REPORTING
Calling its first quarter a "good start" to the new year, Jaxx A.G., the Germany-based online gambling operator, was able to stabilize overall revenue with an earnings spike in its sports betting arm -- where revenue jumped 41 percent year over year.
The group reported first quarter revenue of 29.3 million euros, about 1 million euros higher than in 2008.
Sports betting accounted for just under 75 percent of revenue with 21.4 million euros, while horse betting sank 41 percent from the previous year to 4.2 million euros.
Germany's State Treaty on Gaming, which has prohibited online lottery operations since January 2009, showed its impact on the group's lottery business, which posted earnings of 3.8 million euros -- down 37 percent from first quarter 2008.
"From the second half of the year on, there should moreover be a noticeable recovery in revenue," said a company statement. "The financial crisis could, however, mean that it is weaker than currently anticipated."
RENEWING
GameAccount Global Ltd., a London-based skill games provider, has agreed to continue to supply Sportingbet with its skill games suite, eGaming Review has reported.
Dermot Smurfit, GameAccount's chief operating officer, told the magazine that the agreement is "the clearest sign yet that skill games had achieved critical mass and revenue-generating potential," adding that net yield per active player per day is currently at £12, or $18.
In 2007, Sportingbet migrated its backgammon operations and player pool to GameAccount's network.
"Potential e-gaming licensees of GameAccount’s product suite will not stagnate any time soon," Mr. Smurfit told IGamingNews last August.
LAUNCHING
With the official launch of its Web site,
eGamingjobs has become latest player in I-gaming recruitment.
Founded in 2008, the recruitment site allows those seeking a job in the Internet gambling industry to register for free, upload a résumé, browse vacancies and apply for jobs. eGamingjobs.co.uk, which went live last September, also caters to recruiters.
GAMING SCHOLARSHIP
Betsson, the online sports book and gambling operator, has awarded another scholarship for research in problem gambling, the company announced on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Pontus Lindwall, Betsson's president, awarded the second scholarship of its kind for the thesis "Svenska Spels sociala ansvarstagande-Ett spel för galleriet?"
Authors Johan Domeij and Anders Åström of Umeå University's business school studied Svenska Spel A.B., the Swedish gambling monopoly, and its perception of its social responsibility fulfillments, according to Betsson.
Their analysis concluded that Svenska Spel only take responsibility for the actual product and not for the situation of those adversely affected by their products, Betsson said.
The Malta-based gaming company awarded its first scholarship for 15,000 Swedish kronor in October 2008.