Sports Betting in Jersey? -- The New Jersey state Assembly's Tourism and Gaming Committee held a hearing Monday to discuss whether the state should proceed with plans that would allow New Jersey casinos to operate sports books. Joe Lupo, the vice president of operations at Borgata Hotel & Casino and the former head of sports wagering at the Stardust Casino in Las Vegas, was in attendance to argue the casinos' side of the issue: that sports books in New Jersey could clear about $50 million per year in profit and at least $5 million to $8 million would be given to the state to fund programs such as senior health care. But opponents of sports betting, such as Jon Moyer, special counsel to the National Football League were also present, arguing that gambling would tarnish the public perception of sports integrity. Others in attendance contested sports gambling for moral reasons. In 1993 a bill that would have legalized sports betting in the state passed the Senate but failed in the Assembly. Months later a federal law preventing states from legalizing sports betting took effect. That federal law still exists, but the Tourism and Gaming Committee's Chairman Jeff Van Drew and other members of the state's legislature believe it can be challenged. New Jersey Governor James McGreevey has expressed a willingness to hear any plans to legalize sports betting.
Irish Chandler -- Betting company Victor Chandler has begun making moves to target the Irish market by launching online betting site at www.victorchandler.ie and by planning to increase its presence at Irish sporting events. The company is sponsoring the full card at Naas race on May 5 and Fairyhouse on May 13.
iTV games in US -- Visionik, a subsidiary of digital pay-TV solutions provider NDS Corp, has licensed seven interactive television games to CableVision, which will launch the games in the United States as part of its Interactive Optimum (iO) digital television platform. iO, the fastest growing service in CableVision's history, gained 700,000 customers in 2003, bringing its total to over 1 million. Games include Bob the Baloney Frog (a Minesweeper variation), Dudes (a Tetris variation), Planet Raider, Sumo Tsunami, Word Nerd, Speed Spell and Backgammon. There are no gambling services on the platform.
Hold'Em Table Variation -- Lakes Entertainment, a casino developer and manager that owns 80 percent of the World Poker Tour, is introducing a new casino table game called "WPT All-In Hold-Em" in which players wager head-to-head against the dealer instead of against each other. Players are required to pay a blind ante each hand and can lay optional bets on their hole cards. For example, two red aces pays 50 to 1 and two deuces pays 2 to 1. After the player sees his hole cards, he can either fold or raise five or 10 times the ante. Predetermined rules dictate whether the dealer will fold and pay off the players or stay in the game. Play then continues with the flop, turn and river.
Czech Betting Exchange -- Betting exchange Betsson Ltd, a licensed bookmaker in the United Kingdom, has launched a Czech version of its site, bringing its total number of supported languages up to eight. (It also offers English, Swedish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Finnish and Danish). The company's director of U.K. operations, Chris Duncan, told betexchangenews.com, "This launch has caused a real stir in the higher echelons of the Czech government, they are completely against betting companies like Betsson entering the Czech market. The story has made front page news in all the major Czech newspapers and was even the main story on their prime time news program, with many journalists suggesting the Czech government will take action against Betsson. With the Czech republic set to enter the EU it looks increasingly difficult for their government to resist the changes which will inevitably occur in their betting markets."