Che casino!

The Contra Costa Times reports that GTECH has pledged to run background checks on key employees and implement anti-bribery programs in response to California lawmakers' concerns over the spotty history of Italy's Lottomatica, which recently bought out the Rhode Island firm for $4.7bn.

But lawmakers still wonder why the merger approval was not taken formally before the five-member commission that runs the lottery, and why the lottery's legal counsel - the state Attorney General's Office - was not informed. An emergency session of the state legislature is being held just before Christmas to try to sort out the mess, The Daily Democrat reports.