Names and Faces -- WorldWinner, an online gaming company based in Newton, Mass., has chosen Stephen Killeen as its new chief executive. Killeen, a former executive at Fidelity Investments and Terra Lycos, calls the WorldWinner business model a "really interesting business proposition." WorldWinner's service enables people to play games like blackjack or chess with each other online for a per-game entry fee. The games are skill-based, Killeen said. Last year the company raised $17 million in venture capital from Boston-area companies including Zero Stage Capital, CommonAngels and HarbourVest Partners.
New Stuff -- Freeserve, the United Kingdom's largest ISP, today launched online bingo using Victor Chandler software. The non-download game accompanies casino games and multiplayer poker on the Freeserve site. It includes a variety of different types of bingo, including Big Ben, 90 balls and progressive jackpot bingo. John Gisby, the managing director of portals for Freeserve, said bingo was the next logical step after launching casino games. "The popularity of our casino service reveals how much people love a flutter on the Internet," he said. "I suspect the sheer democratic nature of bingo could make it even more popular." ... Boss Media today launched its online poker software, which was created with help from Andy "the Poker Pundit" Glazer, a poker expert. “For millions of poker players, online poker will become what the stock exchange is to day-traders playing the financial markets," Glazer said.