The P2P War -- The battle between bookmakers and Betfair now spans three continents. Thoroughbred Times reported today that New York Racing Association plans to withhold its signal from the attheraces interactive TV wagering networking starting in mid January. The move is being made to keep Betfair and other betting exchange services from offering bets on NYRA races. NYRA Senior Vice President Bill Nadar told Thoroughbred Times, "It's certainly not attheraces' at fault here; it's the accessibility of our races to Betfair that we find troubling. I would suspect that Betfair's business on NYRA would drop drastically without their users being able to view the signal." The publication also reported that Magna Entertainment dropped its signals from attheraces in late December.
UK Mobile News -- England's five major mobile carriers--Vodafone, Orange, Virgin, 02 and T-Mobile--have agreed to adhere to new regulations designed to protect children from adult content, including pornography and gambling. The agreement means that children under 18 won't be able to use third-generation phones with unlimited access. Handsets will come with filters that are removed only if the buyer proves he's 18 or over. The policy comes after child protection charities, led by NCH Action for Children, expressed concerns over pedophilia and the dangers of Internet chat rooms. The concerns were fueled by research showing that almost 60 percent of secondary school students and 20 percent of primary school pupils own handsets. The code of practice will go into effect by year's end.
New Stuff -- Online poker technology provider Tribeca Tables will use the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) in London as a platform to introduce several new features to its software, including the debut of two games: Omaha High and High Low. The new games will be available in ring and tournament format. Additional software features being rolled out include a "Buddy List" to which users can add their favorite players and friends; a "Rebuy Tournament," enabling players to re-buy in the early rounds (which builds up larger prize pools); new satellite tournaments with $100,000 in guaranteed free rolls each month; and a $15,000 guaranteed prize jackpot every Saturday. The conference will take place Jan. 27-29 at Earls Court 2.
Hiring -- Betfair today announced the appointment of Andrew Silverman as its director of public affairs. The position was created to address U.K. Parliament's consideration of new gambling policy. Silverman was previously a senior partner and public policy advisor with Brunswick Group Limited.