Good Weather Ahead -- William Hill, the London-listed bookmaker, said today it was confident with analysts' forecasts for the year, and that it had fully absorbed the impact of the Amusement Machine License Duty--one of seven duty regimes for gambling--imposed by the U.K. government in 2006. "At this early point in the year, the board remains comfortable with consensus estimates from the full year out-turn," the company said. It added that group gross win had risen 5.8 percent in the 19-week period ending May 8, compared to the corresponding period in 2006, although comparatives would be more challenging in the coming weeks.
Reporting -- Parlay Entertainment, the I-gaming software provider, released first quarter results, which show a 2 percent drop in revenue to $1.97 million compared to Q1 2006. Parlay said the results reflect the impact of the U.S. legislation on certain of its licensees during the quarter. "Revenue in Q1 2007, and in particular royalty revenue, may prove to be our low-water mark for 2007 as we have witnessed stabilization in revenue generated from customers who are non-U.K. and non-European facing," said Parlay chief executive Scott White. White said that, despite the drop in revenue, Q1 2007 represents the company's ninth consecutive quarter of profitable operations.
Safe and Secure Live -- The Web site for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (safeandsecureig.org), launched in support of Rep. Barney Frank's, D-Mass., Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, went live today. The initiative, founded by UC Group and Baker Tilly, is aimed at raising awareness about the need for a regulated environment in which U.S. citizens can gamble online in the privacy of their own homes. "Millions of Americans are currently gambling online in an unregulated environment without any consumer protections," said Jeffrey Sandman, spokesman for the initiative. "Internet gambling is a matter of personal choice and many Americans see the current prohibition as an unnecessary intrusion into their private life. Stringent licensing and regulations will protect American consumers and provide safeguards to protect against underage and compulsive gambling. Representative Frank's bill is a big step in the right direction to limit government intervention that is futile and heavy handed." The initiative is endorsed by eCOGRA, GamCare and the European Gaming and Betting Commission.
Down But Not Out -- Green Cycle Associates AB, managing company of the Unibet.com cycling team, said Tuesday it would no longer pursue legal action against Giro d'Italia organizers RCS Sport, as the Milan court judgment would be issued nine days after the race concluded. CyclingNews.com reports the team still considers its Giro exclusion unfair, saying in a prepared statement that Green Cycle and its sponsors "were obliged to review their position and are contemplating new actions to see their rights honored."
ISWI De-Lists -- Interactive Systems Worldwide, Inc. said that, pursuant to its May 15 request to withdraw its appeal to the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Panel, the company received notification today from the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Hearings Department that its securities will be de-listed from NASDAQ effective May 18.
Deleted -- The Telegraph reports that, effective June 18, Rank, the U.K.-based casino group, will be deleted from the benchmark index in the quarterly review.
Speculation -- The Times carries a brief on PartyGaming, whose shares Wednesday sank to a two-month low. The paper said dealers connected the 4.5p-loss to a recent note from Arbuthnot Securities, which set a target of 15p for the London-listed operator.
Renewed Interest -- The Times also carries a brief on Pipex, the broadband services group owned by 365 Media executive chairman Peter Dubens. In March, the Independent reported that Dubens had put Pipex on the selling block. Pipex shares gained 1.25p to 13.5 Wednesday on news that Italy's Tiscali was looking to expand in the United Kingdom and was reviewing a dossier on Pipex.
Stock Watch -- On the LSE, CryptoLogic--which, today, announced plans to hold a special shareholders meeting on May 24--was up 10p to 1,233, PartyGaming rebounded 1.25p to 41.25 and Playtech was up 1p to 383.