The construction of a new super casino in southwest Kansas is one more step towards becoming a reality following approval from the House of Representatives.

Dodge City is hoping to become the home of a new $50 million casino that could help to ensure the region develops as a major tourist destination, reports the Parson Sun.

The next step for the bill is to be considered by the Senate; however, last year a similar proposal was rejected because of doubts of actual economic benefits due the existence of a number of casinos already in the area.

However, Jeff Thorpe, president of Boot Hill Gaming, believes that Dodge City’s plans are unique and would have little impact on competing casinos across state lines. He added that the gaming facility could create 300 more jobs and further enhance Dodge City’s tourism industry.

Yet, Senator Tim Huelskamp has dismissed Mr Thorpe’s predictions and claims that the casino could undermine local economies as most tourists opt to spend money solely at the gaming tables.

“People come to gamble but they don’t go anywhere else,” added Mr Huelskamp, who represents Dodge City.

The Chinese government is to offer online poker to the country’s young adults alongside foreign investors, it has been revealed. 

The Communist Youth League, a wing of the ruling Communist Party, will introduce the measures which are being seen as the first sign that China is thawing its hardened anti-gambling stance. 

However, there remain conflicts between investors and authorities regarding the provision and marketing of potential prize money, the Financial Times reports. 

Chinese business Foundation will provide the investment for the venture, but a degree of uncertainty still surrounds the scheme, with officials reportedly moving to deny that the initiative signalled a change of heart from the authorities. 

“This is not a gambling exercise,” said Foundation chairman Teddy Cheng, speaking to the Financial Times. 

But Mr Cheng added that the move did suggest a slight alteration in the governmental viewpoint. 

“I think the government is starting to relax a little bit,” he commented. 

Currently the only part of China in which gambling is legal is Macau, which last year took almost $7 billion in gaming revenue. 

A new ordinance to be voted on by Atlantic City Council officials next week is set to raise the maximum height limit for buildings in a section of the New Jersey city, it has been revealed.

Currently any buildings built on the land between the Boardwalk and avenues in the centre of the city can not exceed 485 feet in height, but the new measure would see that limit rise to 800 feet, along with an extra 100 feet for mechanical or aesthetic items.

The ruling would enable the proposed casino from Revel Entertainment to become one of the country’s biggest buildings.

Officials said they did not expect opposition to the new building, given the current state of the area.

“There were fabulous buildings in the area. There were fabulous streets. And we lost all that. [It’s] an eyesore and it creates this whole blightedness that fosters crime and […] people want to see those lots cleaned up and developed,” said first ward city councilman G. Bruce Ward, speaking to the Press of Atlantic City.

Recent reports suggest that annual revenue from Atlantic City casinos could decline in 2007 for the first time in history. On Sunday Harrah’s announced plans for a $550 million expansion of its Atlantic City resort.

The popularity of casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada, was so great last year that more tourists visited the city than ever before, new figures reveal.

In total 38.9 million people visited Las Vegas, an increase of just under one per cent. But the figure is all the more significant given the fact that the number of rooms available in the region fell for the first time in 14 years – by almost 600 rooms.

Occupancy rates continued to rise despite such restraints, with officials praising the business spirit of the city.

“That really paints the picture of why Las Vegas has been successful,” said director of internet marketing and research at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Kevin Bagger.

However, the customer was often the one to suffer from such success, with higher occupancy rates allowing hotels to increase their prices by an average of $17.

In light of such increases many potential visitors may consider online venues to be a more attractive proposition in financial terms.

A new channel set to be launched by Sky is to focus solely on poker, as the game continues to grow in popularity on the digital platform.

Sky subscribers already have a number of poker offers to choose from, with dedicated channels competing with feeds from online casinos and more prestigious events such as Sky Sports’ Poker Million tournament.

Now viewers will be able to interact with televisual poker offerings to a greater extent than ever before, Sky claim. The Sky Poker channel will feature a number of famous poker presenters and guests, including Helen Chamberlain and Ed Giddins.

Chamberlain shocked many observers with her success in 2006 poker tournaments, with her winnings belying her status as a novice. Giddins, meanwhile, is a former England cricketer now playing poker for a living.

Viewers will be able to participate in events via their set-top boxes, Sky have announced.

A Malaysian billionaire has secured 28 per cent of all casino licenses granted in the UK in the last two years, it has been revealed. 

Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan obtained 25 out of the 89 casino licenses awarded in Britain since 2005, according to the Business magazine. 

Part of the Hong Leong group, Quek has been gaining licenses for casinos at his Thistle Hotels chain. 

He may open casinos in more than half of the hotels. 

Last summer Quek bought the upmarket Clairmont casino in Mayfair for £37 million. 

The casino is known for the bridge games between British billionaire James Goldsmith and Lord Lucan that once took place there. 

Last week Manchester won the UKs first licence for a super casino, astounding many who expected the bid to be a fight between the Millenium Dome and Blackpool. 

The Casino Advisory Panel also granted eight large licences to Great Yarmouth, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, New- ham, Solihull and Southampton. 

Gambling laws in the UK are set to change this September, following the passing into law of an updated Gambling Act. 

According to new research, women are likely to play poker with a completely different style when they are taking part in online competitions. 

Instead of being shy and retiring, women often play with a more aggressive style than they would feel comfortable displaying in a room full of men. 

A gambling site tested 1,500 women to see whether they gambled in a different way when they were playing alone from a computer. 

They discovered that these women felt much more at home with the anonymity of the internet between them and their opponents. 

One in three online poker players is female, a much higher proportion than is found in casinos, suggesting that online casinos promote women’s liberation of choice! 

And even more women are tempted by other forms of online gaming like slot machines according to recent research from the International Gaming Research Unit and Nottingham Trent University. 

“There are many interesting findings, some of which reinforce previous assumptions, some of which provide a fresh understanding of player behaviour and attitudes,” commented Jonathan Parke, from the International Gaming Research Unit. 

Many observers thought that the tactics many women used online were more masculine than feminine. 

Cryptologic, the providers of Intercasino’s online casino technology, have won the Gambling Online Magazine’s Award for Top Casino Software.
 

The software, which is used by Intercasino for their casino and poker room, has been recognised for its exclusive gaming concepts, outstanding player security and innovative software.
 

A spokesman for the company said that the software offers their customers a competitive advantage as they create “the ultimate online entertainment experience”.
 

Peter Marcus, spokesman for The Intercasino Group commented: “We will have to find an even bigger shelf to store all the honours (or accolades) recently awarded to us.”
 

“Intercasino is very dedicated to providing the best experience and value to all of its players. And to be recognized for this effort from our players is just icing on the cake.”
 

In 2006, Cryptologic developed the first ever online Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker and offers the highest jackpot in online gaming history.
 

Intercasino’s software providers are the only casino software providers to offer an interactive floor and offer a selection of 260 games to the consumer.
 

Over 80 per cent of Australians are known to gamble – the highest rate of participation on the planet, it has been revealed. 

A BBC report into the country’s gaming habits noted that the average weekly spend on gambling was £7, an amount above that spent on petrol and almost as much as was spent on clothing. 

The broadcasting organization also notes that over a fifth of the world’s gaming machines are now installed within the country. 

“There’s 99,723 poker machines in the state of New South Wales, more per capita than anywhere else on planet earth,” said former gambler Tom Simpson, speaking to the BBC. 

Earlier this week there was a blow for Australia-based gambling interests as James Packer, son of famous mogul Kerry Packer, had bids to install new casinos in both the UK and Russia thwarted. The UK super-casino was given to a different location, while new Russian legislation made Mr Packer’s other venture impossible to implement.

The news that Manchester was to be the site of the UK’s first super-casino has been followed by the announcement of eight further sites, each of which will receive a large casino over the coming years.

While not of the size of the Las Vegas style Manchester complex, the eight casinos will nonetheless be larger than those already existing around Britain.

Great Yarmouth, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newham, Solihull and Southampton will all receive such developments, with officials hoping that the venues help with regional regeneration.

Great Yarmouth’s casino will be the focal point of a new £50 million tourist project in the town’s centre, with Solihull set to build a new gaming complex at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) site.

Each casino will be able to host up to 150 fruit machines, with top jackpots reaching £4,000.