Another Float -- Following the posting of earnings figures that are "comfortably ahead of internal forecasts," Betcorp (owner of BetWWTS and Sinsational Intertainment) indicated that it is considering a float on the London Stock Exchange. The company, which is already listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, stated: "In planning the future expansion of Betcorp, the board is considering whether it is in the shareholders' interests for the company to access that market by a dual listing or other means."
Whoops -- Satellite Information Services (SIS), the company that supplies pictures to Ladbrokes' bookmaking shops, reportedly accidentally showed the results of a virtual race before it actually took place. Punters apparently threw lots of money at the winning horse, giving Ladbrokes a nasty loss.
Nevada Law -- The Nevada Gaming Commission last week conducted a public hearing on two sets of regulations that would allow Nevada's licensed race books to take wagers via the telephone from bettors located in other states. Race books would not immediately be allowed to accept bets over the Internet, although that could change. The intention of the new regulations is to restore some ground that Nevada's pari-mutuel industry has lost to the 17 other states that already allow race betting operations to accept telephone bets. Should the regulations be passed, Nevada's 86 race books would have access to customers in the 33 U.S. states in which interstate betting is not prohibited. The commission will vote on the regulations on Sept. 27.
Self Help in New Zealand -- Gambling Helpline has launched New Zealand's first online self-assessment tool to help gamblers diagnose their susceptibility to problem gambling. The tool enables users assess their levels of risk and save their results so that they can check back at a later date to determine whether they've made progress or slipped. The Web site also features links to additional self-help tools
Magazine Demand -- Media Bulletin reports that Dennis Publishing's Inside Edge magazine, which was launched in England in March 2004, has not lived up to its expectations. While the target circulation was 30,000, figures reveal that only about 15,000 copies are actually moving. Dennis Publishing announced plans in July to put out another magazine called Total Gambler to meet advertisers' demand for Inside Edge.