Making Deals -- Diversinet Corp. and Effective Solution Ltd. are teaming up to develop a secure lottery application for mobile phones. Diversinet is a provider of mobile solutions and Effective Solution Ltd. is a maker of lottery and pari-mutuel software. The companies report that the solution will allow players to purchase lottery tickets from their cell phones.
News from Asia -- The Japan Times is reporting today that an academic association has been created in Osaka Prefecture with the purpose of giving gambling a more positive image in Japan. The association, called the Academy of Gambling and Gaming Studies, is based at the Osaka University. The group will be studying the economic effects that pachinko parlors and racetracks have on communities.
Data Hub -- The Australian Bureau of Statistics is saying that gamblers' losses at Australia's pubs and gambling clubs are up 86 percent in the last six years. Last year, gambling losses were at an all-time high of AU $5.43 million.
Names and Faces -- Norsk Tipping recently appointed Peer Jacob Svenkerud as its vice president of communications and external relations. Svenkerud was previously the director of branding and stakeholder relations at Telenor ASA.