Blocking Payments -- Hungarian banks are blocking payments to online betting sites, according to online English-language Hungarian news source Hungary Around the Clock (HATC). According to the site, online betting companies Sportingbet and BetandWin said that payments cannot be made from Hungary on cards issued by IEB, Citibank, K&H Bank, MKB, Takarékbank and savings co-operatives. HATC said that K&H and MKB justified their ban by stating that bankcard fraud is high in the internet gambling world. IEB, on the other hand, denied the ban.
UK Jockeys Charged -- Owen Churchill, owner of UK bookmaker Churchill's Bookmakers has been charged by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority for breaching the rules in 10 races between December 2004 and February 2005. Churchill and jockeys Brian Reilly, 25, and Dean Williams, 24, are accused of providing information for reward, aiding and abetting a breach of the rules and endeavoring to mislead an investigating officer looking into the running and riding of the horses. The trio will appear for a hearing at the HRA's headquarters on June 29.
China Busts -- Three people have been sued in Beijing during the World Cup for participating in an online football gambling scheme, the Beijing Daily reported. According to the paper, in a case involving RMB 7 million (US $875,000), three suspects who acted as agents for overseas gambling sites organized football gambling through dozens of local subsidiaries who were charged a percentage for the ability to operate within the offshore firm's network. The person who reported the trio operated one of the twelve subsidiaries. He began online football betting in 2003 and lost RMB 8 million (US $1 million) in three years. To pay for the debt, he mortgaged his house and his mother's restaurant and in turn, she mortgaged her sister's restaurant and house. In desperation, the man reported his own crime and cooperated with police to catch the three suspects. According to current Chinese laws, the maximum sentence for gambling is three years.
Welcome Aboard -- Tessa Jowell, the UK's Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), announced today the appointment of two new members of the Board of the Gambling Commission. Rachel Lampard, who has been the Methodist Church's Secretary for Parliamentary and Political Affairs since 2000, has taken the lead for the Christian churches on the Government's gambling proposals. Since 2004 Lampard has been a Trustee of the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT) and of the Society for the Study of Gambling. Lord McIntosh of Haringey is a Member of the House of Lords and has been President of Gamcare, the National Association for Gambling Care Educational Resources and Training since 2005. He was DCMS Minister for Media and Heritage from 2003-2005.
eCOGRA.com Update -- e-Commerce Online Gambling Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA), a self-regulatory body of the online gaming industry that purveys a "Play It Safe" seal, announced today the launch of a new version of its Web site at eCOGRA.com. The updated site includes a monthly player opinion poll, industry news, dispute resolution services, an online media room, and a list of approved gambling sites.