Names and Faces -- World Gaming plc, which was recently given funding by Sportingbet, today announced its new board of directors. James Grossman, a lawyer based in San Francisco, will serve as chairman of the board. Other board members will include: Daniel Moran, the company's CEO; David Fleming, the CTO; Clare Roberts, World Gaming's counsel in Antigua; and Victor Collins, a U.K.-based financier.
Making Deals -- Scotland-based Itsnotrocketscience has been purchased by Wheel, one of the United Kingdom's top interactive agencies. Under the terms of the sale, which was finalized April 1, Wheel will own the company's business, assets and staff of nine people. John Muir, the general manager of Itsnotrocketscience, said the company plans on developing more software products for the gaming industry. ... Parlay Entertainment Ltd. , which is part of the dot com Entertainment Group of Companies, will be providing gaming software to SaturnBingo.com, which is operated by the Saturn Gaming Group. Shaun McCauley, president of Saturn Gaming Group, said he chose Parlay because of the power of its bingo software. "The flexibility of Parlay's software allows us to offer network partners a complete turnkey bingo solution," he said. "Full access to backend functions, including their own confidential database, lets operators manage all aspects of their bingo business."
Legal Stuff -- Four bookmakers have been arrested in Malaysia by police, who are saying the bookmakers handled up to 12 million ringgit per day from betting on European soccer matches. The Associated Press reports that the group took between 700,000 and 800,000 bets every day from countries including Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
Tidbit from Hong Kong -- A bill that would legalize soccer gambling in Hong Kong was introduced to that county's Legislative Council on April 9, reports the Associated Press. The bill would help the government recoup some of money that is currently spent by Hong Kong citizens in illegal betting schemes. Patrick Ho, the Home Affairs Secretary, said that while the bill doesn't provide guidance on whether soccer betting is morally right or wrong, it could take some business away from the underground betting industry.
Tidbit from the Czech Republic -- The largest lottery company in the Czech Republic, Sazka, has started a Web site with services for players of its oddset games at www.tipovani.cz. The site offers sports news, statistics, a tipping contest and forums. The company said the site now has 15,000 registered users.
New Stuff -- Microgaming Software Systems Ltd. is backing a new non-profit group that will aim to help online gamblers determine which betting and gaming sites are fair and responsible. The group, eCOGRA, which is short for E-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance, is based in the United Kingdom and has six directors. The chief executive, Andrew Beveridge, said the group will offer a seal of approval program. "The organization will provide online gaming software suppliers and their customers with the guidance and tools necessary to adhere to a higher level of integrity and responsibility," he said. "eCOGRA is a long-overdue initiative in an industry that has been trying to build credibility with consumers and regulatory. Our mission is to prove that responsible companies are involved in online gaming and to make them readily recognizable to consumers and government officials." The group's other directors include: Paul Hainsworth, former director of risk management for PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East; Bill Galston, former chief inspector of the Gaming Board of Great Britain; and Frank Catania, former assistant attorney general for New Jersey and the former director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. The group's other directors are representatives from Microgaming and Virtual Holdings.
Quote Worthy -- "We've reached the point where the demand for rules is about to replace the demand for chaos." -- Debora L. Spar, professor at Harvard Business School, as quoted in the Wall Street Journal on April 14 in a story about regulation of the Internet.