New Centrebet Launch -- Centrebet in the first half of 2008 will launch a new online sports book aimed at the New South Wales market called "SportOdds." It will be the company's first use of the white-label capabilities of the OpenBet IT platform it migrated to in May. To promote the sports book, Centrebet has formed a strategic alliance with Fairfax Digital, online provider of the Sydney Morning Herald, Real Foot, League HQ and Rugby Heaven, which will provide massive marketing opportunities for the product.
Finalization -- Unibet Group plc today has finalized its full acquisition of Maltese company Maria Holdings Ltd. The final price was SEK 705 million (GBP 54 million), including net cash, which was paid as cash up front today and financed by the recent bond issue. Unibet will immediately consolidate Maria Holdings in its results, and all current subsidiaries under Maria Invest AB have been restructured under Maria Holdings Ltd.
Doh! -- The New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority is investigating an online poker advertisement seen by a nine-year-old girl while watching the Simpsons. The girl's father, CEO of the Problem Gambling Foundation, said the ads, which his daughter saw at 5:09 p.m. on Nov. 30 and 7:40 p.m. on Nov. 15, are in breach of a law banning online gambling for being aired during children's program time. But TV3 marketing director Roger Beaumont defined children's programming time as between 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and 6:30 a.m. and 9am on Saturdays and said the commercial was vetted by the Television Commercials Approval Bureau. The Internal Affairs Department will decide by the end of January whether to take further action.
Person of the Year -- In the spirit of the holidays, gambling portal Gambling 911 has named U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway "Person of the Year" for 2007. Hanaway, who represents the Eastern District of Missouri, has posed a greater threat to the Internet gambling industry than anyone, said Gambling 911. Hanaway, who is prosecuting BetonSports in her district, on Wednesday announced a $35.1 million settlement with Google, Yahoo and Microsoft over the advertisement of illegal Internet gambling.
Stock Watch -- On the London Stock Exchange today, British Sky Broadcasting was up 20.50p to 620.50 and FUN Technologies was down 3.50p to 163.