RELEASED On Tuesday Sportingbet announced that Turkish authorities released the second of two employers who were detained while vacationing in the country on May 29, 2008.
Official charges have yet to be announced for the newly released employee, though a pending trial is set for January 26, 2009.
“(Sportingbet) continues to accept bets from Turkish residents, although it has no operations in the territory,” the company said in a prepared statement. “Turkey currently represents approximately 8 percent of group net gaming revenue.”
The first employee was released without charge on July 28, 2008. Read IGamingNews’ coverage of the Turkish tussle here.
BREACHED The United Kingdom Advertising Standards Authority, or ASA, released an adjudication today covering two complaints filed in regards to a BetUK.com marketing campaign.
Owned by Sportingbet, BetUK used an e-mail to promote an offer for £25 match bonuses. Two players filed an issue with ASA stating that the e-mail was misleading and claimed the company refused to grant bonuses after the players spent money to qualify because they were professional gamblers.
According to the adjudication, Sportingbet’s marketing service, Europa Point Marketing 1, said those who were denied bonuses either did not meet requirements in the terms and conditions or were noted by Sportingbet as professional gamblers or tipsters.
ASA investigated the matter, and decreed that “the e-mail breached CAP Code clauses 7.1 (Truthfulness), 27.4 (Sales promotion rules), 31.1 (Sales promotions - Administration) and 43.2a (Database practice).” It then welcomed the marketing service to give assurance that promotions would not be sent to ineligible individuals.
NEW BETTING TOOL BettorLogic, a London-based team of analysts, developers, modelers and bettors who analyze pre-event and in-play situations, announced today new products for the global betting and media communities.
Backed by Andrew Black, co-founder of Betfair, and former Sportingbet Chief Executive Nigel Payne, the betting analytics company uses betting tools called “form labs” that allow bettors to get information about an event before it takes place and while it’s in session. The labs cover 15 leagues and will be available in multiple languages, though the company did not specify when.
"The rapid evolution of the sports betting marketplace has left bettors underserved by betting tools and analytics,” said Mr. Black in a prepared statement. “The team at BettorLogic have the skills to deliver models and analysis, which will set a new standard, and in doing so, provide consistent and reliable frames of reference for everybody."
CYBER CAFÉ CRACKDOWN Bernama, the Malaysian National news agency, reports that police detained 12 men and seized eight computers in a series of cyber café raids focusing on online gambling during Oct. 9-13.
According to the state news service, those detained included owners and frequent cyber café customers.
"The raids at Air Putih, Jalan Beserah and Gebeng revealed that the cyber cafés had been used as a front for online gambling,” Mohd Jasmani Yusoff, Kuantan police chief, told Bernama. “The premise owners had abused the operating licenses given.”
AWARDED Betsson, a Malta-based Swedish gaming company, announced today it will award two scholarships a year. The company said in a prepared statement that the aim is to promote problem-gambling research.
The first scholarship of 15,000 Swedish kroner was presented today in Stockholm by Pontus Lindwall, the company's president, to be shared between Marcus Nilsson and Karl Linné.
The two collaborated on a thesis that analyzed electronic gaming machines in bars and restaurants and concluded that a gaming machine’s location does matter in regards to promoting or deterring gambling.
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