Globe Online reports that Livermore Investments Group Ltd., controlled by Noam Lanir, is suing Crown Solutions Gaming Ltd. and Uniplay International Ltd., both private internet gambling companies controlled by Israeli tycoon and Playtech founder Teddy Sagi.

Livermore claims that Sagi’s companies sold it a domain for operating internet casinos that could not be used as it infringed the brand-name rights of Monaco based hotels and online casinos SBM. As a result Livermore was forced to abandon operations on the site and pay $3.4 million in compensation to SBM.

In their response, the defence claims that Livermore could have fought in the courts to carry on using the domain and did not consult them over the compromise they agreed to with SBM.

PokerStars has announced that the Asia Pacific Poker Tour Seoul for casino gambling, scheduled for September 17 to 20 at the 7-Luck Casino has been postponed.

Reportedly online casino renovations specifically undertaken for hosting the tournament are not complete. The event will be rescheduled once construction is concluded.

The Latin American country of Argentina casino games was the source of good news midweek as the Dow Jones news agency reported that plans are afoot to legalise and regulate online gambling.

Presidential Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez told Dow Jones Buenos Aires: “We’re working so that this will become law within two or three months,” adding that it could take longer internet gambling and possibly up to two years.

Fernandez said that the move was targeted on combating illegal gambling that is already in existence. His comments come on the heels of speculation that the government would use online gambling taxes to make a contribution to the fiscus and help finance recently acquired rights to broadcast soccer matches.

Fernandez neither denied nor confirmed that gambling could be used to finance soccer. “That’s another subject,” he said in comments to reporters on the sidelines of a Council of the Americas conference.

The progressive Argentinian approach is in stark contrast to reports earlier this week that Brazilian politicians plan to outlaw online gambling, deploying UIGEA-style tactics and ISP blocks.

It appears from media reports coming to light over the weekend that Brazilian politicians could be gearing up for a ban on internet gambling that could include UIGEA-like elements designed to disrupt financial transactions between players and online gambling operators, and even Internet Service Provider blocks on offshore online gambling websites.

The reports emphasise that Bill PLS 121/2008 still has many hurdles to overcome as it makes its way through parliamentary committees prior to full debate and voting in both the Brazilian Senate and Chamber of Deputies as well as both houses of the Congress.

If ultimately passed, the proposal could put a serious crimp on the Latin American market for which many operators have high hopes.

Originally proposed by Senator Magno Malta in the spring of 2008, the bill is currently with the Communications and Technology Committee of the Brazilian Senate. The reports indicate that a companion bill authored by senior politician Senator Alves Filho is also in progress that makes provision for bans on payment processing through the Brazilian financial infrastructure, and includes moves to compel Internet Service Providers to block user’s access to gambling sites.

A similar payment processing ban introduced in Brazil in 2007, aimed at sportsbetting sites, failed to make it through the political process.

In his draft proposal, Senator Filho admits that his draft law has been inspired by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the United States and the impact it has had on the Internet gambling industry.

“The UIGEA in the USA adopted a strategy that is worthwhile bringing across to our jurisdiction,” wrote Senator Filho. “… as it is not possible to punish those responsible for electronic sites based in other countries… we punish those that allow these sites to be accessed from our national territory.

“It is for this reason that the North American law and this current project are principally directed towards internet service providers, credit card companies and towards banks.”

Several major international online gambling operators are already active in the Brazilian market, promoting their activities vigorously.