Wrongful Something or Other -- The former head of Irish operations for Betfair, Raymond Farrell, is suing the company for what he calls an unfair dismissal. Farrell, who joined Betfair in 2002, has filed documents with the Employment Appeals Tribunal in Dublin; the case is scheduled to be heard later this month. Betfair made an announcement in June that Farrell was leaving to concentrate on other projects, but Farrell said the heavy workload had taken its toll on his health. He also said that he left the firm under unharmonious circumstances and felt that his role had been diluted.
Signs -- The ACT Gambling and Racing Commission ran a public service announcement in Sunday's Canberra Times listing the signs of gambling addiction, including: feelings of rejection and isolation; loss of enjoyment in the act of gambling; loss of the feeling of control; dishonesty; and lack of the ability to make rational decisions.
Excellent -- After an investigation into the regulation of remote gaming, the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) of Malta was recognized for "Excellent Services to Online Gaming" by U.K. magazine Business Britain. LGA CEO Mario Galea said it was an extremely important achievement for the LGA considering the market in which it operates.
Not Excellent -- The Herald Sun reports that Linda Hancock, the director of the Corporate Citizenship Research Unit at Deakin University and former head of Victoria's defunct Gambling Research Panel, has accused the Victorian government of hiding damaging research to preserve a positive outcome in next year's election. Hancock said three major projects--exploring the links between gambling and crime and gambling and suicide/depression as well as gambling's effects on specific ethnic communities--were abandoned when the panel was abolished. She also said that a research report comparing gambling problems in different communities was submitted to Gaming Minister John Pandazopoulos but never published. Peter Scott, a spokesman for Pandazopoulos, said the government will release the report in the near future and that the final version was not received until July 28. "The average time it has taken for previous Gambling Research Panel studies to be released has been five months, so we are still within the average time frame for the release of this type of information," Scott said.
New Territory -- Online bingo group Winward Gaming is entering a new gaming arena by launching a new all-slots gaming site called SlotsVillage.com. Internet gaming solutions provider Parlay Entertainment is supplying the software.