The great news is that BackgammonMasters.com is now accepting multiple currency transactions that are further converted into US dollars via an online cashier.

The idea has come as the result of the growing number of international players. Now everyone can make deposits and withdrawals in their own currencies using a credit card, PayPal, NETELLER, MoneyBookers, Click and Buy or Ukash. So, less time will be spent on currency issues, but more time on playing backgammon, perudo, poker and the recently launched 21 Blackjack.

The conservative Citizen magazine claims that online gambling in the USA is “out of control” and urges readers to support the UIGEA.

The magazine published ten times a year reflects interests of the Focus on the Family Action lobby group that is against gambling.

As the magazine claims, gambling has become very popular. With the exception of Utah and Hawaii, one can find this or that form of gambling in 48 of the 50 states. It has become clear that gambling brings not only fun and joy, but also devastation.

The magazine asks its readers “to submit comments to our Government about Internet gambling before Dec. 12”. “Clear policies or effective oversight for tribal gambling operations” are necessary, as lots of people do not want gambling to be in their homes.

Victoria Coren’s memoir “For Richer For Poorer” will soon be published by Canongate, as she has arranged to sell the rights for her novel to publishers Canongate. The decision followed the fierce bidding war with rivals Viking.

Coren is known to be a poker expert specializing in Texas Hold’em poker . She was the first ever woman to win £500,000 on the European Poker Tour after winning the Main Event. She has appeared on Sky Sports’ William Hill Poker Grand Prix II and can be seen practicing her skill at the Victoria Casino on London’s Edgware Road.

The memoir has been described as “funny, moving [and] honest”. The book is one of those that poker fans are looking forward to. Nevertheless, the book will be published not sooner than in spring 2009.

Parlay Entertainment, Canadian gambling software developer based in Ontario, is known to have had its third quarter results down.

The total revenues have dropped by 13% percent from the first three quarters of last year to just over $5.9 million with royalties also falling by 6% to a little over $5.4 million. The net income has decreased to $296,242 from $1.2 million, while the company’s earnings before interest fell to $583,810 from $2.1 million in 2006.

Despite huge loss, the company claims to be debt free. Besides, the company’s product has been recently certified by the Isle of Man and UK Gambling Commission. It means that company’s royalty revenue will expand over the next quarter and beyond.

It has been announced that after three years of service at Rank non-executive director Brendan O’Neill (one of the most experienced businessmen on the Board of Directors) is leaving at the end of December.

Before joining the Board in October 2004, O’Neill had served as the Chief Executive Officer and Director for Imperial Chemical Industries, hah had senior positions at Guinness, the International Region for United Distillers, Financial Control, HSBC Holdings, BICC and the Ford Motor Company.

58-year-old O’Neill is still holding positions of the Chairman for RAC Pension Trustees Limited, a Non-Executive Director for Aegis Group, Tyco International Ltd, Watson Wyatt Worldwide Inc and Endurance Speciality Holdings Ltd, a Bermuda-based insurance company.

Pinnacle has been very busy this year opening new casinos around the country.

The $507 Lumiere Place in St. Louis, Missouri, is the latest project of Pinnacle. It is to be opened on December, 18. The casino will be located north of the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis.

By the time the project is complete (it is supposed to be done early next year) =, the casino will turn into a megaplex. It will include a 75,000 square foot casino floor, equipped with 45 table games, and 2,000 slots. The casino visitors will also find there two hotels, seven restaurants, a business centre, a spa, retail shops.

Bulgarian authorities are considering regulation and online betting taxation as hundreds of millions of dollars leak through online gambling sites untaxed. The current revenues from legal gambling in Bulgaria amount to $520 million whereas another $440 million is believed to be gambled illegally and outside the tax net.

The measures under consideration will enable the sports totalisator to compete for new markets, develop new types of online games and “secure its future development through partnerships with private companies”. Besides, regulation of online betting will allow the nation to impose taxes on income from Internet gambling.

There is an opinion that state-owned gambling companies are the ones to benefit from regulated online gambling, as for the private firms they will be relatively cash-strapped as total disbursements will come in at over 85%of revenues.

Ronen Stein has been recently announced to be a new Chief Executive Officer and Finance Director of Israeli online gambling technology company Zone4Play Ltd. The former CEO, Uri Levy has resigned.

Stein is to take over the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer for the Tel-Aviv-based provider of cross-platform casino games, tournament solutions and participation television services for interactive gaming service providers.

Stein previously worked as the Chief Financial Officer for Pointer Telocation Ltd – a provider of services to insurance companies and car owners. Before that he had worked as the Chief Financial Officer of Rada Electronic Industries.

Having opened a casino-hotel in Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood co-founder Robert Earl is coming back after having been filed for bankruptcy and loss of friends nearly a decade ago.

Earl bought the bankrupt Aladdin casino-hotel in 2004. By that time his own holdings had fallen by $1 billion as the restaurant company he built filed for bankruptcy protection again in 2001.

Business at the Aladdin casino-hotel collapsed following the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., in 09/11/2001. Now, it’s got another brand – the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. So, you’ll hardly find there any Middle Eastern Motif.

It has become known that the casino property is still losing money. The loss comes to $15 million in the quarter. Despite it Earl claims that he and his partners have already doubled their investment – at least on paper. The inexpensive purchase turned out to have taken place just at the right time.

Earl promises not to repeat his mistakes. Just one change at a time and no quick expansion, though he is already planning another Planet Hollywood casino, in Atlantic City, N.J., and yet another in Macau.

According to the opinion of the European Commission Germany violates EU trade policies by standing behind the monopolies within the German market.

The debate between Germany and the European Commission is constant, though there is a German treaty that would open the online casinos market in 2008. But it’s hard to say what will happen to the German market over the next 12 months as the feasibility of the proposed treaty and the effect it would have on internet gambling and betting is being speculated on.

To note: most analysts agree that though the German online casino related companies may fight the Treaty, still it is inevitable.