Bill Hill CEO Steps Down -- William Hill is on the hunt for a new chief executive after David Harding said today that he would step down before the end of the year. In a prepared statement, Harding said he felt the time was right to move on and "find a new challenge" after helming the company for seven years. "The company is in good health and, given the depth of management talent, the board has every confidence that William Hill will continue its strong performance as we search for David's successor," said company chairman Charles Scott. The Financial Times says analysts appear relaxed about the move. "While this comes as a surprise, we are not particularly concerned by the news, as we think it reflects personal reasons rather than anything more sinister . . . It sounds like he has the 'seven year itch,'" Vaughan Lewis, an analyst with Morgan Stanley, told the paper.
Casinored Adds Poker -- Casinored.com has added poker to its online casino. "Poker is becoming massively popular all over the world, and we have had a huge response to the launch," said Casinored chief operating officer Jonathan Truelove.
Paddy's Spanish Venture? -- In a report documenting the recent struggles of U.K. stocks, Bloomberg mentions that bookmaker Paddy Power is to set up a Spanish betting Web site, which would expand its interests into a fourth country. The report on Paddy's Spanish venture was originally carried by the Sunday Business Post and did not include sources.
No Surprise for Unibet Cyclists -- Unibet's cycling team has received word that it cannot participate in the upcoming French National Championships (FNC). The news comes as no surprise--in the not-too-distant past, the team was barred entry to the Tour de France. The team, which was re-branded as Green Cycle Associates AB, has been kept from the Tour and the FNC in accordance with French law, which prohibits non-domestic gambling firms from advertising in the country.
Controversy at 2007 WSOP -- In an editorial carried by PokerHelper.com, the portal reports on rumors that ESPN is manipulating certain World Series of Poker (WSOP) events in an effort to maximize television ratings. An unnamed WSOP source told the portal that ESPN had demanded that the final table for Event 28--a $3,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas hold 'em event held last week--"consist of 10 players, not nine as usual, so that Phil Hellmuth . . . could break his own record and win his 12th bracelet." "With 10 players left in the tournament, Hellmuth was in tenth place, and it looked like he might not make it to the event's final table," the source told PokerHelper. "All of a sudden ESPN declares that the final table for this event will be 10 players, not nine, making sure that Hellmuth will be at the final table."
Malaysian Raid -- The Malaysia Star reports that a factory manager and two engineers were arrested for using free WiFi to "carry out illegal online betting on football matches and casino games." The three men were apprehended by police Sunday. "Many of the patrons just grabbed their laptops and ran out when they spotted the raiding party," a source told the paper, adding that the owner was warned not to let patrons use the free Internet service for illegal activities.
Stock Watch -- On the LSE, PartyGaming is down 1.50p to 36.25, William Hill is up 2p to 610 and 888 is down 0.75p to 115.