Interims from Sportech -- Sportech released interim results this morning, which show a pre-tax profit of £5.2 million, down 14 percent compared to H1 2006. The company said profits were nonetheless in line with expectations. Despite the loss, it said, updates to its "backbone technology" via deals with Scientific Games and Orbis would strengthen its technical capabilities. "We are transforming Sportech and making good progress implementing the changes necessary to realize the company's potential to become a significantly larger broad-based sports, leisure and gaming business with international reach," said Sportech CEO Ian Penrose.
Textto -- Philippines-based online game developer and telephone services provider PhilWeb Corp. on Friday announced that it will offer a new text-based lottery game to subscribers of its mobile phone service, Smart Communications. The game, called TXTINGO 9, enables subscribers to text nine numbers between one and 40 to 4646. The sender of any set of nine numbers that match in any order a set of nine numbers randomly picked by a computer every day at noon wins a cash prize of at least $134,296.
Yahoo7, OzLotteries Partner Up -- OzLotteries.com, a division of Australian e-commerce company Jumbo Corporation Limited, today announced it has signed an exclusive alliance agreement with Australia's main search engine, Yahoo7. OzLotteries will operate the lottery site for Yahoo 7 Lotto, which is set to launch on Oct. 1, enabling Australian customers to buy tickets and access draw information and results online.
Poker Channel Hits Belgium -- Through a partnership with Belgian cable television operator Belgian Entertainment Television, the Poker Channel this week launched Belgium's first poker channel. The channel's program lineup includes the European Poker Masters, the Invitational from Monaco and an educational program titled the 12 Steps to Poker Heaven.
Skill Empire Relocates to Alderney -- SkillEmpire, the owner and operator of Play65 backgammon Web site and the online pool games site, Play89, has made a move to Alderney. The company last week was awarded a license and is now regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC).
Japanese Bust -- Police in Japan on Friday arrested an employee of an unnamed Internet casino group for taking a cut from profits earned by a Kyoto-based Internet cafe operator. Japan's daily newspaper Mainichi Shimbun on Friday said that Yoshiaki Takahashi, who reportedly received 16 million yen ($139,950) from the operator on five different occasions, denied the allegation during questioning, claiming he did not know where the money came from. The leader of the online casino group, who is allegedly a U.S. national, is now on a wanted list, according to the newspaper. It is not clear from the report, however, whether Takahashi and the leader are the same person.
Chinese Bust -- Authorities in China have charged 32 people allegedly involved in online gambling worth 5.8 billion yuan ($773 million) in China's Liaoning province. Local police said more than 50 additional people thought to be involved in the case are on the run, according to Xinhua. Police also said that Yang Xu, head of the gambling ring, and his wife, Wang Jun, along with eight other people, are still being investigated and would be charged later.
Total Global Internet Freedom -- The Principality of Sealand, a self-proclaimed independent micro-nation off the east coast of England, reports that it has received a multi-million dollar investment opportunity from a Moscow-based venture group to fund the launch of a new communications satellite that would enable Sealand total global Internet freedom. Furthermore, the deal would allow Sealand's founder, Paddy Roy Bates, to launch his online casino, Sealandcasino.com, which has reportedly been stalled by political pressure from the United Kingdom and the United States.
Stock Watch -- On the LSE, Sportech was down 0.50p to 13.25, Ladbrokes was up 10p to 431 and William Hill was up 8.50p to 631.