Loto-Quebec has chosen the date of the national holiday to open the doors of its newest casino Mont-Tremblant. The big opening took place on 24th of June, 13 years after the inauguration of the Lac-Leamy casino. The opening of this fourth casino in the province was welcomed by some, but there are also people claiming that there was no need for a new casino in Quebec.

If we look on the positive side, the new casino of Loto-Quebec could contribute to the economic development of the region. It can accommodate up to 1600 guests and create over 200 new jobs. 400 slot machines and 25 gaming tables are available on three floors.

The architectural design and the materials used meet the standards of sustainable development. From the outside, the building looks like a cottage and harmonizes with the wonderful background of Mont-Tremblant. The State company rejects the accusation that it increases the supply of gambling in Quebec. It indicates that the slot machines in Mont Tremblant are not added to those already installed in other casinos. These come from the gambling establishments in Montreal and Lac-Leamy where they were withdrawn from.

Moreover, the CEO of Mont-Tremblant Casino, Alain Bissonnette, said his institution would comply with responsible gaming policies.

On the other hand, the gambling expert Alain Dubois is concerned about gambling addiction and considers that the casino is a danger for the gamblers. According to the latest annual report of Loto-Quebec, the turnover of Loto Quebec increased by 2.3% over the last year.

Alain Dubois stresses that the target for the slot machines of the establishment is not represented by wealthy clients. Or, Loto-Quebec draws 90% of its revenues from slots.

In response, the company says that customers of the new casino will be different: 65% of visitors comes from outside Quebec. Moreover, the casino has an area dedicated entirely to high rollers, a room situated upstairs.

Loto-Quebec invested $ 66 million in the construction of the casino and hopes it would recover the investment after the first year of gaming operation.

After being awarded two Oscars that have crowned his legendary success in Titanic and The Departed, the American actor and producer Leonardo DiCaprio will star in a movie about the online casinos. The idea of the movie was inspired by the success of international tournaments such as World Series of Poker or European Poker Tour and the growing attendance on the online casinos and poker rooms. The project was proposed to Paramount Studios and the filming will be made in Costa Rica.

Icing on the cake, the scenario of this new movie was entrusted to the well-known writers, Brian Koppelman and David Levien. The duo have already written the scenario for “Ocean’s Thriteen” and for the mythical “Rounders”, starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton. This time, the principal character will be embodied by the handsome hero of Titanic, also big fan of poker. Such a role in the world of games is familiar to the actor. In the “Rounders”, launched in 1998, DiCaprio has already played a passionate of poker in land casinos.

As in USA online poker sites are still illegal and forbidden, the action will be set in Costa Rica, a harbour for many online gambling operators. As for the plot and the title of the movie, the star of “Departed” hasn’t disclosed any information.

With his participation at the WSOP beside his friend Tobey Maguire, he earned the respect of the best poker payers in the world. Not long ago, we could see him at a Lakers match, wearing a hat branded “Doyle’s Room”. DiCaprio and Doyle Brunson co-produced “The 11th Hour”, a documentary about the state of the environment and what we have to do to restore the ecosystem.

The U.S. government has asked several banks to block transactions between online poker rooms and American players. $ 33 million were frozen, preventing nearly 24,000 players to collect their earnings from major poker sites like PokerStars or Full Tilt Poker. This aggressive initiative represents the most disturbing offensive in the “war” between the federal government and online poker rooms.

Under the UIGEA, which prohibits Americans from playing poker online, prosecutors of the Department of Justice have ordered several banks, including Citibank and Wells Fargo, to freeze all transactions between the operators and their clients. The interdiction concerns all the clients having requested the receipt of their earnings.

In a letter sent to banks, prosecutors have called the money duly earned by players as “property involved in transactions of money laundering and crimes of illegal gambling”.

According to several sources, the Court of the Southern District of New York has asked several banks to freeze the equivalent of $ 19 million. Wells Fargo received an order for seizure of $ 14 million, identified as coming from online gambling operators. The sources confirm that the decision affected 24.000 accounts and blocked $ 33 million altogether.

For now, the banks have obeyed the prosecutors’ injunction, but many legal gaps could create a complicated situation for the government. Indeed, several legal consultants intend to call on that the online poker operators are only the depositories of this money that don’t belong to them. Unlike sports betting, online poker is a transaction between two people on the principle of “peer-to-peer”. This argument is quite valid for cash games, but it couldn’t withstand as to poker tournaments. In all cases, it is impossible for banks to make such a subtle difference. And this can turn against US justice. Moreover, one thing is certain: if the government wants to mobilize the poker players, it just has to attack them where it hurts: in their wallets!

According to John Pappas, CEO of Poker Player Alliance (PPA), whose mission is to defend the poker players’ rights, the injunction to the banks is an “unprecedented action”. Pappas promises the organization he is leading will use all legal means for protecting the players’ accounts and their right to play online.

City of Dreams, an astonishing new resort developed on Cotai Strip in Macau, opened its doors on 1st June. It was a day of feast for Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd., its powerful owner.

The new resort - a $2.1 billion project - aims to become the first gambling destination on the Cotai Strip, surpassing Las Vegas Sands’ Venetian Macau, the first entertainment center in Macau, owned by the billionaire Sheldon Anderson.

 City of Dreams brings together famous brands including Hard Rock, Grand Hyatt and Crown, in order to deliver exceptional entertainment and hotels of the highest quality. As co-chairman Lawrence Ho stated in a declaration, the City Center project is “crucial” to ensuring the progress of the strip. Ho claims that his entertainment center will cater to a community unhappy with the offer of Venetian resort: “If you are a younger, hipper, cooler crowd and you like to party or you like music, then the Hard Rock is our solution” Ho said, referring to the state-of-the-art hotel.

Nevertheless, the main attraction of the resort will be a casino measuring 420.000 square-feet and featuring approximately 520 gambling tables and 1.350 gaming machines.

“Our dream for a new standard of entertainment in Macau has become a reality,” added Lawrence Ho, proud of the company’s great deed. In his statement, he made allusion at theirs competitors, “who have a very stretched balance sheet”, unlike Melco Crown Entertainment managers, who “have always managed the balance sheet very carefully.”

However, “City of Dreams” is likely to confront tough problems. The gambling market in Macau have been hit not only by the financial crisis, but also by the tight legal restrictions on Chinese visitors adopted last year. Gaming revenues have been falling since the beginning of the year and they are expected to fall over again.