Online Casino and Gambling News: May 2011

The Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has given the green light for the Government Lottery Office (GLO) to implement the long-awaited and controversial online version of the national lottery, reports the Bangkok Post business section.

This week sees the real money launch of a new Webcam-powered and Malta-licensed online poker site branded Pokerview.

One of the most interesting and arguably informative articles to appear on the Cereus network online poker sites Absolute Poker and UBPoker appeared over the weekend in the St Petersburg Times.

UK-based market research firm TNS offers some interesting insights into mobile phone usage in its sixth study titled TNS Mobile Life 2011 .

The Irish Government is currently involved in an initiative to reform its archaic gambling laws which will include the regulation of online gambling and there have been various proposals to increase the betting tax from one percent to two percent which to date have not come to fruition.

Coveney said that he believed that the Department of Finance would find it difficult to continue significant state payments to the Horse and Greyhound Fund in the current financial climate and that the industry should be financed entirely by an increased betting tax.

Internet gaming developer, Net Entertainment is set to debut a new innovation in its soon to be released video slot " Frankenstein ". The game will be the first release in a series of games in association with Universal .

The recent prosecution of online poker sites in the U.S. has again focused attention on the situation in the Czech Republic where the lack of formal online gambling regulations has introduced confusion and debate.

The 2011 World Series of Poker Circuit Caesars Palace main event reached its climax over the weekend, with a final table that was decided in just over two-and-a-half hours.

There appears to be a growing media backlash to the US federal attack on three online poker sites mid-April, with several major newspapers carrying articles critical of the Department of Justice over the weekend.