Empire Strikes Back -- Israel's Central District Police lifted a gag order today related to a blackmail case involving Empire Online Ltd. CEO Noam Lanir. Police arrested three men suspected of attempting to blackmail Lanir last month; the men are due in court today, and police are expected to recommend they stay in jail. Lanir, 38, floated Empire Online in July at a value of almost $1 billion. He filed a complaint with the Kfar Saba Police two months ago, claiming that the accused individuals demanded a partnership with his company (or even control of it) and threatened to harm him if he refused. The police suspect that the persons are affiliated with local criminal gangs with gambling interests. They have conducted an undercover investigation and have put Lanir under close protection due to concern that he might be attacked. Authorities say that surveillance provided sufficient evidence to charge the suspects with extortion, leading to today's arrests.
Advertising Crackdown in Australia -- ZDNet Australia is reporting that representatives with the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts are investigating possible breaches of the country's Interactive Gambling Act by Google and other popular search engines. The IGA prohibits advertising gambling services on Web sites where "it is likely that the majority of that site's users are physically present in Australia." Breaching the act carries a maximum penalty of AU$220,000 per day for individuals and AU$1.1 million per day for corporations. Google Australia displays advertising links to online gambling sites when certain keywords are misspelled. But the Internet giant isn't alone: Little-known Melbourne-based search engine Web Wombat has reportedly admitted to conducting such activities.
No Change Expekted -- Expekt, an online sports book, casino and poker operator targeting Scandinavian markets, is denying rumors that it plans to switch software providers. The company said today that it will stick with the Prima Network and its Microgaming software. The Malta-based operator is one of the largest members of the Prima Poker network, which experienced growth of over 300 percent in 2004.
eBay Bidding Gone Bad -- GoldenPalace.com has perfected the practice of publicity stunts, but it could probably do without the publicity it has received through its latest exploits on eBay. The company fell victim to a "sniper trap" on the popular online auction site while bidding on a candy wrapper reportedly from Mesopotamia. The scam entailed a competing bidder's retraction and two phony bids made to increase the selling price of the item, for which Golden Palace was ultimately the winning bidder. The auction's bidding history revealed one of the longest lists of bid retractions or cancellations in eBay's history. Either the bidder or the seller canceled a total of 10 bids ranging from $710 to $8,000. The Iraq Museum International, which monitors the site for the sale of illegal artifacts, isn't questioning the authenticity of the item, but did acknowledge that the casino operator was the victim of a sniper trap.
New Poker Software -- Chartwell Technologies today unveiled PokerNexus, its new community poker software. The technology behind the system was acquired through Chartwell's purchase of Micropower Corporation in May 2005. The PokerNexus network was launched through two European clients, and Chartwell says additional European clients will join the community in fiscal 2005.
AngelCity Covets Carib -- AngelCiti, a provider of online gaming software and networks, announced this week it is progressing aggressively in its acquisition of the Turks & Caicos' largest gaming company, Carib Gaming. AngelCiti acquired a 10 percent stake on June 13 and intends to pique investor interest with meetings in London, New York, Los Angeles and San Diego.