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Jolly hockey sticksIt was the Hollywood actor Paul Newman who once said, “If you don’t have enemies, you don’t have character.” Fortunately, most Canadians wouldn’t piss on their cross-border cousins from the US if they were on fire. Which means they have character, which, according to their general manager, is why they will win gold in the men’s hockey at the Winter Olympics today. Read more.

Where would you like me to start, sir?Nigel Page and Justine Laycock can’t have been that badly off before they won £56m on the Euromillions lottery earlier this month as they had their very own cleaner. Still, at least they decided to spread the wealth around, by leaving their house and car to the aforementioned Mrs Mop, who will now have two homes to clean after being re-hired to keep the winners’ new mansion spotless. Not being funny, but if I won the lottery I’d pay whatever it took to get the Bodog girls to, erm, polish my upholstery. Read more.

The queue for the bookies went around the blockNot content with coming down harder than a lorry load of bricks with Chuck Norris at the wheel, the Chinese authorities have said that the 918 people arrested for online gambling crimes is but the tip of the iceberg. Looks like these guys have been getting a few ideas from their no-nonsense counterparts in the US. Read more.

In the past you had to be .com to carry any cachet in the world of online gaming. There was Pokerstars.com, Bodog.com, Calvinayre.com… Now, though, the .orgs are staging a recovery with poker.org quite literally proving its worth after selling for a whopping $1 million. Read more.

China: I've not been but they reckon it's quite bigWhile the industry lies in wait for the United States to wake up and legalize online gambling, developments on the other side of the world suggest that online gaming companies should be switching their attention to the East. China is no longer the sleeping giant of old and is fast becoming the all-powerful global superpower. While America battles recession, near double-digit employment figures and predictions that it will not recover from its current crisis for another ten years, China’s economy is thriving. Indeed, the fact that it has lain...

Good job the IOC didn't see what went on in the changing roomsOver in the UK the Winter Oympics is about as popular as the world tiddlywinks championships. There’s only so much skiing, skating and sledging a viewer can take without slipping into a coma – or just switching channels and watching something more interesting instead. Ice hockey is, however, an exception to the norm given that it’s actually a team sport, rather than most other events in the Winter Olympics which seem to be endless variations on the theme of one unheard of individual racing against the clock. Take the skeleton...

Eva tried all sorts to crack Tom's poker faceWhen he’s not slamdunking a basketball or running around with his wife Eva Longoria, or even vice versa, San Antonio Texas Spurs point guard Tom Parker is a bit of a poker shark. This has not been lost on the marketing folk at Betclic, who have decided to sign him up to their poker team. The deal will give the online operator great exposure plus company execs might get to go see the Spurs for free. Hell, Eva might even turn up at the Christmas office party. Clever. Read more.

Good to go?Perhaps VISA is beginning to realise what a gargantuan PR disaster its attitude towards online gambling deposits has become, because apparently it is claiming that it has no problem with online gambling. It does concede, however, that the player’s geographical location may influence the outcome of the transaction attempt. In other words, if it hasn’t blocked you yet, it will do soon as the Feds are ramping up the pressure. Read more

Mad for itShe may be called Virgin Games, but who is she trying to kid? She popped her cherry a long time ago and now she’s got a taste it, with plans to get a piece of the action in France, Spain, and South Africa, as well as the US. All she is looking for is partners – and with her reputation she won’t be short of takers. Read more.