US News -- USA Today reported last week that interactive gambling equipment aboard Swissair Flight 111 may have contributed to the plane's crashing near Nova Scotia on Sept. 2, 1998. The flight, which was en route between New York and Geneva, had been installed with an entertainment system made by Interactive Flight Technologies, which allowed passengers to view movies, shop and gamble during flight. The newspaper reports that the Canadian government believes the equipment could have contributed to the fire that caused the plane to crash in the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 229 people on board. One year after the crash, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration banned the use of such entertainment systems on MD-11s, the type of plane that Flight 111 was.
Bit from the Caribbean -- Antigua and Barbuda are receiving an "A" grade from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force for their actions to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. Sir Ronald Sanders, who led the Antigua and Barbuda negotiation team, said the islands are compliant with the 40 recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, in Paris, and the 13 recommendations of the CFATF. Negotiations between Antigua and Barbuda and the CFATF began in January in Barbados and wrapped up in Port-of-Spain last week.
Making Deals -- Bingo Entertainment Ltd. said today that it has signed a deal with CryptoLogic Inc. for software to develop an online poker room, www.pokerplex.com, that will launch on April 14. Richard Chambers, CEO of Bingo Entertainment, said his group is diversifying its core bingo activities. ... VirtGame Corp. and Las Vegas Dissemination Co. said today that they have signed a sports wagering software license and maintenance agreement with Herbst Gaming. Herbst owns and operates Terrible's Hotel Casino, Terrible's Town Casino and Terrible's Lakeside Casino, all of which are in Nevada. "We are pleased with the interest Nevada casinos have shown in our open platform software and technology," said Bruce Merati, the president and CFO of VirtGame. "The agreement with Herbst Gaming is a clear sign that we are on the right track launching our software into the Nevada market."
Names and Faces -- Vincent Caldwell is resigning his position as managing director of betinternet.com plc to pursue other interests, the company said today. Paul Doona, finance director, will take his place. Mark Child, non-executive director, will undertake the strategic initiatives, including possible acquisitions, that the company detailed in its interim results.
Tidbit from the UK -- Macworld Daily News is reporting today that Mac users in the United Kingdom who use browsers including Internet Explorer, Safari and Netscape can expect to get an "incompatible operating system" message when trying to access the National Lottery's Web site. Camelot, operator of the National Lottery, said it is trying to have the problem fixed by Thursday morning.