LEGAL online poker tournaments and in-play sports internet betting are a step closer, but micro-betting where punters can bet on events such as individual balls in a cricket over will be banned.

An interim report into the Interactive Gambling Act, labelled out of date by many, was released yesterday recommending the liberalisation of the gambling industry while also introducing harm minimisation standards.

Betting agencies have welcomed the possible changes, as have major sports. But campaigners warn that increased access to betting markets, such as through smartphones, would lead to more problem gamblers.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/online-bets-to-come-with-measures-to-limit-harm-20120529-1zhgf.html#ixzz1wJafAL2F

Meanwhile, Jeff kennett should be chuffed... More gambling means more "problem gamblers" with depression which means more clients for Beyond Blue... which seems to have needed some revigorating publicity lately... All's well in the best of the worlds...

from Crikey …..

For sheer audacity, nothing surpasses Packer's casino play

Stephen Mayne writes:

CASINOS, CROWN, JAMES PACKER, JEFF KENNETT, STAR CASINO, STAR CASINO INQUIRY

After the mining and poker machine industries, aided by the Murdoch press, comprehensively pole-axed tax and regulatory reforms proposed by the Rudd-Gillard governments, Australia has entered into a strange Russian-like phase of crony capitalism.

Every other day there seems to be a new development as a small number of billionaires oligarchs use political and media connections to further their vested interests.

Rupert Murdoch wants an early election and no changes to media regulation. Gina Rinehart wants cheap foreign labour and less mining taxes and believes buying up stakes in influential media companies will help. James Packer didn’t want poker machine reform and wants an effective monopoly over Australia’s high roller casino market. He also wants more than $1 billion from News Corp for his pay-TV interests to help pay for this. The Murdoch, Packer and Rinehart interests have co-operated to take control of Channel Ten. Gina Rinehart’s Rich Lister mate and fellow Network Ten director Jack Cowin is even in the Murdoch press today arguing that the $29 billion woman should be given a Fairfax board seat.

Fairfax, of course, is the biggest and most reputable privately owned media conglomerate which would ordinarily be pointing all of this stuff out. Instead, it is under siege from the Rinehart cabal with the Murdoch press opportunistically delighting in its distress.

There’s been plenty of extraordinary chutzpah as this scene has unfolded over recent months, but nothing compares with James Packer’s extraordinary decision to requisition an EGM of Echo Entertainment group shareholders to remove independent chairman John Story and install his old political mate Jeff Kennett as a director.

On Monday, I lodged a 2500-word submission with the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority arguing that James Packer should not be allowed to increase his stake in Echo Entertainment above 10%.

Part of the argument surrounded the question of probity by way of association. After all, James Packer is closely associated with the Murdoch family and News Corp and a UK parliament committee has declared Rupert Murdoch unfit to run a major international company.

One of the other arguments surrounded the Packer family’s dealings with Jeff Kennett when he was the Premier of Victoria and ultimately responsible for the regulatory environment around the tendering and development of Crown Casino.

These concerns were comprehensively spelled out in a 18,500-word essay first published on Jeffed.com in September 1999. Neither the Packer or Kennett interests have ever directly challenged this commentary for the almost 13 years that it has been published online.

It's hard to know whether to laugh or cry on reading about the Packer-Kennett plan for Echo Entertainment, owner of casinos in Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Townsville.

I was working for Kennett in 1993-94 when his government ran a supine and flexible regulatory regime around the tendering and development of Crown's $2 billion edifice on the Yarra, which remains the world’s biggest casino complex in terms of size.

What was built bore virtually no resemblance to the winning tender. The size, design, manager and builder all changed after the tender had been awarded in what turned out to be a highly profitable exercise for the Packer family.

In arrogantly proposing Jeff Kennett as an Echo Entertainment director, James Packer is assuming that independent regulators in Queensland and NSW will approve Crown’s request to move about 10%. What about due consideration of all the submissions?

There's also the small matter of Kennett being subjected to probity tests in Queensland and NSW, not to mention Crown's obligation to the Victorian government to retain Melbourne's primacy in casino tourism. So much for Kennett being a loyal Victorian! And all this is before we even talk about the question of minority Echo shareholders and the need for a full bid with an appropriate control premium.

We’ve been told on numerous occasions by The Australian Financial Review and The Australian how James Packer has been spending all this time with fellow billionaire Kerry Stokes and how impressed he is with those "control by creeping" tactics.

Yet these supposedly credible newspapers have not once pointed out that the Stokes creep on WA Newspapers turned out to be an absolute disaster for minority shareholders after the Perth-based billionaire backed his debt-laden television interests into the company, creating Seven West Media.

In performance terms, Seven West Media has been even worse than the grossly over-hyped Myer float. Packer - and Gina Rinehart at Fairfax for that matter - should not be allowed control without paying a premium to all shareholders.

And speaking of performance, Packer is making a big song and dance about the public company record of Echo chairman John Story. Hello James. Have you looked at the performance of the various public companies that enjoyed the services of Jeffrey Gibb Kennett as a public company director? Have a look at Data & Commerce Ltd and Sofcom for a start.

Perhaps Packer should stop listening to Crown's government affairs manager Karl Bitar, the former chief conductor of Labor's crumbling NSW Right political machine. Don't these people realise how the HSU scandal has forever changed the world of "whatever it takes" deal making?

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett insists his plan to join the board of Sydney's Star Casino does not undermine his work at Beyond Blue.

Casino mogul James Packer has written to shareholderscalling for an extraordinary general meeting to install Mr Kennett as a director of the casino's operating company Echo Entertainment.

Mr Packer has called for Echo's current chairman John Story to be stood down over the company's management of the casino and handling of a recent public inquiry into its operations.

Today Mr Kennett said he would be open to taking a place on the Echo board.

He said he did not think that would conflict with his job chairing depression initiative Beyond Blue.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-31/kennett-decides-to-join-casino-board/4044114?WT.svl=news1

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As an expert on depression, I can say that delusion is one of the best ways to fight depression... And when one gets paid to be deluded into a gambling circus, one reaches the summit of hypocrisy... Jeff Kennett should be sacked from Beyond Blue...

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/echo-shareholders-told-to-reject-packer-push-20120531-1zksb.html#ixzz1wUjTlCGI

What could Jeff Kennett bring to Echo Entertainment?

[James]: Anyone who knows Jeff Kennett knows he has the drive, enthusiasm and knowledge to help the Echo board fix its numerous problems. Let's not forget that Jeff was one of the first people years ago to make the call that the Sydney casino wasn't good enough. Jeff has a great understanding of what major cities need as tourism drivers and he was a key adviser to the Singapore Tourism Board. I have no doubt that Jeff can bring tremendous focus to the Echo offerings in NSW and Queensland. Jeff would be great news for Echo shareholders.

Some Echo shareholders (albeit anonymously) are saying your strategy means you could take control of Echo without paying a premium for it. Is that fair comment?

This is a complete furphy from John Story and his crisis spinners. Jeff has been proposed as a director, not the chairman. If Jeff is appointed, he will be one out of seven directors. How is that control? With this spin, Story and the board want to divert shareholders' attention from Echo's sub-standard management and poor performance, but I don't believe institutions and investors will fall for that.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/theres-no-echo-here-packer-tells-his-story-20120601-1zn5q.html#ixzz1wg7Pqj3o

Ah, the carefully chosen words by James... : "crisis spinners", "enthusiasm and knowledge", "Jeff was one of the first people", "tourism drivers", "great news to Echo shareholders"....

I'm crying in my blue latte...

...

There is a strong link between problem gambling and mental health problems. We know that nearly three out of four people with a gambling problem are at risk of developing depression. Conversely, those experiencing mental or physical health problems, stress, loneliness and isolation, or loss and grief, are at greater risk of developing a gambling problem.”

For Kennett to suggest that his leadership of a casino empire could help combat the scourge of depression or promote the work of groups such as beyondblue is beyond laughable. It is a farce, and it’s the kind of farce which ensured that a woman such as Dawn O’Neill doesn’t work for beyondblue any more, and has others are now asking why Kennett still is.

http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/casinos-against-mental-illness/

Apparently Jeff Kennett objected to a prayer room being installed at sporting grounds...

I was confused until I guessed Jeff Kennett would have preferred a gambling room in all sporting venues instead — unless he actually wanted the prayer room installed at casinos... God knows that gamblers need to pray harder while against the odds...

Thus I'm still a bit confused...

The chairman of gambling operator Echo Entertainment - which runs Sydney's Star casino - has resigned following pressure from billionaire shareholder James Packer.

John Story's departure clears the way for former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett to take the reins.

Mr Packer, the chairman of Crown Casino, recently wrote to the owners of Echo calling for the Mr Story's resignation.

Crown has also been running advertisements in major newspapers calling for Mr Story to go, and for his seat at the board table to given to former Mr Kennett.

That campaign has now succeeded.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-08/star-casino-boss-john-story-resigns/4060540

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/all-bets-off-as-kennett-turns-down-echo-board-20120705-21k80.html#ixzz1zq5b2cul

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Even by not taking the job at Echo, jeff Kennett's explanation of "perceptions" rather than understanding of reality, shows he's damaged goods...