Possible Floater -- Australian bookmakers Con and George Kafataris, owners of online sports betting shop Centrebet, may be seeking an IPO. "We're looking at all options at the moment," Con Kafataris said. The brothers have reportedly met with brokers in their native country and in Britain. A decision was expected before the end of the calendar year, Con Kafataris said.
Mansion Sponsoring After all? -- It looks like Mansion Poker may redeem itself after weathering rejection from the Manchester United football club. The Tottenham Hot Spurs are rumored to be nearing a multi-million pound shirt sponsorship deal with the online gambling company. According to the Evening Standard, the four-year deal would be worth an estimated £8 million per year, which would amount to a £38 million compromise on Mansion's part. (The Manchester United deal would have been worth £70 million.)
3D Poker -- The United Kingdom's self-proclaimed first 3D poker and casino Web site was launched this week. Using Swedish software developer 3D Internet Games' platform, The3Dpoker.com features realistic graphics and enables players to create and customize their own unique identity by choosing their avatar's clothes, hair color and facial features, which can be changed at their leisure.
Charity Football Match -- Belize-based online gambling site Commodorecasino.com announced today that it will be the chief sponsor of the 2006 World Stars Football Match charity event to be held on May 23 at Stade Louis II in Monaco. The event has been organized to support worldwide children's charity AMADE, which advocates the protection of children's rights where they are endangered.
Back in Business -- Derek Morran and Adi Tarkay, the co-founders of defunct online bingo network BingoWorkz Ltd. who sued a group of companies in 2004 for allegedly forcing them into a merger between their former company and software developer Gamewave Solutions, have regained control of their company and are moving to re-establish it under the name "World Bingo Network." The company has eight bingo licensees signed and another five under negotiation. "It's great to be back," Morran said. "The old team is raring to go. We have huge ideas we'll be developing that will blow this market wide open."
More Mobile Options -- Gaming Corporation Plc, a gaming portal operator and the owner of Gambling.com and Casino.co.uk, announced that it has signed a contract with mobile services provider Vodafone UK to launch within the next month a mobile casino service on Vodafone Live. The service will offer a suite of 11 Java-based games, including blackjack, roulette, stud poker, slots and scratch cards, available in free and money-play versions.
Outsourcing -- Keno.com Ltd., a provider of online gaming portal management, has signed a contract to have Costa Rica-based online casino management company Progenero Inc. oversee specific portions of the operations at the site. Progenero will manage both Web-based and telephone customer service, IT, e-mail marketing and customer relations. Keno.com said it decided to outsource these aspects of the day-to-day operations to reduce overhead and minimize risks.