Tidbit from Asia -- The Hong Kong Jockey Club's betting revenue sank 4 percent during the 2001-02 racing year, the group said. Lawrence Wong, chief executive, blamed the decline on "the sluggish performance of the economy and the effects of illegal gambling, particularly the upsurge in sports gambling with illegal offshore bookmakers." Wong said the law passed in Hong Kong in late May banning offshore gambling didn't come soon enough to help increase this year's betting revenue.
Tidbit from the UK -- Camelot is planning to launch its own side bet on the National Lottery's drawings, and that has U.K. bookmakers a little hot under the collar. The Betting Office Licensees' Association recently sent a letter to the government, calling Camelot's side-betting program hypocritical since Camelot opposes bookmakers being able to take lottery side bets. The allowance of side betting on the lottery is being considered as part of the country's proposed gambling law reform.
World Cupdate -- G-Win.com, a gambling information portal that targets the Asian betting market, is offering an Internet-based live talk show during the World Cup that will allow office workers to check on matches when they can't watch the games live. Jason Chan, marketing director, said the company's sites have been getting more hits since offshore betting was banned in Hong Kong.