Sportingbet Speaks -- Online operator Sportingbet has been the of-late beneficiary of good margins on sports betting and expects its Paradise Poker site to attract more players in the coming months, Reuters quotes Sportinbet CEO Andy McIver as saying. McIver also told the news source that a Spanish-language version of its poker site was due to launch within a month, with a Brazil-focused site to follow. Losses sustained after the enactment of prohibitive U.S. I-gaming legislation, however, make a dividend unlikely in the year ending July 2007, McIver said.
Last Call -- A disagreement between racing interests and Tote management has complicated a "last-ditch joint bid for the state owned bookmaker," The Telegraph reports. The news source reports that U.K. officials have given the alliance of racecourse operators, racehorse owners and Tote directors until tomorrow to make an offer for the business that matches its £400 million ($785.6 million) valuation. However, the consortium reportedly remains opposed to the demands of Tote chief executive Trevor Beaumont that management and staff be given a 20 percent share in the new company's equity.
Joint Venturing -- U.K.-based operator Ladbrokes will partner with GEM-listed MegaInfo Holdings to form a joint venture, reports China Knowledge. The venture targets China's $10.2 billion lotteries market by launching Ladbrokes' video betting terminals, which allow fixed-odds wagering on sports matches and other games.
New IT for Bill Hill -- Online bookmaker William Hill will migrate its Web site to a "recently installed next-generation" IT infrastructure, reports Computing.