Chariot's Change -- U.K. lottery operator Chariot has reportedly stated that charities will now have to pay a 6p on-the-pound charge to participate instead of the original 1.8p fee. Chairman Peter Jones said the move is necessary following disappointing ticket sales. Under the agreement, charity contracts will be extended from two years to three years, and Jones said 60 of the 70 participating charities have already agreed to the deal. The change he said, will be reviewed after six months, and extra fees would be given back.
Bingo Arrival -- Online gaming software provider Playtech has announced the launch of a new bingo site, "Bingoday," which is owned and operated by Imperial E-Club Ltd. Bingoday, which offers both 75-ball and 90-ball options, will become a member of Playtech's proprietary Bingoland.com network, which supports fully customized games, multiple rooms and a selection of other games.
Bingo Revitalization -- Online gaming giant PartyGaming this week launched a revitalized subsidiary: PartyBingo.com. The site was founded in 2003, and the company has promised that in the coming weeks players can expect enticing promotions and increased Web coverage from affiliate sites. Improvements include bigger pots, a brand new bingo room, fairer card limits and more. All changes should be implemented by the end of July.
Fun and LYCOS -- Online casual gaming provider Fun Technologies Inc. announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, SkillJam EU Limited has signed a two-year, exclusive agreement to create a private-label skill-gaming platform for LYCOS Europe. Under the terms of the agreement, SkillJam will develop, operate and support the pay-to-play gaming sites for eight LYCOS Europe portals: U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Sweden and Denmark. A leading European portal provider, LYCOS Europe reaches around 30 million unique users every month. Global media group Bertelsmann AG holds 20 percent of the LYCOS Europe shares.
The 3D Poker -- Online poker room The3Dpoker.com, produced by Swedish online gaming developer Designed Quality Entertainment, launched the first of its multi-table tournaments yesterday featuring hourly freeroll, sit&go and money-added tournaments. The preliminary tournament format is designed to attract existing players, and the company is working on introducing a greater variety of tournaments at a later date.
WSOP Odds -- Online betting exchange Betfair's odds, which are set by Betfair customers, say that Phil Ivey is 27-1 to make the final table of this year's World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Ivey, 27, already has five WSOP event winner's bracelets to his name. Other pros ranked comparably with Ivey, include Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson and Howard Lederer, have all given odds of less than 100-1 by Betfair punters.