Problem Gambling in Canada -- The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has contracted gambling psychologist Jason Doiron to conduct a study to determine what sort of impact the Internet and other technological advancements are having on the number of problem gamblers in the area. Doiron will survey 1,000 residents about their level of participation in 12 to 15 types of activities, and the study will likely be finished by June. A similar study, completed in 1999, found that 89 percent of the province's citizens participated in some form of gambling and that 3 percent of them were addicted to gambling. . . . The Manitoba Lotteries Corporation is allocating $10 million toward problem gambling programs and research. Much of the research will attempt to discover what techniques are effective for different segments of the population.
New Battleground -- In China, where the state-run People's Daily has declared gambling "the new battleground in eradicating corruption," 46 employees of the Jilin Construction Bank have been charged with embezzling US$65.3 million and gambling $40.2 million of it away with illegal bookmakers or at casinos in Macau. The thefts occurred in 1999 and were discovered in 2001, but charges were not brought against the culprits until today. It was revealed earlier this month that the government is also investigating the theft of over $120.6 million from Bank of China accounts. Meanwhile, Beijing News reported today that Beijing police earlier this month arrested two suspects and seized more than $US28.4 million in a case that involved the use of an overseas gambling Web site.
In the US Courts -- Susan Bala, the founder of North Dakota-based Racing Services who faces 12 federal charges, including money laundering and illegal gambling, took to the witness stand this week to defend her case. Prosecutors allege that the gambling parlor Bala operated from October 2002 to April 2003 was illegal because it was not licensed through a charity and because taxes were not paid. Bala claims she was under the impression that her parlor was using the Internet to place bets with an offshore site in Costa Rica and that state taxes and fees were therefore not applicable. She says she later found out that Internet betting did not take place because there was a problem with the company's software.
Bowmans in Canada -- Bookmaker Bowmans has signed some sponsorship and marketing deals that will give it more exposure in Canada. The company recently signed marketing partnerships with three Canadian Football League clubs--the Edmonton Eskimos, the Hamilton Tiger Cats, and the Calgary Stampeders--that will provide on-field signage, jumbotron announcements, Web site links and exclusive online, interactive, free-to-enter contests. The partnerships will be in effect for the 2005 and 2006 regular seasons. The company had a similar agreement in place in '04 with the CFL Grey Cup Champion Toronto Argonauts as well as a post-season agreement with the league. Bowmans will also be the presenting sponsor of the Fan 590 Hockey Tournament in Toronto in late February. The tournament will feature 110 amateur teams competing for the inaugural Bowmans Cup.
Affiliate Tool -- Online gaming software provider Gambling Federation has announced a new campaign tracking tool that enables Gambling Federation affiliates to create individually tracked marketing campaigns within the same account. Affiliates can customize each campaign by selecting any creative from the list, and each creative is assigned its own link and statistics. By being able to set up and track several campaigns, affiliates receive detailed reports about which marketing strategies are working best for them, what types of players they are attracting, what amounts are being deposited globally, which languages have the highest conversion rates and more.
CNNText and Poker -- Internet poker room SunPoker.com has signed a deal to be featured on interactive cable channel CNNText, a text-based information station that reaches millions of homes throughout Europe and enables users to browse the latest news headlines. Users will be able to view SunPoker's latest promotions and tournament listings.