Casino Coins in England -- After celebrating its fifth anniversary, online casino affiliate program Casino Coins announced its newest venture, Casino Coins UK. The new program will cater specifically to the needs of U.K. affiliates.
Golden Palace Responds -- Golden Palace CEO Richard Rowe told IGN he was "really surprised" by the casino's latest marketing stunt: having a tutu clad "streaker" crash an Olympic synchronized diving contest. He added that he's a lot more excited about other projects and specifically referenced a sponsorship deal to send a Canadian aircraft into space and charity efforts the company is doing with the ball that David Beckham used to miss a penalty kick for England in the Euro 2004 tourney. Rowe also said the streaker has opted to pay a fine rather than spend five months in jail and that Golden Palace is not paying the fine for him.
In Other Olympic News -- Officials with Hilton Group, owners of U.K. bookmaker Ladbrokes, yesterday reported a huge boost in gambling activity over the last few months. The trend was helped in large part by Olympic betting, which smashed previous Olympic turnover records. Ladbrokes' first-half profits rose 72 percent to £190 million over the last quarter. Managing Director Chris Hill said turnover for the entire Sydney Olympics was £100,000. "We have taken that on one part of the shot put event (at this year's games)," Hill said. Most of that action, he added, has been taken over the Internet.
Protection for Tattersall's Investors -- A surprise new law passed this week in Australia protects elite investors in Australian casino Tattersall's. The law makes Tattersall's beneficiaries, who control about 10 percent of the group, exempt from regulations preventing new shareholders from buying double-digit stakes. The new bill was passed in conjunction with a ramp-up for Tattersall's as it eyes the Australian stock market for a float in November. Most beneficiaries are descendants of those named in the will of Tattersall's founder, George Adams, who died in 1904. It's a highly secretive group of more than 2,500 people. They shared more than $126 million in profits in one year alone.
Armed Bandits Get 22 Years -- The armed bandits who robbed betting shops all across London last year were sentenced today to a combined 22 years in prison. The gang of five stole more than £60,000 from the shops during its six-month run. They also targeted building societies during the crime spree. Kingpin Marlon Myrie was given a nine-year sentence. In one robbery, a betting shop employee was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver. The members of the gang were found guilty of committing over 40 offenses.
A New Gambling Search Engine -- Jumpat.com this week rolled out a gambling portal called RabbitLuck.com. The new site is a pay-per-click search engine for online and offline casinos and sports books. Operators can sign up for a free "test drive" of the system for a limited time. The Jumpat.com network includes 120 search engines that average a combined 400,000 clicks per day.