Ladbrokes' Plans -- The Sunday Times reports that British multi-billion-pound gaming group Ladbrokes this week will announce an "aggressive" expansion plan for Asia and Europe. Ladbrokes CEO Chris Bell intends to take the group into Italy and Turkey to strengthen existent interests, and has expressed additional regard for Spanish and German markets. On the one hand, the Times suggests that the expansion comes in reaction to the rapid saturation and resultant stagnation of the British online gaming market; on the other, Ladbrokes' Asian expansion has progressed at such a rate as to produce record half-year earnings--£150 million before interest and tax. Moreover, during that period, the number Chinese betting shops the group runs increased from 150 to 250. Bell and his executive board hope the expansion will strengthen Ladbrokes' reputation as a growth company, as it looks into the rumored acquisition of other U.K.-based gaming operations. . . . Speculation also abounds regarding Ladbrokes' plans to expand into the U.S. gambling market. While industry rival BetonSports continues its downward spiral, Bell is speculated to view the group’s U.S. expansion with reservation, undoubtedly taking into account the legal turmoil currently facing online gambling operations. Bell will update investors Thursday with U.S. plans.
EPT 3 -- PokerStars.com announced today that its popular televised poker series, "the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour" (EPT), will return for a third season. EPT tournament play will commence in Barcelona on Sept. 3, with additional tournaments scheduled in Dublin, London, Baden, Copenhagen and other major European cities. The season will culminate in Monte Carlo with the EPT Grand Final in early April. Buy-ins have been fixed at 5,000 euro, with the exception of the Grand Final at 10,000 euro; and players will vie for over 2 million euro in prize money. PokerStars has once again summoned players of all abilities to seek qualification online. Last year's winner, 19-year-old American student Jeff Williams, qualified through an online satellite at PokerStars.com. The new EPT season will also feature appearances by several poker pros, including World Series champions Joe Hachem (2005), Greg Raymer (2004) and Chris Moneymaker (2003).
IPO -- PaddyPowerPoker.com announced today the details of its Irish Poker Open (IPO) 2007, Ireland's largest poker tournament. Prize money will total 2 million euro, and the tournament will field 800 players divided into two groups of 400. Each group will participate in two separate day-ones. The buy-in is fixed at 3,500, which includes a 200 euro registration fee. Online qualifiers open on Aug. 27, with daily tournaments supplying candidates for weekly "grand finals." The IPO runs over the course of Easter weekend 2007. Last year's winner, Vincent Melinn, beat out poker pros Mel Judah, Padraig Parkinson and others to earn 350,000 euro and first-prize.
'All Out' -- Reuters reported today that immodesty and charity are not mutually exclusive, with Paddy Power 's world strip poker champion securing a reported £10,000 for charity. John Young, a 32-year-old British freelance writer, emerged victorious after an eight-hour tournament that had its share of ups-and-downs, which included Mr. Young's mercurial, persuadable pants. "We said we would give £10,000 to cancer research if John dropped his trousers at the end of the match, and he duly obliged," a Paddy Power spokesman said.
Prepaid Enhancements -- I-gaming software developer IQ-Ludorum, Plc (IQL) today announced that it has entered into a partnership with Debit Loans, which has agreed to invest $5 million in an IQL-supervised project involving the rollout of a system that enhances the usability of First Pay prepaid debit cards. The debit cards enable card holders to make purchases or ATM withdrawals without prepaid balances at the time of use. First Pay, and IQL subsidiary, receives a fee from the user for the cash access service. IQL intends for the cash access service and associated technology to generate additional fee income and projects. And pending the success or failure of the venture, there is speculation that the deal will expand to $15 million.