PartyGaming’s announcement that they will be merging with Austrian online gambling powerhouse has the industry abuzz with excitement.  The new company, which is hungry to enter the U.S. market, will be worth a whopping $3.7 billion.

With speculation running rampant that the world’s leading online poker room, PokerStars.com, might suffer from any new legislation in the United States, specifically H.R. 2267, that company on Thursday announced it welcomed Wednesday’s 41-22 vote.  H.R. 2267 would license and tax online poker establishments in the States with one important caveat:  Those companies that continued to accept U.S. customers following passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) would be excluded from licensing.  PokerStars continued to welcome U.S. customers post-UIGEA.

Austrian sports betting firm Bwin and the world’s 4th largest online poker company, PartyGaming, witnessed their shares jump Thursday morning following news that the two companies may finally merge following months of speculation.

The online poker community was abuzz with excitement over the news that Rep. Barney Frank’s (D-MA) HR 2267 online gambling bill had been marked up in the House Subcommittee with a vote of 41-22-1.  This was being heralded as the most positive outcome the online poker sector has seen in years.

The Las Vegas Sands Corp. consolidated second quarter adjusted property EBITDA increased by 91.2% to record $473.5 million on record net revenue of $1.59 Billion.  Meanwhile, the online software and poker platform Playtech also witnessed strong second quarter results with gross income climbing 2 percent from the previous quarter, a result of strong casino and bingo growth.

It should come as no surprise that when Sportsbook.com broke away from the Cake Poker network that they would lose a good chunk of their customer base.  Sportsbook.com is after all the largest North American facing online sports betting company in terms of overall customer volume.

Bodog Poker, a one time power house, has fallen from the 16th biggest online poker room in the world based on “real cash” players to number 21, its lowest position since rankings began atPokerScout.com.

The United Kingdom’s second largest bookmaker, William Hill, is moving its telephone wagering to Gibraltar, citing high taxes on the mainland.  The move was well forecast in recent weeks.

Harrah’s may be one of the most recognizable names in the gambling sector.  The company, however, is in some serious financial trouble according to Moody’s, which issued this warning last week:

Readers er punters, the Australian connection between casinos, gaming and politics had never been so hot. Aussie politicians and campaigners continue to battle for your mind (and vote), headlines and the whole box and dice. Media Man and Gambling911 deliver the uncensored news (full strength caffeine in Google speak) you need to know, not always what you want to hear. Here's your weekend fix my friends...

Three companies operating a sports betting service have this week been ordered into liquidation following an Insolvency Service investigation on behalf of the Government.

Legal poker was played for the first time in the State of Pennsylvania this week as table games came to the state's casinos.