Ahead of Schedule -- Chimera Technology Corp. launched its casino games platform on March 18, 45 days ahead of its scheduled May 2 release date. The company says its casino product is performing flawlessly. Customers can play Chimera's games for fun or real cash.
More Options -- Holotype, an Australian developer of interactive TV applications, has signed a deal with Sky TV New Zealand and the New Zealand Racing Board whereby it will add trifecta, quinella, and EasyBet features to their interactive TV betting service, SkyBet. The SkyBet service went live last April and currently turns over $500,000 through two betting channels, SKY Sports and Trackside. The new horse race betting options come as a result of high customer demand.
Mobile Child Protection -- To protect minors from unsuitable content, Virgin Mobile will adopt an opt-in policy toward adult content, meaning that users must first express an interest in gambling or pornographic information before it receive any via mobile phone Internet. Early next month Vodafone will become the first mobile Internet service provider to filter out adult Web sites.
Inspector -- Poker Inspector Inc. has unveiled Online Hold'em Inspector, a program that displays detailed betting statistics and information for each round of betting. The program captures the up cards automatically so the player does not need to enter any information. Poker Inspector says the program can help shorten the learning curve for beginner players because it helps them understand the strengths and odds of a hand at any time. The company also offers Online 7-Card Stud Inspector, which keeps track of live and dead cards. Both programs offer a play-money trial version and can be configured for use with Party Poker, Empire Poker, Poker Stars, UltimateBet, Paradise Poker, Ladbrokes Poker, and Royal Vegas Poker.