Partners -- Following the success of their Grand National Web site earlier this month, The Racing Post and Racing UK are partnering again to provide a permanent broadband horseracing content service. The companies are soliciting tenders for five licenses to operate in conjunction with the project, which will cover live pictures from Racing UK's 31 tracks, racing analysis and forms from the Racing Post and the ability to wager directly on the site. License holders will receive prominent branding and will have the ability to put video content on their own Web sites. The dedicated Grand National site launched by the two companies logged over 157,000 unique users in the nine days leading up to the event. It included archived footage, analysis and live streaming footage on race day.
Virtual Football -- Software developer Ash Leucker has designed a new football-based fixed-odds betting game called "Quick Bet Final Score" for William Hill. The game enables players to place the usual range of bets--including correct scores, penalties and red cards--on a virtual match between two teams of their choice. The 90-minute game is abbreviated so that the punter sees only the highlights. The game is reachable through the arcade section of Hills' online sports book and complements Hills' other Quick Bet products, including Quick Bet Cards and Quick Bet Darts.
Betfair Blimp -- Betfair has signed an exclusive two-year deal with the Frontiers Group to become the official betting partner of the Test Match Grounds. The agreement gives Betfair perimeter boards, tri-vision sight screen advertising and in-stadia sampling and promotional activity at the seven Test Match Grounds. The company also becomes the naming sponsor of the Betfair Blimp, which will provide Channel 4 with aerial footage of the Ashes, for which Betfair is broadcast sponsor. Betfair hopes the sponsorships will increase brand awareness and new customer acquisition both in the United Kingdom and internationally.
Sweepstakes -- A new widely reported legal controversy in the United States involves the operation of Internet café's whose computers are equipped with casino-style games and touch-screen monitors. Patrons can either purchase Internet time or a combination deal that includes a 100-minute phone card, one hour of Internet time and 100 "sweepstakes" points, which can be used to play the casino games. Points earned through playing the sweepstakes games can be redeemed for cash and merchandise. Café operators say their system is tantamount to no-purchase-necessary business promotion plans that involve instant-win twist-off caps or scratch cards, but some state authorities are investigating the matter, claiming the computer terminals are thinly veiled gambling devices. The sweepstakes are operating in Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Texas, with Arizona and Utah expected to be the next areas of expansion.
Lucky You -- MyBookie.com says it has signed an exclusive product placement agreement with Warner Brothers that will have the MyBookie.com Web site predominantly displayed and featured in the plot of "Lucky You," an upcoming film starring Drew Barrymore. The movie will tell the tale of a college student who makes big winnings gambling online and then travels to Las Vegas where he attempts to win a world championship. Eric Bana, Robert Duvall and Debra Messing will also star in the film.