InterCasino.co.uk -- InterCasino today announced the launch of a new U.K. Sterling version of its casino at www.intercasino.co.uk. The site offers all the same games and benefits as the original. The company says one of the keys to the new Sterling casino is its manager, Jane Bentley, who can be found at the tables every day under the screen name JaneB playing, chatting and offering advice and assistance. Apparently she also offers £25 spot prizes to players who say "Hi" to her on weekends.
Under Attack -- Some of Betfair's punters were unable to access the company's services yesterday because its online betting exchange was bombarded by a DDoS attack. According to a statement posted on the site, "Betfair [has] experienced a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack by criminals using the Internet which affected the main exchange website between 16:40 and 17:45. We would like to apologize for the inconvenience caused by this action which was entirely outside of our control."
Sandown Terminals -- Seven terminals providing free Internet access to spectators were installed on June 1 at Sandown's race course in England, but the track has decided to block access to betting sites because of complaints that punters were using the terminals to wager with Betfair. The terminals were installed to provide race-goers with more information, but according to the on-course bookies, they had become little more than unauthorized betting areas. Internet access will still be provided at Sandown, but betting sites will be blocked.
More Biz for NETeller -- Online payment processor NETeller Plc has expanded its European operations by adding two more betting sites--Victor Chandler and BetOnSports.co.uk--to its merchant base. The two companies now accept financial transactions from players with NETeller accounts.
Consolidation in Australia -- Australian Financial Review reported today that UNiTAB's chief executive, Dick McIlwain, has expressed the belief that Australia's gambling companies will continue to consolidate. His own Queensland-based company is the most likely candidate to merge with a rival in the near future. Companies like Tabcorp, which recently defeated UNiTAB in a bidding war for Tab Ltd, are likely to begin showing an interest in mergers sometime after August 31, when UNiTAb's ownership restrictions expire.
Tassie Stats -- A new report on gambling from the Tasmanian Catholic Justice and Peace Commission claims that problem gamblers account for one third of the entire Tasmanian gaming market. It also claims that the average problem gambler probably loses about $12,000 per year. Overall, Tasmanians lose $80 million per year on poker machines alone, while the state government earns $48 million from gaming revenue.
Betsson.com Poker -- P2P operator Betsson.com has announced the launch of its new poker site in partnership with PokerNetwork, which is providing a non-download Java poker system as well as a network of 2 million poker players.
Casino Giveaway? -- I-gaming software company Atlantis Internet Group Corp says it will grant a one-year license to use its online casino software to any U.S. state that passes legislation allowing online casino betting within its borders.