats fill quickly. Tickets are $20 to $35 to daily finals, which start at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and include a show by Elvis impersonators Ryan Pelton and Matt Joyce as Double Trouble. Tickets to Friday's grand championship, as usual, sold out soon after going on sale in late November.

Australia's Air Supply Soft Rock Legends To Perform At Casino New Brunswick in Moncton...

Aussie soft-rock band Air Supply, best known and loved for '80s ballads like 'All Out of Love' and 'Even the Nights Are Better', will perform at Casino New Brunswick in Moncton on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. Yeap, we know, love songs in a casino, but at least they are not hate songs! Tickets for the show have only just recently gone on sale today at the casino box office for $29.50, which is pretty good value to see an hear living legends. Air Supply has been doing their things since 1975, when Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock met while rehearsing for the musical Jesus Christ Superstar in 'Sin City' Sydney, Australia. They started out with one guitar and two voices, playing coffee houses and local nightclubs, building up a reputation for their harmonies and original songs. They got a break with CBS Records and went on tour in Australia and Canada with Rod Stewart. They signed with Arista Records in 1980 and began a string of hits that pulled on the heartstrings of listeners around the world. Their rise to success coincided with the boom in music videos through MTV and MuchMusic. Their biggest hits included Lost in Love, All out of Love, Even The Nights Are Better and Making Love Out of Nothing At All. Air Supply was the first western group to tour the orient - China, Taiwan and other countries that would not allow pop music across their borders. They continue to tour and record. The band has released a new album called Mumbo Jumbo. Recorded at Graham Russell's home studio in Utah and at the Odds On Records' studio in Las Vegas with top session musicians and an orchestra, Mumbo Jumbo was produced by Russell and engineered by Sean O'Dwyer (Pink Floyd, Randy Newman and Blink-182). "Because of our crazy touring schedule, Mumbo Jumbo took three years to complete," Russell says. "Hitchcock and I couldn't be happier with the results. We had been releasing projects independently for a long time. While sticking to our vow of never making an album unless we are convinced it has numerous potential hit singles, we also believe that we have emerged with our best overall collection to date." The band reckon the new album was welcome news to millions of Airheads who were waiting for the duo's latest work. Among them are Ozzy Osbourne (who has attended their shows in disguise) and Al Pacino, who recently was spotted hanging out in a dark booth in the back of Orleans in Las Vegas, one of the duo's regular venues. Hitchcock added, "We had 12 songs recorded for the album, which to me seemed like plenty, but Graham came to me with two more he wanted to record, and I had an equally positive reaction to those. When he said, OK, now we have everything we need, I knew instinctively that we had a finished project. Writing and recording new material is our lifeblood that keeps us fresh and excited. In concert, we know we raise eyebrows when we say we're going to start playing new songs, but then we start and the audience realizes how much love and care go into them. We've been around nearly 40 years and are not only holding our own out there but firmly believe, with albums like Mumbo Jumbo, that our best days are still ahead of us." Air Supply will perform at Casino New Brunswick on Thursday, Feb. 17. Tickets for the show are $29.50 (plus tax and applicable surcharge) and are available at the Casino Gift Shop (located at 21 Casino Drive in Moncton, exit #450 off the Trans-Canada Highway), by calling 1-866-9-GET-TIX/ 1-866- 943-8849. If the songs make you feel lucky for the opposite sex, or whatever tickles your fancy, you might want to have a flutter on casino games also. But, remember, bet with you head, not over it.

Victoria - New Pokies Policy Stops More Pokie Palaces In Regional Port Phillip...

Port Phillip Council will reject any and all new applications for gambling venues as part of its new gaming policy. Could that be a form of discrimination many political and gaming commentators are asking. The make on the run policy is a knee jerk response to some folks who are concerned about the number of venues in the area. Insiders say many bible basher, good two shoe types are behind it. The small but vocal minority, who like to have a whinge and a wine about all matter of things. If you're reading, you know who you are! There are at least count 18 TABs and 384 electronic gaming machines, operating from 10 licensed venues within the city. Melbourne's Crown Casino also sits just outside Port Phillip’s border. Mayor Rachel Powning said the council wanted to introduce strategies to help those at risk of problem gambling. "It comes under part of the social justice area of council business," Cr Powning said. “Local agencies are under stress in the inner-city and it is the low to middle-income earners for which gambling is a problem here. "Along with gambling comes depression, social isolation, mental health issues and substance abuse." Commission for Gambling Regulation figures show $28.2 million was put into gaming machines in Port Phillip in 2009/2010. The move is expected to drive forward the expansion of illegal home poker games, gambling dens, as well as driving more punters onto the internet sites and games and entertainment portals.

Australian Pokie Education And Political Format Website Portal In War With 'The Truth'...

Here's how it goes punters...Owing entirely to mistakes made by the Illawarra Mercury, the Truth About Pre-Commitment Reform was not published as contracted. Since the time that the ad should have run, I have been accused of actions I did not take, hung up on, indirectly threatened with legal action by ClubsNSW (again), and withstood suggestions to alter the advertisement that would destroy it's core message. Provided the Mercury make good on the commercial directors email that states: "We are good. I will book the ad into next weeks Mercury for Jan 11, 12 and 13. The attached copy is the one approved to run so please not that we will not accept any variation to this copy without it going through the same approval process." Readers, for more on the story and to make your own mind up, check out
http://blog.pokieact.org/2011/01/battle-to-publish-truth-advertisement.html

Kaitaia, New Zealand; Land Of Sheep Sees 3 Lotto Wins Born...

The word is out - Kaitaia is lucky... or at least it just was. 3 major prizes worth a cool combo of $654,456 grand were won in township in the span of past week. A Lotto Strike first division ticket sold at Kaitaia Pak'nSave won a local fella $529,456 in last Saturday's draw, and on Wednesday, the local supermarket sold a $100,000 Instant Kiwi ticket to another local. That same night, a ticket sold at Kaitaia's Paper Plus won the holder $25,000 in the Big Wednesday draw, but that prize has yet to be claimed. The $529,456 Lotto Strike prize was claimed by a local man who had made a last-minute addition to his grocery shopping. Buying a Triple Dip was a spur-of-the-moment decision. He checked his tickets online after the January 1 draw and thought it was "pretty cool" that he had 3 of the right numbers. "I then checked again and realised that I had all four of the right Strike numbers, and thought, 'Oh no, that's me'," said the man, who did not want to be named. "I'm planning a party to celebrate. I also plan some sensible investments with the money to make it last." Kaitaia Pak'nSave owner Maurice Te Brake was delighted that his store had helped put some much-needed money into the local economy. "That's just awesome. They [the two big winners] are local shoppers and it's absolutely fantastic to know we've helped put over $600,000 into the town," Te Brake said. "I'm sure some of the money will get circulated locally." A Media Man spokesperson said of the new "This is great pr for the lotto industry. It could have a few possible outcomes. More folks will but tickets at the shops or newsagents, or some may hit lotto more on the internet, possibly both. It brings some much welcome positive news to the Kiwi lottery sector. Online casino jackpot games much also experience a spike, as punters will be thinking to go after the big one".

New Zealand: Internal Affairs Loses Gambling Machine Battle, Gambling Execs And Punters Celebrate; Machine Haters VS Machine Lovers Kiwi Style...

The land of sheep' Department of Internal Affairs has lost a 3 year war to prevent passionate gamblers playing gaming machines in the smoking area of a popular Wellington tavern that acts are a pokie haven of sorts. Since 2007, the department has attempted to add a "special condition" (discrimination?) to the Kilbirnie Tavern's gambling licence that would stop people playing the machines in areas where having a puff is permitted. The department reckons smoking and playing pokies encourages problem gambling. The Gambling Commission has allowed an appeal by gaming machine operator Lion Foundation against the condition Internal Affairs wanted to impose. The Kilbirnie Tavern is one of lucky 7 pokie venues in New Zealand where gambling machines are played in smoking areas. It is common for club pokie players to enjoy a smoke while on the punt. Online pokie players are less inclined to smoke according to a Media Man spokesperson. Punters, 2 sins for the price of one! Ok, were are just lightning things up for you. If you get on the punt, please know the odds, and most of all, have fun, with or without having a puff on whatever weed takes your fancy.

Online Casinos, Online Poker and Sports Betting...

Ok readers, we hear you... you also want to know some of the best places to play online (that accept Aussies) if your in or around the Asia Pacific - Australia (including Tassie) and New Zealand, so here it is...

PartyCasino.com

Captain Cooks Casino

Betfair (sports betting only)

PKR.com (mainly poker and some casino and sports betting)

PartyPoker.com (online poker at one of the world's most respected poker rooms and gaming brands)

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Media Man and Gambling911 remind our readers to keep the following in mind:

Take the time to research and learn games before placing down money

Media Man, Casino News Media and Gambling911 are website portals. Not casinos as such, however are recognised as world leading websites that cover the sector and act as central points to games, news, reviews and more.

Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? How did you see in the new year? Did you like the extra New Zealand supplement? Tell us in the forum.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered

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