Albatross Race -- This year Ladbrokes will again sponsor and take wagers on the "Big Bird Race," in which the migration of 17 Tasmanian shy albatrosses from Tasmania to South Africa will be charted via satellite transmitters. Each albatross has been adopted by a celebrity, and all income generated from betting will benefit the BirdLife International Save the Albatross Fund. The race's main goal is to call attention to the dangers that longline fishing techniques presents to the endangered birds. Last year's event raised more than £200,000 and yielded a treasure trove of information for scientists studying the albatross and its migratory flight patterns, but only one of 18 birds actually completed the voyage.
Geolocation -- Quova Inc., a company that provides Web geography services and technologies, has signed a contract to provide I-gaming software provider Playtech with geolocatation data for regulatory compliance and fraud prevention. Quova's GeoPoint service, which determines the geographic location of a website user and the cyber-location of an online transaction in real time, has been incorporated in Playtech's unified gaming platform to help Playtech's customers screen out potentially fraudulent users and remain compliance with multinational regulations on Internet gambling.
WTO Report Adopted -- The Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organization on April 20 adopted the Appellate Body report "United States - Measures Affecting the Cross-Border Supply of Gambling and Betting Services." The report is now sanctioned by the international trade body, and the United States has a reasonable amount of time (the precise length of which will be determined by Antigua and the United States) to implement the report's recommendations.
Instant Bodog -- Bodog.com has added instant-play, Flash versions of craps and roulette to its online casino, enabling players to play these games without downloading any software. The company has also added three new slot machines to its downloadable casino suite.
Mismanagement Allegations -- In response to allegations of mismanagement, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor) will open its books to an external audit to prove that its finances are well managed. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada this week accused Pagcor of paying the Hyatt Marina Hotel Casino over US$9 million for rent, which is more than half the sum used to pay for rent at Pagcor's 13 other wholly owned casinos. Last month Estrada alleged that the Pagcor has been involved in illegal 60-40 joint venture operations of slot machine arcades whose profit-sharing agreements have funneled close to $37 million to private companies at a time when the government is "crying for financial deficit and imposing new and back-breaking taxes on the people."
US Mobile Ratings -- The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, a trade group for the U.S. wireless industry, is developing a mobile content rating system that would have adult content separated from other content so that it can be filtered when appropriate. The group could begin testing the rating system by mid year and might have a full system operating by the end of 2005.
TST Certified -- Internationally recognized accredited testing facility Technical Systems Testing (TST) has certified the random number generator of I-gaming software developer Real Time Gaming as fair and random. TST uses fully independent and impartial testing procedures to ensure that gaming software systems and equipment adhere to strict standards of technical compliance.
Kickboxing Wagers -- German online betting company McBet.tv is the official main sponsor of the Thai & Kickbox SuperLeague, a new full-contact international fighting league that has landed over 100 hours of TV deals globally in its first year. McBet.tv provides wagering on the SuperLeague's Web site (superleague.tv), which will feature a live steaming event from the König Pilsener Arena in Germany on May 21. The Web site also features fight reports, analysis, interviews and an official world ranking system. McBet.tv is powered by Sportwetten Gera Ltd.