Cantor Fined -- England's Financial Services Authority fined spread betting firm Cantor Index £70,000 last week for running a misleading ad campaign. The FSA ruled that Cantor's posters, flyers and press ads did not contain adequate warnings to inform punters of the risk of financial loss they could face. Of particular concern to the FSA was a promotion started in September that involved handing out flyers at London Underground stations, offering free mobile phones and personal organizers with spread betting capabilities to anyone who registered an account with Cantor. The FSA said the risk warnings on the promotional material were not clear enough and there was no guarantee that consumers understood that they could lose substantially more than their original deposits.
Z4P Back Office -- Multi-platform I-gaming software developer Zone4Play announced the first deployment of its cross-platform back-office solution for betting operators. "ZoneMAS" (Management Application Suite) enables the delivery of betting services on Internet, mobile and iTV platforms using a one-time registration process and a single account. It also includes marketing and advertising tools, including a bonus system mechanism, tournament systems, data mining and an in-house affiliation system. The first deployment of ZoneMAS occurred on New Year's Day on the Winner channel, a new U.K.-based fixed-odds service that will soon be launched on the NTL and Telewest Broadband digital cable platforms. Zone4Play has provided Winner a complete end-to-end technology solution, including the ZoneMAS system, gaming engines and front-end development.
Nalmafene -- California-based Somaxon Pharmaceuticals will begin a late-stage Phase 3 human study next year of the drug nalmafene to see whether it can be used to treat gambling addictions. Nalmafene, which is used to reverse the effects of anesthesia, is looked upon as a possible gambling addiction treatment because it is thought to inhibit some of the mechanisms that are involved in impulse disorders. In November, Somaxon paid $13.2 million to a Finnish drug company, Biotie Therapies, for the right to develop and sell nalmafene in the United States as a treatment for pathological gambling and other impulse-control disorders. Although some psychiatrists prescribe anti-depressants to addicts with mixed success, there is currently no clinically approved drug to treat pathological gambling.
Magna Deals -- Churchill Downs Inc. and Magna Entertainment Corp. announced an international simulcast distribution agreement that will deliver the two operators' racing products to the European market. Racing content from 18 of the companies' North American operations will be combined and presented for export through Magna's Austrian subsidiary, MEC Sport und Entertainment GmbH, to outlets in Great Britain, Ireland, Austria and Germany. The partnership will bring coverage at top U.S. racetracks to the European market. Participating tracks include Churchill Downs, Fair Grounds Race Course, Gulfstream Park, Hollywood Park, Lone Star Park, the Maryland Jockey Club and Santa Anita Park. . . . Meanwhile, Magna has ended the restriction of its racetrack signals from outside account wagering providers by forming new content agreements with AmericaTab and Youbet.com. In December 2003, Magna removed its signals from all Internet wagering sites except for its XpressBet platform. The new content deals allow both AmericaTab and Youbet to provide their customers wagering and simulcast presentations of racing from Magna's racecourses.
Phoenix Interests -- Online Enterprises, a subsidiary of Phoenix Interests, has launched online account wagering on its two new thoroughbred portal sites Web sites, Barn66.com and BetBarn66.com. Oregon-licensed wagering hub AmericaTab will handle all account wagering activity for the sites, and Online Enterprises will receive a fee for each wager placed. Customers of BetBarn66 and Barn66 will be able to wager on races at tracks owned by Magna Entertainment Corp, thanks to the recent deal struck between AmericaTab and Magna. Phoenix Interests has also launched a new corporate Web site at www.phoenixinterests.com.
WorldMatch -- Awcom Inc., the Las Vegas company that runs the AssociatedPlayers.com portal, became the first company to launch a licensed online casino gaming site in the European Union when it partnered with Malta-based I-gaming software and solutions provider WorldMatch. The site, EUVegas.com, offers non-download games for fun or real-money play in English, Spanish and Italian. . . . Italian soccer club Torino Calcio has enlisted the aid of WorldMatch in launching a ToroGaming.com entertainment site that provides games, promotions and other opportunities to win official team merchandise and tickets. Similar sites are already in use by all the major British soccer teams, but Torino Calcio is the first Italian team to launch games.
Turkish SportXction -- ISWI (Interactive Systems Worldwide Inc.) subsidiary Global Interactive Gaming Limited and Sportingbet have expanded their agreement and incorporated the SportXction play-by-play sports betting service into Sportingbet's Turkish wagering site Superbahis.com. As on other Sportingbet sites, SportXction provides wagering on soccer, tennis, golf, cricket, rugby and snooker.
Welcome Aboard -- William Hill has appointed David Edmonds as a non-executive director to the company. Edmonds has previous experience as director general of telecommunications at Oftel and as managing director of Group Central Services at the National Westminster Group. He is currently chairman of NHS Direct and holds several non-executive roles in both the public and private sectors.
Mobile China Lotto -- South Korea-based Internet service provider Solvix Technology has announced plans to set up a mobile lottery service in China. The company says it will set up joint ventures with content providers this month and later in the year will launch the lottery and a ring-tone service. Solvix enables subscribers of South Korea's SK Telecom to purchase lottery, toto and horse racing tickets via online payments.