Victoria Outlaws Betfair -- The Herald Sun reports that the Victorian government's Gaming and Racing solicitor has advised that it is illegal for Victorian punters to wager with Betfair and other "unauthorized" wagering or betting exchange providers. The Department of Gaming and Racing has reportedly informed Betfair in writing that the company's operations violate Victorian law and also asked the company to display a notice on its Web site informing Victorian punters that they break the law by placing wagers with Betfair. Meanwhile, the government of another Australian state, Tasmania, is considering whether to grant Betfair a license.
Virgin Ads -- Virgin Games has hired advertising firm Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R to carry out a £10 million campaign that will involve outdoor signage and print publication ads. Oscar Neiboer told Brand Republic, "The market is very competitive, so we plan to increase our spend and our profile significantly from July. A lot of people in the market are buying up the media well in advance and availability is limited, so we want to get in there early." The company is also planning a re-launch of the Virgin Games Web site to coincide with the ad campaign.
Quoteworthy -- "I was interested to read your report about the rise of TV poker and the plan to introduce interactive gambling services alongside TV programmes (Chips with everything, May 16). Although this kind of revenue-raising activity is somewhat inevitable (and some might argue is the hidden agenda in getting us to use the red button on our remote controls), social responsibility on the part of the programme makers appears to be lacking or absent. In offline forms of gambling there are many protections for vulnerable groups (such as adolescents, the intoxicated, problem gamblers, the learning disabled etc.). Where are the safeguards to protect such groups in this type of revenue raising programming?"
- A letter to the editor of The Guardian, written by Mark Griffiths, professor of gambling studies, Nottingham Trent University. Griffiths is one of the most predominant voices opposing gambling expansion in the United Kingdom.
Alderney Surplus -- Alderney's Gambling Control Commission (AGCC), which licenses and regulates remote gambling operations, recorded a surplus of £767,794 for the year 2004, a 43 percent increase over the previous year's £535,502. During the year, the island awarded new licenses to WagerWorks 4, Blue Square Gaming, WagerWorks 5, Cantor Casino, Paddy Power and Samvo International. Certificates of Prior Approval were awarded to Tribeca Tables Software, Gaming & Entertainment Group, Secure & Holdings, Chartwell Technology and Orbis Techology. The total number of AGCC license holders now stands at 14.
Welcome Aboard -- Unibet Group Plc, a Swedish-owned gambling company headquartered in London, has appointed Petter Nylander to succeed Pontus Lesse on Aug. 1 as CEO. Nylander is currently CEO of OMD Sweden and has held various positions in TV3, MTG and Viasat as well as having been a board member for Swedish companies Cherryföretagen and Ongame.
Novelties -- As the final episode of TV's "American Idol" draws closer, newspapers all over the United States are covering the offshore betting angle. Pinnacle Sports, the site whose wagering odds are provided in a majority of the articles, reports that American Idol is easily the biggest entertainment wager it has ever offered. . . . British publication The Sun reports that Blue Square has received a huge number of bets on which Harry Potter character will be killed when the next book in the popular series is published next month. All of the wagers placed on a certain character--Dumbledore--have originated from the town of Bungay, which is home to printing company Clays, producer of the previous five books in the series.
Z4P Deal -- Two Way TV Australia, a provider of live, competitive, TV entertainment and interactive TV applications, has signed a $1.75 million deal to become the exclusive distributor of Zone4Play's play-for-fun and play-for-real gambling solutions in the Asian and Pacific markets.
Bodog Parties -- Costa Rica-based online betting site Bodog.com will have a presence at the Indy 500 in Indianapolis on May 28 by sponsoring a series of VIP social events. The group's primary sponsorship is the Miss 500 Hawaiian Tropic Pageant & Pre-Race VIP Party, with guests including celebrities, drivers and models. The company will also host a Budweiser co-sponsored tent party that will take place at the track's infield for 300 VIPs and a beach party that will take place at the Geist Marina. . . . Bodog.com has also reportedly booked legendary poker player and author Doyle Brunson to speak at the upcoming Bodog.com Poker & Sports Marketing Conference.
Targeting the French -- Online casino software developer AngelCiti Entertainment Inc. says that it plans to include French as a supported language for its casino products so that it may more effectively target European gamblers. The company is in the process of acquiring Carib Gaming.
Final Stages -- Internet and mobile gaming solutions provider Chimera Technology says its mobile gaming platform is in its final stages of testing and should be ready for a launch on 724Sportsbook.com in July 2005.