The French Minister of Economy and Finance Thierry Breton on Saturday rejected accusations of protectionism launched against France in the Anglo-Saxon countries in particular, after a government project to protect strategic industries.

“A number wanted to caricature the French situation by saying that we could have a protectionist positions. I say that not to protectionism than to protect a company’s defense sector,” he told a briefing in Washington on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the IMF.

“This is not the U.S. that we will say that if a contractor wants to buy a company in the defense or homeland security, do not ask for insurance. Is that the we did, “he added.

“For casinos, this is for tax reasons and to avoid the dubious” of capital, against a backdrop of terrorism, “he further explained.

Mr. Breton has participated since Friday until Sunday in Washington at the G7-finance, the IMF and World Bank.

The French government announced in early September its intention to protect firms from ten industries cons of a hostile takeover bid from abroad.

The site has raised nearly 150 million pounds this morning at the London Stock Exchange. Introduced at 175 pence, the price has risen to 183 pence, valuing the company at least 590 million pounds.

Place your bets: bet won for 888 which put the London market almost a quarter of its capital this morning. The leading online casinos raised 147.7 million pounds (216 million euros) at a listing price of 175 pence.

The online gaming site 888 has been on the market 84.4 million shares, valuing the company at 590 million pounds. In the early morning, the price climbed to 183 pence.

The leader of the operation, HSBC still has 12.66 million additional shares ready to put on the market. The current offer was oversubscribed five times, such additional shares could be placed on the market quickly. But general manager John Anderson welcomed this morning that “the IPO of 888 has been so very very popular with institutional investors in the UK and Europe.”

The site still had to revise down its claims. Following the announcements a few weeks ago the market leader PartyGaming on a market downturn, 888 decided to revise its IPO price. And besides, the market has taken account of these effects ad, the introductory course is putting down the fork, the title was suggested between 162 and 212 pence per share.

Founded in 1997, 888 proposes a casino and an online poker site online. Before placing on the market, the founders of the site, Avi and Aaron Shaked, combined 70% stake in the family trust controlled by Shay and Ron Ben-Yitzhak 20%, the balance being held by employees.

By midmorning, however, the euphoria fell somewhat, the price was 178.5 pence.

Groupe Partouche group and Didot-Bottin agreement finalized Friday resumption of the second casino in the first, according to an announcement issued jointly yesterday. The transaction, whose amount remains confidential, covers establishments Divonne-les-Bains (Ain), Annemasse (Haute-Savoie) Saint-Julien-en-Genevois (Haute-Savoie), Hauteville-Lompnes (Ain) and Crans-Montana in Switzerland. Groupe Partouche will assign one of them, by eighteen months, “to maintain the competitive position” in the country of Geneva. The company has decided to finance this acquisition through debt, resulting in a modification of its syndicated loan. According to the CEO, Patrick Partouche , its gearing ratio to 1.65 after surgery, against 1.15 in late April, excluding current account. Taking this into account, the “gearing” amounts to 3.48.

(AP) – In an interview with the newspaper “La Tribune”, Benjamin Cohen, vice president of Accor Group, in charge of finance and hotel development, said his group “would not have a cash flow problem if conflict with Colony. U.S. investment fund that has subscribed for 1 billion euros of bonds, of which 500 million euros of bonds redeemable in shares (NRS) and 500 million convertible bonds. “Their conversion will increase its stake in Accor to around 11%. Colony is potentially a major shareholder in Accor” he adds.

But in case of disagreement on strategy, “Colony may convert its shares and get the ORA redemption in cash of its convertible bonds (500 million). Accor will then either choose to pay within six months or wait for the start of the repayment period, in May 2008, a surcharge of 2% of the amount, 10 million euros. Accor has more than 2 billion euros in confirmed lines of credit and non- used. It would therefore have no difficulty to replenish his treasury, “said Benjamin Cohen.

Since Friday, the Casino de Crans-Montana no longer belongs to the group but Didot-Bottin than Partouche , the world’s number one game in France, which already has the local Saxon. This transaction should not change the operation of the casino’s High Plateau.

Spokesman Partouche for Switzerland, the undersigned Albert Nussbaumer Fribourg no secret that any future concession for Saxon still interested the French group, but will not be at the expense of Crans-Montana. “Contrary to the strategy of the Federal Commission for games in 2001, we believe there is room in the Valais mountain for a casino in Crans-Montana, establishing a plain Saxon.” The new

The Gambling Commission has awarded Wednesday at the Casinos Austria company’s operating license for future casino in Brussels. The license, awarded “to normal”, runs over a period of 15 years, “said Commission President Etienne Marique.

Chosen from four candidates, “Casinos Austria International” had inherited in October 2004, the concession for the City of Brussels, the first step toward opening the future casino. Initially, the casino will be located temporarily in the hall of the Madeleine, to the final installation of it in 2009 in Anspach Center. The Austrian company will invest 7 million euros in the transformation of this room, in addition to 2 million euros to be spent on the eradication of asbestos recently found in the building. The playroom should be open early next year.

NEW ORLEANS – A survivor of Hurricane Katrina has pocketed a jackpot of $ 1.6 million (1.34 million euros) in a Louisiana casino where she had halted on their way to the supermarket.

“I’m an addict casino, it relaxes me,” said Jacquelyn Sherman, a retired librarian of 57 years. “I like winning but I was not expecting such a sum.”

Since Katrina, which devastated his home in New Orleans and killed nearly a thousand people in late August, Sherman is housed with her sister in Opelousas, Louisiana.

The pensioner is now determined to acquire a comfortable home in the “Big Easy” (Great Easy), a nickname given to Louisiana.

LAUSANNE – The speaking cantons defended their skills in lottery games. They challenge before the Federal Court (TF) a decision of the Appeals Committee of gaming fell last September 5.

Chief of Police of the Canton of Vaud, Alain Jeanmonod confirmed the information given by the Radio Suisse Romande (RSR). The approach of the townships reveals once again the opposition of the cantons with the decisions of the Federal Commission for gaming (CFMJ).

In June 2004, it had declared a moratorium on installing new games like “Tactilo” time to determine if slot machines and whether they fall under a ban .

But speaking cantons only be felt with responsibility for licensing and supervision of societies lotteries and lottery games. They believe that the CFMJ encroach on their powers, is Mr. Jeanmonod.

In September 2004 they had planned to file a claim for public law to TF. They have now decided to approach the brackets and join the appeal lodged against the moratorium by the Loterie Romande.

Rejected by the Appeals Committee of gaming, which has denied them as parties to the proceedings, the cantons have petitioned to TF public law, said the police chief of the Canton of Vaud.

The controversy is not unique to western Switzerland. The Federal Commission for Gaming (CFMJ), which ensures that casinos comply with legal requirements, prohibited the installation of electronic lotteries speaking Switzerland. A decision has been opposed by SWISSLOS.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – The mayor of New Orleans Ray Nagin has proposed Friday that the game is permitted in hotels in the city to revive an economy devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

“It is time for us to reflect on how to get us out of there,” he said. Its proposed casino, which requires the approval of the Legislature of Louisiana, would be allowed only in hotels over 500 rooms, near Canal Street, he said.

Slot machines are already allowed in about half of the 64 parishes in Louisiana, but there is only one casino in New Orleans. Three riverboat casinos operating in the region. Hurricane Katrina virtually destroyed the 13 floating casinos in the Gulf of Mississippi.

(AP) – Since yesterday evening, the hotel group Accor to a crisis summit. Indeed, BNP Paribas, Societe Generale and CDC withdrew from the process of naming a successor to Jean-Marc Espalioux as President of the Executive Board of Accor. These three shareholder banks do not want to endorse a “charade” which aims to approve the appointment already scheduled Gilles Pelisson. This change in the leadership of the hotel group was supposed to create value …

Recall that the departure of Jean-Marc Espalioux was made at the request of Gerard Pelisson and Paul Dubrule. They have found the ideal president in the person of Gerard Pelisson nephew, Gilles Pelisson. The two founders of the group want a man more charismatic Jean-Marc Espalioux to head the group, able to improve its image and attract investors. It’s bad start …

Gerard Pelisson and Paul Dubrule, say they will distance themselves from the management bodies of the hotel group as soon as Gilles Pelisson will succeed Jean-Marc Espalioux to the presidency of the company on 15 January, reports La Tribune “in its online edition.

Under these conditions, the two men do not understand the reluctance of bankers. The latter, minority votes in the supervisory board (4 votes out of 15), are hostile to the candidacy of Gilles Pelisson, fearing that his family ties with one of two founders of the group is an obstacle to the rules of good corporate governance. Therefore, they chose to endorse another candidate, Pierre Danon, the number two group Capgemini.

Monday night we know the name of the new CEO should be no surprise Gilles Pelisson, but in terms of value creation and enhancement of the group’s image, it will have to wait a while .. .