Image -- A court in Paris ruled on July 8 against Real Madrid and its players who had sued European bookmakers Ladbrokes, BetandWin, Villa La Palma, Victor Chandler, Betfair, Sportingbet, William Hill and Mr Bookmaker for the alleged misuse of logos and player pictures on their Internet betting sites. The court decided that the betting companies do not use the names and photos of the club and its players for commercial purposes but for informational purposes with regards to the bets offered on sporting events. Real Madrid and its players also have similar cases pending in Belgium and Germany, but its hopes must surely be dashed, especially considering that the French legal system is generally regarded as one of the most protective environments for names and portrait rights.
No Deal -- Poker professional Doyle Brunson confirmed today that his team of investors' $700 million bid to purchase WPT Enterprises has expired. WPT Enterprises says it let the offer expire on its own terms without asking for an extension because the credibility of the offer could not be verified. A statement this week from WPT Enterprises indicated that the term sheet proposing the deal offered scarce information. Further, WPT Enterprises was unable to obtain more information, and when it contacted Goodman and Chesnoff, the law firm that delivered the term sheet, it was told the firm was no longer involved in the matter. The scenario seems similar to marketing ploys utilized by many Internet gambling companies to gain exposure in the U.S. media, such as last week's "attempt" by Casino Fortune to purchase the St. Louis Blues hockey franchise. If this is the case, however, it remains unclear how Brunson and his team of investors might have benefited from the media coverage of the offer. Shareholders of WPT Enterprises, on the other hand, certainly reaped rewards when shares rose by 59 percent to an all-time high of $28.20 on Friday after major media channels covered the offer. The company's share price was down to $20.23 at press time.
Maltese Company Banned -- A Paris district court ruled on Friday in favor of France's monopoly bookmaker Paris Mutuel Urbain (PMU) by banning Malta-based online betting company ZEturf from taking bets on French horse races. PMU says the court's decision is based on an 1891 law that forbids taking bets on French horse races without authorization from the French agriculture ministry. ZEturf plans to appeal the ruling. . . . PMU announced turnover of 4 billion euro in the first half of 2005, a 7.5 percent improvement over the same period last year.
Quoteworthy -- "The premier's not a fool, and I can't imagine him getting involved and going down the track to this stage without being fairly confident that we would come out in a better situation."
- Harness Racing Tasmania Chairman John Hammond, who will attend a meeting Thursday with Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon to discuss the potential licensing of British betting exchange Betfair by the Tasmanian government. Lennon has asked the chairman and vice-chairman of Tasmania's three racing codes to attend Thursday's meeting now that negotiations with Betfair have advanced to a point where it has become necessary to consult with the racing industry.
iTV in the USA -- FUN Technologies, parent company of skill games and solutions provider SkillJam, has entered into an agreement with a major U.S. cable provider to develop new interactive television applications. The company declined to name the cable provider.
CYOP Game Studio -- CYOP Systems International, an I-gaming software that until only a few months focused primarily on skill games and systems, announced that in the fall it will open a game studio in Slovakia to capitalize on the growth of online casino gaming technologies. The wholly owned subsidiary of CYOP Technologies will develop "Next Generation" 3D casino games for cross platform integration over mobile, console and Internet applications.
Pegasus -- Pegasus Gaming Corp., an Arizona-based provider of I-gaming solutions and e-commerce services, has integrated a multiplayer poker room into suite of products. The company has also purchased exclusive license distribution rights for a suite of online casino games from Chimera Technology. Pegasus said today that it had entered into a letter of intent with a European operator looking to acquire a turnkey I-gaming operating license.
PokerRoom Affiliates -- Sweden-based PokerRoom.com has launched a new affiliate program at PokerAffiliate.com that gives partners access to banners, text links and special incentives to help promote Pokerroom.com on their websites. Each banner generates a tracker code, which tracks all players that click on the partner’s banner and consequently register on PokerRoom.com. When participants start playing with real money, the partner starts generating revenue.
Pros vs. Joes -- Canadian I-gaming software supplier Las Vegas From Home.com Entertainment will provide CBS SportsLine.com and ProJoPoker.com with free-play poker rooms to supplement a deal whereby CBS will televise eight out of 26 land-based ProJoPoker Enterprises tournaments. The early stages of ProJoPoker tournaments are open only to unranked, non-professional poker players, or "average Joes." Each tournament will, however, feature a "pro only" semi-final table. The top four finishing pros will compete against the top four finishing Joes (hence the name ProJoPoker) for cash prizes. The strategic partnership between CBSSportsLine.com and ProJo Poker Enterprises will feature a new Poker Arena section on CBSSportsLine.com in addition to the ProJoPoker.com website. Viewers can participate in free tournaments using Las Vegas From Home.com software on both sites for opportunities to win prizes, including spots at upcoming ProJoPoker tournaments.