Neteller Changes -- Isle of Man-based online payment processor Neteller Plc has welcomed Ronald Martin as its new chief operating officer. Before joining Neteller, Martin held varied executive positions at companies such as FirstService Corporation, Job Advantage.com, Salesnet Inc. and most recently Globoforce Ltd. Neteller has also proposed the appointment KPMG Audit LLC to act as the its auditors. Deloitte & Touche will continue to provide ancillary services to Neteller.
Instant Games -- Danish Lottery Dansk Tipstjeneste will launch new instant lottery games on its Internet site using software designed by Iceland-based I-gaming software provider Betware. The new games will utilize Trusted Play, the instant-bet random number generator designed by Rhode Island-based (USA) Szrek2Solutions.
Turkish Efforts -- Turkish newspaper Zaman reports that the Turkish government is again trying to find a way to stop the increasing rate of online gambling by its citizens. The Justice and Development Party deputy Ertugrul Yalcinbayir has submitted a motion for question to the Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu, which reportedly stated, "Thirty gambling sites are available for Turkish people. What means can prevent our people from gambling? What is the economic size of online and other kinds of gambling in Turkey? Does Turkey have the power to prevent online gambling? What kinds of precautions can be taken?" Because the Internet gambling sites that cater to the Turkish market are based in offshore jurisdictions where Internet gambling is legal, the Interior Ministry has been able to do little other than contact the 30 Internet sites and demand that their services not be made available to Turkish residents.
Atlantic Lottery -- The Atlantic Lottery Corporation of Canada has released its annual report, the chief highlight of which is a return of $426 million in profit to the four Atlantic provinces. The Lotteries Commission of New Brunswick received $123 million, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador received $118 million, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation received $168 million and the Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission received $17 million. The Atlantic Lottery Corporation, the first lottery in Canada to offer players the ability to purchase lottery games on the Internet (through its PlaySphere Internet site), awarded players more than $319 in total prizes last year. . . . The Atlantic Lottery Corporation has made changes to its senior management team by appointing Pierre La France, formerly of Spielo/GTECH as vice president of social gaming and appointing Bert McWade as vice president of Gaming Development.
Poker Float -- Excapsa, operator of Ultimate Bet, has hired investment dealer Canaccord Capital to advise it on a possible listing on the London Stock Exchange. If it were to float, the company would likely try to raise £30 million and seek a valuation between £145 million and £200 million. Kahnawake-licensed Ultimate Bet has been online for five years and is ranked as the seventh-largest Internet poker room according to PokerPulse.com. Excapsa, which is headed by chief executive Jim Ryan, launched a U.K. site in May under the Ultimate Poker brand.
Betfair Meeting -- Betfair founder Edward Wray and other representatives of the betting exchange are scheduled to meet with independent MLCs in Tasmania on Thursday over the prospect of being licensed in Tasmania. The meeting is important for the company because the licensing of a betting exchange would require a legislative change, which would require action on behalf of the 15-member Upper House.