Prima -- Prima Poker, the poker network powered by I-gaming software provider Microgaming, has added three new poker rooms to its network—BoylesportsPoker.com, 24poker.com and Purple-Lounge.com. The Prima now has over 30 online poker operators pooling their players into its massive network…. Prima has announced a $3 million prize pool for its 2005 Monte Carlo Millions tournament in Monaco on November 20-23. The 2004 Monte Carlo Millions tournament is currently being broadcast Poker Zone TV -- Sky Channel 226 in Europe and Kanal5 in Sweden and Denmark. Additional broadcast partners in the U.S., Canada, and Australia will be announced shortly.
Quoteworthy -- “There are genuine difficulties. We very much want operators to come to the UK. We recognize that this is a fast growing area of the gambling business which, at the moment, is not supporting UK jobs or tax revenues. We very much support the Gambling Act’s objective of having a well regulated UK-based industry but we do need to make sure it pays its fair share of tax and is treated equitably with other leisure industries. We are aiming for competitiveness with equity and fairness, just as the move from betting duty to a gross profits tax did, with great success.”
--Patrick Guthrie, head of the UK Treasury’s gambling tax team, speaking about the Treasury's approach to taxing online gambling operators.
MANSION Casino -- Gibraltar-based online gaming company MANSION has launched a new instant-play online casino with 23 games on its Mansion.com website. MANSION first launched in September 2004 with a commission-free sports betting exchange and a high-limit sportsbook. Players can use MANSION's 'One Account' system to pay in any one of 14 currencies.
PMU Stats -- French bookmaking company Paris Mutuel Urbain (PMU) improved its turnover for the first half of 2005 by 7.5 percent to 4.06 billion euros as compared to the same period last year… PMU is reportedly preparing to take action against ZEturf, a new online horseracing wagering service that launched on June 20th. PMU believes that its monopoly on horserace wagering in France should prevent ZEturf from offering services to French citizens, but ZEturf says its services are legal because its betting sites are located in the United Kingdom, Austria, Finland and Malta. PMU also believes that French residents who use unauthorized online betting sites could be liable for fines of up to 45,000 euro and prison terms of up to three years.
New Entry? -- Werner Klatten, head of German media group EM.TV, stated yesterday at EM.TV's annual general meeting that the company is considering offering sports betting services in the second half of 2005 in addition to expanding its other entertainment activities, although no decision has been made final. 87 percent of EM.TV's first quarter turnover came through sports-related activities.
Streaming -- Gambling-centered media company Players Network has begun airing live streaming video content from the site of the World Series of Poker at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Called The World Series of Poker Lifestyle Show, the company's programming is available for viewing at Playersnetwork.com and features six hours of entertainment each day until July 9th. Emmy-award winning sports director Marty Corwin will direct the footage, which will include three episodes of Doyle's Room, which features poker legend Doyle Brunson talking about the gambling lifestyle with other poker professionals. Other talk shows will be hosted by gambling experts Wayne Allyn Root, Larry Grossman, and Nolan Dalla. Players Network will also produce the Poker Dealer Olympics and present the Player Awards Show later this week.
Case Dismissed -- On May 25th the U.S. District Court reviewing the amended complaint of Michael Rossides' company Betpress.com has granted U.S Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' motion to dismiss the case. Rossides had challenged the constitutionality of the Justice Department's use of the Wire Act to prohibit online gambling by arguing that certain bets are forms of speech that are protected by the First Amendment.
Arbitrator -- The director general of the World Trade Organization has appointed Dr. Claus-Dieter Ehlermann to serve as an arbitrator between the U.S. and the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in determining the reasonable time-frame by which the U.S. must implement the rulings and recommendations dictated by the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body in early April. Typically a country does not receive more than 15 months to implement a decision.
The Blues -- Several newspapers and other media sources around St. Louis, Mo are reporting that Trinidad-based CasinoFortune.com has offered to purchase the NHL franchise of the St. Louis Blues and the arena in which they play. Officials for the Blues have refused to comment. Within the last year CasinoFortune has made similar headlines by proposing to purchase the NBA franchises of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns, but neither offer was successful. Like the other offers, the bid for the Blues is likely only a publicity ploy.
Strategic Alliance -- MTV and MTV Games have announced a strategic alliance with Myelin Media, the publisher of interactive entertainment software for STACKED with Daneil Negreanu, a Texas Hold'em game scheduled for release in fall 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation2, PSP and PC platforms. MTV and Myelin will work together to deliver poker content to MTV audiences on-air, online, and via mobile and other platforms. The companies will also develop programming based on the STACKED brand to air around the time of the release of the game, and MTV.com will serve as the official online site of STACKED on all platforms.