888's New Direction -- 888.com CEO Gigi Levy told Reuters during an interview at the European I-Gaming (EIG) Congress & Expo in Barcelona that his company is looking to acquire a sports betting business and that they expect to launch a betting service in late 2007 or early 2008. It will most likely target U.K. punters.
TV Spot -- Advertising for online gambling made its way to the small screen today with the debut of British bookmaker Ladbrokes' first U.K. online gambling television spot. The £5 million commercial, featuring Former Arsenal star Ian Wright and TV personality Kirsty Gallacher, aired on ITVI during the half-time break of football match between Manchester United and Roma. Television advertising for online gambling was made possibly through the adoption the U.K. Gambling Act, which overhauled the country's gambling policy and lifted restrictions previously forbidding such ads.
The Code -- Three I-gaming industry associations, GamCare, eCOGRA and the Remote Gambling Association (RGA), announced today that they have jointly launched an international code of conduct addressing online gambling procedures. The code, unveiled at EIG, is designed to act as a set of minimum standards throughout the industry and increase levels of protection for players. It addresses underage gambling, player protection, customer communication, advertising and staff training. It details 30 key points and is based on the RGA's social responsibility code.
Extradition Hesitation -- Washington businessman Nick Jenkins will have to wait another week to find out whether he will be extradited to Louisiana to face charges of running an illegal gambling operation. Louisiana wants Jenkins because his business, online betting site Betcha.com, took a $0.70 bet from a Louisiana state trooper. Prosecutors from the state have requested an extradition release, and Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire was to decide today whether he will sign it, but that decision has been postponed until next week.
Nice Guys -- A pair of Florida men, Todd Schettino, 43, of Pembroke Pines and John Anthony Battaglia, 42, of Hollywood, are accused of threatening to murder a man and his family if he doesn't repay debts incurred through a Costa Rica-based Internet sports betting operation. The debtor was said to have maintained seven accounts at the unnamed sports book, where he accumulated around $1.2 million in losses. The complaint alleges that the debtor owed Schettino about $300,000 and that Schettino brought Battaglia in to help reduce the debt. The debtor ended up owing money to both men, who allegedly threatened him on several occasions last month. The names of the debtor and the sports book have been withheld. Schettino and Battaglia were scheduled to appear in court today.