And the Winner Is . . . -- The U.K. National Lottery Commission said that National Lottery operator Camelot will retain its license until 2019. Camelot beat out India-based operator Sugal & Dumani (S&D) to win the ten-year contract. Should Camelot and the commission fail to reach terms, S&D may, as reserve bidder, assume control of the license, the commission said. In a separate announcement, the commission said that Lottomatica and its Gtech subsidiary had agreed to supply technology for Camelot in an effort to modernize the lottery.
Sky on the Hunt for Bingo Platform -- Sources close to Sky Bet have reportedly said that the company is set to launch a bingo product by the end of the year. According to eGaming Review, further details regarding Sky's choice of platform have not been revealed.
WPTE to Promote Poker Comp in China -- World Poker Tour Enterprises has reached a five-year agreement with the China Leisure Sports Administrative Center to promote the country's first-ever national poker competition. Due to Chinese policy on gambling, that is, gambling's illegality, it is not clear what form the competition--or the game--will take. According to The Register, a British technology tabloid: "The Chinese authorities look askance at gambling, much as their soul mates at the American Department of Justice do. As such, no betting will be allowed. Since the stake involved determines much of the strategy and psychology of the game itself, it’s hard to understand how this would qualify as 'poker' or, even more importantly for the World Poker Tour, just why anyone would want to watch."
Bill Hill Re-Launches its Site -- William Hill has re-launched its Web site with updated features, including BetLive, which displays in-running markets on live sporting events. "We soft launched the site just a week ago and have experienced virtually no teething problems--we are delighted with it," said William Hill spokesman David Hood.
Coming Soon -- Boss Media will released its interim report on Wed., Aug. 15. (Take a look back at first-quarter results from Boss.)
So Much for Funtown -- RedlineChina.com reports that GigaMedia-owned casual games portal Funtown will stop its operation in mainland China, effective Aug. 23. The news source speculates the shutdown came as a result of "fierce competition" from competitors like Tencent and Lianzhong, which "benefit from a large variety of game offerings and an established player base."
Stock Watch -- On the LSE, PartyGaming was up 1p to 28.50, William Hill was up 12p to 607 and Ladbrokes was up 7.75p to 402.50.