Illinois' gamblers will not see more baccarat tables or other gambling positions at the state's nine riverboat casinos in 2006, but pending tax law changes may mean more are coming in the future.

"I think everybody is interested in expanding," said Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association. "In any of the projects that are moving forward now, I would anticipate that the various properties will be looking very closely at what they think their market may be able to increase to if they got additional positions."

Former Buffy The Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar is to play the lead role in a big screen adaptation of Alice In Wonderland.

The 28-year-old actress will play Alice in adulthood in a modern interpretation of Lewis Carroll's classic stories.

It will be based on a computer game in which Alice destroys enemies with playing cards and croquet mallets.

The US game, also called Alice In Wonderland, was a best-seller when it was released in 2000.

If you own an Apple iPod, you aren't limited to Apple's music files from the iTunes store. You can load music from your CDs or other sources onto the iPod.

If you have a collection of MP3s, you can simply copy them into Apple's iTunes software on your computer. From there, you load them into the iPod.

In addition to MP3s and music files in Apple's AAC format, iTunes can handle unprotected WMA files created by Microsoft's Windows Media Player. You can drag and drop them into iTunes, which will copy and convert them to AAC.

For Kelso resident Jim Guenthner, the trip north to the Lucky Eagle Casino is a weekly event.

"This casino is a very nice casino, and it's a very well-run poker room," he said while taking a break from the tables at the facility between Rochester and Oakville on the Chehalis Indian Reservation.

Guenthner, who plays only poker at the casino, said he likes the Lucky Eagle because of the free coffee and the clean atmosphere. He said he usually spends $200 to $500 per trip to the Rochester-area casino.

This time of year, I feel compelled to remind readers (as I remind myself over and over) that I don't hate all reality shows.

But boy, the networks are making it harder to keep an open mind. The proper response to most new unscripted shows is revulsion - or better yet, nausea.

All the networks are coming up with reality series after reality series this summer in hopes that something will stick.

Casino Rock Island officials will present their plan for a casino and hotel complex in southwest Rock Island to the Illinois Gaming Board Wednesday.

The presentation won't be much different from a presentation given seeking permission for initial site work, Casino Rock Island spokesman Bill Renk said.

The presentation will include an explanation of reclamation work that has been done as site preparation.

After JK Rowling announced that we could again expect a major character in the Potter series to die, betting soon began with different odds on each character.

First off, you would consider this betting kind of strange as some one has to know who dies, as there is no way this secret can be that covered up.

Hell, JK Rowling must of told some one. Well, maybe she has or maybe she hasn't, but this may be the first Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince spoiler [may want to stop now, but not nearly official].

Located off I-44 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Cherokee Casino& Resort is truly a stay and play environment.

The Resort features 150 rooms with a wide selection of suites and accommodation packages for romantic getaways, birthdays or golf outings. Both the Casino and Resort are decorated in the historical and cultural styling from the Cherokee tribe and art deco effects reminiscent of historic downtown Tulsa in the 1920's.

The property is divided into three separate gaming, dining and entertainment sections.

Casino gambling, a top legislative priority for Gov. Tim Pawlenty that for months was a key element of his budget, is likely to resurface in the special legislative session that began early this morning.

Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan, the sponsor of a bill that would put a state-operated casino at the Canterbury Park racetrack, said Monday that he planned to re-introduce the bill soon.

Despite a strong Senate committee vote against the Canterbury plan in April and unsuccessful attempts by House Republican leaders to find enough votes to approve it

The pirated edition of the latest Star Wars episode has finally appeared in Pakistan, five days after it was released in cinemas worldwide.

Pakistan is one of the top 10 producers of pirated DVDs - caused the delay.

Karachi retailers sold hundreds of copies in under an hour late Monday as many people had already booked copies.

"Pakistan-wide sales are expected to be around 50,000 copies within the first two weeks," one leading retailer said.