PacNet to Acquire Majority Stake in Guangdong Poly -- PacificNet's (PacNet) China-based subsidiaries have agreed to acquire a 51 percent stake in e-lottery services provider Guangdong Poly Blue Express Communications (Guangdong Poly). PacNet said it expects the acquisition of the China Welfare Lottery Center-approved group to "be accretive to 2008 earnings." Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Littlewoods Re-Brands -- Littlewoods has re-launched its football pools site after marketing agency KMP completed its eight-month re-brand. Littlewoods owner Sportech commissioned KMP to create a portal for its Web-based football, bingo, poker and fixed-odds games. The portal, footballpools.com, was launched to coincide with the beginning of the new football season and brings together six Littlewoods sub-sites on one, central site. Scientific Games and Orbis also collaborated with KMP on the project.
Probablity Shuffles Board -- Mobile gambling firm Probability has announced a number of changes to its board, including the appointment of gaming industry specialist William Henbrey as a non-executive director. The company said that Finance Director Ravi Ruparel has left the company, while joint founder and President John Scaife will step down but continue on as a non-executive director. It added that it had appointed Arbuthnot Securities as its adviser and broker with immediate effect.
Worldwinner, Scrabble Association Partner Up -- FUN Technologies subsidiary WorldWinner has agreed with the National Scrabble Association (NSA) to promote the association's Scrabble cubes at the 2008 National Scrabble Championship, scheduled for July 2008 in Orlando, Fla.
Svenska Withdraws I-Casino App -- Gaming Intelligence Group reports that Svenska Spel has allegedly withdrawn its application for an online casino and stopped development on new gambling products amid growing criticism--both domestically and internationally. "We do not think it is realistic to get an approval from the government at this time and hence we have withdrawn this application," said Svenska Chief Executive Jesper Kärrbrink. "What we can do is to continue developing the games we have, but any new development will not take place."
Lights Out for PML -- According to the Polish News Bulletin, Polski Monopol Loteryjny's (PML) management, in conjunction with the country's Treasury Ministry, has elected to shut down the 70 year-old lottery monopoly. Treasury has appointed PML President Rafal Wiatr as liquidator, the report said, adding that the company had signed an expansion-focused deal with Intralot. The decision was not unexpected, the Bulletin said, as PML "has a weak position on the market." In 2006, Treasury reportedly filed a motion for PML's bankruptcy due to insolvency. Wiatr did not comment on the Intralot deal.
Watch Thy Step -- Accountancy Age carries a report on PartyGaming, whose adviser, BDO Stoy Hayward (BDO), could be facing questions from the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ). In 2005, BDO carried out the reporting accountant work on Party's IPO and was, according to Party, given "certain customary indemnities . . . [although] claims under such indemnities cannot be ruled out." Party added that BDO had not received any claims from DOJ and that its negotiations with the U.S. government, initiated in June, are ongoing. BDO, the piece said, has placed certain travel restrictions--presumably to the United States--on Party's audit team.
Stock Watch -- On the LSE, 888 was down 4p to 118.75, Playtech was up 3p to 361.75 and Ladbrokes was up 1.75p to 427. In Vienna, bwin was down 0.19 euros to 18.85 euros while in Stockholm, Unibet was up SEK 8.00 to SEK 197.00