Posts Tagged ‘gambling’

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By Kristin Davis The Virginian-Pilot

Ken Weitzner and his guests lounged at a booth inside The Palazzo, their heads tilted toward flat screens broadcasting college basketball a dozen hours a day.

March Madness 2010 had begun, and Las Vegas was its epicenter.

Weitzner sipped water and ordered a steady supply of beer for the employees he counted as friends. He’d brought them here, paid for their flights and rooms at the sleek Encore hotel.

The big-time gambler was in his element.

At home in Chesapeake, Weitzner lived the quiet and unassuming life of a family man. In Vegas, he was a big shot.

Weitzner launched one of the first Internet gambling portals 15 years earlier and made a fortune. He owned a million-dollar house with a pool and an apartment on 3 perfectly kept acres in Hickory and often talked about six-digit bets he’d won and lost while too drunk to care.

Weitzner was sober now, had been since 2006, and talked as much about his wife and grandkids as the business. He’d soon turn 54 and looked it, with gray hair and a handsome face that had just begun to droop.

He was, by all appearances, a successful and generous man.

Nobody knew Weitzner was about to go bust – or that perhaps he had already.

 

Weitzner found his place in life in high school.

He was a teenage bookie who sold parlay tickets to classmates at his Long Island prep school.

They’d choose four football games from a list, then guess the winner for each. Pick all four correctly and win a $10 prize. Any less got them nothing, which was generally the outcome: odds of a win were 16-1.

But just about anybody would pay a dollar for a chance to make 10.

Young Weitzner clandestinely used the schoolcopying machine to run off the tickets – or so he thought.

The machine was off-limits to students, a transgression beside the point once the school saw what was on those papers.

He got suspended.

Years later, Weitzner would tell that story whenever someone asked how he got his start.

But it did not all take off from there.

Weitzner’s father and grandfather were doctors, and he would follow that conventional path – for a while. He had no interest in medicine, except for the illegal kinds he’d discovered by the time he entered Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk.

Weitzner spoke frankly in a 2007 interview with Tom Somach, a Pennsylvania-based freelance journalist who has covered the online gambling industry since its inception.

In that hourlong taped conversation, Weitzner talked about his medical background, his business practices and the monotony of marriage.

"I was forced into it," Weitzner said of medical school.

Weitzner used drugs, drank and gambled too much – a trifecta of addictions that connected like links on a chain.

By his own count, Weitzner amassed a dozen DUIs between 1980 and 2000 but never did any time. He would be accused of prescription fraud. "I was such a freaking drunk and drug addict. I had to cheat my way through medical school," he told Somach.

Weitzner specialized in psychiatry but never passed the medical boards. "I flunked them, like, three or four times."

Weitzner confessed to falling so deeply into gambling debt in college that his mother, a well-spoken woman from Hungary named Marika Somerstein, had to sell some of her things to help him out of it.

He would later make it up to her – exponentially, he said, and if it affected their relationship, mother and son moved passed it.

Weitzner was a mama’s boy at 54, tending to Somerstein with daily phone calls and regular visits. They spent their birthdays – just two days apart – together. He lit up her life. He made her laugh.

After medical school, Weitzner returned to her in New York.

"For two years, I was able to have a temporary license," he said in 2007. "I prescribed drugs for myself and my friends. Many prescriptions."

 

After a stint in New York, Weitzner moved south again. He’d been taken by it, Somerstein said, ever since he was an undergraduate at Emory University in Atlanta.

Hampton Roads became home, and at 35, Weitzner married Jackie Ballance of Norfolk. She was a few years older, with two sons. She called herself Scarlett on the Internet and shied away from the fame and scrutiny that would soon find her husband.

Those who met Jackie called her classy. She dressed well, kept a trim figure and wore her dark hair in a chic bob. She kept a photo of her grandkids in matching plaid at Christmas on her Facebook page. She lunched with her sons and spent Sundays with their families.

By the mid-1990s, when words like cyberspace and e-mail were creeping into everyday vernacular, Weitzner was already online.

He wrote a newsletter Somerstein likened to a "Dear Abby" for men. Weitzner analyzed upcoming games, offered betting picks and touted his expertise as a psychiatrist.

He became The Shrink.

Gambling websites – illegal when operated in the United States – were opening in Antigua and Jamaica and Costa Rica. Suddenly anyone with a computer and a credit card could make a bet.

The American Gaming Association would estimate $5.9 billion in revenue from U.S. players alone in 2008 – $21 billion worldwide – for offshore gambling websites.

In the beginning, "these places needed a way to advertise," Somach said. Most mainstream American publications wouldn’t risk the backlash.

Weitzner saw an opportunity.

He turned his newsletter into an online gambling portal and called it The Prescription. The Shrink would boast as many as 35 advertisers at his peak. He claimed to make $100,000 a month or more from the banner ads that blinked across his website.

He gained credibility as a conduit between bettors and bookmakers, said John Kelly, a one-time business partner.

Notoriety followed. "To get on top of the industry," Kelly said, "he stepped on a few toes. He wasn’t loved by all."

Two images of The Shrink emerged: that of an industry watchdog and that of a double agent.

The Shrink made a living off the sportsbooks he supposedly monitored, said Chris Costigan, a former Weitzner employee who started the website Gambling911.com.

At best, it was a conflict of interest; Weitzner would report struggling sportsbooks only after he retrieved his own money from them, Costigan said.

Costigan considered that cheating.

New portals popped up, but The Shrink hovered near the top in those early years. He sold The Prescription for $2.4 million five years after he started it.

The Shrink launched a second gambling portal in 2005.

Eye on Gambling would do what The Prescription had done, offering up a place to talk about sports betting or whatever happened to be on your mind, to share stories and make friends with faceless strangers who went by fictitious first names.

But this was a new decade and a new climate.

"It’s gotten very, very competitive," Weitzner told Somach in 2007. "Any gambling portal that says it’s not struggling – they’re lying."

Those banner ads that numbered in the thirties shrunk to about a dozen on his site. "The lowest ever," The Shrink said.

Portals were a dime a dozen, and this was the age of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

The 2006 law would make it illegal for U.S. banks and credit card companies to collect debt from online gambling sites.

The long-courted American customers were liabilities, explained Somach. Those quick, easy credit card transactions of old spelled legal trouble, and a refusal to enforce payments spelled financial trouble.

The books soon sought business elsewhere, and sites like Eye on Gambling suffered most.

Still, it was a well-trafficked website and Weitzner had other ways to make money, like working as a "beard" for a big-time gambler – bigger, even, than The Shrink. Weitzner would use his own name to place bets for somebody else and take a cut of the winnings.

In 2008, he won $80,000 in a football handicapping tournament in Vegas.

Weitzner built a sprawling and stately 7,600-square-foot house in Hickory Estates with a fireplace in the master bedroom; columns around the deep master tub; a rec room outfitted with a billiard table and a jukebox; a detached garage; and a white picket fence.

In 2008, the IRS put a $74,000 lien on that house, which he later paid.

This kind of contradiction defined The Shrink and his trade.

Gambling is like gravity; what goes up eventually comes down.

Weitzner held steady as a cutthroat with questionable business tactics and as a loyal friend who would bail you out of jail and talk you through the toughest night of your life.

"I am no saint," he wrote on Eye on Gambling last July, "and I have lots of character defects that I work to improve upon."

He’d jump in his backyard pool with the grandkids as if he was as young and unblemished as they were. His public persona remained upbeat.

Alone, in the throes of depression and addiction, Weitzner would search the Internet for painless ways to kill himself.

"I read that drowning was actually supposed to be euphoric," Weitzner said on his portal in 2006, "but the thought of water filling my lungs and suffocation did not appeal to me."

His lifestyle had turned his skin shades of yellow and gray, "like a pineapple," Weitzner wrote. He’d hurt everyone he loved.

He embraced Alcoholics Anonymous. He confessed and apologized and overcame his vices.

Except for gambling.

Gambling, Weitzner wrote, was something he’d learned to control.

He hadn’t.

By the end of March Madness, The Shrink’s luck ran out. He lost big.

 

In the weeks following the college basketball tournament, Weitzner resumed familiar habits. He had confessed alcoholism and drug addiction on Eye on Gambling. He used the site to opine and answer personal questions and to share bits of his life.

"My life is an open book because of these forums," he wrote. "I do not mind sharing whatever anyone feels like asking me."

On April 2, his birthday, he wrote that he had dinner out with his wife.

On April 4, Easter, Weitzner watched his grandchildren jump on the pool cover. How, he typed, can children be so happy doing the simplest things?

On April 7, Weitzner joked about global warming. It was 90 degrees in Chesapeake, he wrote.

He posted again that evening, after he and Jackie visited a Norfolk law office where two attorneys witnessed newly printed wills with their signatures.

Weitzner kept the errand to himself.

As the sun began to set, he called Joe Vandercook.

The Eye on Gambling moderator considered Weitzner more of a father than a boss.

They talked daily. When they disagreed, they made up quickly.

Vandercook missed the call but phoned him back within minutes.

My wife and I are going to the Outer Banks, Weitzner said. My baby is in your hands, he said of the gambling portal. I know you’ll take care of it. Do you want me to make a post to make it clear?

No, Vandercook said, laughing. I don’t care who’s in charge. It’s not a big deal. You’ve gone on vacation before.

When are you coming back? Vandercook asked.

When are we coming back, baby? The Shrink asked his wife.

I’m not sure, they both said. Weitzner chuckled, and the conversation turned to something else.

Weitzner shared his vacation plans with the rest of Eye on Gambling in a 9:30 p.m. post.

"My wife and I will be going away for a trip… I won’t be posting while we are gone… It seems like EOG keeps getting better each day with so many new posters… I feel like this place has always been a second home for me because of all of you… Thanks from the bottom of my heart… I am grateful to be a part of this Family and for all the support."

He spoke to his mother and so did Jackie. They apologized for not making it to Costa Rica for Somerstein’s birthday.

You’ll just bring me a bigger present when you come, she told Jackie.

Well, you never know, Jackie said.

That was odd, Somerstein thought, but she hated to pry.

They hung up, and Weitzner returned to his forum. He read the farewell notes and the well-wishes. He told them where he was going.

"It’s some time I want to give to my wife… Duck, which is in the Outer Banks of North Carolina…"

Then Weitzner went silent.

 

The housekeeper found the bodies three days later, on April 10. The truth came in pieces after that.

The vacation was a ruse for a suicide pact.

Sometime after midnight, Weitzner and his wife went into a bathroom of their grand Hickory house, sealed the doors and lit two charcoal grills. The fumes would sap the oxygen from the air.

There was no choice, said the note they left behind.

They’d lost everything.

Kristin Davis, (757) 222-5208, kristin.davis@pilotonline.com

YouTube owners, Google have been displaying online gambling ads on their search engine in recent times, but it is only now that restrictions have been lifted on these ads appearing on the video-sharing and distribution website.

This is another part of the relaxation of the gambling advertising laws in the UK. Online casinos and betting companies offering their sites to UK players can now advertise themselves on YouTube using age-restricted campaigns on the YouTube homepage, ads within brand channels and ads on video pages.

UK viewers looking to view the ads will have to verify that they are over 18. Users whose YouTube profiles show they are over 18 will also see some ads appearing on their YouTube pages while they use the site.

Ladbrokes have been the first online casino to take advantage of the relaxation in the law, advertising their brand on YouTube in a click-to-pay campaign.

The move has not gone totally smoothly, however, and has been hit by elements of controversy. Google has been working alongside GamCare, an organization that helps people who have gambling addiction problems. However, there was some concern when the ads first appeared that Google had not informed the gambling support group that online casino and gambling adverts would be available to UK viewers on YouTube.

Google has assured all interested parties that their YouTube ads are totally responsible and do not in any way conflict with their interests in GamCare. Google UK spokesman, James Cashmore, commented that the restrictions placed on the gambling advertisements would prevent anyone under 18 being shown the ads. He stressed that Google had thought long and hard about the decision and that it was an informed and sensible choice: “We’ve been in discussion with brands and agencies about this for more than two years”, he said.

Over the past couple of years, Google has allowed paid search gambling terms to be used on their search engines. Spirit brands were then given permission to advertise using Google AdWords. It is clear that Google has been determined to relax advertising restrictions in recent years, so this move to allow greater freedom for online casino and gambling advertisements was expected since Google acquired YouTube in October 2009 in a $1.65 billion deal.

Some of the provisions being considered would be letting the casinos filter sports betting online and featuring online table games.  Corbo stated that the company behind this, the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association, deals in large part with offshore online casinos and Internet gambling.

“New Jersey, which has set the gold standard for its gambling laws, should not now have its gambling laws driven by a group like iMEGA that is made up of offshore Internet gambling sites that are not permitted to accept wagers in the United States and are thumbing their nose at the United States Department of Justice,” he said in the letter.

President of the iMEGA company, Joseph Brennan, stated that the company would not treat the New Jersey Online Casinos any differently.

“We sought out New Jersey because they have the toughest gaming regulators on the planet, and they’ll probably be even tougher on anyone that wants to fill this space,” he remarked.

“We advocated all along for the existing Atlantic City casinos to be the apex of this industry and this effort,” Brennan added. “The revenue would flow through them. The opportunity for Internet operators is to ink partnerships with casinos, which don’t currently have the expertise, the technology or the manpower to get this business up off the ground.”

Brennan stated that as many as 57,000 jobs could be created and over $7 billion in revenue.

Punting, sporting and entertainment news junkies, and hard core gamblers, what a week, and what a month its been. The Australian – Asia Pacific connection remains in the thick of the sporting action, even though the Socceroos and New Zealanders are out of the FIFA World Cup. Enjoy the sumo slamming, car rolling, internet filter free report, as Media Man and Gambling911 scour the globe, so you don’t have to…

FIFA World Cup Attacks: Aussies Recovering Well But City On Alert For More…

South Africa continues to get mixed reports on its security, especially regarding the safety of tourists.  The bush tucker bag of Australian fans who were attacked and robbed in their hotel room are recovering well, but South Africa’s reputation regarding safety continues to fall, amid crimes often containing "inside job" elements.  Media Man can confirm that the crime problems are far bigger than just the atrocious track record of the now infamous Hamilton Parks Country Lodge in Hazyview, located north-east of Johannesburg.

Aussie F1 Mark Webber Close Call At Valencia…

Aussie Formula One title contender Mark Webber had a lucky escape on Sunday after suffering a massive crash at the popular European Grand Prix. The 33-year-old’s Red Bull flipped over on lap 10 of the 57-lapper race after hitting the back of Finnish Heikki Kovalainen. Webber appeared to walk away from the wreck of his car unhurt and was taken away in the medical car as a precaution. The Aussie, who has now slipped to 4th in the overall world standings behind British McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, and his teammate Sebastian Vettel, had started from the front row on the grid behind teammate Vettel. Webber had a terrible start slipping down to 9th then pitted to be near the rear when he crashed out. Vettel won the race in front of Hamilton and Button. Hamilton now leads overall standings with 127 points, ahead of world champion Button on 121. Vettel’s 2nd win of the year lifted him to 3rd on 115 points with Webber fourth on 103. Vettel was wrapt to have secured pole position, as it mean the Red Bull team had pole in every race except Canada where Hamilton had been successful. Vettel set a time of one minute 37.587 seconds towards the end of the qualifying session, quick enough to fend off last ditch efforts from Hamilton and Button, and Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Vettel, 22, was relieved to be starting at the front again after a number of disappointments in Turkey and Canada, but admitted that he was surprised as many had predicted the Valencia track would suit the McLaren and Ferrari cars. "The last couple of races we didn’t have a good run on Saturday, so it is good," said Vettel after qualifying. "These circuits, Canada and here in Valencia, usually wouldn’t be our strongest so it’s good to put the car on pole and our pace looks good. It was a tight qualifying session in the end. In the first run I had a huge moment in the first sector and I knew I had to put everything in the second run, and it worked. I am happy for today. It was a very tough one here, especially as we reintroduced the F-duct and a lot of other things of the car, and some mechanics had just one-hour sleep." Hamilton started behind the Red Bull duo but capitalised by Webber’s crash.

Sumo Scandal Claims Oriental Top Brass Scalp…

Japan’s sumo association has announced it will go ahead with a tournament next month despite allegations of wrestlers and coaches betting tens of thousands of dollars on baseball in a widening scandal that has tarnished the image of the ancient sport. The Japan Sumo Association decided in an emergency meeting Monday to hold the tournament, but kept the option of suspending more than a dozen wrestlers – or about one-third of the top division – along with another dozen coaches, according to media reports. One arrest has already been made in the betting scandal and police are considering more criminal action pending the outcome of an investigation into the accusations, which first appeared in the weekly press and allegedly involve gangster middlemen. Stablemaster Otake, who allegedly held the deepest involvement with the baseball gambling scheme submitted a letter of resignation to the association. Police have arrested a former wrestler, Mitsutomo Furuichi, 38, who is accused of demanding hush money from Kotomitsuki to cover up the second-ranking champion’s alleged involvement in illegal sports gambling. Public opinion has rapidly turned against the sumo establishment as the gambling scandal widened, with sumo officials perceived to have done little to investigate and publicise the problem. The scandal could torpedo next month’s grand tournament, which national broadcaster NHK is threatening to abandon. Big-name sponsors have already turned their backs on the tournament. For the first time since World War II, the sumo association has postponed the announcement of a ranking list ahead of the 15-day July tournament because so many wrestlers face expulsion from the event. Stablemaster Otake is expected to resign, possibly any second, after Gambling911 turns up the heat.

Japan: Saipan Casinos Don’t Lure Tourist Nor Turn On Casino Whales…

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands – Legalizing casino gambling in Saipan wouldn’t necessarily draw more tourists, according to a Japan-based tourism official for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Michael Merner, the Marianas Visitors Authority managing director for Japan, said tourists travel to Saipan for its natural beauty, and glitzy casinos wouldn’t fit in. "It’s important that Saipan not follow the road of Guam or Hawaii with overcommercialized development," said Merner, of Marketing Garden Ltd. Saipan should "keep its position as a natural paradise, and that doesn’t fit the casino image," he said. The Northern Mariana Islands already have casino gaming in Tinian, and Merner said there’s no need to expand it to Saipan. In an informal survey of 10 major Japanese travel agents, Merner said the "overwhelming answer" was that Saipan shouldn’t create a casino. The U.S. commonwealth "has a great reputation for its natural beauty. Not so much for the quality of the infrastructure. Not so much about the restaurants. Nature is really its selling point," he said. A measure before the commonwealth’s legislature would legalize casinos in Saipan and allow them to operate in hotels with at least 250 rooms. Investors would have to pay a $100,000 nonrefundable casino application fee, and additional licensing fees could reach $200,000. Even though most gambling is illegal in Japan, travel agents believe adding gambling to Saipan’s attractions wouldn’t entice Japanese visitors, Merner said.

Hong Kong Police Crack Football Gambling Ring…

Hong Kong based coppers advised they have smashed a record breaking 170 million Hong Kong dollar (22 million US dollar) gambling ring that took illegal bets on World Cup football games and horse racing. Authorities arrested four men linked to Hong Kong’s notorious triad gangs and seized betting records in the latest in a series of raids that have netted at least three dozen suspects since the tournament kicked off this month. "This is a record for a single raid," a police spokeswoman told wire services. Betting records worth about 32 million US dollars have been seized. Police said they have not finished breaking down the value of wagers put on football versus horse racing in the latest raid. In a joint operation earlier this month, mainland Chinese police arrested at 45 odd people and confiscated 44 million Hong Kong dollars’ worth of betting slips in nearby Shenzhen. Punters in Hong Kong, a football and horse racing-mad former British colony, can bet legally on a variety of sports events including the World Cup through the Hong Kong Jockey Club. About 35 billion Hong Kong dollars in legal bets were placed on football matches in 2009, according to Jockey Club figures. Illegal bookmakers are said to offer considerable superior odds, and easier credit terms. Failure to repay can bring horrific punishment!

Malaysia Drops New Gambling Plan Amid protests…

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak advised his government had dropped a proposal to legalise sports betting amid protests by groups who fear it will create more social ills. The uproar over sports betting erupted after Ascot Sports, a company controlled by influential tycoon Vincent Tan, said in May it had been granted a licence to offer odds for the hugely popular English Premier League season. The government denied such a licence had been issued and said that it was still reviewing its decision as Muslim groups, opposition leaders and even members of the ruling government coalition opposed the new licence. "I hereby wish to announce that the government has decided that the licence will not be issued," Najib told state media late Friday. "Although there were groups who supported as well those who did not support or opposed the decision, it was clear to the government that a majority of the people did not agree that the licence be issued to Ascot Sports," he added. Opposition political parties said Thursday they were planning a mass street protest next month against the proposal. "We have too many social problems – drug addiction, free sex and baby dumping," Kamarulzaman Mohamad, youth secretary of the conservative Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS). "Sports betting will add to our problems as most youths watch football. They will be influenced to borrow money," he added. Party officials have not yet to decided whether the demonstration will be cancelled following Najib’s announcement. Malaysia bans its majority Muslims from gambling but allows betting at a casino operated by  Genting Group, on the national lottery and on horse-racing. Berjaya, the property-to-gaming group which has a 70 percent state in Ascot Sports, has said the illegal sports betting market in Malaysia was worth as much as 20 billion ringgit (six billion US dollars) a year.

Crown Limited King James Packer Delighted With Photon Group Deal…

Photon’s capital raising will be close to $200 million, which could almost double its market capitalisation of $191 million, advised insiders including the in the know News Limited blood hounds. Photon stock was suspended on June 4 at $1.02 a share and the coming capital raising will be at a substantial discount, with the rights issue price less than 50 cents a share. UBS and Macquarie are handling the equity raising which has already won the backing of major shareholders Reg Grundy, James Packer and others. Mr Packer continues his roll of good fortune and is once again ramping up media and new media interests. Media Man continues to become more investor ready, looking to plug into the Packer – Gyngell – Bondi Beach "machine". Gyngell has recently joined the Crown Limited board of directors to mixed media reports, but some close to the action say Packer and Gyng have a "few tricks up their sleeve". The point to the entertainment and lifestyle sector (not just gambling). In a business where trust is important the Packer – Gyng team is an excellent piece of risk management, in a (media) business known for backstabbing and jealously.

Poker News: GSN Airs 2010 Aussie Millions: United States TV Coverage; Aussie TV Misses Out…

American friends, GSN is your station to watch 1 hour specials of the world famous Aussie Millions Poker Championship. Tune in at 9pm Eastern on Saturday night. Aussie Tony G, sponsored by PartyPoker, even gets a Guernsey, even though the show has strong Full Tilt Poker tie ins.

Australian Politics: PM Julie Gillard Puts Kevin Rudd On The Backbench But ‘Minster Of Censorship’ Stephen Conroy Retains Communications Portfolio!…

Sen Stephen Conroy has somehow survived a cabinet reshuffle from newly crowned Prime Minister Julia Gillard, retaining his role as the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. Maybe Steve’s being listening to Aussie casino king, James Packer! Gillard revealed details of her new ministry at a lunchtime press conference (28th June) noting that "limited changes". If you were Kevin Rudd it wasn’t very "limited". Gillard claims "maximum stability in the team" has been achieved. Trade Minister Simon Crean was to take over Gillard’s role as Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. Crean’s Trade portfolio has been merged with Foreign Affairs and will now come under the responsibility of incumbent Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith. Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner, who last week announced his intention to resign from politics, was asked to continue in his role for the remainder of Labor’s term in Government. Gillard advised she had no intention to make any further changes to her ministry until after the re-election, should the Labor Government survive…"The premium I have put in making these ministerial changes is on stability. There will be no further appointments to cabinet; there will be no new ministerial appointments; there will be no new parliamentary secretary appointments. The team is the team. Our focus is on election day. We take nothing for granted. If the government is re-elected, then following the re-election, I will shape the team at that point." A role had not been created for deposed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in the current Gillard ministry. However, she said he would be offered a senior minister position should the Labor Government be re-elected. "I have, in recent days, had conversations with Kevin Rudd about his future," Gillard advised press. "It’s his intention to seek re-election as the member of Griffith; consequently, I have told him I would be absolutely delighted to see him serve as a senior cabinet minister in the team if the Government is re-elected." Conroy has exuded confidence in the lead-up to the reshuffle, boasting to SBS Television he had been watching the World Cup rather than jostling for position. Good to hear Steve, we love our sports also.

Aussie Pokie Palace Robbery And Attacks Continues; Another Armed Robbery!…

3 bandits carrying weapons including a machete ordered pokie players onto the floor of a gaming venue in Melbourne’s north  before stealing a large quantity of cash. Armed crime taskforce detectives said the masked thieves entered the gaming area of pokies venue in Sunset Boulevard, Jacana, near Broadmeadows, just after 10pm carrying a gun and a machete. Patrons and staff inside the club were told to lay on the floor while the robbers grabbed large amount of cash and left on foot. Police advised no shots were fired and no staff members or patrons were physically injured in the attack, but some were shaken up. A police helicopter and the dog squad was called in to search the area surrounding the club but failed to locate the robbers. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or go to crimestoppers.com.au.

UFC: Brock Lesnar VS Shane Carwin – Aussie Love Lesnar But Expect Carwin To Win…

Australian UFC fans have take to the sport in a big way.  Earlier this year UFC enjoyed a sell out at the Acer Arena. Tickets were gone in approximately 1 hour. Media Man has conduced a street survey on Lesnar VS Carwin, and Aussie punters are picking Carwin to win, even though Australians fans are big "marks" for Brock. Carwin’s winning streak… the positive momentum, and being able to match up muscle and ability with Lesnar see Shane a mild favorite at time of publication. Match date: 3rd July.

NRL State Of Origin: 

Frantic NSW selectors have named 3 debutant front-rowers in the side to play Queensland in State of Origin III on July 7. Manly co-captain Jason King, Cronulla’s Kade Snowden and Parramatta’s Tim Mannah, who was named on the bench, will join Penrith winger Michael Gordon in playing their first Origin game in the ANZ Stadium dead rubber. Gordon will be joined by Panthers team-mate Michael Jennings, whose top performances at club level have earned him a Guernsey.

NSW Team for Origin 3

Jarryd Hayne, Brett Morris, Michael Jennings, Beau Scott, Michael Gordon, Trent Barrett (c), Mitchell Pearce,  Jason King, Michael Ennis, Kade Snowden, Luke Lewis, Paul Gallen, Greg Bird. Interchange: Kurt Gidley, Tom Learoyd- Lahrs, Tim Mannah, Anthony Watmough.  *Queensland remains heavy favorites

Media Man Profiles

Sumo

http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/sumo.html

Mark Webber

http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/webber.html

NRL

http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/nrl.html

Wrap Up

Readers and punters. If your in South Africa for the cup, please take care and exercise extreme caution. All of the attacks in the field are only going to boost the popularity of online sports betting and online casinos, many of which are showcased on the world famous Media Man and Gambling911 website portals. Punters, as always, know the odds and have fun.

*The writer 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 bakers dozen of sectors they cover.