The tourism slump, stemming from the terrorist attacks, is giving the gambling industry a fresh incentive to look to the Internet as a way to attract business.
Casino corporations eligible to apply for Internet gambling licenses planned to meet Wednesday through Friday with technology developers of proposed online casinos and regulators at the first Interactive Gaming Exposition and Conference.
"Given the significant falloff of business, particularly in Las Vegas, Internet gaming in an environment like this can have significant upside opportunities," said Marc Falcone, a gambling analyst for Bear Stearns. "If people aren't going out to casinos, they can continue to play at home."
Experts estimate that revenues from Internet gambling, largely conducted by offshore companies because of the U.S. ban, reached $1.5 billion last year and could total $6 billion by 2003.
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Consumer groups tough on MS: A coalition of consumer groups sent a letter to state and federal prosecutors asking them to be tough with Microsoft (MSFT) in the four-year antitrust case, calling for extensive business restrictions and allowing individuals to sue the company.
The groups also wrote a 33-page report detailing their concerns with the upcoming Windows XP operating system, which will reach the public soon.
"We urge the attorneys general, who represent consumers as plaintiffs in the case, to seek a swift and sure end to what we believe to be illegal leveraging of illegally obtained monopolies for the PC operating system and Internet browser," the letter states.
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"Majestic" on CD: Electronic Arts will offer a CD-based version of its game "Majestic" at stores later this year in response to lackluster online demand, a spokesman said.
EA (ERTS) suspended the game Sept. 11 by stopping gameplay at the company website. The company cited concern that the content, which includes violent plots and late-night phone calls, might have been upsetting in the wake of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
EA restarted the game a week later, requiring players to register to opt back into the X-Files-like world of the online game.
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Expanding in Japan: Vodafone Group will expand its Japanese business by relying on its global prowess, company chief executive Christopher Gent said.
Last week, Vodafone (VOD) offered to spend as much as $2.7 billion to raise its stake in Japan Telecom to 66.7 percent from 45 percent. It was Vodafone's latest move to gain a greater foothold in Japan.
Vodafone hopes to challenge the domination of NTT DoCoMo in the Japanese mobile phone market in various ways, including offering new services to corporate clients, Gent said.
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Cell phone fees reduced: The price of calls to mobile phones in Great Britain is set to fall by four pence a minute after Oftel announced controls it said would save consumers 800 million pounds ($1.2 billion).
Oftel said it would impose fresh price controls on mobile operators for four years, starting next March because the market was not yet fully competitive, even though competition had increased.
But it said the controls were softer than the existing ones imposed in 1999 that will expire in March, which would have cut prices by 1 billion pounds. Analysts said the move will have little impact on operators, who face huge financial pressures as they invest in costly third-generation networks.
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BT ads found deceptive: British Telecommunications has been forced to stop claiming it provides a "reliable" Internet service.
The Advertising Standards Authority upheld on Wednesday complaints from BT users who said they could not log on to the Net despite paying for 24-hour access.
The complaints were about a banner advertisement on a website that said: "BT Anytime for a fast, reliable service." After an investigation, the authority ruled that the claim was "misleading."
BT (BTY) had explained to the authority that some customers were getting a "busy" signal because its Internet routers had been unable to find a "gateway" to the Net.
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Briefly told: Microsoft will release Windows XP with Plus, an add-on package that provides digital media features and video games.
AP and Reuters contributed to this report.
