Eight, All Told -- A source with knowledge of the situation has informed IGN that eight claims of interest have been filed against the United States in its dispute with Antigua and Barbuda (Antigua) before the World Trade Organization (WTO). The claimants: Antigua, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, the European Union, Japan, India and Macau.
24hPoker Appoints New CEO -- 24hPoker announced this morning that Peter Astrom--former CEO of gaming group Mobito--has been named as the company's new chief executive. Current CEO Per Hildebrand will remain a member of the board and advisor to the company, it said. "It feels good to hand over to Peter and I believe that his experience from media companies and fast-growing IT companies will prove to be very useful in the gaming industry," said Hildebrand. "I care a lot about 24hPoker and the continued positive development of the company." Hildebrand founded the company in 2000.
IGH Narrows FY Pre-Tax Loss -- Interactive Gaming Holdings (IGH) has released full year results, which show a narrowed pre-tax loss of £1.97 million ($3.93 million), down from £2.33 million ($4.65 million) a year ago. The company said turnover rose to £32.9 million ($65.7 million) from £8.1 million ($16.1 million). It added that it expects a positive impact from the end of July onwards, with a reduction in operating costs from its decision to relocate the business to Malta.
Chartwell Appoints New Marketing VP -- Chartwell Technology has appointed Aideen Shortt as VP of sales and marketing. Shortt previously served as the company's commercial director. "Since joining Chartwell in 2004, Aideen has added a wealth of gaming experience and has consistently demonstrated her strong team spirit and the highest level of professionalism," said Chartwell CEO Darold Parken.
Spin3 to Supply Casino.dk -- Mobile gambling solutions provider Spin3 has agreed to supply Casino.dk and its Scandinavia-facing sister site, Casino Nordica, with its GameWire wireless casino system. "As this area continues to grow, we believe it is important that it is not just about providing a solution for our customers, it is about helping them and educating them through the process so they can get the best out of their solution to drive take-up from players on the move," said Spin3 CEO Matti Zinder.
Shiver Me Timbers -- The Antigua Sun carries a report on the Antigua's new (and decidedly cheeky) nickname, the "Pirates of the Caribbean." Mark Mendel, counsel for the Antiguan government in its WTO dispute with the United States, defended the country's effort to suspend U.S. copyright, patent and intellectual property protections. "You can't criticize us under these circumstances because we have just simply played by the rules and tried to protect a legitimate domestic industry," Mendel told the Sun. Mendel stressed that Antigua still hopes to resolve the dispute before the measures are approved and implemented. "Hopefully we will settle it before it gets to that," he said, "but if we don't we will have to see what value we can get out of it. It could run the gamut from selling copies of Microsoft Windows to selling DVDs and it wouldn't be pirated."
Stock Watch -- On the LSE today, PartyGaming was down 1.50p to 34.75, Sportingbet was down 1.25p to 56.25 and 888 was down 1p to 114.