Banned -- The U.K. Jockey Club on Thursday banned race horse owner Darren Mercer for six months for laying one of his horses to lose a race at the Welsh Nationals on Dec. 23, 2003. Mercer and the horse's trainer both testified that there was no agreement as to whether the horse would participate in the race in question, but the Jockey Club's disciplinary panel alleges that Mercer knew his horse, Joss Naylor, would not run. Mercer, who gained just £410 on his wager, is outraged at the panel's decision and claims he was simply hedging bets since he had also backed the horse to win a large sum. He also claims he was unaware of a rule that prohibits owners from laying their horses to lose. His punishment is much lighter than the one administered in March to Miles Rodgers, an owner who won several thousand pounds by laying his two Platinum horses to lose. Rodgers placed wagers through an account with a false name in an attempt to conceal his betting, whereas Mercer place his bets with his own legitimate account. Rodgers, who was consequently banned for two years, was the first man found guilty of violating the "lay" rule, which was introduced in September.
Charges Filed Against My Casino Traders -- After a four-year investigation that included the use of bugging devices, telephone intercepts and surveillance, the Australian Crime Commission has charged two men for illegally trading thousands of shares in online gambling company My Casino. John Kizon, an organized crime figure and former boxer, faces 17 counts of insider trading, three counts of communicating insider trading information and two counts of conspiring to insider trading. Kizon's financial advisor, Nigel Cunningham Swift Mansfield, faces 296 counts of insider trading, 11 counts of communicating insider trading information, nine counts of money laundering, one count of destroying documents and one count of conspiring.
Rake-Free Poker -- www.zerorake.com has launched an online poker room that charges a fixed monthly subscription free rather than taking a commission on winning hands. To demonstrate the amount customers save using the no-rake model, the site features a "Rake-O-Meter" that shows the player how much money he has saved by paying a fixed fee instead of a commission. The site is operated by Action Poker Gaming, Inc. and powered by software from Las Vegas From Home.com Entertainment. Members pay a $6 fee for the first month and $30 per month each following month.
YooMedia -- Fancy a Flutter, the interactive games channel recently acquired by YooMedia, has added another launching point on iTV through its sister site, "YooPlay," which also offers pay-per-play gaming. Fancy a Flutter also recently launched a new game called "Super Madcap Keno." The company additionally made new appointments to iPublic, its public-sector division that focuses on delivering interactive digital television and wireless solutions for public-service organizations. Margaret McDonagh, former general secretary of the U.K. Labor Party and former general manager of Express Newspapers, joins iPublic as chairwoman, and Waheed Alli, co-founder of television production company Planet 24 and former managing director of Carlton TV Production, will join iPublic's board as a non-executive director.
Teletext and DITG -- Information and entertainment service Teletext has partnered with Digital Interactive Television Group (DITG) to launch a new games service on BSkyB's Channel 4. The service features multi-screen slot machines and virtual horse racing for free or for real money.
Crackdown in Hungary -- The Gambling Supervision in Hungary last week warned that foreign online gambling services are illegal under the Gambling Act of Hungary and that prizes obtained using such services cannot be legally claimed in the country. Anyone using the services, the office warned, is breaking the law and could face charges. It also stated that the leading violators are operators of online lotteries and sports betting sites targeting Hungarian punters.