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Unlock Zeta Bar's Secret Garden At Hilton Sydney: Blossoming With Cocktails And Afternoon Tea Every Friday Night

Zeta Bar - Hilton Hotel Sydney gets Coney Island Mermaid

The promo from Hilton reads: "Zeta`s "CONEY ISLAND" is our exciting new Friday Nights concept. Experience evenings of the unexpected, perfectly paradoxical and the weird and wonderful, with extravagant entertainment and a creative mix of classic cocktails with progressive and fun elements." It was all of that and more.

We learned that it was all mixed with a specially concocted range of classic cocktails with a twist, like Cosmopolitan Candy Floss, Toffee Apple Martinis and Long Island Iced Tea snow cones and much, much more.

Earlier this eventing the team at Human Statue Bodyart created a Human - Extreme Mermaid which once made up entertained, danced and delighted patrons at Hilton's famous Zeta Bar.

Model Anastasia was painted and made up by the team of artists including Eva Rinaldi, Salvatore and Antonella Erba.

The Coney Island theme was a big hit and mermaid fans will be pleased to hear that yet another mermaid, tipped to be wearing a red number, will be entertaining patrons at the Zeta tomorrow (Friday) evening.

Well done to everyone involved in the mega success of the Coney Island promotion and we're sure the mermaid is just the right bait to keep patrons coming back for more.

It's all there for the taking at Hilton's little slice of paradise in Sydney's CBD.

Websites
Hilton Hotel Sydney www.hiltonsydney.com.au
Zeta Bar www.zetabar.com.au
Human Statue Bodyart www.humanstatuebodyart.com.au

News

2011 HM Awards winners announced in front of record audience

SYDNEY, September 3: In front of a record crowd of 600 hoteliers, industry leaders and major suppliers, the winners of the 2011 HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence, presented by Sealy, have been announced.

Held at the prestigious Sydney Town Hall last night (Sep 2) and hosted by television personality Larry Emdur, the HM Awards have, for the 9th time, recognised the accommodation industry's finest staff, properties, brands and chains across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Major winners on the night were Pan Pacific's CEO and President, A Patrick Imbardelli (Asia-Pacific Hotelier of the Year), IHG's COO for Australasia - Bruce McKenzie (Australian Hotelier of the Year), Accor New Zealand's Paul Richardson (New Zealand Hotelier of the Year), Accor Hotels (Accommodation Chain), Hilton (Hotel Brand), InterContinental Sydney (Hotel of the Year) and Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa (Environmental Program).

Hamilton Island's qualia picked up three key awards (Australian Lodge, Resort and Spa), while Hilton Sydney also claimed a trifecta (Hotel Bar - Zeta, Engineer - Craig Cavers and General Manager - Paul Hutton).

Over NZD$65,000 was also raised on the night for the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust in the greatest charity display the accommodation industry has seen for years.

“The accommodation industry's generosity and desire to help the people of Christchurch was absolutely remarkable,” said HM magazine managing editor James Wilkinson. “I am incredibly proud of the way the accommodation industry dug deep to help our friends and family across the Tasman in what are still such challenging times.”

The 2011 HM Awards were hosted by HM magazine, presented by Sealy, and co-hosted by AHS Hospitality, Intrust Super, ISIS and Philips.

“Once more we were proud to recognise the industry's finest, particularly the staff that have been doing such an amazing job over the last 12 months,” Wilkinson said. “Sure a hotel can be rewarded for its aesthetics, style, design and comfort, but it’s the people who work in hotels that gives the accommodation industry in Australasia its soul.

“This year, our people categories generated the most interest and in the case of Rising Star, held for the first time in 2011, the most nominations out of the 48 categories.

“On behalf of the team at HM magazine and all of our fantastic sponsors this year, congratulations to all of the winners, highly commended recipients and finalists in 2011,” Wilkinson said.

Four Hoteliers were also inducted into the HM Awards Hall of Fame. Former Mirvac CEO Andrew Turner was joined by Fritz Gubler, Max Player and Gavin Faull, with the trio recognised for their services to education, having been responsible for starting the Blue Mountains Hotel School outside Sydney and the Pacific International Hotel Management School in New Zealand.

The 2011 HM Awards saw not just a record crowd, but also a record number of entries with 1600 this year.

2011 HM Awards winners announced in front of record audience

In front of a record crowd of 600 hoteliers, industry leaders and major suppliers, the winners of the 2011 HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence, presented by Sealy, have been announced.

Held at the prestigious Sydney Town Hall last Friday night (Sep 2) and hosted by television personality Larry Emdur, the HM Awards have, for the 9th time, recognised the accommodation industry’s finest staff, properties, brands and chains across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Major winners on the night were Pan Pacific’s CEO and President, A Patrick Imbardelli (Asia-Pacific Hotelier of the Year), IHG’s COO for Australasia – Bruce McKenzie (Australian Hotelier of the Year), Accor New Zealand’s Paul Richardson (New Zealand Hotelier of the Year), Accor Hotels (Accommodation Chain), Hilton (Hotel Brand), InterContinental Sydney (Hotel of the Year) and Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa (Environmental Program).

Hamilton Island’s qualia picked up three key awards (Australian Lodge, Resort and Spa), while Hilton Sydney also claimed a trifecta (Hotel Bar – Zeta, Engineer – Craig Cavers and General Manager – Paul Hutton).

Over NZD$60,000 was also raised on the night for the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust in the greatest charity display the accommodation industry has seen for years.

“The accommodation industry’s generosity and desire to help the people of Christchurch was absolutely remarkable,” said HM magazine managing editor James Wilkinson. “I am incredibly proud of the way the accommodation industry dug deep to help our friends and family across the Tasman in what are still such challenging times.”

The 2011 HM Awards were hosted by HM magazine, presented by Sealy, and co-hosted by AHS Hospitality, Intrust Super, ISIS and Philips.

“Once more we were proud to recognise the industry’s finest, particularly the staff that have been doing such an amazing job over the last 12 months,” Wilkinson said. “Sure a hotel can be rewarded for its aesthetics, style, design and comfort, but it is the people who work in hotels that gives the accommodation industry in Australasia its soul.

“This year, our people categories generated the most interest and in the case of Rising Star, held for the first time in 2011, the most nominations out of the 48 categories.

“On behalf of the team at HM magazine and all of our fantastic sponsors this year, congratulations to all of the winners, highly commended recipients and finalists in 2011,” Wilkinson said.

2011 HM AWARDS – WINNERS AND HIGHLY COMMENDED RECIPIENTS
AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY AWARDS

1. Serviced Apartment Property
Presented by: AHS Hospitality
Winner: Fraser Suites, Sydney
Highly Commended: Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury

2. Budget Accommodation
Presented by: Intrust Super
Winner: Econolodge Sydney South
Highly Commended: Aarons Hotel, Sydney

3. Economy Hotel
Presented by: AHS Hospitality
Winner: Travelodge Docklands
Highly Commended: Pensione Hotel Melbourne

4. Midscale Hotel
Presented by: Vintech Systems
Winner: Vibe Hotel Rushcutters
Highly Commended: Holiday Inn Burswood

5. Upscale Hotel
Presented by: Philips
Winner: Q Station Retreat
Highly Commended: The Sebel Pier One

6. Upper-upscale Hotel
Presented by: ISIS
Winner: The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa
Highly Commended: Crown Metropol

7. Luxury Hotel
Presented by: HotelHome Australia
Winner: Crown Towers, Melbourne
Highly Commended: The Observatory Hotel, Sydney

8. Australian Lodge
Presented by: Sealy
Winner: qualia
Highly Commended: Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa

9. Business Hotel
Presented by: FOXTEL
Winner: InterContinental Sydney
Highly Commended: Hilton Sydney

10. Resort
Presented by: DALLEN
Winner: qualia
Highly Commended: Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa

11. Hotel Interior Design
Presented by: ISIS
Winner: The Olsen
Highly Commended: Emporium Hotel, Brisbane

12. Boutique Hotel
Presented by: Intrust Super
Winner: Emporium Hotel, Brisbane
Highly Commended: Henry Jones Art Hotel

13. New Hotel
Presented by: Philips
Winner: Peppers Broadbeach
Highly Commended: Wildman Wilderness Lodge

14. MICE property
Presented by: SPICE magazine and spicenews.com.au
Winner: The Langham Melbourne
Highly Commended: Q Station Retreat

15. Regional Property
Presented by: Sealy
Winner: Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa
Highly Commended: Kim’s Beach Hideaway

16. Day Spa
Presented by: ISIS
Winner: Spa qualia, qualia
Highly Commended: Isika Day Spa and Urban Retreat, Crown Metropol

17. Hotel Bar
Presented by: Southtrade International
Winner: Zeta Bar, Hilton Sydney
Highly Commended: Blu Bar on 36, Shangri-La Hotel Sydney

18. Hotel Restaurant
Presented by: San Pellegrino
Winner: Est, Establishment
Highly Commended: Lake House Restraurant, Lake House Daylesford

19. Tech-Hotel
Presented by: DOCOMO interTouch
Winner: Crown Metropol
Highly Commended: Hilton Sydney

NEW ZEALAND & SOUTH PACIFIC PROPERTY AWARDS

20. New Zealand Hotel
Presented by: PHILIPS
Winner: Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa
Highly Commended: Hilton Queenstown

21. New Zealand Regional Property
Presented by: Sealy
Winner: Hilton Lake Taupo
Highly Commended: Millbrook Resort, Queenstown

22. New Zealand Lodge
Presented by: Robert Oatley Vineyards
Winner: Blanket Bay, Glenorchy
Highly Commended: Huka Lodge, Taupo

23. Fijian Property
Presented by: ISIS
Winner: Likuliku Lagoon Resort
Highly Commended: InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa

24. South Pacific Property
Presented by: Ernst&Young
Winner: InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa, French Polynesia
Highly Commended: Sofitel Moorea, French Polynesia

GENERAL AWARDS (ALL COUNTRIES)

25. Marketing Campaign
Presented by: Time Out Sydney and Time Out Melbourne
Winner: Vibe Hotels, Toga Hospitality
Highly Commended: Hilton Melbourne South Wharf

26. Service to the Community
Presented by: Intrust Super
Winner: Mercure Sydney
Highly Commended: Hilton Cairns

PEOPLE AWARDS

27. Concierge
Presented by: Intrust Super
Winner: Steve Ciric, The Westin Melbourne
Highly Commended: Ronald Maskell, Crown Towers Melbourne
Highly Commended: Alex Williams, Sheraton on the Park, Sydney

28. Hotel Chef
Presented by: FRANKE
Winner: Brendon Coffey, Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa
Highly Commended: Anthony Ross, The Langham Melbourne
Highly Commended: Andrew McCrea, The Sebel Suites Brisbane

29. Food and Beverage Associate
Presented by: Coca-Cola Amatil
Winner: Cherie Stubbs-Timbery, Swiss-Grand Resort and Spa, Bondi Beach
Highly Commended: Chris Hough, Sheraton on the Park, Sydney
Highly Commended: Chris Smith, Assistant F&B Services Manager, The Sebel Parramatta

30. Human Resources Associate
Presented by: TMS Asia-Pacific
Winner: Nicole Salonga, Four Seasons Sydney
Highly Commended: Amanda Lutvey, Emporium Hotel Brisbane
Highly Commended: Bronwyn Knutson, Mantra Group, New Zealand

31. Sales and Marketing Associate
Presented by: Vacations & Travel magazine
Winner: Blair Weir, Sofitel Melbourne on Collins
Highly Commended: Ivy Zhang, Sheraton on the Park, Sydney
Highly Commended: Evelyn Page, Best Western Sanctuary Inn, Tamworth

32. Communications Associate
Presented by: Travmedia.com
Winner: Linda Sweeney, Mirvac Hotels and Resorts
Highly Commended: Rebecca Freestun, Sofitel Luxury Hotels
Highly Commended: Tara Bishop, Crown Hotels Melbourne

33. Front Office Associate
Presented by: AHS Hospitality
Winner: Calisha Allsworth, 8Hotels
Highly Commended: Simon Wanstall, Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney
Highly Commended: Joseph Kuchappan, Quest Suva, Fiji

34. Procurement Associate
Presented by: Sealy
Winner: Michael Thomas, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts
Highly Commended: Nicholas Grandioso, Accor Hotels, Australia
Highly Commended: Lori Finglas, Mantra Group

35. Housekeeper
Presented by: AHS Hospitality
Winner: Chona Ogilvie, Four Points by Sheraton Sydney
Highly Commended: Elizabeth York, Chifley Hotel Penrith Panthers
Highly Commended: Karina Gordon, Diamant Hotel Canberra

36. Hotel Engineer
Presented by: Philips
Winner: Craig Cavers, Hilton Sydney
Highly Commended: Sean Smith, The York by Swiss Belhotel, Sydney
Highly Commended: Dieter Spielkamp, Novotel Twin Waters Resort

37. Rising Star
Presented by: TMS Asia-Pacific
Winner: Danielle De Veaux, Establishment Hotel
Highly Commended: Rebecca Patterson, Swiss Grand Resort and Spa, Bondi Beach
Highly Commended: Cory Clark-Goodison, The Sebel Resort and Spa Hawkesbury Valley

MAJOR AWARDS

38. South Pacific General Manager
Presented by: Sealy
Winner: Julian Moore, Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Highly Commended: Adam Laker, Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa
Highly Commended: Wayne Milgate, Vomo Island, Fiji

39. New Zealand General Manager
Presented by: Philips
Winner: Bruce Garrett, The George, Christchurch
Highly Commended: Wouter de Graaf, Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa
Highly Commended: Callum Mallett, SkyCity Hotels, Auckland

40. Australian General Manager
Presented by: Intrust Super
Winner: Paul Hutton, Hilton Sydney
Highly Commended: Peter Tudehope, Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney
Highly Commended: Michael Sheridan, The Sebel Pier One Sydney

41. Environmental ProgramPresented by: ISIS
Winner: Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow
Highly Commended: Hilton Sydney

42. Supplier
Presented by: HM magazine and hotelmanagement.com.au
Winner: MICROS-Fidelio
Highly Commended: Sealy

43. Hotel Brand
Presented by: AHS Hospitality
Winner: Hilton
Highly Commended: Sofitel

44. Accommodation Chain
Presented by: Sealy
Winner: Accor Hotels
Highly Commended: Langham Hospitality Group

45. Hotel of the Year
Presented by: Sealy
Winner: InterContinental Sydney
Highly Commended: Crown Towers, Melbourne

46. HM magazine New Zealand Hotelier
Presented by: HM magazine and hotelmanagement.com.au
Winner: Paul Richardson, Accor Hotels

47. HM magazine Australian Hotelier of the Year
Presented by: HM magazine and hotelmanagement.com.au
Winner: Bruce McKenzie, InterContinental Hotels Group

48. HM magazine Asia-Pacific Hotelier of the Year
Presented by: HM magazine and hotelmanagement.com.au
Winner: A. Patrick Imbardelli, Pan Pacific Hotels Group

News

Australian Gambling On Pre-Commitment Pokies: Lovers VS Haters, by Greg Tingle - 21st January 2011

Gambling On Pub Pokies Gambling Pre Commitment?...

It's one of Australia's hottest political stories at the moment. At least, that's the vibe, and its getting a good run on Aussie talk back radio and inches dedicated to Australian newspaper print, not to mention the strong coverage on leading news and entertainment website portals such as Gambling911, Media Man, Crikey and 'The Shout'.

Gaming - pokie giant ALH (Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group).... you've got to love the "leisure" reference, has punished and kicked the head in (figure of speech: there were no pub fight ok punters) of the Aussie government plan requiring all gamblers to nominate how much they are prepared to lose down the throats of slots - fruit machines aka "one armed bandits" before trying their luck, starting it would have a "seriously" negative impact on most who enjoy getting on the punt pokies style.

The ALH, 75% cent owned by Woolworths, who we affectionately call 'The Fast Cash People' (satire ok guys) advised the gambling policy was "deeply politicised" and club and pub owners were being unfairly targeted while online gaming escaped regulation.

Clubs and pubs are of course land based premises on Australian soil, while online gaming and online gambling no very few boundaries, with many of the world's largest media companies, including some in Australia, covering the sector in both a media, PR, affiliate, B2B and holistic campaign capacity.

In recent years Australia's Fairfax Media, publisher of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and a number of online news and entertainment website portals like Brisbane Times, along with The Daily Telegraph online and other Murdoch Australian online news entities have developed dedicated sections on gambling, gaming, sports betting et al, with punters and readers lapping it up. Australia's AdNews website is has also taken on ads, and James Packer's Betfair has promos on a swag of websites, and on many mainstream TV broadcasts. Yep, gambling is everywhere, and NRL team, the Penrith Panthers is tipped to soon have their footy ground renamed Centrebet Stadium, or something to that effect.

Website portals like IGN, Virgin and Media Man Int, are expanding out in a wide variety of domain name extensions, building brands and reach, some targeting specific geographic regions.

To their credit, many of the media and entertainment companies featuring some gaming and igaming coverage do support a number of worthy causes, be it The Salvation Army, Virgin Unite, The Red Cross and GenerationOne, and some even making cash donations to struggling charities on the quite, not seeking fame of thanks for their good deeds.

Crown Casino, home to the Aussie Millions has an online presence, and has conducted B2B with the likes of PartyGaming, where the current champion is an Australian who learned how to play online with Party's online poker brand. Crown over the past few years have got into bed somewhat with online poker firms, accepting "online poker satellite qualifiers", where players play on online websites, with the some of the best players winning seats to the land based poker tournaments.

Back to the politics of pub pokies, much of the fuss relates to the Australian government broken promise to the Australian clubs and pubs sector, while pandering to the wish list of a certain well known Australian senator. Many media commentators in Australia said the senators demands (for securing his vote), accounted to a version of blackmail! Strong allegations, and these were carried in about a dozen different media outlets down under in Australia. The policy itself was a mammoth clash with the Productivity Commission's view - policy on the run...a deal struck between the independent... get read for the name... MP Andrew Wilkie and the federal government. In exchange for Wilkie's support, the government promised a "full pre-commitment scheme" for poker machines by 2014, igniting a war of words and public backlash from the powerful pubs and clubs sector, with Wilkie being shouted out of a few meetings with regional clubs, with Australian pensioners being some of the most upset, distressed and basically, pissed off, wanting the Aussie Labor Government thrown out of office.

The ALH Group outlined in its submission to a parliamentary inquiry, the government's policy would probably be ineffective and would basically force substantially higher costs on pub owners, clients, associates and suppliers.

A lengthy Productivity Commission inquiry recommended "full pre-commitment" by 2016, and the ALH and others pushed for more research.

The ALH is the proud operation of in excess of 12,000 pokies aka "one armed bandits" and 286 pubs. They are king! Pushing for a voluntary pre-commitment, ALH advised problem gamblers would still find a way to bet online where the internet has few boundaries, where less regulations applied. Online brands such as PartyGaming, PartyCasino, Captain Cooks, Centrebet and Betfair are well known, trusted, ethical and popular with Australians and New Zealanders, with punters not so keen to try out other lesser known brands.

Senator Nick Xenophon, an anti-poker machine "hater" (not lover), pointed the finger at Woolworths 'The Fast Cash People' (satire) of trying to defend the indefensible.

The submission ignored "overwhelming evidence" that a pre-commitment scheme would help reduce problem gambling, Senator Xenophon said, likening its stance to big tobacco firms denying the dangers of smoking. The question and claim is being investigated with some journalists not so sure it was "overwhelming evidence" with some saying it was clever spin, backed by "junk science" coming out of some Australian universities known for their dislike of the gaming and gambling sector.

'Mr X' (satire) added "The irony is there are people who cannot afford to buy food from a Woolworths supermarket because they are blowing their money on a Woolworths poker machine".

Senator Xenophon and other anti-pokies groups convinced Woolworths last year to keep children away from its poker machines. Woolworths made $176.7 million in pre-tax profits from its hotels division last financial year. The pub baron Bruce Mathieson owns the remaining 25 per cent of ALH.

The parliamentary inquiry will hold public hearings in capital cities next month.

Many Aussie based legal eagles such as Jamie Nettleton from Addisons are expecting strong business this year, as the legal complexities of online vs offline, website portals vs casinos, affiliate programs, PR VS news and campaigns et al, continue to get looked at. Our friend Nettleton has already gone on record that many Australian laws are outdated and do not basically cover or apply to the global medium that is the world wide web. Nettleton is recommending more regulations, which in turn will help better protect consumers, and well as help with taxation laws and other business functions, resulting in a win - win - win.

Australian Land Based Casinos VS Land Based Pokie Palaces: Australian Casinos List...

Punters, we know your just begging to get your current Australian land based casino hotspots back on file, many of which are massive tourist attractions, so here it is...

New South Wales
Star City Casino (Sydney)

Victoria
Crown Casino (Melbourne)

Queensland
Conrad Treasury Casino (Brisbane)
Jupiters Hotel & Casino (Gold Coast)
Jupiters Townsville Casino (Townsville)
The Reef Hotel Casino (Cairns)

South Australia
Skycity Adelaide (Adelaide)

Western Australia
Burswood Entertainment Complex aka Burswood Casino (Perth)

Tasmania
Wrest Point Hotel Casino (Hobart)
Country Club Casino (Launceston)

Australian Capital Territory
Casino Canberra (Canberra)

Northern Territory
Lasseters Hotel Casino (Alice Springs)
Skycity Darwin (formerly MGM Grand Casino) (Darwin)

Tobacco Industry VS Government Wars: Australian Sinners Key Target...

The tobacco industry has launched a fresh and "backdoor" type attack on legislation to make plain packaging of cigarettes compulsory, using a regional FTO (free trade agreement) to which Australia is expected to sign up to.

Tobacco giant Philip Morris has used Australia's plain-packaging laws, set to come into effect next year, to debate the need for "investor state" provisions in the upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. This would basically facilitate companies to sue member governments if they pass legislation curtailing business activities!

Thomas Faunce, an Australian Research Council future fellow at the Australian National University, called on the federal government to resist the inclusion of investor state provisions in the agreement. He said the provisions duplicated ground that had already been covered in the 2005 Australia-US free trade pact.

"Australia can rebut such attempts on the basis that they reopen the (free trade agreement) negotiations where an investor-state clause was expressly excluded," Associate Professor Faunce wrote in a critique published today in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Negotiations on the trade agreement - between the US, Australia, New Zealand and six South American and south-east Asian countries - intensified last year and are expected to be completed in September.

In a submission on the proposed trade agreement to the US trade representative, Philip Morris cited Australia's plain-packaging laws among "initiatives of concern".

The company said it supported laws to reduce any harm caused by tobacco, but opposed "extreme and disproportionate regulation … which has the effect of violating international law and expropriating intellectual property rights".

Simon Chapman, a professor of public health at the University of Sydney, said the company's stance was consistent with the tobacco industry's history of attempting to use trade agreements to defeat individual countries' health laws.

"It's yet another sign of the degree to which the industry will go to to defeat and delay any measure that will actually work (to cut smoking rates)" he said.

The World Trade Organisation's Uruguay Round had established the right of countries "to put health considerations above international trade considerations".

Patricia Ranald, of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network, which advises on human rights, and the environment, said Australia would receive little export benefit from the treaty because the free trade agreement was already in place.

"What we want to say to our government is that we should negotiate about trade issues but not about social policies," Dr Ranald said.

Craig Emerson, the Minister for Trade, would not commit on excluding investor-state provisions from the trade pact, saying he was not prepared to make policy on the run.

But he said Philip Morris would be "whistling in the wind" if it tried to undermine national anti-tobacco laws.

The tobacco industry ie: smoking, has long been linked to other industries such as gambling (where punters often chase land based pokies where smoking is allowed), the sex and fetish industry, fashion (models smoke instead of eat correctly, not to put on weight) and motorsport (especially F1), but exposure of tobacco products on cars has been massively reduced - more than halved, over the past 5 years, with energy drinks like Red Bull picking up some of the slack.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Gambling911 are website portals. Not casinos as such, however are recognised as world leading websites that cover the sector and act as central points to games, news, reviews and more.

Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Tell us in the forum.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered

Profiles

Clubs Nightlife

Stamford Plaza Hotel, Double Bay

Swiss-Grand Resort & Spa, Bondi Beach

Sebel Playford Adelaide

Palazzo Versace

Royal Pines Resort

Necker Island