Deepika Padukone, Saif Ali Khan: Pairing Up Once Again In A Rom-Com

Bollywood certainly has a great crop of stars that keep rotating their pairing up in different genres of movies with different actors.

The most popular couple on screen in these times has been Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan. Deepika Padukone has a great sense of coming timing along with Saif Ali Khan, who has proved more than once that his cheeky smile and one liners are perfect to compliment any female star’s acting skills on screen.

After sharing a great chemistry in Love Aaj Kal Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan are soon going to be seen in a rom-com and this time too it seems some steamy scenes are in the offing.

Saif and Deepika had shared a great lip lock in Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal.This time round the movie is Homi Adajania’s (Being Cyrus fame) and the script is to be written by Imtiaz Ali. It is to be produced by Dinesh Vijan, Saif’s ex- business partner and it is to be shot in exotic locales of London, Spain and Delhi.

Reportedly both the stars are to have great roles with shades of some very amazing characters in them.

Well, in Bollywood nothing succeeds like success and thus, to cash in on the on screen chemistry of Saif and Deepika, yet another flick with them as leads is up on the anvil and reports are that both Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone are keen to work with each other again.

Kangana Ranaut No Longer A Part Of Ragini MMS

Actress Kangana Ranaut reportedly walked out of the upcoming Balaji Telefilms project Ragini MMS after she acquired cold feet on hearing that the upcoming Bollywood film is replete with explicit content. Although the reports have not been confirmed by the actress or her representatives in Bollywood, it is to be assumed that this is the reason why Kangana Ranaut said no to the project because a lot was being written on the sexual content and skin show that the lead character would have to engage in. Kangana was to play the lead role of Ragini in the forthcoming film.

The association between Kangana Ranaut and Balaji Telefilms started after their 2010 film together Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai. Kangana played one of the lead roles in the film which was declared a hit. After this she was regarded as the best choice for Ragini MMS because Kangana Ranaut is not shown to shy away from intimate scenes onscreen.

However, the actress may have changed her preference of roles now that she has already made her mark in Bollywood after winning a couple of awards for her role in Fashion. Last heard, Kangana Ranaut will not be playing Ragini and Ekta Kapoor, who is at the helm of Balaji Telefilms, is looking for another actress to play the lead in her upcoming Bollywood flick Ragini MMS.

Hrithik Roshan, Suzanne to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary

Celebrity Gossips

Hrithik Roshan and Suzanne will be celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary on Dec’ 20 and they are planning to have some fun with the surf and sea along with their friends for the occasion. Previously, the Roshan couple decided to have the wedding anniversary party in some nightclubs in Mumbai but have decided to move to Goa now. The reason behind heading to the Las Vegas of India is that so they can party till late hours as most clubs in Mumbai closes pretty early.

Close friends and family are invited to join the couple to celebrate a decade of them being married, but the venue is still under wraps. Hrithik and Suzanne are well known to throw lavish theme parties but this time around the wedding anniversary will be simple one. It will be more of friends and family coming together to enjoy and have a bash.

Though Hrithik and Suzanne were not available for comments, a friend of the couple stated that everyone is looking forward to this celebration Hrithik’s party simply rocks. Also some celebrity of the industry are to arrive for the anniversary party like Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri, Karan Johar, Arjun Rampal and Mehr, Farhan, Adhuna and Zoya Akhtar and many more.

The Hyped Affairs Of Hot Shot Stars

Bollywood and the never ending string of affairs are almost like bread and butter with each term contributing towards making the other seem complete.Bollywood has had such great affairs right from the time it has come into existence that more than half of the popularity of the stars are due to these affairs and counter affairs that always are an interesting aspect in glossy magazines and gossip columns.

Almost every star has had some fling or the other making them a very focused celebrity at some point of time in their careers before they move on to become indifferent to such news or simply stop having any more flings with their co stars and colleagues.

The hot affairs of the hot shot stars in today’s time and age are almost always hyped to perhaps gain more publicity or merely because it captures the viewers attention more than anything else in the world.

Thus taking a few cases in these modern times, there are these couples like Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor who both have been in past relationships and yet have found solace in each other. The couple is so much in love that they have no qualms in coming out in the open about their relationship and now the next thing that is waiting to grab the headlines is their ultimate decision to tie the knot.

Then there is the Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra affair that everyone is busy trying to speculate on. This is one couple that has made the gossip columns go crazy with their on and off relationship status. Both have been smart enough to cover up their feelings if at all it is there for each other under the blanket of being ‘Just Friends’.

The two keep appearing at public events, chat shows etc to make gossip columns go haywire in reporting that there is something surely brewing between them, but this couple will not leave their stance of being just friends-leaving everyone guessing as to what exactly is going on.

Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor switch from Facebook to Twitter

Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor were regular users of Facebook. But after their private conversations were becoming public, they decided to switch to Twitter. It was Shahid who introduced Twitter to Priyanka. He suggested that she get a Twitter account to be in touch with her international fans, and also to promote their movie Kaminey. Shahid has been on Twitter since last year, it’s only since April this year, that he has started tweeting regularly.

A source reveals, “Shahid and Priyanka’s main reason for being on Twitter is to promote their movie. However, they also keep sending direct messages which can’t be seen by those who visit their pages.”

Both of them have made various posts about not wanting the release date of Kaminey to be pushed any further. PC’s post on her page reads, “Hoping the Kaminey release is finalised for August 14, I can’t wait for the response”, while Shahid says, “BTW, Kaminey tentative release date is 14th Aug.” In response to Shahid’s tweet, Priyanka replied by sending him a public message saying, “Let’s hope it’s final this time.”

Britney's 'Glee' Performance Marks Her Latest Of Many, Many Comebacks

Surely by now you've heard about Britney Spears' "Glee" appearance and how spectacular it was. At least, that's what some people thought. We, admittedly, didn't watch it. But we do know one thing about the show: It marked Britney's latest comeback. Just look at this Huffington Post headline: "Oh Baby, Baby: Britney Spears Makes a Comeback." There you have it.

It's really no surprise that people are touting the Britney-ified "Glee" as her comeback. This happens every single time the girl does something that's not remotely crazy. Seriously, if we counted every time Britney has made a comeback in the past decade we'd have to use both fingers and toes. See for yourself.

September 28, 2010: Britney's episode of "Glee" breaks the show's ratings records. So naturally, there's this headline: "Oh Baby, Baby: Britney Spears Makes a Comeback." [HuffingtonPost]

March 2, 2009: Britney starts a new tour in Louisiana and is declared "the comeback queen." [JustJared]

October 11, 2008: Britney gets naked in the video for her "comeback single," "Womanizer." [DailyMail]

September 11, 2008: According to some survey in the U.K., Britney's 2008 VMA performance is the "greatest comeback ever." [ONTD]

March 25, 2008: Britney and her brown hair appear on "How I Met Your Mother," which, according to ABC, "suggests a comeback." [ABC News]

October 29, 2007: Britney's "Blackout," universally hailed as her "comeback album," is released. [Sunday Times]

May 2, 2007: Britney's "comeback mini-tour" in San Diego. She's wearing a ratty wig and fake fur coat while lip-synching. [San Francisco Chronicle]

November 7, 2006: Britney and K-Fed get divorced, which some think is the "first step in Britney's comeback." [MSNBC]

September 20, 2006: Britney plans to get a tummy tuck as a part of her "post-baby comeback." [The Bosh]

Bruno Mars Officially Charged with Felony

Singer Bruno Mars has been formally charged with one felony count of possession of a controlled substance following his cocaine-related arrest last month in Las Vegas.
He was arrested on September 19 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino when a bathroom attendant told security that he brought what looked like a "baggie of white powdery substance" into the stall with him.
If he's convicted, Mars can serve up to four years in jail and receive fines up to $5,000. He doesn't have any previous arrests so jailtime is less likely.
With the success of his collaboration on "Billionaire" with Travie McCoy, he should really not follow in the footsteps of Lindsay and Paris...he actually had something going for him. Now, I'm not so sure.
His record company Elektra seems to have his back. According to TMZ, they said, "We congratulate Bruno Mars on his chart-topping success, and provide him with our full love and support." Sounds more like a statement for a new record, not an arrest.

Poker the ace of the pack

t is undoubtedly true that Poker is considered the ace in the pack of the online poker games that are famous at the casinos. It is the most favourite of many casino players and it is the poker playing crowd that is considered to be the bona fide gamblers.
This concept about merit and conviction among the poker players is that a true blooded poker expert is considered to be a true gambler. It is an old fashioned belief that success in poker is the true hallmark of any individual who plays games at the online casinos.
Poker was the trend that has lasted over many years in the casino domain. It is only with the advent of the online casino show that there has been a virtual splurge in the number of casino players who enjoy a bout of poker with online poker bonus.
It was the sole property of the rich and famous who considered losing money to be a habit that is just a status symbol. Thus poker was a tag worn on the sleeves of the rich who made it a cut off mark for a particular rise in the ladder of society.
Many among these very poker playing individuals were actually addicted to it and thus knew it like the back of their hands. It is these very pockets of casino players who have carried the legacy of poker as a casino game on their shoulders.
It is through these very poker players who have kept the game alive and kicking as today there are no strict criteria to be eligible for playing a game of poker. It is for any and every player who wishes to play or learn poker that online poker is served on a plate.
Today’s land and online casinos have made playing poker a virtual pleasure mainly through all sorts of poker tournaments that have arrived on the scene. Free poker tournaments are also a major draw at the online casinos today.

Poker | Online poker| Play Poker

The first day of April, traditionally celebrated with hoaxes and practical jokes, will be honoured by Titan Poker with a $5,000 Guaranteed Tournament for its players. The April Fool's Tournament is free for players to enter and will award $5,000 to its winners.

Titan Poker's loyal VIP players are eligible to win a seat to this exclusive event. All VIP players who participate in at least twelve scheduled Hold'em Tournaments between the 23rd and the 31st of March will be awarded free entry into this exciting tournament.

This is the first time an April Fools Tournament will be staged by Titan Poker. However, the poker room regularly celebrates important dates and public holidays by rewarding its players with special tournaments, promotions and giveaways. On the 29th of February 2008, Titan Poker players won $5,000 in prizes at a freeroll staged to celebrate the Leap Year. For ten days in February, romantic Titan Poker players paid just $1+$0.10 to enter tournaments which awarded luxurious Fauchon Valentine's baskets worth 350 Euros.

Titan Poker also awards fantastic prizes and stages thrilling tournaments all year around. It regularly awards skilled players with seats at the world's most well-known poker tournaments, such as the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and various European Poker Tour events. Eighteen Titan Poker players are currently competing at the Irish Open 2008 and a delegation of representatives will also be sent to the EPT Monte Carlo and the World Poker Showdown in the Dominican Republic later this year. In May, Titan Poker will host the European Championship of Online Poker II (ECOOP) where skilled poker players will compete for a share of $3,600,000 dollars.

Poker Bonus

So you’re also one among the millions of avid fans of poker tournaments on TV and are looking to play such games yourself in the future but the problem is, you’re still wondering whether or not there exist anything such called the free poker online. If yes, there is great news for you that there are obviously free Casino games available all across the Internet.

Online Gambling Turned Away By Washington Supreme Court

Washington state lawmakers created a ban on Internet gambling back in 2006 and for several years, a lawsuit has sought to overturn that law. The lawsuit was brought on by Lee Rousso, an attorney from Renton and an avid poker player.

This week, Rousso took another loss in the case. The latest came at the hands of the state Supreme Court, which ruled that lawmakers did not violate the U.S. Constitution when they created the Internet gambling ban.

Rousso cited the commerce clause of the Constitution. Justice Richard B. Sanders and the other justices did not agree that the law violated any part of the Constitution. Sanders, did, however, claim that the court did not agree or disagree with the legislature's decision.

With the state Supreme Court ruling out of the way, Rousso and other online poker advocate groups working on the case claimed they will take the case to the federal level. On the federal level is where an online gambling debate already exists.

A bi-partisan group of lawmakers is attempting to create a regulated system of Internet gambling in the US. The proposed legislation has already passed the House Finance Committee, and may soon make it to the full House.
 As for the Washington Supreme Court ruling, Rousso was anything but pleased.

"Unfortunately, the court has upheld an unpopular prohibition," said Rousso. "Poker players in this state need to make their voices heard. Now more than ever we need to rally together to fight this outrageous law. I hope the poker community will stand with me as I appeal this decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

World Series of Poker Europe Day 2 begins today

Overnight chip leader is James “Worzel” Mitchell, who managed to take a massive pot from John Racener in the dying minutes of the sixth ninety minute blind level to boost his stack to just under 180,000. However, Antonio Esfandiari and November Niner John Dolan also built up huge stacks to compete with Mitchell and the chip leaders from Day 1a; Nicolas Levi and Adam Fletcher.

This year, 346 players attained a £10,350 entry fee through stakes, satellites or just being rich and good at poker (the latter often leads to the former). This included a record-breaking Day 1b that saw 210 players put up the dough; 119 survived to rejoin Day 2 which begins at noon today.
One player we were following keenly was Viktor Blom, who showed up at the last minute (literally, there were 48 seconds left to register when he did) and proceed to lose half of his stack before the man almost certainly known to be Isildur1 built it back up and even took the chip lead at one point. He wound up with around 90,000 but since we return with 300/600/75 blinds and an average stack of 52,700 he won’t be complaining.


Defending champion Barry Shulman also did well throughout the day, building up a stack of (as he told us in the last hand) “about 86 thou’”. Another one to watch on Day 2 is none other than Phil Ivey, who finished the day with almost six figures despite a shaky start. Fellow Full Tilt Pro Eli Elezra also snuck into the six-figure stack bracket.

James Mitchell is leading by example – there are plenty of British contenders in the field including Roland DeWolfe, Chris Moorman, Liv Boeree, JP Kelly, Praz Bansi, Neil Channing. They will join
fellow UK pros Joe Beevers, Ross and Barny Boatman, and Sam Trickett for Day 2 today.

And, of course, we have the prize pool – a hefty £3,460,000 with a first prize of £830,401. Each of the 36 players who cash will receive £21,106 with the final tablers making at least £69,574 and seven players earning six figures. Join us later today for all the news and events at Day 2 of the WSOPE Main Event and remember that we’re the only UK poker magazine providing live coverage.

Salman and Katrina: Lovebirds return to the nest!

katrina



After a brief period in which both Salman and Katrina admitted candidly that they have broken up, news has come out that the duo would be sharing screen space in the new Farah Khan Venture Tees Maar Khan with Akshay Kumar as its lead, albeit in an item number. They may also be appearing together in “Bodyguard” as lead stars, the movie being produced by Alvira and Atul Agnihotri, Salman’ sister and brother in law.

Considering, both Salman and Katrina’s discomfort in each other’s company, this casting comes nothing short of a coup and has set the gossip mongers wagging their tongues about a possible re-union of the two estranged lover.

After a very public break up, which gave Katrina enough anguish, the patch up effort seems likely as both Salman and Katrina were quite besotted with each other. Salman has been with Katrina right from the start of her Bollywood stint and has proved to be an invaluable support to her. Katrina, on the other hand always accepted Salman’s role in her success in the industry and still respects him and looks up to him.

Katrina Kaif: Black ink splashes on her body

Salman ‘Dabangg’ Khan’s ex flame Katrina Kaif is surely the sexiest vixen in the whole pack of Bollywood belles. If ‘Tees Maar Khan’ has her showing her navel and trimmed waist, her next Yash Raj film shall showcase her in her new, inky avatar.

Katty is getting inked i.e. tattooed for her Yashraj flick opposite Imran Khan. For her character, Katrina required to flaunt some funky tattoos and hence her director Ali Abbas Zafar has been shortlisting some 20-25 designs. The tattoos, reportedly, will vary from animal prints to human sketches. Katty portrays a rebellious girl in the film and, thereby, the tattoos go well with her character.

Mumbai mirror reports, “Katrina plays a rebel in the film sporting a grungy punk look. She will be getting interesting abstract tattoos, which will, of course, be temporary in nature. Ali Abbas had shortlisted 20-25 designs, and Katrina chose abstract designs over animals or human sketches which would go with her rebellious character.”

However, Katrina is petrified of the needles and it’s unlikely that she would be sporting a permanent tattoo anytime in her life (be it real or reel). So, the next time you see a multi-coloured Kat prowling the silver screen, don’t raise your eyebrows. It’s just our beloved Kat flaunting her inky body.

Dabangg: More than brawn, biceps

Debutant director Abhinav Kashyap would have committed a crime if he would not have taken Sallu bhai of Bollywood for his directorial debut Dabangg. No one else from the fraternity could have essayed the role of Chulbul Robinhood Pandey than Salman Khan. By featuring Salman Khan in Dabangg, Kashyap, who was assistant director of Yuva, scores brownie points.

Sigh…finally Sallu is better than just flaunting his brawn and biceps in Dabangg. Seriously, after Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Tere Naam, Salman Khan had been typecast as such. Dabangg is such a relief, only if you are to concentrate on Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) who likes to call himself Robinhood Pandey of Uttar Pradesh. No matter how hackneyed and threadbare the screenplay, Chulbul Pandey has all the ingredients of a Bollywood masala movie.

Chulbul Pandey lives with his mother Naini (Dimple Kapadia), step father Prajapati Pandey (Vinod Khanna) and Makhi (half-brother). Chulbul hates his step dad since because Prajapati always poured all his attention on Makhi (Arbaaz Khan). Though Chulbul loves his half brother, he does not feel quite as ease in showing his emotions. His mom is the only person he is close with.

The film divides itself into three plots – the ongoing conflict between Chulbul Pandey and his step father, his romantic life with Rajjo (Sonakshi Sinha) and the action scenes between Chulbul Pandey and a goon-cum-politician Cheddi Singh (Sonu Sood).

While the scriptwriters Deelip Sukhla and the director try to balance the movie between action and comedy, they succeed in making the action scenes outstand but fail flat when it comes to making the audience seriously laugh. Because the execution is poorly taken care of, many sequences don’t go hand in hand. Director Abhinav Kashyap must have gone overly ambitious as he was roping in too many big names together in the film. Characters played by Dimple Kapadia, Om Puri, Tinu Anand, Anupam Kher and Mahie Gill are simply forgettable. Even Sonakshi Sinha, the lead actress, is simply an eye candy.

Dabangg – Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha ; the Rocking ‘Dabangg’ Entry!’

Bollywood stud Salman Khan, has finally proved that he has it in him to be a true blue rocking star even with his mustached look. Debutant Sonakshi Sinha, who has been touted as being a look alike of yester year star Reena Roy, has been well appreciated for her role as the daring Rajo, and her great on screen chemistry with the dashing dude Salman is to be seen to be believed!
‘Dabangg’, which has the elements of satisfying every taste in films, has really brought in a breath of fresh air to the multiplexes and single theatres during the joint festivities of Eid and Ganesh Chaturthi. It has been a rocking entry for the movie, ‘Dabangg’.
Even though Salman Khan has got the rustic look in the flick, with some sorted out dancing steps, et al, he is the main attraction of the flick, which has other powerful actors like Vinod Khanna, Dimple Kapadia Sonu Sood etc. Malaika Arora Khan’s sexy gyrations are a huge hit with the crowds and this munni has surely proved her prowess to attract fans even if it were for the munni badnaam number!
Well, these movies has actually shown the path to more successful ratings at the box office, and let’s hope, that the flick is a good omen for all films releasing after it in the coming months!

Dhobi Ghat: Aamir Khan’s film hailed by Toronto Film Festival

Aamir Khan has done it again. His next film ‘Dhobi Ghat’ (which also happens to be the directorial debut of his wife Kiran Rao) has rammed into the Toronto Film Festival and is creating ripples on international stage.
Director of the Toronto Film Festival, Cameron Bailey is all gaga about the film as he cites, “I love the film – it’s that simple. I have talking to them for months. When I saw it in July in Mumbai, I fell in love with it. It is very beautifully done. It’s very provocative, romantic. It really captures the feel of Mumbai – the things I love about the city, the vibrancy of the place, the feel of its streets, and the people. And it all happens in the monsoon season so that you get the texture of the rain, and how it feels to be there at that time of the year.”
He also hails Aamir Khan calling him as India’s national treasure. He also lavishes bucketful of praises on Kiran Rao for her sublime direction.

The film follows three inter-twined stories which give one the feel of the vibrancy of Mumbai. It is no ‘masala movie’ but a songless, dance-free story that spins a love letter surrounding the famed city.

Make Money from Sitting at Home

“Make money from sitting at home”, now this is the buzz word in most of the house holds where mostly urban home makers wanted to do something during their idle time. But how far they are able to achieve this is really a question mark. This is not because they are ill equipped or they are not having enough time to sit before computer / laptop or they spend more time in watching TV.

Its mainly because they are ignorant of facilities available on internet and also ignorant how to get through the appropriate web sites. When there was a show some time back on TV regarding the money making internet, so many house wives called up to know the details on the above, this shows that how much internet based jobs are reaching the people.

There is lot of potential available in the market and if proper approachability is made then this industry would flourish than it is expected in the middle class community.

What kind of Harrah's casino will Cincy see?

Now that the world's largest casino company has been tapped to run Cincinnati's future casino, the question becomes: Which of Harrah's Entertainment's three marquee casino brands will gamblers here see?

Harrah's isn't saying, but industry observers don't expect to see a Casears Cincinnati. That nameplate is the company's luxury brand, reserved for markets that specifically court international gamblers. Only four Caesars casinos exist in the world: Las Vegas; Atlantic City; Windsor, Ontario; and Cairo, Egypt.

• Photos: A look at Harrah's casinos

"I'd be very surprised if they did the Caesars brand in Cincinnati -- it's very high-end," said Lyle Berman, chief executive of Minnesota-based casino operator Lakes Entertainment, which has an option to buy up to a 10 percent interest in Cincinnati's casino.

"When you open a casino in Middle America, you want to be all things to everybody," Berman said. "You want something that appeals to a broad group of people."

More likely is a Harrah's or Horseshoe brand casino, observers said. Harrah's namesake concept has appeal beyond gambling, emphasizing shows and other entertainment to lure gamblers in.

Harrah's slightly higher-end Horseshoe brand, meanwhile, is marketed more as a pure gambler's casino. The Horseshoe originally was founded by legendary gambler Benny Binion, founder of the World Series of Poker.

"I can see it both ways, but I'm partial to a Binion's Horseshoe brand," Berman said. "What brand they'll use I'm not privy to -- we're strictly a passive investor."

Whatever brand Harrah's settles on for Cincinnati, it will go head to head with the region's dominant casino - the newly expanded and movie-themed Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg in Southeast Indiana. Hollywood is run by Penn National Gaming, another large casino company that will own and run casinos also upcoming in Columbus and Toledo.

David Katz, a gambling analyst with Jefferies & Co. in New York, said Harrah's will fiercely battle to take the lead in the local market when it opens in 2012. He said the new casino's downtown location will be a huge advantage, assuming there's enough parking and adequate access to the site at Broadway Commons.

"There's no question you're in for a dogfight," Katz said. "Harrah's is a strong competitor and compete they will."

Other industry observers agree.

"The most successful casinos are those located next to major metro areas. Convenience and proximity are very important to the player," said Steve Ferguson, president of French Lick Resort, which operates an Indiana casino.

Hollywood Casino prepared for battle

Penn National has prepared for a fight. In the last few years, it has remade several of its casinos with the Hollywood concept to maximize their appeal.

Penn National already announced it will brand its future casinos in Columbus and Toledo with the Hollywood nameplate. Lawrenceburg's upgrades have grown the casino's local market share from about 60 percent to nearly two-thirds of gambling dollars spent locally.

Tony Rodio, general manager of the Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg, said the prospect of future competition in this region was part of the reason Penn National spent more than $300 million to upgrade his casino in the past few years. Since unveiling its new theme concept with a larger gambling boat last summer, Penn National has continued to upgrade the casino with new restaurants and the Boogie Nights nightclub.

"We knew eventually competition was coming to the region," Rodio said.

Rodio said Penn National expects Lawrenceburg to take an unspecified hit, but the revenues from new Columbus and Toledo casinos will more than offset the drop. Furthermore, Penn National is developing a loyalty card program that will allow it to cross-sell its three casinos.

Katz said Harrah's is the industry leader in collecting customer data to boost its marketing. He said the one disadvantage Harrah's will have will be Ohio's smoking ban. Not letting gamblers light up might turn off some customers.

"It's kind of like selling a peanut butter sandwich without jelly," he said.

Nonetheless, analysts aren't worried about financial struggles for the future casino.

Once it opens in 2012, it's projected to draw 6 million visits a year and rake in nearly $520 million in annual gambling revenue. That's more than the 4.1 million visits and the $470 million that Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg is on track to collect this year. While Cincinnati's new casino is expected to take a bite out of the three riverboat casinos in Southeast Indiana, the overall region's gambling market is expected to grow from nearly $700 million to around $1 billion.

Unlikely candidates

Harrah's has other casino concepts, such as Paris, Rio and the Flamingo in Las Vegas. But experts say those are the result of several acquisitions over the past decade.

Bill Eadington, director of the Institute for Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada in Reno, said keeping different concepts in destination markets makes sense. It's a way of offering different casino products in big markets like Las Vegas, but it's unlikely the concepts would be expanded elsewhere.

Eadington notes some storied brands have lost their allure over time. Harrah's owns The Flamingo - the first resort casino in Las Vegas built by gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Segal.

While the casino has been rebuilt since its post-WWII founding and boasts an elaborate network of interconnected swimming pools, the casino has been supplanted in Las Vegas by other iconic destinations, such as Harrah's Caesars Palace.

"Their acquisition strategy of the past 15 years has maybe given them too many brands to be useful," he said. "The Flamingo had cache 30 years ago, I doubt they're going to use that concept elsewhere."

Rogge highlights educational fuction of sports

SINGAPORE, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- With the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to officially open here on Saturday night, IOC president Jacques Rogge believes young athletes will learn skills from the quadrennial sport gala in both sports and social life.

"The Olympic Movement should not restrict itself to just organizing sports events. We believe that sport is education," said Rogge, who was described as father of the YOG during a news conference in the main press media on Saturday.


"How do I feel? Well I feel like a father waiting in the delivery room. I am optimistic but I still want to see the baby been born," said Rogge.


"You call me the father of the Youth Olympics. I hope the education part of these Games will be easier than educating my own kids."


The YOG is expected to be an international multi-sport events, consistent with the current Olympic Games format but balancing culture and education and also featuring athletes between ages of 14 to 18. ' The Culture and Education Programme (CEP) is hence an integral part of the YOG. In line with the YOG's mission to educate and engage young athletes, inspiring them to play an active role in their communities, the CEP aims for the athletes to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect.


"There is a need to provide education to young people at an age when they are receptive. If you start to educate people in their 20s, you may not receive big results. This is part of the population that is very receptive to new concepts," said Rogge, referring to the young athletes to compete in the forthcoming 12 days of events.

"And that is why we are going to introduce the education part, which is something new in the Olympic Movement. And the education part will teach them all kinds of attitudes that are all very important."

"We want to have a very strong prevention of doping which I believe is very very important. We want to help them know the importance of forming a healthy lifestyle, prevention of injuries and infection diseases, and also the importance of social responsibilities like caring for the environment as well as Olympic Values of respecting fair play and abiding by rules," he added.


The YOG will gave the young athletes their first taste of the Olympic experience and provide valuable lessons that the athletes can leverage in their future careers, be it in sports or other vocations.
Singapore 2010 will feature some of the world's most talented young athletes from 205 countries and regions who will take part in 26 sports currently on the Summer Olympic Programme, as well as some exciting new events, including 3-on-3 basketball, head-to-head canoe and kayak, and cycling combined.

The length and rules of the competition in many events have been adapted to the potential of the young athletes, which according to Rogge will make sure that there will not be overload for their physical, psychological and mental health.

Gift is the German word for poison, and Hypo Real Estate, the troubled lender nationalized by the German government, is the gift that keeps on giving.

Hypo said Friday that it had lost another 395 million euros last quarter, a year and a half after the German government approved a measure that allowed Hypo to be taken over because of the systemic risk it posed.

The second-quarter loss at Hypo is a little over half as much as it lost for the comparable period a year before — 664 million euros — and it brings its losses for the year to 719 million euros. The government said in May that it had lost 5.3 billion euros on Hypo.

“Results were significantly affected by loan-loss provisions,” the bank said, adding that “net trading income was negative.” It expects a loss for the year.

“The year 2010 marks a period of transition, from stabilizing and restructuring, to achieving a realigned group structure,” Manuela Better, chief of the bank, said in the statement.

Hypo was nationalized after receiving 87 billion euros in loan guarantees from Berlin. The move was a first in the country since the 1930s Depression.

the American private equity firm, once held 24 percent of the lender, and it filed a complaint to the European Union after its holdings were wiped out.

Impact of ‘Ghost month’ on Real Estate Diminishing

People in the 20 to 29 age bracket are most likely to buy residential property during “ghost month,” while those over 50 still are deterred by superstition, a local real estate company said yesterday. Analyzing data on home transactions it brokered between 2006 and last year, H&B Realty (住商不動產) found that the share of all homes bought by people in the 20 to 29 age bracket during “ghost month” (19.2 percent) was 45 percent higher than the 13.2 percent share young adults averaged during the previous “normal” month.

In contrast, the average share of real estate purchases made by those in the 50 to 59 age bracket during ghost month was 11.8 percent, down from 20.4 percent in the previous month, a 42 percent fall.

There are many traditional taboos associated with ghost month, the seventh month of the lunar calendar, including the belief that buying real estate during that period invites ghosts into the house and brings bad luck.

With all age groups under the age of 50 showing an increase in their share of real estate purchases during ghost month, the taboo now seems to be something only older generations follow, said Jessica Hsu (徐佳馨), director of H&B Realty’s research division.

“The data shows that young home buyers actively struck deals in ghost month because they felt there was a better chance of negotiating better discounts,” Hsu said.

H&B Realty said the 40 to 49 age group had the highest share (31.4 percent) of home purchases during “ghost month,” followed by the 30 to 39 age bracket with a 27.6 percent share.

3 Carmichael Residents Among 8 Charged in $11.4 Million Real Estate Fraud

An alleged $11.4 million Sacramento real estate fraud scheme that promised investors up to 15 percent returns from land development and house flipping has resulted in charges against eight people for mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, the U.S. attorney's office said Friday.

A federal grand jury Thursday indicted the eight, including three from Carmichael, for allegedly defrauding scores of investors throughout the nation.

The U.S. attorney's office in Sacramento said the defendants were associated with Heaven Investments Holding Co., which lured investors with promises to develop luxury townhouses and condominiums in Sacramento during the housing boom. The investment firm also promised to buy, rehab and sell Sacramento-area single-family houses and do the same with a hotel in Oakland.

But as the real estate market crashed, the family-owned Sacramento company instead allegedly paid returns to early investors with money raised from later investors. Defendants also stalled investors seeking money by intentionally failing to sign checks and saying checks were lost in the mail, the indictments state.
"Most (investors) were outside the local Sacramento area," said the federal prosecutor for the case, R. Steven Lapham. "I think that was by design. Anybody in the Sacramento area could have driven by the properties and seen that no development was going on."

Heaven Investments, which opened in 2000, solicited investors from January 2006 to August 2008, the indictments state. The firm filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in August 2008, according to Sacramento federal bankruptcy court records. It has since been liquidated.

Charged in Thursday's federal grand jury indictments were Heaven Investments chief executive officer Akbar Bhamani, 56; vice president Aly Khan Bhamani, 28; and finance director Feroza Bhamani, 55. All three are from Carmichael.

Also charged were vice president Zainulabidin Akbar Bhamani, 30, of Sherman Oaks; director of operations Ken Sarna, 46, of Vallejo; and marketing director John Pierre Quintana, 30, of Dixon. The grand jury also indicted Heaven's accounting and payroll director, Laila Bhamani, 57, of Tracy, and Global Financial & Assets Inc. loan officer Shaun Bhamani, 26, of Valencia.

All but Laila Bhamani pleaded not guilty Friday in federal court in Sacramento and Los Angeles. Laila Bhamani is scheduled to appear Monday in Sacramento federal court, said Lapham.
All face 20-year maximum penalties on each charge.

Attempts to reach the Carmichael defendants Friday for comment were unsuccessful.
The grand jury indictments allege that Heaven Investments misrepresented itself to investors, claiming to have an in-house architectural staff and construction company.

"That was untrue," Lapham said Friday.

Three of the defendants – Zainulabidin Bhamani, Aly Khan Bhamani and Shaun Bhamani – are also charged with eight counts of mail fraud in a separate alleged mortgage fraud scheme. Indictments say they tried to raise money as market values fell by recruiting straw buyers for eight Sacramento-area properties. Seven of the properties have since been repossessed, resulting in lender losses of $775,000. The eighth property is being foreclosed.

The indictments stem from investigations by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. attorney Benjamin Wagner said Friday.