Gaming briefs for Nov. 12, 2003

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2003 | 12:05 p.m.

LV firm enters British Internet gambling sector

Harrah's Entertainment Inc., the No. 2 U.S. casino company, is developing a new Internet gambling site in Great Britain called "Lucky Me" that will let users wager online.

Gamblers will pay between $17 and $84 a monthto play games including bingo and win cash prizes, the Las Vegas-based company said in a statement.

Harrah's has received approvals to start the gamesite in the U.K. Gamblers in the United States, where Internet bets are prohibited, will be unable toplay, the company said.

The website will allow players to interact witheach other, and won't include games such as roulette, blackjack or slots, which don't "translate well"onto the Internet, the company said.

Harrah's is also investing as much as $1 billionwith Gala Group Ltd., a U.K. gambling club operator, to open casinos in the U.K.

"The U.K. market is going to be a substantialgambling market," said Marc Falcone, a DeutscheBank Securities Inc. analyst, who rates Harrah's"hold" and doesn't own any of the shares. "This (Internet site) will begin to introduce customers to the Harrah's brand."Shares of Harrah's rose $1.80 to $47.60 at 12:34 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading today. They'd risen 16 percent this year.

Some other casino companies including MGMMIRAGE have abandoned efforts to start Internet gambling sites, citing regulatory and profitability issues.

Veterans' slot drive criticized

OMAHA, Neb. -- Gambling opponents protested Wednesday against a petition being circulated by agroup of veterans to legalize video slots.

Gambling With the Good Life criticized the petition drive by the Nebraska Veterans Council.

It would allow veterans groups and other nonprofit organizations to sponsor slot machines in bars or restaurants that have a liquor license.

Half of the profits would go to the bars and restaurants.

Twenty-five percent would go to county governments and 20 percent would go to the charities sponsoring the slot machines. Five percent wouldgo to the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs.

Gambling With the Good Life represents a coalition of more than 140 groups.

The veterans have until July to gather the more than 100,000 signatures needed to get the measureon the 2004 ballot.