Just days after announcing strong figures for Q4 2005, PartyGaming’s shares dropped by 6% on the back of profit-taking after the British government announced plans to clamp down on online gaming.
Richard Caborn, the minister responsible for gambling, suggested the possibility of the introduction of international restrictions to protect internet gamblers by saying he would like “to see whether we can look at some international regulation whereby we can look at these issues of problem gambling on the internet”.
The news pulled Party Gaming 8¼p lower at 132¾p, whilst its major rival 888 Holdings dropped 11p to 209p. However, analysts have pointed out that, as both these companies draw a large proportion of their business from America where internet gambling is deemed to be illegal, the impact of any such moves would be limited.
Wynn’s Las Vegas Casinos Win Maiden Online Poll
Online gambling magazine site VegasTripping.com launched its casino readers poll, named The Trippies, for the first time in 2005. Wynn Las Vegas and Bellagio, both Steve Wynn casinos in Las Vegas, won top honors.
The awarding for The Trippies – 1st Annual Best of Las Vegas Readers Poll Awards was held in mid-December 2005. Wynn Las Vegas and Bellagio hotel casinos tied for ‘Best Overall’ Las Vegas casino while the former further won ‘Best Food’. Steve Wynn himself was awarded ‘Las Vegas Person of the Year’.
The Golden Nugget hotel casino was voted for the ‘Best Casino Tables and Online Casino Singapore’ while the Palms hotel casino was voted for the ‘Best Slots’. Not surprisingly, “Mr. Las Vegas” Wayne Newton won ‘Best Entertainer’.
The first Trippies were dedicated to the late Hunter S. Thompson, whose gonzo journalism has been a main source of inspiration for the site. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was the landslide victor for ‘Best Vegas Book’.
These are some highlights of the 1st Trippies: Best Overall (tie): Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas; Best Food: Wynn Las Vegas; Best Casino Tables: Golden Nugget; Best Slots: Palms; Best Video Poker: Barbary Coast; Best Implosion Rumor: Excalibur; Best Vegas TV Show: Las Vegas (NBC); Best Book: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Dr. Hunter S. Thompson; Best Entertainer: Wayne Newton (Stardust / Flamingo); Best Show: ‘O’ by Cirque Du Soleil (Bellagio); Biggest Vegas Pet Peeve: Rising Prices!; Las Vegas Person of the Year: Steve Wynn; Worst Overall: Circus Circus; Worst Food: Circus Circus; Worst Casino Tables: Venetian; Worst Slots: McCarran Airport; Worst Video Poker: Rio; Worst Implosion Rumor: Bally’s; Worst Vegas TV Show: Dr. Vegas (CBS); Worst Book: Resort City in the Sunbelt Las Vegas 1930-2000; Worst Entertainer: Celine Dion (A New Day / Caesars Palace); Worst Show: A New Day (Celine Dion / Caesars Palace).
