Taking US Bets -- Despite the latest U.S. crackdown on Internet sports betting, Irish-based online betting exchange Trade Exchange Network will not cease taking bets from U.S. players. John Delaney, chief executive, said the company has been advised that U.S. authorities will not hinder its operations in Dublin. Betting exchanges, he said, do not violate the U.S. federal Wire Act, which targets traditional bookmakers. "The fact of the matter is that they have gone after bookmakers," Delaney said. "There is no act in the U.S. that prevents the punter in the U.S. from placing a bet with the offshore book. The Act prohibits the offshore bookmaker providing the service and we are not a bookmaker. We are the Irish business with the greatest U.S. user base. But because we are not bookmakers we do not feel that this issue applies to us."
Legalize It -- The CNBC program "Closing Bell" conducted a poll last week asking viewers, "Should online gambling be legalized?" and the answer was a resounding "yes." Of the 2,532 votes cast, 91 percent said yes and only 9 percent said no.
Tilted toward Dublin -- California-based poker software company TiltWare LLC, the company behind online poker site Full Tilt Poker, is reportedly in the process of relocating its corporate headquarters to south Dublin--a move that will create up to 200 new jobs, according to siliconrepublic.com. So far it is understood that 30 of the company's employees have relocated to Cabinteely in Dublin, and the company has hired a further 40 key staff members. TiltWare reportedly felt the need to relocate outside the United States due to new laws that outlaw U.S. software companies from supplying technology infrastructure to online gambling businesses.
Lithuania Online -- Finnish I-gaming supplier EGET announced today the signing of a three-year partnership agreement with Oliféja, the Lithuanian national lottery operator, that will see EGET provide a fully managed gaming solution for Oliféja's Internet and mobile lottery. The first phase of delivery will cover a selection of Oliféja-branded bingo and keno games for the Internet. The second phase will follow with several multiplayer games as well as mobile games.
Spanish Venture -- British bookmaker William Hill and Spanish gaming group Codere announced today the signing of a memorandum of understanding to form a sports betting joint venture in Spain. To date licenses in Spain have not been available to private sports betting operators, but several of Spain's regions are developing legislation to regulate sports betting and introduce a licensing regime, allowing the establishment of land-based businesses. It is widely anticipated that the first of these regions will license sports betting in the next few months. The proposed joint venture would join William Hill's bookmaking expertise with Codere's leadership position in gaming businesses within Spain, creating a powerful proposition for the Spanish market.
ICEi Expansion -- Clarion ATE, organizer of January's ICEi, the I-gaming component of the International Casino Exhibition, has given the expo its very own Web site, icei-exhibition.com, and online registration facility (which will go live in mid September). Early plans for the 2007 edition of the interactive expo include a move from Earls Court 2 into the larger Earls Court 1 hall, with net stand space occupying an area of 1,640 sqaure feet--a 70 percent increase over the 2006 show. The new ICEi Web site provides a breakdown of the 2007 show with sections tailored for visitors, exhibitors and the media. Content also covers exhibitor lists, floor plans, show news, online registration, accommodations, travel and venue information.
Stock Watch -- Amid ongoing fears of a U.S. crackdown on Internet gambling, I-gaming stocks took a hit today in London. 888 plc closed down 12p to 143, while Sportingbet lost 10.75p to close at 235. Software company Playtech dropped 13p to 105.75, online payment processors Fireone lost 6p to close at 205.5 and Neteller closed down 22p at 358.