A Sydney cafe which was operating as an illegal gambling den has just been raided.
It doesn't take too much imagination to think that if this sort of thing happens in bricks and mortar premise, it also happens in the online gambling world.
I'm sure Gambling911.com would agree. For punters its a better bet to stick to brands and Internet portals that they know and trust, and gamble where its legal. Known entities of course include World Poker Tour, BetUS.com, PartyGaming, Virgin Games, Doyle's Room, PKR, Gambling911 and our Media Man Australia.
Just as not all pokies are the same, and there's strong rumours of a few dodgy and unregulated ones out there, not to mention last months Da Vinci Diamonds allegedly "rigged" machines in Canada (favoring punters in that case), not all online casinos are "above board". As always its a case of buyer beware.
Illegal gambling dens in Australia go back past the late George Freeman's time, as documented on Network Nine Australia's 'Underbelly" smash hit TV series.
*the writers' (Greg Tingle's) late grandfather, Eric Frazer Cameron Tingle was a famous Australian SP Bookmaker who used his barber shop at Newport Beach as a front. The premises also had classic pokies that accepted 10 cent coins! Tingle's friends, associates and clientele also included the late, great, Big Tim "Earthquake" Bristow. It's unknown if the Newport Beach premise was licensed to run pokies.
Article
EXCLUSIVE: INSPECTORS swooping on a suburban cafe during the morning coffee rush found nine illegal gambling machines, including five pokies.
Haberfield locals sipped lattes out the front, oblivious to the secret back room set up to look like a legitimate club.
Gaming Minister Kevin Greene said the machines confiscated in last month's raid would be destroyed.
He warned punters against trying for easy money in dodgy gambling dens.
"NSW laws heavily regulate poker machine numbers, usage and gaming safety so that people who choose to use them know they're getting the same chances as everyone else,'' he said.
''For instance, every one of the licensed machines in NSW is connected to a central monitoring system that ensures they work as they are supposed to.
"Even ignoring the illegal nature of backroom gaming dens, they have no such protections in place, and people gambling there illegally are risking everything from their wallet's contents to their own safety when they get involved.''
Mr Greene said the machines were spotted by a sharp-eyed council food inspector, who reported them to the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing. "The air-conditioned room was brazenly set up like a gaming room, with machines spaced evenly in a row and a stool in front of each one and sports memorabilia on the walls,'' Mr Greene said.
He said anyone possessing, operating or trading gambling machines must be licensed.
"While reports of illegal gaming machines are rare, this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated," he said.
"We also have strict, responsible gambling laws to minimise the harm associated with problem gambling.''
Investigations of the coffee-shop casino continue. Anyone found guilty could face fines of up to $1100 and/or 12 months in jail.
The secret gambling den was empty of punters at the time of the late-morning raid. (Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Starbucks sponsors new Virgin Media offering, by Fiona Ramsay - Media Week - 26th June 2008
LONDON - Starbucks has signed up as exclusive sponsor of a new celebrity and entertainment portal on Virginmedia.com.
Under the partnership, the coffee retailer and producer becomes sole sponsor of Take 5, an area on Virginmedia.com featuring celebrity, fashion, beauty, travel and games content, giving users the opportunity to catch up with the latest leisure information.
Launching today (Thursday), the deal will run for five weeks. The campaign, negotiated by Virgin Media's sales house IDS and agency Starcom, will also feature a commissioned campaign evaluation survey.
Virginmedia.com has been developing its entertainment portal areas in recent months, adding more video content and developing integrated on-air and online sponsorship deals.
Virgin Media recently merged its female-focused Siren portal with its LivingTV website, as part of a plan to create one of the country's top five women's websites, accessible via the main Virginmedia.com website.
Greg Tingle comment
Awesome. Caffeine mixed with celebrities and media, along with a dash of the right music is highly addictive. Games on the portal also. Sounds like an addictive combination. We here at Media Man better lift our game, and if we play our cards right we might get a deal with a caffeine sponsor ourselves, to go into the Virgin and Media mix, down under in Australia. Cheers.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Virgin Media
Cafes
Under the partnership, the coffee retailer and producer becomes sole sponsor of Take 5, an area on Virginmedia.com featuring celebrity, fashion, beauty, travel and games content, giving users the opportunity to catch up with the latest leisure information.
Launching today (Thursday), the deal will run for five weeks. The campaign, negotiated by Virgin Media's sales house IDS and agency Starcom, will also feature a commissioned campaign evaluation survey.
Virginmedia.com has been developing its entertainment portal areas in recent months, adding more video content and developing integrated on-air and online sponsorship deals.
Virgin Media recently merged its female-focused Siren portal with its LivingTV website, as part of a plan to create one of the country's top five women's websites, accessible via the main Virginmedia.com website.
Greg Tingle comment
Awesome. Caffeine mixed with celebrities and media, along with a dash of the right music is highly addictive. Games on the portal also. Sounds like an addictive combination. We here at Media Man better lift our game, and if we play our cards right we might get a deal with a caffeine sponsor ourselves, to go into the Virgin and Media mix, down under in Australia. Cheers.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Virgin Media
Cafes
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Starbucks axes 61 stores and 685 jobs, by Daniel Emerson - The Sydney Morning Herald - 29th July 2008
About 685 employees of coffee mega-chain Starbucks will lose their jobs in five days after the company this afternoon announced it would close 61 of its 84 Australian stores.
NSW employees were told the news at a meeting at the Novotel Hotel in Darling Harbour at 4pm.
After August 3, only Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane will have Starbucks outlets.
Speculation of widespread closures was sparked when every Australian store was ordered to close at 2pm so all staff could attend 28 meetings around the country but they were not given prior indication of the move.
Starbucks announced in a statement embargoed until 5pm today that the decision to close 61 "underperforming" locations was made "to concentrate its attention and resources on profitable growth, operational efficiencies and an enhanced experience for customers and partners [employees] globally".
Starbucks calls its employees "partners".
Starbucks Asia Pacific president John Culver would not reveal which stores would close, saying he wanted employees to be told first.
"Obviously a decision like this is a very difficult decision for any company to make and really more so from a Starbucks perspective because of the impact that we have on our people," he said.
"We wanted to make sure we handled these announcements the right way and put our people first."
The locations of the closures will be made public on July 31 when they will be posted on the chain's Australian website.
Mr Culver said the company had set up an "employee assistance line" offering counselling to its "partners" and redundancy packages would be offered.
Casual staff would also be offered redundancy.
He refused to say why the employees were give such short notice of the massive closures.
"As part of the decision all partners, whether they have worked for the company for week or multiple years, will be eligible for a redundancy package," Mr Culver said.
"Depending on length of service and position, it ranges anywhere from a maximum of 20 weeks of redundancy pay that we will be paying. All partners at a minimum will receive at least a week's notice-period pay as well as two weeks' severance pay.
"This is above and beyond what we are legally required to do but we feel it's the right decision to support our partners and show the value we place on them as people."
Mr Culver said about 685 employees would lose their jobs but he would not reveal what proportion of them were full time and casual.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Cafes
NSW employees were told the news at a meeting at the Novotel Hotel in Darling Harbour at 4pm.
After August 3, only Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane will have Starbucks outlets.
Speculation of widespread closures was sparked when every Australian store was ordered to close at 2pm so all staff could attend 28 meetings around the country but they were not given prior indication of the move.
Starbucks announced in a statement embargoed until 5pm today that the decision to close 61 "underperforming" locations was made "to concentrate its attention and resources on profitable growth, operational efficiencies and an enhanced experience for customers and partners [employees] globally".
Starbucks calls its employees "partners".
Starbucks Asia Pacific president John Culver would not reveal which stores would close, saying he wanted employees to be told first.
"Obviously a decision like this is a very difficult decision for any company to make and really more so from a Starbucks perspective because of the impact that we have on our people," he said.
"We wanted to make sure we handled these announcements the right way and put our people first."
The locations of the closures will be made public on July 31 when they will be posted on the chain's Australian website.
Mr Culver said the company had set up an "employee assistance line" offering counselling to its "partners" and redundancy packages would be offered.
Casual staff would also be offered redundancy.
He refused to say why the employees were give such short notice of the massive closures.
"As part of the decision all partners, whether they have worked for the company for week or multiple years, will be eligible for a redundancy package," Mr Culver said.
"Depending on length of service and position, it ranges anywhere from a maximum of 20 weeks of redundancy pay that we will be paying. All partners at a minimum will receive at least a week's notice-period pay as well as two weeks' severance pay.
"This is above and beyond what we are legally required to do but we feel it's the right decision to support our partners and show the value we place on them as people."
Mr Culver said about 685 employees would lose their jobs but he would not reveal what proportion of them were full time and casual.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Cafes
Friday, June 27, 2008
Packer's 'white elephant' leased, By Justin Vallejo - The Daily Telegraph - 27th June 2008
Bondi's most famous white elephant has sat vacant beneath James Packer's beachside palazzo for the past six years.
Now the ground floor of Packer's former bachelor pad is to be converted into a Jurlique "wellness sanctuary".
The Campbell Parade block will house the pursuit of "beauty and connecting oneself to the earth" rather than dirty nappies.
The space had been boarded up since iconic retailer Jones The Grocer shut up shop in 2002, and was eventually placed into voluntary administration with $1 million in debts.
The site was supposed to have provided a rental income of more than $3000 a week for Packer, with the grocery shop paying $148,000 a year for panoramic views of Bondi Beach.
International coffee chain Starbucks almost took up residence in 2003 but pulled out after residents' protests - an American chain, puh-lease.
Gelateria & Pizzeria owner George Pompei was also keen but couldn't get permission for outdoor seating.
Packer settled on Jurlique, a cosmetics company in which his CPH Investment Corp paid $25 million in 2002 for a 25 per cent share.
Contractors have already begun converting the site, scheduled to open in July - and it's no dodgy kebab shop operation, either.
According to chief executive Eli Halliwell, Jurlique "is passion" and a chance to connect with the "living energy" of their skincare products.
"Beauty is sustainable connections to the earth," her website says.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Cafes and Coffee
Bondi Beach
Now the ground floor of Packer's former bachelor pad is to be converted into a Jurlique "wellness sanctuary".
The Campbell Parade block will house the pursuit of "beauty and connecting oneself to the earth" rather than dirty nappies.
The space had been boarded up since iconic retailer Jones The Grocer shut up shop in 2002, and was eventually placed into voluntary administration with $1 million in debts.
The site was supposed to have provided a rental income of more than $3000 a week for Packer, with the grocery shop paying $148,000 a year for panoramic views of Bondi Beach.
International coffee chain Starbucks almost took up residence in 2003 but pulled out after residents' protests - an American chain, puh-lease.
Gelateria & Pizzeria owner George Pompei was also keen but couldn't get permission for outdoor seating.
Packer settled on Jurlique, a cosmetics company in which his CPH Investment Corp paid $25 million in 2002 for a 25 per cent share.
Contractors have already begun converting the site, scheduled to open in July - and it's no dodgy kebab shop operation, either.
According to chief executive Eli Halliwell, Jurlique "is passion" and a chance to connect with the "living energy" of their skincare products.
"Beauty is sustainable connections to the earth," her website says.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Cafes and Coffee
Bondi Beach
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Bondi Beach Cafes
We have recently had the pleasure of dining at some of Bondi Beaches greatest cafes including:
Bondi Trattoria, Lamrock Cafe, Cafe Lorenzini, The Sun Cafe, Starfish Cafe and Brave Cafe Restaurant.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Cafes
Bondi Beach
Best Regards
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man Australia
e: greg@mediaman.com.au
w: www.mediaman.com.au
Bondi Trattoria, Lamrock Cafe, Cafe Lorenzini, The Sun Cafe, Starfish Cafe and Brave Cafe Restaurant.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Cafes
Bondi Beach
Best Regards
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man Australia
e: greg@mediaman.com.au
w: www.mediaman.com.au
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Cafe's in Sydney's eastern suburbs
See our Bronte Beach and Bondi Beach profiles which are currently being updated.
Best Regards
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man Australia
e: greg@mediaman.com.au
w: www.mediaman.com.au
Best Regards
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man Australia
e: greg@mediaman.com.au
w: www.mediaman.com.au
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Media Update
More information at the Media Man Australia official website.
Best Regards
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man Australia
e: greg@mediaman.com.au
w: www.mediaman.com.au
Best Regards
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man Australia
e: greg@mediaman.com.au
w: www.mediaman.com.au
Friday, December 09, 2005
Cafes & Coffee Media Update
For more information contact:
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man Australia
e: greg@mediaman.com.au
w: www.mediaman.com.au
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man Australia
e: greg@mediaman.com.au
w: www.mediaman.com.au
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Cafe & Coffee Directory
Cafe & Coffee Directory
Media Man Australia prefers Zellini's at Randwick, in Sydney's eastern suburbs
Media Man Australia prefers Zellini's at Randwick, in Sydney's eastern suburbs
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