Tattsnet -- The Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation is investigating Victoria-based lottery operator Tattersalls' involvement with Lotto Nigeria because it is not clear whether Lotto Nigeria is operating legally. Last year Tattsnet, a company that is half owned by Tattersalls and Swedish lotteries company EssNet, entered a 10-year contract to provide lottery services for National Sports Lottery (NSL), a company that was awarded a 30-year license by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. The lottery is operated by an NSL subsidiary called NSL Lotteries Management Company Limited, which went broke in 2002 and was therefore unable to pay winners and creditors. The Victorian watchdog wants to make sure that Tattersalls honors the legislation that prohibits it from having business associations with unsuitable partners.
Sports Betting Bill -- Rep. Tom Osborne, R-Neb., has introduced a bill that would prohibit Nevada casinos from accepting wagers on college sporting events. A former football coach who led the University of Nebraska to two national championships, Osborne also introduced similar legislation in 2003. He got 33 representatives to support his bill that year, but it was never scheduled for a Congressional hearing. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., first introduced a bill prohibiting college sports betting in 2000, but efforts to pass such a bill through have lost much momentum in the last few years.
Reemergence -- Rob Hartnett, former managing director of Betdaq, has reemerged as the chief executive of Race-O, a new betting and information company that is scheduled to launch in the summer. According to ATE Online, the company plans to introduce a new "Super Bet" that will provide a regular route for racing and sports fans to land million pound jackpots, and revenue from every Race-O bet will directly benefit horse racing. The company is chaired by Sir David Sieff.
Playtech Games -- I-gaming software provider Playtech has expanded its suite of casino games to 75 by introducing Blackjack Surrender, Derby Day, Jacks or Better 10-line video poker and Aces Faces 25-Line Video Poker. Blackjack Surrender adds a new element to single deck blackjack by allowing bettors to forfeit the hand after being dealt the first two cards. When a player surrenders he only loses half of his stake. Derby Day is a fixed-odds virtual horse racing game that allows players choose multiple betting patterns. The company says it developed the 10- and 25-line video poker games in response to renewed demand in the online casino industry for a greater diversity of video poker games. Prior to the two new video poker additions, Playtech had already included nine video poker games in its casino gaming suite.