Friday, December 31, 2010

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

PartyGaming and bwin to Retain Brands Following Merger

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In recent days, PartyGaming and bwin announced merger plans to form a giant gambling group that could become effective toward the end of the first quarter of 2011. The merger, which had long been rumored before the companies signed an implementation agreement in July, is expected to create the world’s largest listed online gambling business.

The new company will operate worldwide with its existing brands under the name of bwin.party Digital Entertainment plc in which current bwin shareholders will hold a 51.6% stake, while current PartyGaming shareholders will hold 48.4%. Both bwin and PartyGaming will retain most of the core of their brands, but will be operated under the new umbrella company, which will be based in Gibraltar and listed on the London Stock Exchange. PartyGaming will keep its main headquarters in Gibraltar, while bwin will continue to operate from Austria.

The companies issued a 478-page document to shareholders on Thursday giving a detailed outline of the planned merger. Shareholders will vote on the merger at a joint annual general meeting on January 28th. Should the general meetings of both bwin and PartyGaming approve the merger, all shareholders holding bwin stock when the merger is effective will receive 12.23 PartyGaming shares denominated in GBP for each bwin share.

“The online gaming industry is going through a phase of consolidation, making market players’ size and geographic diversification more crucial than ever,” said Norbert Teufelberger, Co-CEO of bwin. “Our products and target markets complement one another perfectly, and we can continue to expand our technology lead in all key product segments: sports betting, poker, casino, bingo, and games.”

According to the document, the merger would create a business with unaudited net revenues of €696.2 million, unaudited clean EBITDA of €193.7 million, unaudited profit after tax of €99.4 million, and unaudited net assets of €1.27 billion after consolidation adjustments for the year 2009.

Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Office of Party Gaming, will join Teufelberger to become Co-Chief Executives of the merged company. Current bwin Co-Chief Executive Manfred Bodner will become a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the enlarged group. Said Ryan, “This is a transformational opportunity for both our companies to create the world’s largest listed online gaming business. With market-leading positions in poker, sports betting, casino, and games, the enlarged group will have a winning formula to exploit the growing online gaming market, supported by a strong balance sheet, significant cash flow generation, and a highly experienced management team.”

The merged company will continue to focus on business-to-consumer products, an area in which it enjoys considerable strength. However, because of the financial gains added through the merger, the company will also encroach into business-to-business and business-to-government endeavors. Teufelberger explained, “Our many years of online know-how, healthy balance sheet, and one of the largest pools of poker liquidity in any regulated market will make us an attractive business partner.”

There will also be focus on regulated and newly opened markets, as the company intends to make plans to enter the U.S. market if and when the current situation changes for the better. In 2006, bwin stopped taking bets from U.S. residents due to the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). PartyGaming, which operates the popular online poker room PartyPoker, followed shortly thereafter. (Credit: Poker News Daily)

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Sunday, December 26, 2010

PartyPoker Reviving Million Dollar Hand in January - 22nd December 2010

In January, PartyPoker will be bringing back one of its most popular promotions ever, the Million Dollar Hand. All you have to do is make a pair in a five-card poker hand to be awarded a prize, and a $1 million jackpot is on the line.

Accumulating cards is quite simple. You’ll get one for every 15 PartyPoints you rack up between January 5th and January 30th. When you’ve amassed five cards, you’ll have a hand. If it contains a pair, then $3 will be coming your way. If it contains two pair, then your prize will be upped to $10. If you manage to score three of a kind, then you’ll get a $20 cash prize. That’s pretty simple, right?

Players who land a straight in the Million Dollar Hand will take home $50, while those who pick up a flush will see $100 come their way. Players who make a boat will get $150, while anyone who hits quads will receive a $1,000 cash prize. Now, we’re into the big money, as straight flushes are worth $10,000. Finally, anyone who manages to score a Royal Flush will divide a $1 million prize pool, which means if two players hit it, each person will actually take home $500,000. If only one person makes a Royal Flush, they’ll take home the seven-figure jackpot.

The best part about the Million Dollar Hand is that PartyPoker is awarding every player his or her first card for free. No play is required! Just log into your PartyPoker account to see what your first card is.

Now, let’s review some of the terms and conditions of the PartyPoker Million Dollar Hand. First, you’ll only be able to acquire 10 cards per day for a total of two five-card poker hands. Second, if you fall short of 15 points, PartyPoker will carry them over to the next day. Third, you have to reveal your cards manually. In order to do so, log into your PartyPoker account and see what you’ve amassed. If you don’t reveal your cards, they won’t count.

PartyPoker players will have until the end of the day Eastern Time on January 31st to reveal any cards they’ve received and only points accumulated at cash game tables will count. Finally, as text found on PartyPoker’s website notes, "Cash prizes will be paid to players within an hour of them revealing their hand apart from Royal Flush winners, who will be paid on February 1st."

PartyPoker is one of the industry leaders when it comes to unique promotions like the Million Dollar Hand. In fact, the site is concurrently running a Million Dollar Hand VIP Points Race for Palladium Lounge members. Players will earn the same cash prizes as in the Million Dollar Hand and also rack up points based on their hand’s value. The top two spots on the leaderboard pay out a World Poker Tour (WPT) L.A. Poker Classic prize package worth $14,000.

The top 200 spots in the Million Dollar Hand VIP Points Race pay out, with a minimum prize of $100 up for grabs. The top 30 spots award four-figures and everyone who reaches the top 500 scores a seat into the Million Dollar Hand VIP Freeroll, which doles out a WPT prize package to its winner. Palladium Lounge members will receive extra race points for accumulating over 300 PartyPoints in a single day.

According to the traffic ranking site PokerScout.com, PartyPoker is the third largest site worldwide in terms of real money ring game volume with a seven-day running average of 3,600 players. It just edges out the iPoker Network, but is well behind PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, which rank first and second worldwide, respectively. PartyPoker’s team of sponsored pros includes Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton, poker bad boy Tony G, and "High Stakes Poker" hostess Kara Scott. (Credit: Poker News Daily)

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Poker News Media Website Network Updated

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Friday, December 24, 2010

Press Release: Proposed Merger with bwin; Change of name to bwin.party digital entertainment plc; Publication of Shareholder Documents

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On 29 July 2010, PartyGaming Plc and bwin Interactive Entertainment AG (‘bwin’) announced they had agreed the basis of a Proposed Merger of both companies. The Proposed Merger will create the world’s largest listed online gaming business, with pro forma unaudited net revenues in 2009 from continuing operations, of €696.2 million, pro forma unaudited Clean EBITDA from continuing operations of €193.7 million, and pro forma unaudited profit after tax from continuing operations of €99.4 million (excluding transaction costs) for the year ended 31 December 2009 and pro forma unaudited net assets as at 31 December 2009 of €1,276.7 million (after consolidation adjustments).

PartyGaming is pleased to announce that a key milestone in the process has been reached with the publication today of the Prospectus (the ‘Prospectus’) and a circular to its shareholders (the ‘Circular’) containing further details of the Proposed Merger and also a series of proposed resolutions (the ‘Resolutions’) to be considered at an extraordinary general meeting of all shareholders to be held on 28 January 2011 (the ‘EGM’). One of the proposals to be considered is to change the Company’s name on completion of the Merger to bwin.party digital entertainment plc (‘bwin.party’).

Copies of the Prospectus and the Circular will today be submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at www.Hemscott.com/nsm.do.

The Circular will be posted to PartyGaming’s shareholders tomorrow and copies of the Prospectus and Circular will be available to download from the Group's website tomorrow.

Completion of the Merger is conditional upon, amongst other things, approval of the Resolutions by PartyGaming’s shareholders at the EGM. At the end of the Circular, PartyGaming’s shareholders will find a notice convening the EGM to be held on 28 January 2011 at 2.00 p.m. (CET) at The Eliott Hotel, 2 Governor’s Parade, Gibraltar.

A summary of the expected timetable to Completion is set out below:

bwin EGM
10.00 a.m. (CET) on 28 January 2011
PartyGaming EGM
2.00 p.m. (CET) on 28 January 2011
The following dates are indicative only and subject to change. Please see note (1) below.
PartyGaming Court Hearing to sanction the Merger
15 March 2011
Last day of dealings in Existing bwin Shares
25 March 2011
Last day of dealings in Existing PartyGaming Shares and Effective Date
31 March 2011
De‑listing of Existing bwin Shares from the Vienna Stock Exchange
close of trading on 31 March 2011
De‑listing of Existing PartyGaming Shares from the London Stock Exchange
8.00 a.m. (London time) on 1 April 2011
Expected Admission and commencement of dealings in bwin.party Shares, Completion
8.00 a.m. (London time) on 1 April 2011
CREST accounts expected to be credited with Depositary Interests in respect of the bwin.party Shares
on or around 1 April 2011

Notes:
(1) These dates are indicative and assume that the requisite regulatory clearances have been obtained and other conditions to Completion fulfilled before the date estimated for Completion. The expected dates following the PartyGaming Court Hearing will depend, among other things, on the date upon which the Court sanctions the Merger and the timing of the satisfaction of all the conditions to Completion. If any of the above times and/or dates change, the revised times and/or dates will be notified by announcement through a Regulatory Information Service.

Copies of the Prospectus, the Circular and other documents noted in the Prospectus and Circular as being available for inspection may be inspected during normal business hours on each Business Day from today up to and including the Expected Admission and commencement of dealings in bwin.party Shares at the registered office of the Company, being 711, Europort, Gibraltar, at the offices of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, 65 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1HS, United Kingdom, and will also be available for inspection at the Extraordinary General Meeting for at least 15 minutes prior to and during the meeting.

Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the same meanings as set out in the announcement released by the Company at 11.03 a.m. BST on 29 July 2010.

Press Release

bwin and PartyGaming present details on the merger

Announcement by bwin Interactive Entertainment AG (“bwin”)

Below is the text of an announcement issued today by bwin.

bwin and PartyGaming present details on the merger

bwin.party digital entertainment will be the world’s largest publicly listed online gaming provider.

Vienna, 23 December 2010 - The merger plan presented by bwin Interactive Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc will create the world's largest publicly listed online gaming group – a group that will be ideally positioned to take advantage of the rapid consolidation of the online gaming industry and to open up new markets around the world. The annual synergies resulting from this merger are expected to total approximately 55 million Euros: it is anticipated that about three quarters of this amount will be achieved in the financial year 2012, with full synergies from 2013.

Brands to be retained
“The online gaming industry is going through a phase of consolidation, making market players’ size and geographic diversification more crucial than ever,” explains Norbert Teufelberger, Co-CEO of bwin. The new company will operate worldwide with its existing brands under the name of bwin.party digital entertainment plc, in which current bwin shareholders are expected to hold 51.7 per cent of the shares and current PartyGaming shareholders 48.3 per cent. “Our products and target markets complement one another perfectly, and we can continue to expand our technology lead in all key product segments: sports betting, poker, casino, bingo and games,” according to Teufelberger.

Strong capital structure and customer liquidity
Like PartyGaming in the past, bwin.party will have its headquarters in Gibraltar and be listed on the London Stock Exchange. Besides a clear focus on B2C products, the company will also steadily expand its B2B and B2G business. “Our many years of online know-how, healthy balance sheet, and one of the largest pools of poker liquidity in any regulated market will make us an attractive business partner,” clarifies Teufelberger, who will head up the company as Co-CEO together with Jim Ryan, PartyGaming’s current CEO. The business operations of bwin in Austria will be retained, where a newly founded subsidiary, bwin Services AG will support selected areas of the group in Vienna.

From merger plan to completion
The merger plan published today contains full details of the planned merger, and can be downloaded together with other documents from bwin’s corporate website at www.bwin.org. The Executive Board of bwin will be convening an Extraordinary General Meeting on 28 January 2011 at which it will recommend shareholders to vote for the merger. Provided the general meetings of both bwin and PartyGaming approve this merger, all shareholders holding bwin shares when the merger becomes legally effective – expected to be towards the end of the first quarter of 2011 – will receive 12.23 PartyGaming shares denominated in GBP for each bwin share. This share swap will be carried out automatically and free of charge.

Any shareholders not wishing to become shareholders in bwin.party can sell their shares beforehand on the Vienna Stock Exchange or exercise their entitlement to a cash settlement. The amount of the cash settlement has been set at 23.52 Euros. The exchange ratio and the cash compensation amount have been confirmed as adequate by independent experts.

About bwin
The bwin Group has over 20 million registered customers in more than 25 core markets. On a number of different platforms, the Group offers sports betting, poker, casino games, soft and skill games, as well as audio and video streams of top sporting events such as the German Soccer League. The holding company bwin Interactive Entertainment AG is listed in the ATX on the Vienna Stock Exchange (ID code BWIN, Reuters ID code BWIN.VI), and as the parent company provides various services such as software development, marketing, communications, human resources and finance for its subsidiaries and associated companies. The operational business of the bwin Group is carried out by subsidiaries and associated companies on the basis of licences (e.g. Germany, Italy and Gibraltar). Full details about the Company can be found on its investor relations website.

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Poker News Media: PKR Xmas Cracker Series

Play 11 great PKR.com tournaments this Xmas...

$258,000 in expected prizepools and tons of great prizes!

Don’t spend your holidays bored at home twiddling your thumbs ... instead take a shot at big prizepools and great prizes in the exciting Xmas Cracker Series! Starting from Thursday, 23 December we are rolling out a fun new tournament every day with a total of $258,000 in expected prizepools up for grabs.

With events including hold ‘em (four, six and 10 handed), Deep Stacks, Terminators and more, we’ve got your game and with buy-ins starting at just $5 there is sure to be something to suit every bankroll.

Freeroll for cool prizes
Win 40” LCD TV’s, iPads and Nintendo Wiis in the Santa’s Grotto freeroll on Sunday, 9 January. To take your seat simply play in any Xmas Cracker event. For every one you play we will add 500 more chips to your Santa’s Grotto starting stack.

Xmas Cracker Freeroll Prizes

Position Prize
1st Sony 40" LCD TV + BDP-S470 Blu Ray Player
2nd Apple iPad 16Gb (Wi-Fi)
3rd Wii Console with Games & Accessories
4th iPod Classic 160gb
5th Sony Portable DVD Player Pink
6th Champagne Dom Perignon Vintage 2000
7th Kodak M530 Carbon Digital Camera
8th 48" Round Poker Table
9th Sony 2.1 PC Speakers
10th Radio Controlled BB Firing Tank
11th-20th PKR travel chipset

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Poker News Media: PartyGaming's casino keeps year on track, by Greg Tingle

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PartyGaming, the internet gambling firm that's merging with rival bwin, has traded in line with expectations during the fourth quarter, with a stronger casino business offsetting weakness in poker and bingo.

The company said trading since the end of September has been "solid" overall, thanks mainly to casino’s double-digit growth in average daily gross revenue versus the third quarter.

There was also growth at the poker business quarter on quarter, but the usual seasonal pickup has been "less pronounced" due to the euro’s strength against the dollar. Both bingo and sports are down on Q3.

But clean earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margins for 2010 remain in-line with previous guidance of 27-28%.

And the company is excited about the possibility of online gaming being regulated in the US both at the Federal and State level. If it goes through, the group is "well advanced" in talks with licensed companies in the US that could create "substantial" value.

"The proposed merger with bwin remains on-track to complete at the end of the first quarter and should place the combined group in a strong position to take advantage of the changing regulatory landscape in Europe given its leadership positions across all key product verticals," boss Jim Ryan said.

Press Release

PartyGaming Plc ("PartyGaming" and, together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") Pre-Close Trading Update

Revenue overall has been in-line with expectations with a strong performance in casino mitigated by a softer seasonal performance in poker and bingo
Clean EBITDA margins for 2010 expected to be in-line with previous guidance
Prospective regulation in new markets offers exciting medium to long-term revenue potential that may require additional investment
Merger with bwin remains on track

Trading since the end of September 2010 has been solid overall with a particularly strong performance in casino that has enjoyed double-digit growth in average daily gross revenue versus the third quarter, driven by growth in both turnover and hold. Poker has also seen growth in average daily gross revenue over the third quarter, although the usual seasonal pickup has been less pronounced than in previous years due to the strengthening of the euro against the US dollar. In bingo, average gross daily revenue has grown versus the current trading data reported at the time of our Q3 KPIs, but remains lower than the third quarter. This is due to the strengthening of the euro against sterling and seasonality, as UK-based bingo players typically reduce their spend in the run-up to Christmas. While sports betting has continued to deliver a solid performance in the period, the benefit of the World Cup during the third quarter as well as a favourable series of results for punters has meant that average daily gross revenue in sports is down versus the third quarter.

In respect of margins, we expect that full year Clean EBITDA margins for 2010 will remain in-line with our previous guidance of between 27% and 28%.

An increasing number of territories are now actively exploring the merits of a regulatory framework for online gaming. In Europe, the Group is continuing to monitor closely Germany, Greece, Holland, Denmark and Spain as well as other countries. Whilst the shape and scope of any such regulations is not yet known, should some of these markets move to regulate, additional gaming taxes and investment may be required to ensure that the Group’s long-term revenue potential is maximised.

There continues to be much movement in the US towards regulating online gaming both at the Federal and State level. Should the requisite legislation be enacted, the Group is well advanced in discussions with licensed companies in the US that could create substantial value for the Group’s shareholders.

Proposed Merger with bwin

It is expected that the shareholder documents associated with the proposed merger will be issued shortly with an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders expected to be convened for late January 2011. The proposed merger remains on course to complete during March 2011.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, said:

"Revenues in the fourth quarter have enjoyed their usual seasonal upturn. Casino has performed particularly strongly with double-digit revenue growth over the third quarter, although currency movements meant that the uplift in poker has been less pronounced than usual. Clean EBITDA margins are expected to be in line with our previous guidance for 2010.

"The proposed merger with bwin remains on-track to complete at the end of the first quarter and should place the combined group in a strong position to take advantage of the changing regulatory landscape in Europe given its leadership positions across all key product verticals."

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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

PartyCasino Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month Award

PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man Online Casino Award

PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".

PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.

The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com

The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".

The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.

PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.

The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.

The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.

PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.

PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.

PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Australian Gambling Sports Betting Ads, Promos Cop Heat, by Greg Tingle - 18th December 2010

G'day casino and gambling millionaires, billionaires, media moguls, sports nuts, entertainment news junkies, insiders, outsiders, politicians, journalists and everyone else. Today we probe the proliferation of sports betting, casino and gambling mentions and themes in the Australian media, sports and entertainment business. Network Nine and the cricket were quick off the mark via television, followed by the likes of Fox Sports, Centrebet, and now OneHD and Network Ten, the 'Warnie' show and a bush tucker bag of website portals are picking up the ball and running with it, in a way we think WikiLeaks would be proud of. Even News Limited and Fairfax Media newspapers are running tons of ads, promos and news stories are a plenty. Media Man and Gambling911 play media monitor and trace route investigator, and hit 'em for six with this very special and rather clever report...

How's the cricket been treating you recently? The Ashes has sure been good to media companies and punters who like to... well, get on the punt. Australia's fantastic sports coverage is helping get the word out on sports betting and gambling.

A number of special interests groups, campaigners, bible bashers and even a couple of medical types are jumping on the anti gambling bandwagon, and the strong gambling coverage tied in with cricket and other sports well positioned in the Australian media seems to be adding fuel to the fire, as we head towards a perfect storm.

One group, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, advised it has been "alarmed" at the rise in gambling ads, promos, as well as frequent references to sports betting odds, in televised sport and particularly the cricket that us Aussies love so much. The cricket is something both Nine boss David Gyngell and Ten and Crown Limited bigwig James Packer, are both fighting over, and we think the sports betting aspect is something that keeps the cricket so appealing to media tycoons - and its not just the modest TV ratings that go with the game if you follow our lead.

It's been debated that any cases of sports betting odds come with a warning to emphasise and make the potential punters aware of the dangers of excessive gambling as well as a helpline for existing addicts to call.

RANZCP president Dr Maria Tomasic was prepared to go on record with "Problem gambling is a real concern in our community. (Yet) there has been little public debate about the introduction of gambling advertising on sports programs, particularly during the day when children may be watching. Frequent exposure to gambling promotion, gambling's association with sport, and the use of commentators and sporting role models to promote gambling and discuss betting odds, can normalise gambling and influence vulnerable people and children."

This particular college has advised sports betting problems were on the rise and reform was needed to promote more "responsible levels of gambling activity" to help minimise its harmful impact on the community. Their list includes: Showing helpline phone numbers whenever gambling odds are broadcast during live sporting events, providing clear warnings at all gambling venues which explain the possible harms that flow from excessive gambling, advice containing details on where to seek help, while more counselling services and other forms of help and the mathematical odds of winning in luck-of-the-draw style gambling should also be on clear display at gambling venues

A Media Man spokesperson said "We think some of the groups proposals do have some merit, but at the same time we need to help ensure proposals and guidelines don't contain overkill. All gambling and sports betting services have some sort of warning about the dangers of gambling. Do we really need the fun police everywhere. People know sports betting and gambling is just that, and not what you would call a business model for one's life financial planning or regular income. Granted, some people are very successful at making sports betting and gambling their main income, but that is the rare exception to the rule. It's hard to protect people from themselves. People need to just enjoy the experience and keep it fun, and not bet over their head".

Dr Clive Allcock, Member of RANZCP's Section of Addiction Psychiatry said "Problem gambling can result in divorce, suicidal thoughts and acts, illegal acts and bankruptcy. Those with gambling problems often also have other concerns, such as depression, hazardous alcohol use and smoking, and personality disorders."

The good doctor also said more research was also needed to develop evidence-based treatments for gambling addiction, as there was currently "not one treatment which is considered to be the best for problem gambling".

Gambing industry bigwigs like Aristocrat's Len Ainsworth said in regarding to problem gambling "A problem gambler is like a problem drinker or a serial killer; you've got to get to the cause".

Ainsworth's comments do have merit, but as is often the case with bright ideas, easier said than done. How do you get inside someone's head, how do you force them to change their ways. Oh, that's right. Let's see what Australia's 'Big Brother' Gillard Labor government can do. Perhaps that's why they are looking closely at biometrics. But, are such solutions the tip of the iceberg for something a whole lot more similar with previous Australian government proposals containing the likes of the 'Australia Card'.

Some of the most popular sports betting and gambling brands for Australia include:
Betfair, Centrebet, Gamebookers and BetUS (sports betting brands)
PartyGaming, PartyCasino, PartyPoker, Captain Cooks Casino, 888, PKR and World Poker Tour (gambling and poker brands)

Some sports that are currently seeing an increase in betting interest include motorsport (F1 and V8 SuperCars), professional surfing, boxing, wrestling and UFC. The AFL, NRL, tennis and soccer continue to maintain their incredible popularity.

Australian media and gambling tycoon, James Packer, appears to be best positioned to lead Australia into the future of sports betting and gambling, with his 50% ownership in Betfair, ruling Crown Limited - Crown Casino (home to the Aussie Millions) and stake in OneHD...an offshoot of Ten Network Holdings, commonly known to punters are Channel Ten. PartyGaming, listed on the London Stock Exchange, have also enjoyed strong success in Australia and the wider Asia Pacific region, teaming up with mainstream media and entertainment industry brands such as Marvel Entertainment, Sony, Fremantle Media and Paramount Pictures. News Corp's 20th Century Fox is also understood to be wanting to become heavily involved in the Australian gambling landscape, as they are in the United Kingdom. Media and entertainment portals such as Google, Media Man and Yahoo! all appear to be continuing to ramping up their coverage of gambling and sports betting, catering to an international audience via the internet...ideally suited to covering the dynamic nature of the gambling sector.

Whatever the final outcome aka Australian government 'The Final Solution' is, don't get too used to the current Australian gambling and sports betting landscape, and significant changes are just around the corner.

If you enjoy a bet, please do so in a responsible matter, and if you think your gambling may be getting out of hand, please seek professional assistance.

Awards...

Last month was a big month for casino awards. Let's have a look...

PartyGaming's PartyCasino has also come back with seconds, picking up another Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month Award' for November, and also the parent company, PartyGaming, picked up the prestigious EGR Slots Operator Of The Year Award ...Some other top picks of ours who picked up awards at the EGR night of nights were:
Virgin Games (Affiliate Programme)
Betfair (Innovation, Mobile Operator and UK Sports Betting Operator)
Bwin (European Sports Betting Operator
PKR (Poker Operator)

Oh, we almost forgot...Media Man and Casino News Media 'Casino Babe Of The Month': Jenny Woo, 'Poker Babe': Kara Scott, 'Gambling Babe Personality': Pamela Anderson.

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Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report on gambling in the Australian media? 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. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis. They also publish Australian Sports Entertainment http://www.australiansportsentertainment.com

*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited, Ten Network Holdings and Virgin

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Friday, December 17, 2010

Poker News Media Website Updated

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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

PartyCasino Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award

PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man Online Casino Award

PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".

PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.

The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com

The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".

The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.

PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.

The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.

The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.

PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.

PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.

PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Poker News Media - PartyPoker News: Qualify For The Aussie Millions Main Event For Free!

Poker News Media - PartyPoker News: Qualify For The Aussie Millions Main Event For Free!

The latest episodes of The Poker Show with Jesse May feature Joe Sebok and Matt Savage. See: PartyPoker.com

Kara Scott and Tony G have been reflecting on a busy week in poker. See: PartyPoker.com

Qualify For The Aussie Millions Main Event For Free! Emulate Tyron Krost Or Join Tony G's Team Zasko

Gibraltar – 13th December 2010 – Qualifiers for the 2011 Aussie Millions continue at PartyPoker.com and get more popular by the week. The online satellites to the southern hemisphere’s premier poker event run until 9th January. As ever, PartyPoker.com offers an industry leading variety of ways to secure a package including daily freerolls.

Last year, PartyPoker.com qualifiers Tyron Krost and Frederik Jensen finished first and second in the Main Event. Tyron went home with over AUD$2,000,000! Tyron, alongside Tony G will be leading PartyPoker.com’s charge for the title in 2011.

Tony G said: "The online qualifiers for Aussie Millions at PartyPoker.com have already been incredibly popular. Most people think that this is because of the inspirational story of how Tyron converted hundreds of dollars into millions of dollars. That definitely is a factor but I think there are some people who want to come to see me bring my German Shepherd Zasko into the poker room. Team Zasko has got bite and is the way forward!"

The US$16,000 global prize package includes the $10,600 Aussie Millions Main Event buy-in, ten nights’ accommodation at the Crown Promenade hotel and $2,500 spending money. The US$14,000 Aussie Millions Australia satellites include the $10,600 Aussie Millions Main Event buy-in, ten nights’ accommodation at the Crown Promenade hotel and US$500 spending money.

For full information see PartyPoker.com

PartyGaming was established in 1997 and are listed on the London Stock Exchange. They have won numerous awards and commendations over the years including EGR 'Socially Responsible Operator Of The Year', 'Slots Operator Of The Year' and Media Man and Casino News Media 'Online Casino Of The Month'.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

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Monday, December 13, 2010

Media Man - Poker News Media: News Update

PartyGaming Claims Bwin Deal Still Going Ahead

PartyGaming - Collins Stewart takes a gamble on PartyGaming: Collins Stewart has a buy and 320p target for PartyGaming

Playtech - Collins Stewart takes a gamble on Playtech: Has a buy 552p target for Playtech

PartyCasino Gets New Slot Games

Virgin Casino Remains Strong In Europe; Still No Accepting Australians, Americans or Canadians

Media Man Buys Shares In Ten Network Holdings; Sparked By James Packer, Lachlan Murdoch, Quality Programing And Ten Gaming Business Aspirations

Crown Casino Not So Hot For Tabcorp's Casino Business: Star City

Tabcorp's Treasury Heritage Hotel in Brisbane named as top independent hotel. According to Worldhotels, the hotel is one of the world's top hotels that provide guests with a luxury experience and could provide ideal accommodation for travellers planning to take flights to Brisbane. The hotel is part of the Treasury Casino resort and is located in a heritage building which has been revamped into a top quality hotel

Macau gaming revenue to double in four years saws PwC; Estimates casino gross gaming revenue will top US$45.1 billion (MOP361 billion) in 2014

Mobile Gaming Continues In Popularity

SBS wins three 2010 Walkley Awards for Journalistic Excellence, including its first for the broadcaster’s Radio News and Current Affairs division and two for Dateline. The awards were announced last night at Melbourne’s Crown Casino

PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Again

Virgin Casino Runner Up For Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month'

Playtech's Casino Las Vegas And Noble Casino Proving Big Hit For Mobile Gaming Fans

Hitwise Stats Showing Gambling And Gaming Remain Super Hot On Internet

World Casino Directory format a big hit with punters says Media Man

Betfair Wins Media Man 'Sports Betting Website Of The Month' Award

PartyPoker Wins Media Man 'Online Poker Website Of The Month' Award

PKR Casino Gets New Games

Centrebet Remains #1 In Australia For Political Betting

Star City In 'Sin City' Sydney Focused On Becoming #1 Land Based Casino In Australia

Cleopatra game maintaining popularity in land based and online casinos

Sinatra Slot Game Massive Success Story For PartyCasino; Company Aiming To Have Similar Successes With New Game Releases

Online gaming companies in for huge 2011

Gambling911 News And Entertainment Website Portal Remains Big Hit With Australians, Americans, Canadians, despite not showing up in Google News at present

Gambling911 News

Tingle: Tabcorp Casino Chips Center of Drug Investigation

Wikileaks: Gambling With Australian Laws?

Tingle: Casino And Pokie Palace Attacks Continue Down Under

Australian NRL Footy Star Brad Murray Recorded Placing Bet

Kerry Packer Aussie Legend Live On Via Art And TV

Tingle: Australian Clubs, Pubs, Gaming Biz At War With Gvt

Tingle: Mildura Jewel Casino: Impossible Dream?

Tingle: Australians Betting Over $1bn Online Gaming

Australian Casino Wars: Star City Official Opening

Crown Casino Hammered: 24-Hour Gambling Binges, Machine Urination Alleged

Asia Pacific, Aussie Gambling And Entertainment News (11/27/10)

James Packer, Lachlan Murdoch And Stephen Conroy Talk Sports Media

Shane Warne, Tiger Woods Sex Scandals Center Stage at Aussie Casino

Crown Casino Catches Tiger Woods By Tail Again At Australian Open


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Friday, December 10, 2010

Poker News Media: PartyPoker And PartyCasino News Media

Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino.com !

** Win your share of $5,000 every day in December. See: PartyPoker.com **

** The first episode of PartyPoker.com World Open VI is now online.

Many of the players involved will remember the jaw dropping quads over quads – Andrew Robl, Toby Lewis, Mike Sexton and Jesse May talk about this in a special post here: PartyPoker.com

** Aussie Millions qualifiers are up and running. Team Party pro Tyron Krost won the event last year and gives his own guide to satellites. PartyPoker.com **

Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!

Gibraltar – 30th November 2010 -- The festive season is drawing closer and PartyPoker.com is making sure they treat their most-valued players to a whole stack of presents. Palladium VIPs have the opportunity to pick up six presents and fill their very own Santa sack by just earning points by playing at PartyPoker.com’s online tables from the 1st to 14th December 2010.

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "The premise is very simple – Palladium VIPs earn points that make prizes. At the bottom end there is a $50 cash bonus, while 30,000 points delivers a $5,000 WPT entry. Players are entitled to keep all of the prizes they can win - so with six prize levels there’s six fantastic presents to keep!"

Here’s what’s on offer in the VIP Gift Accumulator:

Prize level Points required Prize Prize Draw tickets
1 1,500 $50 cash bonus 1
2 3,000 $100 cash 2
3 6,000 iPod Touch 4
4 12,000 $700 cash 8
5 20,000 16GB iPad 14
6 30,000 WPT entry 20

The feast of presents doesn’t just end here though. Every time a player hits a prize level PartyPoker.com award tickets for the VIP Gift Accumulator prize draw which offers the chance to win a share of $10,000. The more prizes a Palladium VIP earn the more entries they’ll get into the draw, giving more frequent players a better chance of winning the $5,000 first prize, the $3,000 second prize or the $2,000 third prize. Winners will be announced on the 17th December.

Please note that this is an OPT-IN promotion. For more information see: PartyPoker.com

Santa is also coming to PartyCasino.com. Unlike the poker promotion this is open to non VIPs too and runs from the 1st – 14th December, whether you have been bad or good. Points mean prizes including a luxury Caribbean holiday!

See: PartyCasino.com for more information.

Santa’s Party Pack

Prizes whether you’ve been good or bad!

Starts: 00:00 ET, 1st December
Ends: 23:59 ET, 14th December

Santa is making an early appearance. He’s spreading Christmas cheer, handing out killer Christmas presents to non-VIP and Palladium VIP players.

From 1st to 14th December, you can celebrate Christmas in style with a double whammy of festive winning opportunities. There’s a prize giveaway where you can scoop up to 6 prizes, and a massive cash prize draw!

Winning a share of Santa’s Party Pack is simple, and you don’t even have to sit on Santa’s knee! Simply opt-in between the 1st-14th December and collect points by playing your favourite slots and jackpot slots. The more you play, the more prizes you’ll unwrap.

Prize Giveaway

If you’re not a VIP yet, check out the Christmas List below, Santa could bring you up to 5 fantastic prizes worth $1,000:

Points Cumulative prizes
20 $5 cash bonus
100 300 points
500 $50 cash bonus
1,000 $100 free cash
5,000 iPad 32GB WiFi*

*The iPad 32GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $600, this will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.

If you’re a Palladium VIP player, check out the Christmas list below. Santa could bring you up to 6 prizes worth $10,000:

Points Cumulative prizes
2,000 $75 cash bonus
3,000 1500 points
5,000 $150 cash bonus
7,500 $250 free cash
15,000 iPad 64GB WiFi**
50,000 Luxury Caribbean Holiday**
(worth $8,500)

**The iPad 64GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $1,000, **The Luxury Caribbean Holiday has a cash alternative of $5,000 these will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.

Santa’s Big Prize Draw

What a cracker! But wait…there’s an extra present under the tree – Santa’s Big Prize Draw. By taking part in Santa’s Party Pack, you will be eligible for the draw. The more points you earn the more entries you will receive. Check below to see how much cash you can win:

Non-VIP Big Prize Draw

Every time you earn 20 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $10,000 will be shared equally between 10 lucky players.

VIP Big Prize Draw

Every time you earn 500 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $20,000 will be shared between 3 lucky players in the following amounts: 1st - $10,000, 2nd - $6,000 and 3rd - $4,000.

You can collect points on any of our slots and jackpot slots. To join the festivities you need to Opt-In from the 1st-14th December. Win some exceptional presents this Christmas with Santa’s Party Pack.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

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Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Harrah’s Atlantic City WSOP Circuit Event Breaks Attendance Record - 6th December 2010

The first of 11 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit tournaments at Harrah’s Atlantic City was a smashing success over the weekend, breaking an all-time attendance record for the resort. The record going into Saturday was 1,181 players, which was set in 2008, but 1,250 entrants came from all over the East Coast to participate, generating a prize pool of $363,750 for the $300 buy-in event.

“We’re really excited for having set this record,” said Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City Poker Director John Arthur. “We got it right this year with the structures and everything else we have put into place for the Circuit and hope to continue having great numbers through the rest of the series.”

The first WSOP Circuit gold ring of the series was awarded to Christopher Rivers, a network engineer from Atlanta, Georgia. The 24-year-old won Event #1 for $64,565 after navigating through the record field, the biggest score ever for the amateur.

Rivers entered the final table as the second shortest stack, but was able to chip up and find himself heads-up against Maryland’s Matthew Diggs, who began the final table as the shortest stack. The heads-up match got underway shortly after 3:00am Monday with the players holding nearly identical stacks.

The decisive hand of the match came when the two got all of their chips in on a flop of 6c-5s-4c. Diggs, who had moved all-in, showed 2s-4h, while Rivers turned over pocket jacks after calling the bet. A queen on the turn and 10 on the river changed nothing, leaving Diggs with seven big blinds.

“The last couple of times I limped, he raised,” Rivers said of the hand that crippled Diggs. “So, I decided to limp with jacks and though I hoped he would play me aggressive after the flop, was worried about him drawing out on me, but I eventually called.”

The final hand of the tournament happened just minutes later, with Diggs all-in with K-10 against Rivers’ K-Q. Diggs was unable to improve, sending the title and the ring to the Atlanta native. “Oh man, this is great, I’m very excited,” Rivers added after the win.

Here’s a look at the results from the final table:

1. Christopher Rivers – $64,565
2. Matthew Diggs – $23,654
3. Greg Joslyn – $17,256
4. Ryan Moylan – $22,188
5. Jason “Bear” Alexander – $16,932
6. Don Huang – $13,033
7. Gregory Spurdis – $10,148
8. Geoff Desobry – $7,995
9. Chao Lin – $6,372

The $10,000 buy-in Regional Championship kicks off on December 19th from Harrah’s Atlantic City. The four-day flagship event will be nationally televised and is expected to draw several of the game’s top players.

All of the 11 events at Harrah’s Atlantic City count for the National Championship point system, which was implemented this year. One-hundred players will qualify for the season-ending televised WSOP Circuit National Championship at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, giving them a shot at a WSOP bracelet and a prize pool of $1,000,000. The full list of WSOP Circuit stops and qualifications for the 2010-11 WSOP Circuit National Championship can be found at WSOP.com. (Credit: Poker News Daily)

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Sunday, December 05, 2010

Kerry Packer Aussie Legend Lives On Via Art And TV, by Greg Tingle - 5th November 2010

G'day punters, casino and gambling millionaires and billionaires, media magnates, journalists, historians and art lovers. Art lovers?! Yes, today we bring you a special Kerry Packer special. The legend lives on, not only here, but now at an Australian artists exhibition, and of course 'Our James' (James Packer) continues to fly the flag and do the family legacy proud with his Crown Limited empire. Not only that, we also cover the pending return of KP to Australian television in an ABC mini series tipped to hit the jackpot, and Network Nine is bringing back 'Underbelly', complete with gambling themes. Media Man and Gambling911 present The Kerry Packer Special...

Kerry Packer & Friends...

Kerry Packer & Friends - NG Art Gallery - 7th Dec - 24th Dec 2010
3 Little Queen Street
Chippendale, NSW Sydney AUSTRALIA
Tuesday - Saturday 11.00am - 5.30pm

Ok punters, here's the rundown. The artist - storyteller is Gina Sinozich. She's an 80 year old, Croat, Sydney based artist who paints in order to help recycle memory. Sinozich's latest exhibition, Kerry Packer and Friends, is her first solo commercial effort in Sydney and is tells the story of the legendary Kerry Packer. She covers the unique personality and complexities of a legend who was known for his astronomical wealth, super whale gambling exploits, running his business with an iron fist, and colourful run ins with the Australian government, amongst other things.

Sinozich migrated down under to Australia is 1956 and began to paint at the age of 75, now having work in Australian and New Zealand corporate and public collections. Her show showcases Packer as 'one of us' rather than the untouchable media tycoon. Sinozich was inspired to tell the story on the premise that we often hear bad before good. This tribute to KP is generous and reveals alot of the most powerful men in the world, who in 2004, was estimated to have a net worth of AUD 6.5 billion. The work of Sinozich will be showcased at NG Art Gallery from the 7th-24th of December and is certain to excite audiences, punters, art lovers or both. A fews Aussie commentator think this blows away much of the art that American gambling tycoon Steve Wynn shows off. Maybe Wynn might like to make a purchase of some classic Packer creations.

Sinozich says Packer gave back to society in a meaningful way and the series was intended to stand as a testament for this man's intrinsic goodwill after his death in December 2005. She recites a story that fuelled her initial interest in Packer, "...one lady said that she was on George Street with two little kids behind her and she was running...running to go on the train, and he (Packer) stopped her and said, 'don't you have a car?' and he wrote a cheque for her and said here, 'buy yourself a car'." Sinozich also fondly recalls, "...when he was playing in casino in Perth he won so much money and the girl who was serving wine...he asked her, 'do you have a mortgage on the house?' she said 'yes', then he wrote a cheque for AUD 600,000."

The talented, even cunning, artist worked like a Trojan horse for a fortnight and managed to produce 26 paintings that deeply explore her subject's nature, removing much of the mystic of Packer as an uncompromising media mogul. All the characters in Sinozich's work have a yarn to tell, and most aspects of his life are covered... birth, death, and much of the in between. Make no mistake, the works are smart, and unique, and are tipped to become collectors items.

The work is relatively simple, but full of life, and has been described as "traditional representational painting", which one may argue is a dying art. We think KP would have liked the tribute, and we await word to see what living members of the Packer clan think of the works.

Kerry Packer Legend To Return To Australian TV In Cleo Mini Series...

Packer is to return to life on Aussie TV via new ABC drama Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo (not to be confused with the Cleopatra slot game).

Australian readers may recall the public backlash to the introduction of the super sexy womens’ title in 1972. There were Cleo lovers and haters, but we're still talking about it today, so it made an impact, which is better than many of today's rags.

Rob Carlton will play a young Packer opposite Asher Keddie as publishing pioneer, the sexy and smart Ita Buttrose.

Rumours of a sexual relationship between Packer and Ita around the time of Cleo magazine's start off, but this won't be a focus on the mini-series, due to air next year.

Buttrose, who first made her mark as the magazine's editor, was a consultant on the production.

"If there was a supposed affair it didn't happen in this timeframe. I have no idea if there was, we didn't raise it with her," Edwards said.

There ABC publicity brief has whet our appetite for lots of Packer classic stuff and enough scandal to keep us coming back for more.

"It's 1972. Skirts are up, pants are down. Girls can have anything: Fabulous careers, fashionable clothes and oral sex," spruiks the promo.

The drama cleverly follows the death of Sir Frank Packer and the rise of his second son, who defies even family expectation to succeed, in a way no one could have expected.

"It was a real turning point in Kerry's career. It was a period when he made his first big move and it was an astonishing success and one against the odds in some respects," Edwards said.

Cleo magazine itself was a fine, yet controversial work, and introduced the nude male centrefold and sexual hits, tips, tricks and more for women. Media Man friend, actor Jack Thompson, is tipped to have his racy centrefold recreated. Something about a 6th finger, down there.

ABC TV by all accounts have taken a calculated risk on the series. Most quarters of society, both insiders and outsiders we've chatted with believe the gamble will pay off with a tidy jackpot, and whispers already circulate as to how many awards the show and actors will pick up.

Nine's David Gyngell Respects Packer History; PBL Becomes Nine Entertainment Co...

KP put Publishing & Broadcasting Media on the map and grew it to become arguably the biggest media brands in Australia.

PBL - the name, is now history, since Bondi Beach based chief executive, David Gyngell, rebranded it with Nine Entertainment Co.

Gyngell, who announced the rebranding at Nine's 2011 program launch in Sydney on Friday, advised the new name would be more recognisable to the public and large and went on to emphasise Nine's broad range of businesses, which sport Nine, ACP Magazines, Ticketek and NineMSN.

The recognition factor is important since the firm is likely to be floated on the Australian Stock Exchange by its private equity owners, CVC Asia Pacific, in the first half of next year.

It's understood that a strong level of support from a host of retail investors will be key to the $5 billion-plus float's chances of a jackpot.

Gyngell wisely acknowledged it was not an easy decision given he is the late Kerry Packer's godson and great mate of James Packer. History buffs, just in case you wondered, PBL was formed way back in 1994 when KP merged Nine with ACP (Australian Consolidated Press).

"PBL has a long association with the Packers so personally I don't take that lightly. But it's modernising a business that needs to be publicly known. We don't have the luxury of having James Packer or another mogul giving the company real gravitas."

Other media updates down under include Network Seven being backed by Kerry Stokes and Network Ten's board now has James Packer, News Corporation director Lachlan Murdoch, mining magnate Gina Rinehart and WIN TV owner Bruce Gordon.

"Nine is the biggest thing that we have and it is also the thing that supports all the other companies in the best possible way," Gyngell said. "It will be a new year. We are starting again."

Nine confirmed its crime drama Underbelly would come back with a series set in the roaring 20s in Sydney as well as 3 Underbelly movies! And, get this, a good spot of gambling will also be featured.

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Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters, how did you like The Kerry Packer Special? 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. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.

*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited

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