UK News -- Department of Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Tessa Jowell is expected to announce later this week a plan under which the organization of the National Lottery would be divided into three separate licenses. The plan is said to be a reaction to the falling sales of lottery tickets since the contract to operate the National Lottery was awarded to Camelot in 2001. Representatives from the government say it is unlikely that under the new plan Camelot would be able to win the contracts to operate all three licenses, and that Ladbrokes, Stanley Leisure and Sir Richard Branson are all expected to compete for the business. In 2002, lottery sales dropped £400,000, although sales of scratch cards increased 21 percent. Camelot's profits decreased 26 percent that year.
Legal Stuff -- South Africa's new anti-money laundering legislation went into effect today, LawAndTaxNews.com is reporting. The regulations will require people who want to open bank accounts to submit identity papers, utility bills and income tax and VAT registration information to the bank.
Bit from Down Under -- Western Australia Racing Minister Nick Griffiths today called for the country's federal, state and territorial governments to take action against betting exchanges. "This form of wagering creates a substantially new type of betting contingency -- the capacity to bet that a particular horse will not win," he said. "The ability to lay bets through exchanges and thereby profit from a horse losing can be seen to carry with it a real temptation for owners, trainers, jockeys, stable staff and others close to the industry, to compromise the integrity of racing." Griffiths said he is going to discuss his thoughts with New South Wales Racing Minister Grant McBride, senior executives of TAB Ltd. and the Australian Racing Board. Griffiths said he would like to see betting exchanges denied Australian betting licenses.