THE POWER OF ONE The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority has banned two of Ladbrokes TV ads promoting the betting and gaming company’s online casino.
Although the group noted that the ads were “humorous” and saw that the ads “intended to be cautionary tales,” it said in a statement on its Web site that “(the ads) breached the (BCAP Television Advertising Standards Code) by portraying gambling in a context of toughness and linking it to recklessness.”
According to the authority, the ruling comes after it received one public complaint. A statement released on Wednesday by Ladbrokes confirmed that it is seeking a review of the authority’s ruling and believes the authority has applied the standards code incorrectly.
“Ladbrokes fully supports the code of practice relating to gambling advertising but this ruling is an example of political correctness going too far,” said John O'Reilly, managing director of Ladbrokes Remote Betting and Gaming, in a prepared statement. “We believe the ads are compliant as they are humorous and show people in fantastical situations to which no one would aspire. Consumers know that you cannot jump from a plane using a 30g pack of crisps as a parachute!"
GAME UPDATE PKR has released a gaming update to its poker software, which the company called the site’s “biggest update ever.”
Already live on its Web site, the software has more than 50 new features including new games, enhanced gameplay, reduced load time and new payment options. Additionally, the site can now be accessed in Russian as well as 11 other languages.
“Our development team is really proud and excited about what we’ve been able to accomplish,” said Leon Walters, PKR’s chief operating officer, in a prepared statement. “We think the improvements and enhancements to the game are going to be a massive hit.”
GROWING On Wednesday, Gaming Media Group, which owns The Poker Channel, PokerHeaven.com, CasinoJoy.com, BingoJoy.com and BlackjackHeaven.com, reported a 57 percent growth in overall revenues for 2008.
The privately held company also noted that its poker earnings alone grew 47 percent, and its before-tax profit grew four times to £1 million.
The group’s TV business, The Poker Channel, will premier a European cash game this month and expects to add Poland and Portugal to its distribution network in the first quarter of 2009. The Poker Channel will also start broadcasting French, German and Dutch language versions of its shows in early 2009, the company said.
The group said it also plans to launch CasinoJoy in mid-January, a site that will boast more than 200 games from CryptoLogic Ltd.
“Our pan-European and localized approach, together with significant advances in our (customer relationship management) infrastructure, has been key to the extensive growth in 2008,” said Crispin Nieboer, Gaming Media Group’s chief executive, in a prepared statement. “We forecast strong organic growth in 2009, not just from poker, but from our new casino and bingo products as well.”
Mr. Neiboer added that the group is investigating more acquisition and joint-venture opportunities.
AND THE ONLINE BINGO OSCAR GOES TO... Jackpotjoy, owned by Gamesys Group, took the top spot, “U.K. Online Bingo Site of the Year,” WhichBingo has announced, along with the rest of the 2008 winners of its six annual “Online Bingo Oscars.”
“It's a fantastic achievement,” said Noel Hayden, Gamesys’ chief executive, a prepared statement. “I've got a brilliant group of people working for Jackpotjoy, and the best chat hosts in the business.”
Selected via online ballots, which are filled out by the players themselves, the other big winners included Bingo Playground as “U.K. New Online Bingo Site of the Year” and Bingo Billy as “International Online Bingo Site of the Year.”
Previous winners include Mecca Bingo, which was named site of the year in 2006, and Think Bingo, which won in 2007.
B2B LAUNCH Neogames, an online scratch-card software provider, announced this week that it will be licensing its technology to select partners.
Neogames’ newly formed business-to-business division will offer a portfolio of online scratch games with a back-office system and support personnel.
“We believe that online scratch cards are the ultimate mass-market e-gaming product, and we’re excited to share our success with partners that view eye-to-eye with us the phenomenal growth that this market segment holds,” said Michael Labrecque, the company’s chief financial officer, said in a prepared statement.
COMBATING CYBERCRIME Registrants for the fifth annual Combating Cybercrime conference, the one-day workshop that runs alongside opening day of ICEi, have only one day left to sign up under the standard rate.
On Thursday at midnight, Greenwich Mean Time, only a late rate will be available to registrants.
Some of this year's speakers include Edward P. Gibson, chief security advisor of Microsoft UK, with a look at his work with the F.B.I. and his approach to a well-structured information security strategy; Keith Foggon of the Serious Fraud Office; and Lord Eroll, House of Lords' Science and Technology Select Committee on global anti-crime measures and prosecution policies; and Pete Wood of First Base Technology with a look into blended attacks and their threat to gaming companies.
Other topics include card standards and PCI compliance, endpoint security in mobile devices and how money laundering in I-gaming fits into the global picture of international crime and terrorism.
Click here to register, and here to view the full program.
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