Inked -- Betsson subsidiary Net Entertainment has signed an agreement with online operator Parabol to supply it with its CasinoModule software solution.
Extended -- Telecommunications services provider Eckoh said it has been awarded a three-year contract extension from William Hill, valued at £3 million ($5.7 million), to provide its automated horse racing commentary and results service.
Selected -- Playtech has been selected as the exclusive sponsor and software provider of the China Mahjong Association (CMA). As part of the agreement, which spans three years, Playtech will sponsor the CMA's regional and national championship events, set to be renamed "Playtech Regional Mahjong Finals" and "Playtech China Mahjong King Championship" respectively. The company said it is "well positioned" to develop its brand presence in the lucrative Asian markets, after inking deals with China-based Sino Strategic International in December, and, on Wednesday, with the Hong-Kong-listed Foundation Group.
Appointed -- Unibet has appointed Ragnar Hellenius to replace Susan Ball as CFO, effective July 1, 2007. Hellenius has spent eight years as a senior management consultant with McKinsey & Co. and, most recently, was principal at Booz Allen Hamilton's corporate finance and private equity practice. Ball is to remain on in an advisory capacity, the company said.
Possibilities -- I-gaming developer Interactive Systems Worldwide Inc. (ISWI) on Tuesday announced a non-exclusive marketing and business development agreement with Shantech Inc., which sees Shantech market ISWI's products internationally with particular emphasis on certain Asian gaming markets. Shantech will also make a $2 million "strategic investment" in ISWI and will, in turn, receive stock-related incentives. The combination of investments and bonuses, if achieved, would likely result in Shantech becoming a controlling in ISWI.
Update: Vernons -- Liverpool Daily Post reports that Ladbrokes will expand its telephone betting operation if the sale of its Vernons Pools to Sportech goes ahead. In an interview with the paper earlier this year, Sportech CEO Ian Penrose said it was his company's intention to "reinvigorate" the pools, and that the acquisition of Vernons would be "in line" with this strategy. Meanwhile, The Times reports that Penrose will be submitting the deal, worth an estimated £50 million ($96.4 million), to the Office of Fair Trading and that he did not expect any problems, given "the huge competition from the National Lottery" and the rise of Internet betting on football.
Stock Watch -- Financial Times reports that shares in Sportingbet rose nearly 15 percent after bwin on Wednesday confirmed that it was in bid talks for the London-listed operator. The paper quoted analysts as saying the bwin/Sportingbet merger was "particularly compelling," and that bwin's bid would likely be in the form of shares priced "north of Sportingbet's share price." Sportingbet continued to make gains today, closing up 3p (5.08 percent) at 62, with Vienna-listed bwin performing likewise, up 3.31 euros (11.30 percent) to 32.60.