Bingo machines set to take off in US
As reported by The Las Vegas Sun

The spread of bingo games that resemble slot machines is expected to pave the way for a day when casinos can quickly reprogram new games into existing machines from a central computer terminal rather than buying new machines every several months. On Tuesday, the first day of the bingo industry's premier trade conference in Las Vegas, gaming company executives said they already are creating or selling games that will one day be cheaper and more efficient for casinos to operate.

The federal government allows Indian tribes to offer so-called "Class II" games, a federal classification created in 1988 that includes bingo games and was amended in 2002 to include more specifics on electronic versions of bingo games. The definition of Class II games has been subject to legal disputes for years. Manufacturers have pushed the envelope by creating new gambling devices that look less and less like the bingo cards of old and more like slot machines, which are illegal in many states. State and federal regulators have responded by suing and, in some cases, shutting down games.

Some analysts say the US Supreme Court's refusal last week to hear an appeal of a federal decision in favour of tribes clears up most of the legal uncertainty surrounding the games. The court decision will become a key bargaining chip for tribes as they pressure states to offer traditional slot machines in the years to come, experts say.

Unlike slot machines, Class II machines don't require tribes to negotiate a casino compact with the state, effectively cutting the state out of any potential slot machine revenue.
The machines also are opening a lucrative market for tribes among people who wouldn't otherwise gamble using paper bingo cards, said Michael Lombardi, a tribal casino consultant and former bingo hall manager. He added: "Bingo is seen as a game for old people ... but that's really changing."

Singapore mulling an offshore luxury casino-resort complex - minister
As reported by The AFX Press

SINGAPORE (AFX-ASIA) - Singapore is planning to create an offshore luxury residential resort which might include a casino to attract high-rollers and rich property buyers, the Business Times quoted Trade and Industry Minister George Yeo as saying.

Yeo said Sentosa, a beach and golf islet linked by a causeway to mainland Singapore, would be connected by bridges or boat services to other islets in a 500-hectare development.

"We are keeping an open mind on what to have in this development, including the possibility of having a casino," the newspaper quoted Yeo as saying Friday during a parliamentary debate on the budget.

"What we envisage is an international facility separate from Singapore but accessible to all Singaporeans, with more relaxed rules to attract international talent, visitors and investments," he added.

It would be modelled after Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

The government has long opposed the opening of a casino on moral grounds, although horse racing and lotteries do brisk business here and Singaporeans are famous in countries like Malaysia and Australia for being avid punters.

Yeo said steps will be taken to limit access to the casinos by Singaporeans, and to keep organized crime out of the business.