Webcast and Summary Of The Google Conference Call On Their Purchase Of YouTube

To listen to the full press conference webcast, click:

http://investor.google.com/webcast.html

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are pictured here.

YouTube's Chad Hurley and Steve Chen video message is here:



The Google / YouTube deal has rocked not just the vlog world, but American Culture. In today's conference call featuring Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Chad Hurley, CEO of YouTube, Google Founder Sergey Brin, the general message was that the media world has shifted to the user. "We're in the middle of a shift in digital media entertainment," said Hurley. "Users are now in control of what they want to watch and when they want to watch it. They decide what rises to the top, what's entertaining."

Also in the press conference was the remark that Google's ad system will be matted with YouTube's distribution process, and that in general the two firms came up with about 30 different ways they could combine their technologies.

Google Press Release Text (Not A Transcript)

Google To Acquire YouTube for $1.65 Billion in Stock
Combination Will Create New Opportunities for Users and Content Owners Everywhere

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., October 9, 2006 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that it has agreed to acquire YouTube, the consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos through a Web experience, for $1.65 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction. Following the acquisition, YouTube will operate independently to preserve its successful brand and passionate community.

The acquisition combines one of the largest and fastest growing online video entertainment communities with Google's expertise in organizing information and creating new models for advertising on the Internet. The combined companies will focus on providing a better, more comprehensive experience for users interested in uploading, watching and sharing videos, and will offer new opportunities for professional content owners to distribute their work to reach a vast new audience.

"The YouTube team has built an exciting and powerful media platform that complements Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," said Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google. "Our companies share similar values; we both always put our users first and are committed to innovating to improve their experience. Together, we are natural partners to offer a compelling media entertainment service to users, content owners and advertisers."

"Our community has played a vital role in changing the way that people consume media, creating a new clip culture. By joining forces with Google, we can benefit from its global reach and technology leadership to deliver a more comprehensive entertainment experience for our users and to create new opportunities for our partners," said Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-Founder of YouTube. "I'm confident that with this partnership we'll have the flexibility and resources needed to pursue our goal of building the next-generation platform for serving media worldwide."

When the acquisition is complete, YouTube will retain its distinct brand identity, strengthening and complementing Google's own fast-growing video business. YouTube will continue to be based in San Bruno, CA, and all YouTube employees will remain with the company. With Google's technology, advertiser relationships and global reach, YouTube will continue to build on its success as one of the world's most popular services for video entertainment.

The number of Google shares to be issued in the transaction will be determined based on the 30-day average closing price two trading days prior to the completion of the acquisition. Both companies have approved the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Webcast and Conference Call Information

The company will host a conference call and webcast at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) today to discuss the acquisition. To access the conference call, please dial 800-289-0572 domestic and 913-981-5543 internationally. A replay of the call will be available until midnight Monday, October 16 at 888-203-1112 domestically and 719-457-0820 internationally. Confirmation code for the replay is 2260624.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at http://investor.google.com/webcast.html.

About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.

About YouTube
Founded in February 2005, YouTube is a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience. YouTube allows people to easily upload and share video clips on www.YouTube.com and across the Internet through websites, blogs, and e-mail. YouTube currently delivers more than 100 million video views every day with 65,000 new videos uploaded daily and it has quickly become the leading destination on the Internet for video entertainment.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Google's and YouTube's ability to improve their services, create new business models and content-owner opportunities, integration plans, the expected timing for the closing of the acquisition and the plans to operate YouTube independently. These statements are based on the current expectations or beliefs of management of Google Inc., and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein due to (1) changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors, (2) failure to receive regulatory approval for the acquisition, (3) failure to retain the levels of traffic on the YouTube site, (4) failure to compete successfully in this highly competitive and rapidly changing marketplace, (5) failure to retain key employees, (6) other factors affecting the operation of the respective businesses of Google and YouTube, and (7) the failure of YouTube and Google to work together effectively. More detailed information about these factors may be found in filings by Google, as applicable, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including their respective most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Google is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter their respective forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Press Contacts:
Google Media:
Jon Murchinson
650.253.4437
jonm@google.com Investors:
Maria Shim
650.253.7663
marias@google.com YouTube Media:
Julie Supan
650.685.6401
press@youtube.com

Google Buys YouTube - Deal Done - What Do You Think Of It?

Yep. The deal's done. It makes sense for this to happen, especially because the two firms are so close in operation and geography. This 15-year old YouTube user has posted an opinion on the deal and expressed his view. He thinks that Google's purchase of YouTube means more costs for the users of both. See this video below:



Google to buy YouTube for $1.65 billion
Search engine leader looks to bulk up in the lucrative online video market.
By Paul R. La Monica, CNNMoney.com editor at large
October 9 2006: 4:42 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Google, the Internet's leading search engine, announced Monday that it is buying popular online video site YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock.

YouTube, which was founded in February 2005, has quickly become the most well-known of several online video sites. More than 100 million videos, many of which are short videos created by the site's users, are downloaded a day on the site.

According to Internet research firm Hitwise, YouTube has about a 46 percent share of the online video market.

For Google (Charts), the purchase of YouTube gives the company the ability to tap into the potentially lucrative online video and social networking markets. Some analysts have criticized Google for relying too much on advertising tied to keyword searches.

The combination of Google and YouTube could further strengthen Google's dominance in online advertising, giving it an edge over rivals such as Yahoo! (Charts), Microsoft's (Charts) MSN and News Corp (Charts)., which owns the social networking site MySpace. Some analysts said Monday that Yahoo, Microsoft and News Corp. also had probably expressed interest in buying YouTube.

In a statement, Google said that YouTube will operate as an independent unit of Google once the deal closes and will retain the YouTube brand name. The companies added that no YouTube workers will lose their jobs as a result of the acquisition and that Google will maintain its own online video business.

Clayton Moran, an analyst with Stanford Group, said after the deal was announced that Google was paying a rich price for YouTube. But he said Google needed to do something to become more competitive with MySpace, which currently ranks in second place in online video market share.

"My sense is that Google is paying a full price considering that YouTube is still unproven in regards to its revenue potential. But considering the success of MySpace it was clearly worthwhile for Google to take this step," Moran said.

Reports of a deal first began to circulate on Friday. Shares of Google rose about 2 percent on the Nasdaq Monday after posting a similar gain on Friday. The stock dipped slightly in after hours trading.

BattleStar Galactica - An Unexpectedly Great TV Show

I saw the fuss about BattleStar Galactica on Technorati and hoped to see what all the blog chatter was about, when I noticed that it was coming on Sci-Fi Channel so I switched over.

Wow. I didn't expect a show so gritty and "real." It does hold your attention. The BattleStar Galactica I remember was more of a cheap special effects joke than good Sci-Fi.

This is great, politcally relevant Science Fiction.

Take a look:

Speaker Hassert's Staff Warned Him Of Foley's Problem Years Ago - Trouble Ahead

Rep. Dennis Hassert, Speaker of the House Of Representatives, apparently was informed of Foley's email problems long before this latest episode, according to the Washington Post's report linked to from the title of this post. If this is true, it spells the end of the long-running hold Republican's have had on the House and perhaps the Senate.

I can't immagine a majority of Republican wins this November.

Bill Polian Goes Off - Bullies New York Jets Official Over...Speakers? - Fox, Jay Glazer

I'm a fan of the Colts organization for two reasons: the incredibly nice way Owner Jim Irsay treated me at my first NFL Owners meeting when I was working to bring the Super Bowl to Oakland; and Head Coach Tony Dungy. But this action -- well, I don't know Polian -- is over the top. Mike Silver of Sports Illustrated has refered to Polian as "The Anti-Christ" and now I'm starting to see why.

Colts GM Polian accosts Jets official

Jay Glazer / FOXSports.com


When Colts GM Bill Polian placed defensive tackle Corey Simon on non-football injured reserve this week for an unknown illness it drew raised eyebrows around the league. As it turns out, that was not Polian's most questionable move in the last seven days.

Polian accosted a New York Jets official in the tunnel of Giants Stadium prior to last week's game, several sources and people present on the scene told FOXSports.com. The Jets have notified the NFL front office to ask what options they have and what action they can take if any.

According to the sources, Polian was upset that speakers were set up too close to the field. After voicing his displeasure, a Jets operations employee talked to Polian about the issue. It's unclear what transpired between the two but Polian eventually grabbed the Jet by the lapels of his suit jacket and jacked him up against the wall of the tunnel.

The team employee, who was quite shaken up by the fiasco, sought out GM Mike Tannenbaum about the matter. Tannenbaum then raised the issue with the league office in defense of the team's employee. It is unclear what action if any the Jets or the league can take in the matter but as one Jets source said, "You should have the right to a safe workplace without worrying that somebody is going to put his hands on you."

It's also unclear if Polian reacted upon getting provoked or Polian overreacted without much prompting.

The story quickly circulated throughout the Jets complex this week and many were appalled by Polian's actions.

Calls to Tannenbaum on Saturday evening as well as calls to Bill Polian's cell phone were not returned.

When contacted regarding the situation, the NFL's spokesman Greg Aiello said he was unaware of the situation and the league would have no comment regarding matters with teams.

It's unclear what the two men said to each other but regardless, Polian should not put his hands on an employee of another team or any man for that matter. Given his position in the league, it makes his actions even more questionable.

What is also unclear, since such matters seem rare in this league, is if any action will be taken by the league office or if Polian should simply issue an apology. According to others inside the Jets, the team employee who was accosted was quite upset by the incident.

Google To Buy YouTube? Just The First In A Wave Of Web 2.0 Mergers and Acquisitions To Come

TechCrunch's Michael Arrington and The Wall Street Journal report that search engine giant YouTube and Google are in talks where the latter will buy the former for $1.6 billion.

If this deal is consumated, my prediction is it will cause a wave of mergers and acquistions between "Web 2.0" companies, particularly those which are video distributors. The number of video distribution companies seems to grow each week; my view is that we will have 140 by this time net year.

That would happen even with the wave, but I don't see that process accelerating until late 2007.

Randy Moss Is Right To Be Upset - Raiders Offense Is Not Inspiring

Oakland Raiders Wide Receiver Randy Moss popped off again. This time he said that the Raiders as a team doesn't seem to care about being 3 and 0 in the loss / won statistic -- the only one that really matters.

In an interview with Fox Sports Chris Myers, Moss said "I don't really want to single players out. I mean, I don't really know what the feeling is, but I know the feeling is bad. So that's saying no one cares about what's going on around here."

Moss comment started a buzz on any and every Raiders fan message forum in existence. Fans on Raidersfan.net have issued open letters to him. Newspaper columnists have accused him of dropping the ball himself. People -- Raiders fans -- have lined up to shoot the messenger.

But Randy's right. The Raiders don't care.

The organization's more concerned about having a kind of offense that reflects a tough, macho,...and outdated style than with winning. Head Coach Art Shell hired Offensive Coordinator Tom Walsh, he of the bed-and-breakfast who believes that football doesn't change much, thus giving way to a 1960s approach, and is not only being proven wrong but at the expense of the players he coaches.

Players like Moss.

People forget that a team is only as good as the coaches -- not the players. You can have the best players, as I was expaining to former Stanford Running Back Darren Nelson on Tuesday, but if the coaches are telling them to do the wrong things, then the players will only play as well as they're instructed.

And right now, the Raiders players are poorly instructed.

What can the Raiders do to make Randy and the offensive players happy?

Well, here's a list:

1) Offensive Line blocking: This unit's technique has improved -- they're not retreating as much, and are actually punching in their technique, but it's not consistent. Focusing on consistency here is the key. Of course, they would be helped by a really good...

2) Short passing game: The Raiders' current passing system is a freaking joke. It lacks variety in formation, patterns, and points of attack. This is the Raiders weak point, they could help the offensive line by focusing on this, and what they've got to do is..

3) Add more plays: Offensive Plays are the tools used to attack defenses. But when you go into a game with just five runs and 10 passes -- as the Raiders did against the Baltimore Ravens, you're entering the game at a handicap before the contest starts. The 1981 World Champion 49ers went into Super Bowl XIV with 89 passes and 31 runs in the game plan. There's no reason the Raiders can't do that.

4) Trick the opponent: There's nothing wrong with a good halfback pass or an onsides kick in the first quater of a game. Get the players -- like Moss -- excited. Then they will perform.

5) Teach the passing game: Run the same plays over and over again in practice. Stay until it's dark outside. Seek perfection.

6) Design plays like this one:



.... Which I've described earlier.

Art needs to make the prescribed changes, and eventually send Tom Walsh on his way and bring in Bengals Wide Receiver Coach Hue Jackson. Art's a great figure to have as a leader, but his image in this department is taking a beating just by his resistance to change, from how he dealt with Wide Receiver Jerry Porter, to this matter of the Raiders offense.

If the Raiders are smart enough to follow my advice, they'll begin to put points on the board, rack up wins, and salvage this season. In the process, they'll turn Randy Moss from media sinner to media saint.

"I WANT MY PHONE!" - Memo To Cingular CEO Stan Sigman

One week ago, my Cingular / Motorola Razor's video display stoped working. I took it into the Cingular store on Lakeshore in Oakland, CA, where the staffer arranged to have a replacement sent overnight; it never came. This set in motion a frustrating sequence of events that's led me to produce this video memo to Cingular President and CEO Stan Sigman. I just want him to get his staffers to send my phone. Chances are, you've had a simular problem with Cingular; pass this video on!

Eddie DeBartolo, Carmen Policy NOT Buying Raiders - Talked With Carmen

At the same event where I reported the unfortunate news about former 49ers and Stanford Head Coach Bill Walsh, I had the chance to chat with former 49ers and Cleveland Browns President Carmen Policy (pictured with KGO-AM San Francisco Radio Personality Ronn Owens) about a lot of matters mostly personal. But one that wasn't was the idea that he and former Niners owner were going to purchase the Oakland Raiders.

That was never true, according to Carmen.

See, the story was originally reported by my friend Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Michael Silver. I've known "Sil" since 1986, and so feel a certain obligation to help promote his terrific writing. Sil has penned great stories, come based on drunken exploits he's had with celebrities like NBA Basketball Legend Dennis Rodman.

Silver has a knack for getting a person to say something that's newsworthy while they're at a certain level of intoxication. In fact, Mike's broke a number of stories this way, but what's forgotten is that he's got such a great relationship with so many NFL operatives, he's able to get into a situation where he's drinking with someone. Not bad.

Regardless of one's view of this approach, it's certainly effective. According to Carmen, that's exactly what happened when Silver attended the giant Las Vegas party DeBartolo held for former Niners player, staff, and press who were involved with the 49ers durring their glory years.

Carmen and I agreed that Mike has a way of asking a hypothetical question, like "Let's say you were able to buy the Raiders -- would you?" And, in a Las Vegas-party atmostphere, with the booze flowing, the answer Eddie gave was "Yeah."

But it doesn't mean he or Carmen plan to purchase the Oakland Raiders.

The answer from Carmen is "No."

Coach Bill Walsh's Heath Takes A Turn For The Worst - "Titans" Event In His Honor

I just returned from an event called "A Private Equity Breakfast Honoring Coach Bill Walsh" held at the Julia Morgan Ballroom on the 15th Floor of 465 California St.

The idea of the "first of it's kind" function -- hosted by former San Francisco 49ers Harris Barton and Ronnie Lott -- was to install Coach Walsh as the first "Titan" in what will be an annual "Salute to The Titans" fund-raising event. Of course, the person of honor was to be former Stanford and San Francisco 49ers Coach Bill Walsh.

I was excited to attend the event, and even took my camcorder to do a short video interview of Coach Walsh. But after the news I and others were given, I just didn't have it in me to activate my camera. It didn't feel right to do it.

The room was chocked ful of 49er greats, from Barton and Lott, to Bill Ring, Guy McIntyre, Dave Fiori, Esson Ramson, Eric Wright, and Steve Bono. San Francisco Giants Vice President Larry Baer was there, as were former 49ers Steve Kenney and Jeff Baer, who was the team photographer. There were representitives of various private equity funds and investment bankers like George Roberts of Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts.

I was originally assigned to "Table 6" and with former Stanford Cardinal Running Back Darren Nelson, and what seemed to be an entire table of Stanford alumns; just the place for a Cal grad like me. Then, to my surprise Carmen Policy, Former President of The San Francisco 49ers and of The New Cleveland Browns, and now living in the Bay Area, came to the table to sit down. I was sitting next to a good friend of his -- "R.J." -- when Carmen leaned over and said "Bill's not attending the event. This thing he's got's just knocked him on his ass."

So R.J. and I looked at each other and realized we'd just been given very bad news. Few could believe what Carmen has said, so sad it was. Later, one of Carmen's business associates came in, and as our table was crowded had no place to sit. So since I was really "the new guy" I offered my seat to him, even though Carmen asked me to stay. I just went over to sit with my friends Beth and Allison.

When I delivered the news to them and the rest of the table, everyone thought it was a joke. That ended when Barton took the podium and after welcoming the estimated 100 people, explained that two days ago, Coach Walsh called Barton and Lott to explain that he would not be able to attend the breakfast. "His health's taken a turn for the worst," Barton said.

At that point, the function took on the feel of a memorial. Four people came up to share stories about Coach Walsh: Darren Nelson, Bill Ring, Ronnie Lott, Carmen Policy, and Sharon Williams, the Executive Director of Opportunities
Industrialization Center West (OICW), a non-profit in East Palo Alto Coach Walsh has played a key role in helping over the years.

Each speech was moving. Darren Nelson explained that Coach Walsh was "The Mad Scientist" and saw in Nelson at Stanford a pass-catching halfback, even though Nelson never caught a pass in high school. There was former 49ers Running Back "Number "30" Bill Ring talking about how Coach Walsh would make the players stay longer for practice in search of perfection in how his players ran a play. "He was like a conductor waving his batton," Ring said, "and we players were the musicians making music."

Carmen Policy talked about how he and now Former 49ers Owner Eddie DeBartolo waited in DeBartolo's apartment as then-Stanford Coach Walsh used the back elevator to escape the media and to come up for an interview. "You could see it then," Policy said, "His stature. The silver hair. He could fill a room with his presence. Right then you knew a decision had been made. We found our coach."

Carmen said that Coach Walsh gave the San Francisco Bay Area something by contributing to its soul. By forming a team and an organization that everyone stopped doing everything to see on Sundays. Lott talked about how Coach Walsh did truly love his players. Sharon Williams talked about how Coach Walsh enlisted the help of very player and athlete he could get his hands on to donate to OICW.

After the speeches a seven-minute NFL films video was shown, featuring NFL Films' Steve Sabol talking with Coach Walsh about how he came to lead the Niners, the intial discredit Walsh received for his "intellectual and technical" approach to the game, the organization's eventual success, and how much Bill really loved his players. It was moving.

The event closed with Barton asking all of the attendess to stand and accept the "Titans" award for Coach Walsh. We all did.

Later I said to Carmen that one good way to honor Coach Walsh is for the media to start calling the "West Coast Offense" the "Walsh Offense." Policy agreed, because Coach Walsh did create it, and should be honored for his work. The approach changed how offense is played in the NFL.

Here's to Coach Walsh and the Walsh Offense. I don't know how bad off Coach Walsh is, but I do ask that all reading this honor him in my requested way.

The video below was in part shown today; I include it here to demonstrate Coach Walsh's attention to detail and teaching talent.

Mike Sliver Inteviews Bengals WR Chad Johnson - CNNSI.Com

I swear some of Sports Illustrated Senior Writer and All-Time Cal Bear Mike Sliver's work doesn't make the magazine and that's a crime. Here's one example. His interview with Chad Johnson of the Bengals. But I've got to wonder if this caused the Bengals to get smashed by the Patriots? Hmm....

Chad Johnson
Bengals star's favorite celebrations, trash-talking foes
Posted: Friday September 29, 2006 12:28PM; Updated: Friday September 29, 2006 3:55PM

Chad Johnson eats the same meal at the same restaurant every afternoon he spends in Cincinnati, and were it not for the platinum-blond Mohawk -- and his current status as the NFL's most dangerous receiver -- it would be tempting to say his arrival at his favorite haunt on a recent Friday was rather uneventful.

The last time I'd broken bread with Johnson, at an Island's in L.A., he'd asked the waitress for a job application, later explaining, "You never know when you might get cut." I assumed he was doing it for effect, until one of his female friends joined us and informed me that it was common practice for a guy who, due to academic struggles and questionable commitment to his craft during his post-high-school years, came perilously close to squandering his NFL dreams.

This time Johnson seemed a bit more secure about his status, though his rough edges remain -- for example, the locker-room tantrum he threw at halftime of the Bengals' playoff defeat to the Steelers last January, one of the many topics we discussed.

Silver: I know you love to talk trash -- you and Joey Porter put on a quite a show every time you play. Is there one opponent you're really looking forward to facing this season?

Johnson: Yeah, Joey and I have this thing where we meet at the 50 before every game and let each other have it nonstop. Away from the field I love the guy, but when we get in that situation, watch out. And Troy [Polamalu] is always nudging me and hitting me during games, but he freaks me out because he never talks. I'm like, "Damn, Troy, what the f---?" Then I hear him interviewed and crack up: He's a beast on the field and he sounds like Michael Jackson.... CLICK FOR THE REST...

NFL Bettors: Online Gambling Given Death Sentence By US Government

PartyGaming, Sportingbet Plunge on U.S. Gambling Law (Update8)
By Neil Craven - BLOOMBERG

Oct. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Shares of PartyGaming Plc, Sportingbet Plc and 888 Holdings Plc plummeted, wiping out $7 billion of market value, after Congress passed laws to shut down Internet gambling in the U.S.

Legislation to prevent credit-card companies from collecting payments for bets was approved Sept. 30 in the closing hours of the congressional session, the culmination of a U.S. clampdown on online gaming. PartyGaming, the world's biggest Internet poker company, will stop taking wagers from its 900,000 American players. Its stock lost 58 percent of its value.

``The U.S. government has found a way to make life almost impossible'' for gambling Web sites, said Philippe Gijsels, senior equity strategist at Fortis Bank SA's private investment unit in Brussels, which manages $62 billion. The companies ``will have to regroup and rethink their business model,'' he said.

The U.S. accounts for about half of the $12 billion Internet gambling market and considers the industry illegal. PartyGaming is among more than 2,000 offshore companies operating poker and sports-betting Web sites. Authorities have detained British executives of Web bookmakers visiting the U.S., including David Carruthers of Betonsports Plc, who was charged by a federal grand jury in July with illegal interstate gambling.

Gibraltar-based PartyGaming, which trades in London, got more than four-fifths of its sales from the U.S. last year.

``This development is a significant setback for our company, our shareholders, our players and our industry,'' PartyGaming Chief Executive Officer Mitch Garber said in a statement.

Shares Tumble

PartyGaming shares slid 62 pence to 45 pence in London. It was the biggest decliner in the U.K.'s benchmark FTSE 100 Index.

``This bill was having trouble getting through Congress so a lot of investors thought this was not going to happen,'' said Brian Tora, investment director at Gerrard Ltd. in London. ``Suddenly no one really knows how much these companies are going to make in terms of profit.''

The measure, added to unrelated legislation providing $3.4 billion for port security, was passed before Congress recesses to campaign for the Nov. 7 elections.

``I can't believe they actually managed to get it through,'' said Jamie Coleman, who holds PartyGaming shares among the $550 million he helps manage at EFG Wealth Management in London. ``I'm pretty damn shocked, and I'm pretty damn shocked at the way they went about doing it as well.''

U.S. President George W. Bush will sign the bill into law, said White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore. No date has been set for the signing.

Bank Regulations

``Internet gambling has been illegal since the inception of the Internet, but there has been no way to enforce it,'' Representative James Leach, an Iowa Republican, said Sept. 30. By making it ``illegal to use a financial instrument to settle an Internet wager,'' Congress is ``putting responsibility on the financial community,'' Leach said.

The legislation directs the Federal Reserve and Department of Justice to issue regulations within nine months to banks establishing policies and procedures for blocking transactions.

``There was an assumption tied into the price of these stocks that the legislation was not going to make it through,'' said Paul Leyland, an analyst at Arbuthnot Securities in London. Unless Congress can ensure the act will be policed, ``this could very quickly transpire to be a toothless piece of legislation,'' he added. ``The devil of all this will be in the detail.''

Poker Industry

The American Gaming Association, which represents casino operators based in Las Vegas and elsewhere, had asked Congress to fund a commission that would study whether online gambling can be regulated and taxed in the U.S. The lobby group's hope is a study may eventually let major casino operators such as MGM Mirage and Harrah's Entertainment Inc. enter the online business.

Harrah's, the world's largest casino operator, today said it received a $15.1 billion takeover offer from Apollo Management LP and Texas Pacific Group.

PartyGaming controlled about 50 percent of the online poker market at the start of this year. Its PartyPoker site is the world's largest online poker gaming venue with about 38 percent of the market in December 2005, three times more than its nearest rival, it has said.

Founder's Losses

The company was founded by a group including Anurag Dikshit, PartyGaming's former operations director, in 1997. With 1.5 billion shares, or 29 percent of the equity, he remains the company's biggest investor, the company said. Today's plunge wiped out about 700 million pounds from his holdings, according to Bloomberg calculations.

PartyGaming's IPO made Dikshit the 207th richest person in the world in 2006, according to Forbes magazine's web site.

The poker industry has grown as events including the World Series of Poker encourage more people to play games such as Texas Hold'em online. According to research company Christensen Capital Advisors, online poker grew to a $1 billion business in 2004 from $90 million in 2002.

PartyGaming sold shares to the public in June 2005. It said in its prospectus that the Justice Department ``considers that companies offering online gaming to U.S. residents are in violation of existing federal laws'' and that investors may lose their money if the company is banned from the U.S.

`Devastating Loss'

888 said suspending its U.S. operations will have a ``material adverse impact'' on earnings. Chief Operating Officer Gigi Levy said on a conference call that about half the company's revenue comes from U.S. clients. Its stock dropped 38.25 pence, or 26 percent, to 108.25 pence today.

``We will step up a gear in terms of looking at the rest of the world,'' said 888 Chief Executive Officer John Anderson. ``It's a devastating loss. Most of the rest of the world is quite sensible in terms of regulation. If you look at the prohibition of booze in the U.S., gangsters made a lot of money from that.''

Sportingbet tumbled 64 percent to 66 pence. The company today said the U.S. rules prompted it to abandon talks to buy World Gaming Plc, whose shares slid 76 percent today. Former Sportingbet Chairman Peter Dicks, facing extradition to Louisiana, was set free last week by New York authorities.

There were 23 online gaming-related stocks on London's Alternative Investment Market at the end of August.

Empire Online Ltd., whose online gambling brands include Club Dice, fell 16.5 pence, or 25 percent, to 50.5 pence. Leisure & Gaming Plc, whose brands include VIPsports, lost 75 percent to 9.75 pence in London. NETeller Plc, a U.K. provider of money transfers for Internet gaming, fell 215 pence, or 61 percent, to 140 pence.

Excapsa Software Inc., a Toronto-based maker of software for gambling Web sites, slid 71 percent to 13 pence in London. CryptoLogic Inc., another Canadian maker of online gambling software, was 15 percent lower in Toronto as European stock markets closed.

Playtech Ltd. a British Virgin Islands-based gaming-software developer, tumbled 41 percent to 145.75 pence. Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG slid 35 percent in Vienna.

To contact the reporter on this story: Neil Craven in London at ncraven1@bloomberg.net .

Last Updated: October 2, 2006 12:09 EDT