Licensed and Authorized -- Payments processor FireOne today announced that the U.K. Financial Services Authority issued its subsidiary, FirePay U.K., an electronic money issuer license, which authorizes the company as a regulated e-money issuer in the United Kingdom and throughout the European Union .
Italy-bound -- The E.U. Commission announced today that it had cleared William Hill's proposed joint venture with Spanish gaming company Codere to enter the Italian gambling market. The transaction was reviewed under the E.U.'s "simplified" merger review procedure, as, according to the Commission, the deal did not raise any concerns about competition. Last August the companies signed a memorandum of understanding to create a sports betting business in Spain, and will enter Italy to garner betting licensure slated to be issued by Italian regulatory authorities in 2007.
Appointments -- U.K.-based betting exchange Betfair today announced the appointment of Mathias Entenmann, the former North-American business head for PayPal, as its managing director effective this January. . . . Edward Ihre, former affiliates director at Ongame, was appointed by PokerStars as its director or partners and affiliates.
Quoteworthy -- "We were very disappointed [. . .] We think regulation makes a lot of sense. Online sites would be paying taxes--money would stay in the U.S. instead of flowing overseas. The reality is poker is a quintessential American game. To me, personally, it's like banning football because a couple of players get hurt each year. If Congress tried to ban baseball or football, I would hate to be sitting in Washington when the public's reaction to banning football came out."
World Series of Poker communications director Gary Thompson, as quoted by PocketFives.com, regarding the October enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).