Pennsylvania’s tax revenue from commercial casinos approached $1.1 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30, The Morning Call of Allentown reported Monday.

Indiana was second with $878 million and Nevada third with $831 million.

Third? What’s going on here?

Well, now you know why cash-starved states are getting into the gambling business.

Pennsylvania has 9 casinos operating, but its 55 percent tax rate on slot machine gambling more than makes up for it.

Nevada takes 8 percent from its 260 casinos.

Pennsylvania’s casinos began offering table games this month. Those games are being taxed at a rate of 16 percent and are projected to bring the state $320 million more per year.

Looks like Ed Rendell (Gov.) knows what he is doing.

Sometimes.

Slot machine revenue has helped lower real estate taxes and helped prop up the state’s horse racing industry.

Its also helping pay for large civic projects like the expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia and grants for volunteer fire companies.

So now we keep an eye out on Mass., the next state to go this route.

Interesting, huh?

While Kentucky is foolishly fighting online gambling (how else but) by grabbing up domain names, over in British Columbia (where lies my all time favorite city, Vancouver), is enjoying mega success through legalized online gambling and is reaping enormous financial rewards.

Can the states be far behind? Can they afford NOT to do this? I’m telling you, it’s only a matter of time and the clock is ticking.

The British Columbia Lotter Corporation had launched its controversial online gambling site,  PlayNow.com last week and was shut down by the initial spike of traffic.

It’s been an overwhelming success, said Michael Graydon, president of the BC Corporation.      

“So we decided to close the site down for a half a day, add some new hardware and servers to the system to be able to accommodate it. We’re in the process of doing that. Our IT people are working very hard to get it up and running.”

The site is still offline today.

But it will include casino games, bingo, sports, lotteries and other games and is expected to generate about $100 million in revenue.

Did you read that U.S. legislators…$100 million in revnue. In Canada. Can you imagine what it would bring in here?

Here’s the deal.

New Jersey seems poised to become the FIRST state to legalize online poker …. at least within the state.

But Atlantic City casinos are putting the pressure on legislators to kill the bill.

Who’s kidding whom?

Folks, this is a smokescreen.

You’ve gotta know that the second online poker is legalized the casinos will be right there, ready to take advantage.

What they DON’T want is competition.

They want to monopolize the online poker industry in NJ.

It’s a useless battle.

And they know it.

But they also know that stalling will keep the millions flowing into their accounts.

OK, here is what is happening now: the New Jersey Casino Association, which represents the 11 casinos in Atlantic City, is reportedly opposing a referendum on allowing sports betting and online poker and gambling in land-based casinos.

The Association said in a statement that it opposes the referendum, as a positive outcome would mean that the introduction of intrastate gambling could violate federal bans.

“As the industry seeks to work with government to revitalize the economic engine that the Atlantic City casinos bring to the state of New Jersey, the last thing that the state needs at this time is to undermine the destination resort model by expanding gambling to other parts of the state,” wrote Joe Corbo, president of the Casino Association.

Say it ain’t so, Joe.

This new hurdle means that a review of the referendum has been delayed in the Assembly, and there are fears that this delay could impact the chances of its passage.

You are delaying the inevitable people.

Let me spend my money where I WANT to.

OK?

Anyone who agrees with me, let me know.

Here’s a dispatch (from China’s news agencies) that I found incredibly interesting and I want to share it all with you.

I’ve been wild about the World Cup, watching every match I could, while I’m not at work.

China, it seems is going wild over the cup too. Only thing is, they don’t have a team competing in it.

No matter. They are gambling, illegally it would appear, online. In record numbers.

As of this past Saturday, one day into the tournament, Chinese police said they already confiscated $102 million in illegal funds and arrested some 3,600 suspects for illegal gambling in connection with the World Cup. This from a report by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

“The state of our country’s online illegal gambling activities is still a very grim situation,” a police official told reporters, according to the Legal Daily. He largely blamed offshore gambling syndicates for “infiltrating” the country, according to the report.

While Chinese officials like to blame foreigners for the illegal activities, corruption has a long history in Chinese soccer.

Traditionally, national-team hopefuls had to pay tens of thousands of yuan in bribes, said Rowan Simons, author of a book on soccer in China, according to CNN.

“Players have come out and said they can’t play for the national team because they can’t afford it,” he said, according to the report.

Surely, neither China’s soccer skill nor its level of corruption is the worst in the world. In both areas it falls somewhere in the middle: According to FIFA, Chinese soccer ranks 84th in the world, just ahead of Mozambique.

Yeah, China didn’t qualify for the World Cup, but the government is heavily promoting the competition. CCTV, the state-run television network, airs the matches each night along with pre- and post-game commentary, while a number of domestic newspaper reporters have made the long flight to South Africa.

Don’t you just love google?

As some who enjoys real life gambling … and someone who occasionally goes to online sites, google is introducing a site that will make finding the best online casinos easier.

The google TV feature is launched with Sony and Logitech as partners. Viewers will be able to  combine their television experience with the easy access of the Internet.

The special devices will enable web browser Google Chrome to be accessed via the television, opening up access to the entire web rather than just restricting customers to the usual range of TV channels.

Sure, this will be TV viewing (and choices) easier. But the truth is, it will also enable a new and improved online gambling experience – on a high definition television.

The Google TV announcement comes not long after the company resumed accepting advertisement for online casinos on their search engine.

Television gambling is already available in some countries, such as the United Kingdom, where interactive television gaming company Netplay already offers their product.

If Google TV really takes off (and it will, given their track record), the phenomenon should spread to millions of people around the globe.

According to Google, the Google TV device should be on sale in the United States by this fall, and will be compatible with televisions, Blu-ray players and companion boxes.

Awesome man.

I mean, don’t you just freaking love google? [I know...I repeated myself]

News from one of my correspondents in New York prompted this posting.

Man, sometimes help comes from strange places.

Those who have been in favor of making Online Poker legal in the United States got a big supporter from New York.

Alfonse D’Amato, a former senator of the state and current Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, stated that he is in favor of allowing the practice.

“Why is it OK for a group of friends to sit around the kitchen table and play a friendly game of poker, but not OK for people to play over their computers?” remarked D’Amato.

Good point Al.

D’Amato was quick to point out that the basic structure of online poker does not violate any current federal laws.  Citing the Interstate Wire Act of 1961, which relates to sports betting, and not poker as those opposed to the notion have said.

D’Amato and Poker Players Alliance Director John Pappas have now joined forces in favor of a bill that would legalize the industry. Strange bedfellows I’d say.

Pappas said that banks are discouraged to do business with online poker companies, making sure no illegal activity is occurring.

“There is what amounts to a safe harbor already embedded in the law, so that any bank that does want to transact with an online poker business simply needs a reasoned legal opinion that it their client is not involved in restricted transactions,”  Pappas said.

Online gambling has been outlawed since 2006, but a new bill sent to the floor to be debated and passed would be a huge victory of online casinos, as they could potentially see a giant leap forward in terms of revenue, despite the struggling economy and difficult times that casinos are having.

Like I’ve said time and again, it’s all about money.

Legislators (running for office) are against legalizing or expanding gambling opportunities until it comes time to balance their budgets.

Then, not wanting to tax citizens anymore (for fear of losing their office), they turn to alternative measures. And there sits gambling.

Well, whatever it takes. I’m for freedom of choice.

And there ain’t nothing wrong with gambling.

So Rhode Island might be next to expand legal gambling within its borders.

Under a bill to be discussed in the the state legislature, Rhode Island’s voters will have an chance to vote on whether or not they wish to expand gambling in the state.

Right now, the state has two legal slot parlors. The new bill would amend the constitution to enable full scale casino gaming to be introduced in those two parlors.

Table games would be included in the facilities, which now only offer video lottery terminals.

The proposed argument states that Rhode Island is losing gaming revenue due to the burgeoning casino environment in surrounding states, from Delaware’s expansion to Pennsylvania’s progress, and possibly Massachusetts.

Gambling revenue has become a major source of income for many states, with Pennsylvania’s revenues booming more quickly than previously imagined.

Ironically, New Jersey, the established gambling state, has been failing to keep up with revenue.

Gambling expansion is also a subject of debate on a federal level. Several bills that would offer regulated online gambling have been proposed, though discussions in the House Committees has not yet been successful in bringing about the regulatory body needed to keep online gamblers safe and revenues taxed.

We’ll keep an eye on that. I love to gamble at online casinos.

Don’t you?

The fear, that is…of not being re-elected if they raise taxes.

So what is a legislator to do? Cut programs? Well…how about legalizing more gambling.

Which is exactly what Texas is considering.

Texas is currently facing big budget short falls.

The budget is facing cuts, cuts which will affect prison programs, education programs, and state mental hospitals.

Tax hikes are out. For the reason stated above.

Prison officials have cautioned legislators over the risk of cutting programs to prisons.

Estimates say that lay offs would remove over 3,000 employees and remove drug and alcohol treatment programs. In a state with relatively low recidivism rates compared to the national average, it is likely that Texas legislators will aim to solve budget woes before being forced to cut budgets.

Education cuts are also likely to take place in the event that the budget gap is not filled.

Grants, the lifeblood of education,  might have to be slashed.

The gambling expansion being considered is would bring slot machines at racetracks or, in a full blown expansion, large casinos that entail all forms of casino gambling.

These casinos could generated billions of dollars a year, which would help to fill the gap in the budget.

Frankly, having lived in Houston and Austin, I KNOW that people would love it.

An unexplored opportunity is that of online gambling.  Unfortunately, no regulatory body exists for the collection of taxes on online gambling, which could generate an estimated $80 billion over a period of ten years.

So legislators are looking to the Pennsylvania or Florida model…where gambling revenue has (somewhat) eased the tax burden. I say somewhat, because Pennsylvanians still call their state Taxsylvania.

I’ll keep an eye on the Lone Star state for you.

This is awesome news for gamblers like me.

Now we can gamble in New Brunswick, Canada.

This week the province opened its door to casino gambling for the first time.

Of course, it’s always about raising revenues and Casino New Brunswick (as it is called) will likely do just that.

The government is hoping that the casino becomes a big success.

Early estimates are that the casino could generate $25 million annually. That would be beneficial for both the casino developer, Sonco Gaming New Brunswick, Ltd., and the government.

Everybody wins. [Except, probably unlucky players]

Casino New Brunswick took $90 million and several years to develop.

The casino will be home to 500 slot machines and twenty-two table games. And YES, a freaking poker room with eight poker tables will also be available.

“We think it’s going to help to bring some business to New Brunswick, to the Moncton region certainly, and create 400 jobs,” said Marc Belliveau, spokesman for the Department of Finance, as reported by The Canadian Press.

Then, there are the nay sayers.

While the revenue will be great, they say, some believe that the social ills will also be many. The concern is that the casino will lead more people down the path of gambling addiction.

Increased crime is also a possibility, according to opponents.

Casinos have become common in Canada.

With the opening of the New Brunswick casino, only Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are left without casino gambling.

But when they need money and can’t justify raising taxes again…. you watch, casinos will open.

Since my wife and I are planning to move to Vancouver, Canada, I found this bit of news very interesting.

Particularly as someone who loves to play online.

It looks like Canadian provinces are thinking about legally offering online betting. That’s sure to come up at the Canadian Gaming Summit, which is happening in Calgary right now.

At the Summit Canadian operators will be exposed to a massive variety of topics and a large iGaming sector.

At the summit people there will be experts talking about how lucrative online gambling can be. Plus, how to regulate the industry, should they decide to go in that direction.

Explaining how Canada fits into the multi billion dollar internet gambling industry is one topic explored by various regulatory professionals.

It is estimated that Canadians spend about $1 billion a year on electronic gambling.

Provinces will have the challenge of making an e-gaming environment that is safe secure and responsible yet still entertaining and fun.

The Canadian Gaming Summit is the only conference and exhibition in Canada that serves the entire Canadian Gaming Industry.

One of the most interesting topics at the Summit will be online casinos and gambling the newest edition to Canada’s gambling history.

We’ll keep an eye on what comes out of the Summit.

But you all know where I stand. I say let the market be free. If people want to gamble online or anywhere else, let them do so.